Ico

ICO, though the name sounds boring, don't judge a book by it's cover. A short game, only took me around 4 and a half hours to play, but it is very addicting. I remember staying up until 4 in the morning playing this game. Sleep was trying to overcome me, but the game kind of had a spell, or a charm. Keeping me awake until I finished it. I eventually did and was in tears at the ending. I love that ending. So much. Has to be the best ending ever recorded in gaming history. Not much to expect from a low budget, very unknown game.

Spend breathtaking hours dragging Yorda around a huge castle, fighting off Shadow Demons on the way. May seem like such a simple and pointless game, but actually indulge yourself into the game, and get involved with it. The cover isn't really appealing, but pick it up, and examine it carefully. You see a young boy, holding a wooden stick, and a young, good-looking girl in the background beside him.

What more can you ask? I say. It has to be good if it has anything to do with Shadow of the Colossus, which basically continues the goodness of this game. Well I admit it, the game does not all at seem appealing, but you should play it for at least a half an hour then you will see what I am getting at. Most people don't like these kind of games, but if you like to solve countless puzzles, then this is the game for you. Even I had a lot of hard times completing this game, and I had the online guide! It may seem like one of those Final Fantasy games, but it is really hard. Harder than Shadow of the Colossus, surprisingly.

The only type of enemies you encounter in this game are Shadow Demons, called from the Gates of Hell. There are many different types of these things, but do not fret. They are nothing if you get the Mace, or the Queen's Sword. They are actually quite annoying, and get in the way of everything. I still remember dying every time one of them caught Yorda, and I didn't know which button to press to get her out of the black gate, and you would die every time. Plus, I usually don't save since there are many random and pointless save points in the form of Love Seats,so I have to start and do a certain puzzle again and again and again. It was very frustrating. Then there are mistakes like the press of the wrong button, or a jump too far, which really affects you during the course of the game. Sometimes I could see myself throwing my controller at the television and taking out the disc and ripping it to shreds. But decided against it since it wasn't my game, it is my cousins. So if you ever played this game. Take a DEEP breath, and tell yourself it is just a game, and begin again. Or stop, don't play it for the whole day, and the next day, begin anew.

Definitely a game you should play. If you ever played Shadow of the Colossus, this is a game for you, if you like puzzles, this is a game for you. If you like good story lines, this is a game for you. If you like good games, THIS IS THE GAME FOR YOU!

This game is one of the first games released for the Playstation 2, and despite its rather simplistic gameplay it is still a very fun and visual game to play. Sad that a game so old looks so much more amazing than games released to the newer consoles these days. The story has a boy named Ico being escorted to what one could call a prison, this happens to any boy who is born with horns as Ico is. Well he escapes with a little luck as the castle he is locked in is now in a state of decay. He soon stumbles upon a frail girl named Yorda and now with her by his side he must make an attempt to free him and her from this rather large castle. The gameplay consists mainly of figuring ways to get from point a to point b. None of the puzzles are to hard to figure out as long as you do not over think things. There is combat in the game and that is one of the games weaknesses in my mind. Combat usually consists of shadow like creatures coming for Yorda and you fighting them off, sometimes it just seems to take forever for you to get rid of all these annoying creatures. If they pull Yorda into one of their shadow warps the game is over. The combat becomes a bit more fun if you can get your hands on the mace, and the final fight with the queen is also rather good. Lots of amazing scenery to be seen as the makers of the game seemed to really make a nice environment for Ico to move around in. Near the end of the game you get separated from Yorda and I have to say this was a more enjoyable part of the game as all you had to do is worry about getting through the various jumps and winding gears and such. I prefer the prequel though as Shadow was a bit more epic and the combat was very fun in that one. This one ended better though.

Ico is one of those games, that's gonna stay in my heart for the rest of my life, I enjoy the art design the beautiful sounds of the world, and only in specific moments we get beautiful music.

All the details in this game come together, I respect and find unique when holding the controller while holding the girl, you can feel the controllers vibration that feels like Holding her hand. The boy feeling so flimsy that a little push of the Stick could send him off a cliff.

I remember One review, where they said a line that I would absolutely agree with.. I have played a hundred games about saving the world and only one about holding hands with a girl.

The last scene of the game actually made me cry, I did not expect it. For the first time in a long time, I played the game without anything in the background and because of it, I was left to feel and wonder of this Castle wondering what the purpose, and what has happened in the ages. I got so immersed in the story that I actually teared up at the ending.

When playing this game it feels like I can see the DNA of so many of games today. I understand why so many game designers have the game in so high renown, it feels so essential, It feels like a person's perspective have been realized in this simple story, that is just worked out so well.

If I talk about what you do in the game, it's mostly jumping on things pushing boxes and climbing chains and holding hands it is very simple in game design, but it is so fulfilling still.

One of my favourite games of all time would absolutely recommend.

If you like shooting or killing with the pleasure of blood splattering you're screen, then you're looking at the wrong game. Ico might of been an early game for PS2 but it's still the top game in my list (and indeed many other players.) The two main characters Ico and Yorda are brilliantly designed and you don't need English audio to understand the strong friendship between them. The music is soft and touching. Puzzles are very good. Not you're basic Lara Croft Tomb Raider stuff but REAL puzzles that are complex even if you re-play the game. But the best bit...the graphics. The scenery is so beautiful it's better than life itself. For an early game, the graphics still out-beat most scenery on PS2 games. You'll find you're self absorbed in a beautiful mystical world as you fight shadows, solve puzzles and find you're way to freedom.

This was one of the early games for the PS2 and I haven't seen many games on the format since then that I can say are as good as this. Unique puzzles, harrowing story, amazing atmosphere and a great feeling of total immersion in the environment - this is simply a beautiful game. One might say that it is art. It is quite a short game (7-8 hours) but it's an adventure worth taking. In my opinion it would take a more mature mind to fully appreciate this game, rather than just playing it for the sake of playing it.

A game for grown ups in the best possible sense. If you can, hunt this down.