Reader Reviews
Midtown Madness 3, Freak Out, the PS2 itself and someone's opus on ICO.
ICO (PS2)
by Stefan Haselsteiner
ICO is the sort of game that makes me think about all those monikers each console giant bandies about concerning their respective "cream of the crop" titles. You get Playstation Platinum for PS2 or Xbox Classics for Xbox and Nintendo's Players Choice for Nintendo consoles. If one didn't know any better, just by looking at those names and by picking up one of those games you'd be guaranteed a certified hit, a guaranteed classic... right? Wrong. While many carrying the term Platinum, Classic or Players Choice are indeed great games, many are far from classics.
In the film industry, if a film rakes in over $100 million at the box office (providing it cost less than $100 million to make) it's often referred to as a "Blockbuster". How many "Blockbusters" would you consider classics... Mummy Returns anyone? The point I am trying to stress is that all the above titles should be changed to reflect the term "Blockbuster" because that is essentially what they are and that a new title for true classics should be heralded. Now to ICO... if ever there was a game screaming for such classic recognition then this it my dear readers.
In the gaming world this is my Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane (insert any other classic film you care to here). Not in all my years of gaming has a title impressed me so much with its simplicity. The game has layers upon layers of depth and emotion that I have not yet witnessed in interactive entertainment (or at least felt it to be true and honest).
The game begins with a young boy (no older than twelve) who is imprisoned in an ancient castle. The reason for his imprisonment - the villagers believe that it wards off curses. Also the fact that the young boy is born with horns on his head seems to fulfill some ancient prophecy regarding the protection of the village and its inhabitants. Within a matter of minutes after his imprisonment an accident allows our young protagonist to break free from his cell and begin his adventure. It's not long before he finds and rescues a young girl by the name of Yorda and the two set out to free themselves from this cubic palace. However, it's really not as simple as that. Yorda and and young ICO do not speak the same language and some dark force is hunting the poor girl. It turns out this is one palace that is not going to let its two victims escape easily. Deep within the heart of the palace resides an evil queen who feeds of the souls of those imprisoned within its great walls for the purpose of rejuvenating herself.
The game is an absolute joy to play. Harking back to such classics as Prince of Persia, the castle is in fact nothing more than one huge puzzle. It's like playing with a Rubik cube as you twist and turn it to get a specific colour into arrangement. The majority of ICO's puzzles consist of spatial puzzles involving climbing, leaping, switch-throwing and manipulation of objects within the gaming world. The various puzzles are never obscure and they fit seamlessly into the greater whole (the castle). The most amazing thing ICO accomplishes is drawing emotion from those that play it. You see, Yorda has been weakened by her extended stay in the castle so she is not so fit and can often not jump across ledges as easily as our young hero. Also leaving her alone for a few minutes can seal hers and your fate forever (end of game) as those dark forces I mentioned earlier, the evil shadow servants, are sent out from the Queen to retrieve the young girl. Okay, so I hear you saying "ditch the woman and save yourself", only it's not as simple as that. ICO needs Yorda just as much as she needs him. It seems Yorda is the only one who can open many of the locked portals throughout the castle and without her, ICO is just as doomed. There is a true feeling of guardianship the player develops for Yorda as you strive through ICO to do everything in your powers to protect her from the evil shadow servants and the Queen and in turn help her and yourself escape.
The graphics, although low res, are simply stunning to look at. The castle literally comes alive, giving you the sense that you are actually there, wondering around some great medieval castle all by yourself. The spatial dynamics are incredible too. Standing on the top of a flight of stairs you have just climbed and then looking all the way down to the floor will often induce moments of vertigo. The game has some of the best usage of shadow and lighting in any PS2 game to date. I defy you to find a better looking game out there. The control is fluid and easy to master. Helping Yorda travel along with you will entail you extending your hand and then pulling her along. There is a little continuous rumble from the joypad giving the player the feeling he is actually pulling someone along. The soundtrack contains no musical tracks [my ICO soundtrack CD does! -Tom], consisting mostly of environment sounds such as chirping birds, breaking ocean waves and movement of the wind. It's all used to such a wonderful extent that you feel as though you are in a living, breathing world. A lot of time and care has gone into this title sonically and it's a pure delight to listen to. If there is a major flaw with this game, it would be its length. With about ten hours of gameplay from start to finish (first time through) one gets left wanting more... a lot more.
ICO is a rarity in today's times where most games are loud, brash and emotionally uninvolving. It's great to see developers thinking outside the sequel and financial box most development companies find themselves in today. ICO was a commercial failure upon its release and therefore will never earn the Platinum moniker but at the end of the day this is a game I believe will be remembered forever by those that get the chance to play it.