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[PartlyCloudlike]

Absolutely. Anyone else learn to dread the times you have to leave Yorda behind because she can't follow? I found myself desperately trying to figure out cetain puzzles as quickly as possible, living in constant terror that you'd hear Yorda's gasp after being snatched by the shadow creatures.

And the ending? Beautiful.

Yes! My heart dropped whenever I would hear her gasps, ESPECIALLY when I knew she was farther away than I would have liked. I'd race to her, sometimes underestimating the height of a ledge and jumping to my death because I wanted to reach her as quickly as possible. When I'd reach her to find all those shadows trying to kidnap her I'd wildy swing my weapon to fend them off. I wish I could've afforded to keep my PS2 and especially Ico.

 

[jenov4]

I've mentioned this before, but ICO gets my vote for the greatest game to come out of this generation. It's a masterpiece.

 

[PartlyCloudlike]

This game draws on a fear I have of my future child being kidnapped. You can't always be with them, and lurking in the shadows could be something evil that takes them away. If these were real characters, you'd have to think that Yorda was in the most frightening position. Often Ico would have to leave her behind in a dark area, defenseless, where at any moment a shadow can appear to take her away. The thing is they both know the shadow monsters are waiting for Ico to leave so they could kidnap her. They're always there waiting until she's all be herself, then they come for her. I find it chilling.

 

[dark10x]

I'm bumping just to see if JasoNsider has played any more...I'm curious to hear what a new ICO player thinks.

I myself have brought the game again and am quite enjoying it! This is the first time I've been able to play the game with no moire patterns on my TV as well (my last two sets had severe moire patterns on low resolution images with lots of gray). I'm currently heading through the indoor waterfall area after. It's so beautiful here! I love when you are running forward and the sun suddenly peaks around a corner and blinds you. There are just so many subtle details that bring the world to life as well!

 

[JasoNsider]

Unfortunately I don't actually have a PS2 yet. When I played the game I had to play it at a buddy's house. Hopefully this will be rectified if I get a sizable amount of birthday money today .

I've been thinking about this game for the last couple of days. Something else I forgot to mention was how creepy the atmosphere was, even though it was a subtle feeling. In the beginning there were people bringing you to the castle, a guy opening a giant door for you, and the boat people. I got the sentiment that this was a castle populated by guards and the like. However, I found it kind of creepy that (so far) the castle has been absolutely empty, with only the sounds of footsteps and wind to break the silence.

So yeah, I want to pick up a PS2 stat so I can get in on ICO, Katamari, Rez, and a couple of other titles. ICO is easily my favorite PS2 game so far though (even though I've only played around an hour of it.)

 

[wazoo]

ICO was the game that made me bought a ps2 so I like it a lot.

To answer the first question, the reason for the game to be good from start to finish is due to 2 reasons, which could have been seen as flaws in any other game

1/ If you like the game at the beginning, you will like to the end, because the formula does not change at all during the game, mainly due to the "lack" (or omission, lack is a negative word) of stats and inventory.

2/ the game is short, which prevents empty or repetitive sequences

As for atmosphere, ICO stands with Prince of Persia, Wind Waker and Metroid Prime for this gen.

 

[ManDudeChild]

ICO was indeed a great gameplay experience. My favorite part was ...

Spoiler

when you discover that the shadows you're fighting are in fact other children that were sacrificed in the past. Made me almost feel like a heel for killing them all

 

[Agent X]

My favorite part was ...

Spoiler

Yes, that was a surprise twist there. There was also something eerie about seeing them dance around, once you realized what they were.

 

[PartlyCloudlike]

ICO was indeed a great gameplay experience. My favorite part was ...

Spoiler

when you discover that the shadows you're fighting are in fact other children that were sacrificed in the past. Made me almost feel like a heel for killing them all

Jason these are major spoilers so whatever you do don't read them no matter how irresistable it is! Don't read any spoiler for Ico!

But yeah...

Spoiler

I was as shocked as anyone. When I first saw them I went after them. I wondered why they weren't fighting back. It looks like they are playing, and then I noticed how their physical build was just like mine. Then it hit me, and my jaw was on the floor from that point on all the way until the ending credits.

 

[Lord Error]

Spoiler

Yes, you can even see shadowy looking children getting out of their stone vaults (same ones like you've been locked into - it's the same room as at the beginning, actually), and yes, I too felt completely smitten when I realized what was it that I so cheerfully destroyed and hated during the whole game

 

[P90]

Yeah, I'm surprised that people would even complain about the "combat" aspect. To me it was quite obvious that it was intended to be simple since he's just taking broad swipes to try to keep these things at bay.

This is bloody brilliant:

The US cover, however, is a damn travesty. Somebody should be fired for even thinking about plastering a lifeless 3D render on a game that is so artistically tasteful.

Like I said, this is probably one of the only games I've played that feels like it was given as much care as an EAD or Intelligent Systems title. That's really impressive to me, especially with only playing the beginning of the game. Can't wait to play more.

The brainless simplicity and slow pace did the game in for me. The wonderful attention to ARTISTIC detail versus the lack of effort applied to the battle system seems like style over substance.

 

[TekunoRobby]

I love ICO but then again I'm a major fan of these style of games. It was one of the reasons why I decided to purchase a PS2, until that game I had no incentive.

GameStop is offering me $3 for it, hahahahaha.

 

[SolidSnakex]

The brainless simplicity and slow pace did the game in for me. The wonderful attention to ARTISTIC detail versus the lack of effort applied to the battle system seems like style over substance.

You're missing the point of the "battle system". It's only meant to be used on a few occasions, since most of the time you can just run right into one of those doors with Yorda and all the shadows are killed. The fighting isn't great because Ico is just a kid, he's not suppose to know how to fight. You give a kid a little stick and he's just going to swing widly like Ico, there's going to be no technique to it because he doesn't know what he's doing. The game really wasn't about fighting for the most part since you only need to do it a few times, it was mostly an adventure game about escaping.

 

[MassiveAttack]

You're missing the point of the "battle system". It's only meant to be used on a few occasions, since most of the time you can just run right into one of those doors with Yorda and all the shadows are killed. The fighting isn't great because Ico is just a kid, he's not suppose to know how to fight. You give a kid a little stick and he's just going to swing widly like Ico, there's going to be no technique to it because he doesn't know what he's doing. The game really wasn't about fighting for the most part since you only need to do it a few times, it was mostly an adventure game about escaping.

Which is precisely why Ico appeared incomprehensible to so much of the US and European public. A little kid with no guns, grenades or bazookas to kill monsters?

My lord... what will these Japanese think of next?

 

[Fafalada]

Which is precisely why Ico appeared incomprehensible to so much of the US and European public. A little kid with no guns, grenades or bazookas to kill monsters?
My lord... what will these Japanese think of next?

You may joke about it - but the worst thing about it is that I actually saw people posting stuff like that and be serious about it - stuff along the lines off...
"I hope that Nico/Ico2 will feature a more complete battle system with guns..."
At that point I had the inclination to reach through the monitor and slap the poster. -_-

But hey, I bet ICO would sell a whole lot more if yorda's rack was increased a couple sizes, and Ico was given a goatee, a plasma gun and a couple of angsty monologues to go along with his sad fate of being a human sacrifice.

 

[Ill Saint]

Huh? You mean his 3 hit combo wasn't enough?
Bloody kids...

 

[wazoo]

Which is precisely why Ico appeared incomprehensible to so much of the US and European public. A little kid with no guns, grenades or bazookas to kill monsters?

My lord... what will these Japanese think of next?

Looking at the abyssimal sales of ICO in Japan, it seems ICO appeared much more incomprehensible to the japanese gamers than to the western gamers.

 

[MassiveAttack]

Looking at the abyssimal sales of ICO in Japan, it seems ICO appeared much more incomprehensible to the japanese gamers than to the western gamers.

There's no doubt that initial sales were poor in every region of the world though I would say the launch of Ico in Japan was nearly invisible and the game simply never had a chance at retail due to SCEI's odd tendency to begin their marketing campaigns 2 weeks before ship.

 

[JasoNsider]

Okay, I'm back from playing ICO. I've now put in about 4-5 hours into the game and I can honestly say this game is going up there on my all-time favorites list.

this game is so well crafted that it honestly feels like this castle is real in some dimension.

Spoiler

The scene with the windmill is honestly one of the greatest game scenes of all time. It completely took my breath away the same way the black and white Hyrule castle did in The Wind Waker (and perhaps moreso).

In fact, there have been so many amazing moments that I can't even recount them all in one sitting.

If there was anything to complain about at all....and this is a really minor gripe - it would be that you are pretty much forced to fight most of the time. For some reason, even though you guys told me to just start running for those statue doors, the shadows usually seem to appear at just the wrong moment. I don't mind fighting though, luckily. It comes across as a way to survive in the only manner he knows (nervously swiping around).

The next thing I want to know is: who the heck said Sands of Time is better? Prince of Persia wasn't even that great to me before, and now after playing ICO, PoP looks even worse. ICO, to me, has so much love put into the simple things that matter. Instead of insulting me with a "market friendly" cast of characters and violent themes, the game relies on simple themes like escape, bonding, and atmosphere. The amount of restraint used in all facets of the game's design is truly phenomenal. It really is a work of digital art, and is one of those few examples that reminds me what good things can come out of an industry that finds it self more self-conscious as every year goes by.

 

[Lord Error]

Jason:

Spoiler

The scene with the windmill is honestly one of the greatest game scenes of all time. It completely took my breath away the same way the black and white Hyrule castle did in The Wind Waker (and perhaps moreso).

That was the scene I was telling you about, when I told you that, accidentally or not, you mentioned beautiful water Did you see the little pond there? Did you tried jumping in it?

The next thing I want to know is: who the heck said Sands of Time is better? Prince of Persia wasn't even that great to me before, and now after playing ICO, PoP looks even worse. ICO, to me, has so much love put into the simple things that matter. Instead of insulting me with a "market friendly" cast of characters and violent themes, the game relies on simple themes like escape, bonding, and atmosphere. The amount of restraint used in all facets of the game's design is truly phenomenal. It really is a work of digital art, and is one of those few examples that reminds me what good things can come out of an industry that finds it self more self-conscious as every year goes by.

Heh, I think you are preaching to the choire here... While I think that most aspects of PoP were better than most games out there, I too have never really thought it had that enchanting brilliance that I found in droves while playing Ico. It was an extremely enjoyable game, that's for sure, but the 'magic' wasn't really there. Not to mention it had it's share of problems like fights, that sometimes seemed endless and annoying or borring, or the ending which was just too rushed and unsatisfying. I think more and more people realize that now that the initial wow factor of the game has worn off. Still, I have lots of hope for it's sequel, and just the gameplay dynamics/control quality in PoP is something that makes it more enjoyable than most games out there.

 

[JasoNsider]

Jason:

That was the scene I was telling you about, when I told you that, accidentally or not, you mentioned beautiful water Did you see the little pond there? Did you tried jumping in it?

Yeah, that entire scene was both beautiful and intelligently planned. I honestly can't even describe the strange feeling I get when playing this game. It's a mixture of immersion (escape), tension, relaxation, and fear.

I have my theories now about the background or story thus far. Don't answer me, but so far I think it's that

Spoiler

Yorda is related somehow to the sun. When she was sucked into the black pool, a bubble quickly expanded that took away any amount of sunlight in it. This would also explain the strange dream that you have at the beginning with the darkness and rain everywhere when the figure resembling Yorda is dripping with that black material.

Regardless, I enjoy this fictitious world so much that I am definitely going to play this over again when I'm done.

 

[dark10x]

Oh, I'm so glad you are enjoying it.

Where are you at this moment, by any chance? I'm just curious to know just how much goodness you have remaining.

Even better news, it seems that NICO might finally be announced in about a week! If that's true, you could not have picked a better time to play ICO.

I agree with the Sands of Time argument, there. ICO is a VASLTY superior experience in every possible way. It's just a brilliant piece of gaming and is the first title I always list when people claim that Sony Computer Entertainment is worthless as a first party (-glares at DavidDayton-).

I can't wait to hear your impressions after you finish it! Oh, and trust me, you want to watch the credits, they're really quite good.

 

[JasoNsider]

We just got to the

Spoiler

second reflector temple, which I believe is the 'western reflector".

.

Yeah, I just saw that other thread about the upcomming announcement which could possibly Nico. I'm beyond excited even just hearing that there may be news from this team. My fingers will be perma-crossed until Sept. 10th.

This game definitely gives me hope in the industry, and not just Sony's camp. Seeing the medium turn into food for the masses over the years has been painful. One of my good friends once said to me "perhaps we should take a break from this industry for 10 years. Hopefully by then we will be through with treating the medium as flashy distractions for teens." What I told him in response is that in order to enjoy this industry you need to be vigilant and follow the people you like. There are gems to be found, but you must look for them and support them whole-heartedly. So titles like this are some of those diamonds in the rough, which can only strengthen my love for the medium, even when the rest of the industry is hell-bent on putting out digital fast-food.

 

[JasoNsider]

Now for the exciting conclusion of my reflection on ICO.

We finished the game last night. I had played through the entire game with my sister and fiancee. The short version of the story: This game is now officially my favorite of the generation and is up there with Mario Brothers 3 as one of my favorite titles of all time.

Nothing that you guys mentioned could prepare me for what happens at the end of this game. I enjoyed every second of the experience and the ending is definitely the best I've ever seen, even dethroning Ocarina of Time.

This is probably one of the first times that I've actually started shaking playing a game. Spoilers are probably going to follow here - coming to the gate at the end, all three of us were visibly nervous. However, waking up to the sound of the thunder and rain was the clincher. I've seen rain in Metal Gear Solid 2, and that was done really well, but for some reason the atmosphere in this game made it seem even more foreboding.

Anyway, I could probably write six pages on how beautifully executed the final sequences were, but I'm sure you're all sick of that by now. The sound, the ending music, the final conflict, the dark return to the castle, the "final" ending, and Yorda's last stand were almost too much for us to handle. Right now I'm just trying to piece together the different story elements in my head. Why was Yorda consumed by that darkness? How did she escape? I want to buy 4 copies of this game to ensure that we see more from this director and team in the future .

 

[cybercrash]

Oh yeah... ICO is pure poetry.

Personally I also think that while usually people give ICO the credit it deserves when it comes to discussing the game from an artistic/gameplay point of view, the game is highly underrated from a technical point of view. The lighting, the water effects (even though there aren't any real geometry/surface effects in most areas), the screen filters, all the subtle special effects, the trees (with gloss-mapped leaves!),...

 

[Lord Error]

I'm so glad you liked it


*SPOILERS* for those who haven't completed the game

Some final thoughts:
Author of the game himself has went on record saying that he deliberately left the ending open to interpretation. He would not say whether Ico or Yorda have really survived, or is the final scene just some kind of Ico's dream or if they are perhaps both dead in some otherworld (which is the thought I actually find myself being most attracted to)

You probably have noticed that the shadows in the final room were the children exiting from their stone tombs, much like the one you've fel out from - that last room is actually the same room you start the game. They wouldn't even attack you, btw. they just run around playing. As I've said in my post above, at that point I just felt broken, when I realized what was it that I was so cheerfully killing during the whole game...

 

[JasoNsider]

First - ICO is pure poetry. We've covered that a lot in this thread, and I believe the point to make here is that it really is a work of interactive digital art. Recently we were discussing that it's almost insulting to call it a video game even.

**Spoilers**

The story is really mysterious. The ending with the dancing shadow kids really freaked me out. My current thought about the story is this: Yorda at the end gather's the energy of the souls trapped in the coffins. She, essentially, is given life from all the souls that are content at the "queen's" death. How she ended up on the beach at the end is a mystery to me though.

I wonder now if this supposed Nico will be a continuation or a seperate story entirely.

 

[Vlad]

I'm so glad you liked it


*SPOILERS* for those who haven't completed the game

You probably have noticed that the shadows in the final room were the children exiting from their stone tombs, much like the one you've fel out from - that last room is actually the same room you start the game. They wouldn't even attack you, btw. they just run around playing. As I've said in my post above, at that point I just felt broken, when I realized what was it that I was so cheerfully killing during the whole game...

I'm not entirely sure that the spirits that you were fighting up until that point were the ones from the previous horned boys. The ones that you were fighting in that last room looked different than any other spirits so far in the game. Not only that, but when you killed the spirits in that last room, they turned into a human-looking shadow with horns, something which none of the other spirits in the game did.

 

[JasoNsider]

No, the spirits in the last room look identical to the other ones. I had remarked early on in the game that the shadow creatures seemed to have horns. That kind of made me think that these guys could be what I would have been if I had stayed in the casket.

Also, when you kill them, they don't turn into a human form. Instead, when you swipe at them they kind of explode into smaller shadow particles that float up to their casket.

 

[Lord Error]

Not only that, but when you killed the spirits in that last room, they turned into a human-looking shadow with horns, something which none of the other spirits in the game did.

That only happens because you destry them with a newly obtained sword that obviously has some kind of magic to it.

That kind of made me think that these guys could be what I would have been if I had stayed in the casket.

Hehe, I guess you got that early on. It never even crossed my mind until that last scene, so the shock was that much bigger for me.

 

[Vlad]

No, the spirits in the last room look identical to the other ones. I had remarked early on in the game that the shadow creatures seemed to have horns. That kind of made me think that these guys could be what I would have been if I had stayed in the casket.

Actually, I'm pretty sure they do look different. The enemies in the rest of the game all took various forms, there were those big ones with the huge wings and a tail, the ones that had those little arm/antenna things coming off of them, some smaller hunchbacked looking ones, the small ones that would turn into big ones, etc. I'm pretty sure none of them looked quite like the ones you found in the last room.

Also, when you kill them, they don't turn into a human form. Instead, when you swipe at them they kind of explode into smaller shadow particles that float up to their casket.

Actually, they do, but it vanishes fast. A lot of the time it's covered up by the particles flying away, but occasionally you do see the smaller form (a bit taller than Ico himself) of a person with horns as you kill them.

 

[Diomedeskun]

I do particularly like the fact that Yorda is ethereally pale and seems to be lit in a way that is never apppropriate to your location (shadows flit about her at all times) making it seem like she is never entirely in the world.

Spoiler

It also made it quite exciting when she showed up at the end with flesh-toned skin and darker hair.

 

[jarrod]

Ico rules... it's the best console adventure game since Majora's Mask, easily... EAD would be lucky to make anything half as engaging these days.

 

[Lord Error]

Diomedeskun, I don't think she looked any different than usual there in that scene. If you go to the maskrider's site, you'll see one picture from that last scene, and she looks pretty much the same.

My current thought about the story is this: Yorda at the end gather's the energy of the souls trapped in the coffins. She, essentially, is given life from all the souls that are content at the "queen's" death. How she ended up on the beach at the end is a mystery to me though.

Her on the beach is definitely hard to explain, which made people think they are maybe both actually dead in the first place (or that's is Ico's dream while he floats around unconscious) Also, remember that the Queen said that she cannot leave the castle no matter what... I don't think Ueda will ever give a definite answer, as he has already said that it was intentionally left open to interpretation whether they are alive or dead.

 

[PartlyCloudlike]

Spoiler

I don't see how Yorda could still be alive. Everyone here is convinced that those black shadows were the ghosts of the dead horned children. Yorda was a black shadow in the end of the game, so doesn't that mean she's also dead? I don't see how she could return to her frozen corpse.

 

[Fafalada]

Her on the beach is definitely hard to explain, which made people think they are maybe both actually dead in the first place

Well there is lots of symbols in the imagery that also points to that (the entire scene with the boat, the yorda turning into shadow, etc.). It's just another tribute to the creators that the subtlety of story telling carries even into the end scene though - they aren't forcing the player to think one way or the other.

Of course, I still stand by My theory in which Ico is a prequel to AntAttack and they are alive and well fighting off ants in the ruins of Antescher!!!!
...

 

[wazoo]

Jason:
Still, I have lots of hope for it's sequel, and just the gameplay dynamics/control quality in PoP is something that makes it more enjoyable than most games out there.

POP2 is not heading in ICO direction. It is all about what they think people like in the "mature" games.

 

[Ill Saint]

This is an extremely good plot guide for ICO. Very well written, in-depth and doesn't resort to baseless speculation. Highly worth reading.

http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/ico_annotation.txt

 

[mrfindlay]

Here's a link to a Fumito Ueda interview conducted a few years ago about how ICO was created.

Fumito Ueda Interview

Sorry if it has already been posted, as I haven't read all of the thread.

 

[jett]

So, I was playing the PAL version of ICO...and I noticed they changed something I kind of liked in the US rev. If you hold down the R1 button while Ico and Yorda and sitting on the save-couch they no longer stare at each other. Instead Ico will keep on calling Yorda to sit down even though she already sat down. The hell? Why did SCEE remove this? The blur effect seems toned down a teeny little bit, too.

 

[Yusaku]

It's funny to read that originally the characters genders were to be reversed. I think it was Kasavin in Gamespotting where he implied that people only like Ico because they have some sort of male hero complex. I suppose he'd be saying we all had mother complexes if the game had come out as originally intended.

It's also amazing to learn that the puzzles were built first, then the castle built around them, when the game's enviroment feels so cohesive.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Spoiler

Yes, you can even see shadowy looking children getting out of their stone vaults (same ones like you've been locked into - it's the same room as at the beginning, actually), and yes, I too felt completely smitten when I realized what was it that I so cheerfully destroyed and hated during the whole game

Enjoyed ICO, but I have to say this:

Spoiler

You REALLY didn't know it was the sacrificed children from the get-go? As soon as I saw the Shadows for the very very first time in the game, I realised who/what they were. The horns are so clear on the models it isn't funny. It was the first thing I understood. That's why ICO has to get the fuck out of there, because he knows he's gonna end up like them if he stays too long.

 

[epmode]

Spoiler

your television must be crystal clear, because i didn't notice the horns till the end of the game. and i was running it on a 35 inch screen with component video.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Spoiler

That's the funny thing: we were playing on a crappy RF TV and I still noticed. Maybe my copy is wonky?

 

[disabledHeliocentric]

I hope the team behind ICO gets to make another game. It always amazes me how Sony throws resources at their U.S. developers and then get slack about things like this.

 

[jett]

There is no NICO. People expecting Sony to announce it on September 10th are just setting themselves up for a disappointment.

 

[Lord Error]

Dragona,

Spoiler

of course I have noticed that, but I simply thought the horns are the running theme of the game's visual style, and the world Ico lives in. I thought the children with horns were condamned because there were shadowy monsters with the horns running around in their world (or at least the castle). Trust me, if you have realized that early on, you are one of the very few people who figured it out.

So, I was playing the PAL version of ICO...and I noticed they changed something I kind of liked in the US rev. If you hold down the R1 button while Ico and Yorda and sitting on the save-couch they no longer stare at each other. Instead Ico will keep on calling Yorda to sit down even though she already sat down. The hell? Why did SCEE remove this? The blur effect seems toned down a teeny little bit, too.

Really? I didn't even know they do that. Never tried i either US or PAL version. What blur are you talking about? The games looks completely identical, except that you can apply the filters in the PAL version after you finish the game once.

I hope the team behind ICO gets to make another game.

They are making another game! It will be announced in four days days.
http://www.playstation.jp/scej/title/sugoi/

 

[jett]

Really? I didn't even know they do that. Never tried i either US or PAL version. What blur are you talking about? The games looks completely identical, except that you can apply the filters in the PAL version after you finish the game once.

Haven't you noticed that a slight "blur" effect is always on in the game? I thought it was toned down in the PAL version, but I tried the US a little earlier and I was mistaken.

 

[Lord Error]

Oh that, I know what you are talking about, but it looks the same. I thought you were talking about some speciffic effect that appears only sometimes.

Also, there's supposed to be some small visual touches added into the PAL version, like the animated flapping fabric on the panels of the windmill.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Dragona,

Spoiler

of course I have noticed that, but I simply thought the horns are the running theme of the game's visual style, and the world Ico lives in. I thought the children with horns were condamned because there were shadowy monsters with the horns running around in their world (or at least the castle). Trust me, if you have realized that early on, you are one of the very few people who figured it out.

Well I guess it's because

Spoiler

I guess I saw the horned graves that Ico was put into, the number of them and the horned shadows. I thought it was to be assumed. Specially the part with the statues when you "clear" a room. Horned again, and linked to the Shadows. Asyou mentioned, you noticed it too-- but you thought it was a running theme. I took it at face value. I tend to do that and it gets me into trouble much of the time.

What I always wanted to know was: what made the Horned boys into shadows? Obviously the Queen. Therefore, did she have that law put into effect to have them sacrificed in the castle? Did they have some ominopotent power they were unaware of in life? I suppose you could say that anyone who died there became a shadow (Yorda's shadow) but even then, Yorda's special, as is the Queen. (The ethereal nature of their existences.) I don't know...