Ico Review

|Tap-Repeatedly|FFC Archives

           

Ico

Review by JenOctober 2002

It Was the Best of Times, it Was the Worst of Times

I first began playing Ico nine or ten months ago, shortly after its release. My sister was here for a weekend visit, and we wanted to play a console game together so we went shopping and decided on Ico. We played for several hours, taking turns at the controls, and then she went home. I played a little further on my own but it just wasn’t as much fun by myself. So I let it lie for a couple of months.

I took it up again later, still on my own, and stuck with it for a while before getting frustrated with Ico and then sidetracked by another game. And so Ico lay forgotten for several more months. Until now …

Horny Boys and White Girls

Ico opens with a stunning cutscene of a horned boy being transported through the woods by three masked men on horseback.  They leave the horses and board a rowboat to cross a small strait and enter a gated cave that lies in the island bedrock of a massive, crumbling old castle. “Get the sword,” says one man, and another unsheathes the sword that acts as a sort of magic key to move stone idols blocking the entrance to a great stone elevator. The party escalates into a cavernous room whose walls are lined with mysterious stone chambers. Ico, the horned boy, is sealed into one of these chambers and left to die. “Don’t be angry with us,” says one of the escorts as he closes the door, “it’s for the good of the village.”

Ico, resistant to his fate, struggles, and the stone chamber topples from its alcove and breaks open. As Ico, now freed and under player control, gets his bearings, we witness a strange dark, liquid presence forming in a different sort of cage suspended from a chain high above another room. The liquid darkness takes shape, that of a young girl.

Ico finds his way into this other room and brings down the cage to release the girl, now white and solid but still ephemeral.  Ico watches fearfully as a dark, smoky being grabs Yorda, the girl, and tries to abscond with her into a swirling black spot on the floor, a hole made of the same liquid darkness as the creature, the same liquid darkness Yorda was formed from. Ico picks up a stick and beats off the creature and pulls Yorda from the hole.

And thus Ico and Yorda’s fates are bound together for the remainder of the game.

Here’s Hoping You Like Hopping

Ico has the ability to jump and push and climb things, and Yorda has the same magical power as that sword to open stone idols.  The blackness is always after Yorda and Ico must continue to protect her from its dark creatures.

Ico the game plays like an old-fashioned platformer, but much more sophisticated, of course. Ico the boy’s job is to figure out how to escape from each room or group of rooms in the castle, all the while keeping Yorda safe. Ico pushes crates, climbs chains, sidles along narrow ledges, and makes death-defying leaps in his attempts to find a way out of one room … only to be faced with the same task in the next room.

Frequently Ico must go on alone, since he’s the only one who can scale walls or push boxes or use bombs or wield stick or sword or even a mace, and figure out a way for Yorda to follow. If he leaves Yorda alone in a room for longer than a minute, the dark creatures come and reclaim her.

Ico also must protect Yorda from these creatures from time to time in the course of regular gameplay. Every time Ico and Yorda near a game milestone, the creatures arise and try to reclaim her; Ico must beat off the monsters and pull Yorda up from the darkness if one of the smoky beings manages to get a grasp on her and start pulling her in.

The fighting in the game is not at all difficult, and the monsters never increase in strength, just in numbers. They knock Ico down but they don’t kill him; if Ico locates their black lair in the ground and stands near it to fight, it is an easy matter to pull Yorda back up and out if she should be captured. If, however, the inky darkness draws Yorda all the way in, it’s game over.

Most of the death for Ico comes from poorly timed leaps or falling from the edges of high structures or some other kind of splat action. Unfortunately, there is a lot of this, and the save points are all too few and far between for my liking. That’s part of the reason why I put the game aside and didn’t go back to it for long stretches of time—I would spend half an hour or better performing twelve scary jumps and a difficult lit-bomb throw only to die within sight of a save point and have to restart the entire sequence. This was incredibly frustrating for this player, who doesn’t much fancy repetition in her games.

Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder

The castle and its surroundings are absolutely stunning in their realism and beauty. The castle, as I said before, is massive, and yet it makes sense architecturally. It’s as if the designers had drawn a feasible floor plan for the whole thing and then stuck to it. Even though once you complete one room or area there is no going back the way you came, you will revisit locations from time to time by getting to them in another way, and you always understand how you got there.

The grounds of the castle are light and airy; the insides are gloom pierced by rays of sunshine through high windows or lit from above because the ceilings have crumbled away. The distant views serve to heighten the sense of isolation, of being trapped in this remote and forgotten place. Yorda’s mother, whom you will encounter once or twice, is a masterpiece of terrible beauty.  Water is abundant in various forms, cascading or pooling or as distant waves lapping a distant shore. The castle is spooky and yet not lifeless—birds circle in the sky, settling on your path only to fly away as you approach, trees and grass sway gently in the breeze, shreds of decaying drapery flap in and out of windows …

However, the sometimes overly cinematic camera angles add an undesirable extra level of difficulty; for instance, it was always hard for me to figure out where to stand when leaping for chains because of the odd perspectives, and since character movement is screen-relative, sometimes I had to shift control direction to continue moving in a straight line.

Music is sparse but used to good effect. Sound effects are masterfully done. There is no speech as such; occasionally a character will emit sounds that are meant to be a foreign, almost alien, language.  Ico can be understood via English subtitles, but Yorda’s subtitles are nonsensical symbols—Ico and Yorda do not speak to each other because they cannot understand each other.

Oompah-pah

There is no inventory; Ico occasionally must move or carry something in addition to his stick or sword but these items are always found near where they are used. Controls are minimal and straightforward.  Besides directional movement (analog or digital), there is a button for climbing, one to use an item, one for swordplay, and one to beckon Yorda (“Oompah? Oompah?” says Ico until she arrives).  You may also get a first-person closeup view or do a third-person pan of your surroundings. You can only save at set points, as I mentioned—these save points take the form of ethereal sofas, and you save by having Ico sit down on one with Yorda—there is no saving without Yorda at your side.

Overall, Ico is a very tightly planned and well put-together game. It is not really an adventure game but more a combination of a console platformer (even down to the usual save-the-princess game goal) and a puzzle game, with a little bit of easy action thrown in for good measure. It is very frustrating at times and loads of fun at other times and on the whole well worth a play through.

My total logged gameplay was slightly less than seven hours, but of course that doesn’t include all of the time spent dying and restoring from earlier saves. I’d estimate it really took me more like 15 or so utterly involving hours. True, I put it aside for two long spells due in large part to my frustration at having to repeat several long sequences and in some smaller measure to the overall sameness of the gameplay, but I never forgot my place when taking it up again several months later. And the magnificent ending made it all worthwhile. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: SCEI Publisher: SCEA Release Date: September 2001

Available for: PlayStation 2

Four Fat Chicks Links

Player Feedback

Screenshots

Click to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlarge

Where to Find It

Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

Pages

Top

Category Archives

Top

Blog Posts

Top

14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.