PC | PS5 | PS4 | PS3 | PS2
HOW I PLAYED: I played on PS3 with a physical copy of the ReMaster
STORY — 20/20
INTRO (5)
The game opens with a cutscenes showing a strange boy with horns and some hooded figures approaching a colossal fortress on horseback. The title screen is then seamlessly presented to the player and once they chose a new game another lengthier cutscene play outs, laying more clues and hints as to what is taking place. So much is actually said in this intro with only a few lines of subtitles. Its a truly remarkable display of visual storytelling.
CUTSCENES (5)
The cutscenes blend into the gameplay so beautifully. They're paced evenly throughout the adventure and are wonderfully cinematic.
WORLD BUILDING (5)
Ico prides itself on being extremely spartan both visually and with its gameplay: no NPCs, no shops, no UI for god's sake, not a single piece of text to read and no items or inventory to speak of. Any lore that the game possesses is told through its exquisite cutscenes. Somehow, without all the traditional world building components, the game feels rich and breathing with life. There were moments where I actually put the controller down just to pause and acknowledge the feelings that were taking place inside me.
OVERALL STORY (5)
The story here like the rest of the game is simple, but incredibly well executed. One of the most special things the game does is allow the player to use their own imagination to fill in the gaps. There are no exposition dumps, only the dozen or so cutscenes that supplement the adventure taking place in your head.
Ico has been banished to this fortress by the people of his village because he was born with horns. He's offered as a sacrifice and locked away. But by some chance he manages to escape his cell and this is when the player first gains control of him. Early into his stay, he meets a mysterious girl named Yorda and the rest of the game unfolds as they work together to try and escape.
Its the oldest story in the book - "rescue the princess from the castle". But Ico makes it personal; it makes it intimate. And its through this lens that the game really holds a firm grip on your emotions.
GRAPHICS — 19/20
CHARACTER MODELS (4)
Something about the art style kept me saying to myself "damn this game has aged well". The way Ico and Yorda look and move is incredibly organic and convincing. While there is a noticeable lack of detail (not only as a result of design choices but the fact that ICO was released very early into the PS2s lifecycle), they still managed to feel like living characters.
ENVIRONMENTS (5)
There's something so alluring about the bleakness of Ico. Everything is so striped down of colour and polish but somehow doesn't give the impression of looking cheap or unfinished. I felt like I was inside a painting in certain areas of the game. This is a huge testament to the art direction which absolutely sells the experience.
SPECIAL FX (5)
For an early PS2 game there was some really potent stuff here. Rainbows appearing in the mist from a waterfall, light bouncing off of the water creating spots on walls and overall pretty solid fire and smoke effects.
ANIMATIONS (5)
Aside from the exceptional art design, the animations of the characters are one of its most outstanding qualities.
There's a clumsiness and vulnerability to the way Ico and Yorda move which makes them feel so alive and human. Two kids running around a castle trying to jump, climb and dash their way through its many dangers and obstacles. Considering this game is pushing 25 years at this point, its super impressive how well they captured the movement and feel of the characters.
Even the way they climb up and down ladders has a very unique and distinct animation. Yorda is delicate and calculated while Ico is bold and a tad reckless. This immense attention to detail triggered real emotions that made me care about them.
AUDIO — 20/20
AMBIENCE (5)
If you've played the original Demon's Souls on PS3 you'll remember how a place so stark and desolate was able to enchant and fascinate you at the same time. This is more or less the same atmosphere that I felt throughout ICO. Some birds croaking and the sound of wind. That's about it. I don't really understand what's going on here but it works so well and is incredibly immersive. Very few games that I've played have pulled off this level of atmosphere.
In an interview with Famitsu, Dark Souls creator and FromSoftware boss Hidetaki Miyazaki famously stated that playing ICO changed his life and ultimately led him to want to pursue a career in the gaming industry. You can see the influence everywhere - like everywhere. I found it quite amusing, honestly as I played through ICO my first time because of just how many things reminded me of the Souls series. It put a smile on my face.
BOSS MUSIC (5)
The theme for the final boss of the game is dramatic as hell and also sad at the same time. Its a really strong piece to support this climactic encounter.
SOUND DESIGN (5)
Ico and Yorda communicate to each other through very sparse dialogue in a made up language that gives them both personality and adds another layer of immersion to the game.
All of the environmental sound FX are super realistic and contributed in a big way to the feel of the game.
Music is used vary sparingly as more of an embellishment than something that is carrying to experience. My favourite piece of music is the song that plays when you sit down to save your game. After escaping near death over and over and running from dark shadows it made me feel safe and like everything was going to be OK.
VARIETY (5)
Each cutscene has a unique piece of music as well as the final boss. For what is required of the game it did exactly what it needed to do.
GAMEPLAY — 30/40
CONTROLS (3)
Controlling Ico can be frustrating. There's a lack of accuracy and tightness that a third person game like this should possess. Its loose - almost on purpose, though. Because the fact that Ico is a small boy almost plays out in the controls; he's a tad clumsy and feels juvenile. As a design choice its mega brilliant. On pure gameplay vibes it could have been better.
On the other hand, all of the traversal and interactive aspect of the controls were great. Climbing ladders is a breeze, pulling and pushing boxes was crisp and swinging the stick and sword to fight off enemies was fun.
The game uses a dynamic camera style which is constantly adjusting to provide you with the best possible view of the action. I can appreciate what it was trying to do but ultimately I kind of grew to hate it as it was far from perfect and also adjusted really quickly sometimes which made me motion sick.
You can take control of the camera to look around and asses the situation which actually proves to be very useful on many occasions, but the camera itself is always trying to fight back to its original position and was in a word - annoying.
MECHANICS (5)
The crowning jewel of ICO is the hand holding mechanic between the two main characters. Pressing R1 will call Yorda towards you and once she's close enough, pressing and holding the same button again will allow you to hold her hand and take her with you. This simple mechanic is what defines the gameplay.
PACING (5)
The game is essentially one big Zelda dungeon. While I did get stuck on some of the progression points, I never got lost or stopped playing because I didn't know where to go next. The game does a really good job of pushing you through the castle without it actually feeling linear. It flows beautifully.
UI/UE (5)
There is absolutely no UI in the game whatsoever. Ico has no health bar and there are no status ailments or inventory to monitor and no map! Its actually kind of impressive that the game pulled this off so effortlessly and never once felt bland or lacking substance. Try and imagine a third person adventure game in our current landscape doing the same thing. Developers nowadays are terrified that you'll be bored without 5000 skins and won't be able to figure out the simplest things on your own or walk 10 feet without icons and arrows pointing the way. I have so much admiration ICO because it respected me as the player. Like the hero himself, the game is bold and brave.
BOSS QUALITY (5)
There is one boss in the game and they are at the very end of the adventure. The music, the arena and the mechanics were all I could have asked for.
ENEMY VARIETY (2)
Even taking into consideration how stripped down everything in ICO is, the enemy variety still suffers. Black phantoms will pursue you at various points and attempt to capture Yorda. They appear out of black portals in the ground. Some of them fly and the others walk or crawl around. These are the only enemies in the game. Ico can dispose of them by whacking him with his stick or sword but the combat is clunky and leaves a lot to be desired.
GAMEPLAY VARIETY (3)
The main gameplay element on offer here is exploration. The entire game takes place in a giant castle and your ultimate goal is to try and escape. In very Zelda-esque fashion you're doing all the usual stuff like climbing ladders, pushing blocks, lighting torches and pulling switches. The one unique feature to ICO is the ability to climb ropes and chains. You can also swing on these to gain momentum which will allow you to reach new previously inaccessible areas when you let go and hop off. This was a lot of fun and made the exploration feel that much more dynamic.
REPLAYABILITY (2)
My first playthrough took me roughly 7 hours and my second one about half that. ICO is a short game with arguably no replay value other than self imposed challenges or simply trying to speedrun it. There are however some secret weapons you can obtain in the game which I never would have known about had I not looked it up. The first is achieved by completing a certain section of and area with specific steps and and the other requires a playthrough into new game +. ICO also has an optional extended ending.
Just to play devil's advocate for minute here, I think there is an argument to be made for the replayability of Ico beyond what is just laid out on paper. Because the game is so short and so easy to pick up and play, you could treat it like a long movie and breeze through it in a couple of hours. Its not a big commitment and once you know what to do and where to go you're just there for the scenery at that point which is worth it.
OVERALL — 89/100
GREAT
ICO is a vibe. Its all about the feeling. Its one of those games that I feel like every gamer needs to experience. Its an incredibly courageous achievement that makes no attempt to be anything but itself and leaves the player with a profound lasting impression. Ico is the french baguette with nothing but ham and butter that changes your life vs the subway sandwich with every single ingredient and all the sauces that still somehow leaves you feeling hungry. It might not be the best game ever might but it could be one of the most important.
PROS
✅ Unparalleled atmosphere
✅ Outstanding art direction
✅ Engaging gameplay
✅ Story that will stick with you
CONS
❌ Enemy variety is very weak
❌ Combat is clunky and one dimensional
❌ Controlling Ico can be frustrating
❌
TLDR: 89/100 (GREAT) ICO is a minimalist yet emotionally powerful adventure that uses sparse dialogue, atmospheric design, and intimate gameplay to craft an unforgettable experience. With no UI, exposition dumps, or traditional world-building, it relies on masterful visual storytelling, immersive soundscapes, and a unique hand-holding mechanic to build connection and tension between its protagonists. Despite some clunky controls and limited enemy variety, the game's strong art direction, ambient audio, and compelling simplicity make it a timeless classic that leaves a deep emotional impact—earning it an overall score of 89/100.
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