Ico is a young man who possesses horns. When he was twelve years old and his horns had reached the appropriate size, the village leaders decided it was best to send him away to be sacrificed so that the village would not come under attack from bad spirits. Ico is only able to begin his escape after a freak earthquake rips loose the vessel he has been confined in. Prior to this, Ico had been entombed in an ancient castle that was falling apart. Ico quickly comes face to face with a princess by the name of Yorda, who has been held captive by the evil queen. The two children have no choice but to venture into the foreboding castle in search of a means of evasion while being pursued by the queen’s shadow minions.
ICO is a video game played from a third-person perspective that combines exploration and combat-based gameplay with a variety of puzzles. The majority of the action takes place inside the castle, which features a labyrinthine network of corridors, rooms, and platforms upon which to navigate. Ico will navigate different surroundings by running, climbing, and jumping as he moves about. Ico must push and pull items, operate switches, rearrange structures, and so on in order to solve the game’s physical puzzles, which take place in the environment.
Throughout most of the game, Yorda will remain by Ico’s side. The solution to many of the riddles lies in determining how Yorda can get through the glowing blue doors that only she can open with her abilities. These doors are special and can only be opened by Yorda. Yorda is not as athletic as Ico, therefore she will frequently require a more comfortable path to be constructed for her. Ico has the ability to take Yorda’s hand and walk with her while also beckoning her to get closer to him.
All of the game’s foes are shadows, with the exception of the final monster, who is the only one of its kind. They strike in large numbers, either at predetermined checkpoints or when Ico has been away from Yorda for an extended period of time. They never deviate from their primary objective, which is to kidnap Yorda and lead her to a vortex of darkness. The player will lose and the game will end if they are unable to save her before the darkness portal swallows her up. Ico, on the other hand, is immune to the shadows’ ability to kill him; all they can do is drive him back and keep him from getting to Yorda in time. Therefore, it is up to the player to defend themselves from the shadows (Ico utilizes a stick for the most of the game), while also rushing to reach Yorda as quickly as possible. One of the most important aspects of the gameplay in ICO is finding a way to save and defend Yorda.
The game does not have a HUD (heads-up display). Other unique aspects include the visual style of soft lighting, the low-key use of in-game music, and conversations that are conducted in a fictional language, all of which leave a lot to the player’s imagination.
