Ico is about 2 characters, 2 very different characters that depend on each other to escape the castle in which they are imprisoned. The game explores and communicates the essence of the 2 characters and their relationship, by putting the player in control of the lead, forcing the player to experience first hand, the powerful emotions they convey.

The core game play design is set up to explore the nature of Ico and Yorda by placing them in scenarios where Ico must protect and assist his companion while all the time needing her in order to advance. Puzzles usually involve the disparities in their mobility, requiring Ico to search and find ways to create paths for Yorda while not straying too far from her so as to leave her in danger of the castles demons. So deeply expressive are the sounds and movements she makes when she cannot follow your commands. As too are their animations as Ico helps her up a high ledge, or catches her jump across a broad gap.

Indeed it is in the quality with which the simple ideas are conveyed that the games true value lies. The camera work almost always chooses the most beautiful perspective while allowing the most natural feeling manipulation imaginable. The castle itself feels as though its construction, both in its mischievous layout and architectural beauty, is designed primarily as a platform for expressing the beauty of the characters. The sound of their footsteps, the subtle use of rumble as they hold hands, the sun washed graphical style against which their dense forms are displayed. Every detail is masterfully geared towards expressing the beauty of the characters.

Towards the end of the game, which gets extremely intense in its manipulation of the characters to whom I had grown so attached, I felt the game had my heart hanging on its strings and came very close to tears a number of times. This game, (if you want to call it that) is without a doubt a marvelous and coherent work of art, which uses the unique medium as best as has yet been done. The means for interaction which distinguishes the videogame medium from film is used to such fundamental effect in contributing to the games overall message. That message to which the game wholly dedicates itself, abandoning all unnecessary computer game traditions.

Any of the games downfalls are up to debate; I personally had some issue with some of the nonsensical fortune which made puzzles solvable but often highly unintuitive. For example one puzzle required me to use a bomb to blow up the base of an already crooked tower in order for the highly improbably outcome of it falling and knocking something else which would fall and provide me with a bridge. There were also many occasions where I could have progressed no further had it not been for the highly fortuitous placement of a block or some fire or some bombs...

This complaint is highly reminiscent of my quibbles with half life 2 which I could not get into because it made no sense to me and therefore prevented me from being susceptible to its expression. But after enjoying Ico which seems to be remarkably similar to half life 2 in design philosophy, I have vowed to try to look past this awkwardness and enjoy it as so many people have. Likewise with other highly rated games such as metal gear solid. Perhaps silent hill also: I tried silent hill 2 the other day but put it down in disgust when I realized I was expected to find keys and stuff in order to progress even though I had been given no way of knowing that...

Hope you enjoyed the review of Ico. Please support Team Ico in the future so as to ensure the continuation of production of such high quality computer games.

Yeah, this was a good review, man. I never played Ico but I did play Shadow of the Colossus, and man was that a good game.

Wait, you didn't like Silent Hill 2 because it required you gather KEYS?

Um...

You don't play many survival horror games, do you?

its not the fact that you have to gather keys, its the lack of logic in the way your supposed to do it.

I for one thin you should continue with Silent Hill. The psychological twists and layers in that game are what made it so unique and I'd love to see how you perceive them. If you're able to look past the ironically convenient situations in Ico then you should get passed the key puzzles in Silent Hill. Although now that I think of it, the way you go about getting keys isn't necessarily as simple as going to the room that has the key. You often have to solve a riddle of some sort to get to it, all of which are clever and creepy at the same time.

As for your review, it was great. Keep em coming.

cheers ill give it a go