Ico is about as simple as game plot's go. Get the girl out of the castle to safety, but that's what makes it so good. Some people hate escort quests with a passion, but Ico pulls it off really well. For starters, Ico is invincible for a kid. He has no health bar, so no need to worry about his safety at all. Actually, the only real way to get a game over is to let Yorda, the girl, get captured or fall off some really high place. In addition, the game has a great continue feature, so even when you do fail, you don't have to go back to your last save point. The game mechanics are solid as well. Ico moves far more smoothly than Dante or Lara combined and dragging around Yorda was clearly well polished. The game has several "check points" to make sure Yorda has not been left behind, such as the couch to save, and the doors that require Yorda to open. Amazingly enough, Yorda is controlled with only one button, R2. This button not only calls her over, but grabs her as well, depending on the situation. The background art and sound quality are amazing as well for the time period. The only real down side to the game is as side from the main quest, the game has only one hidden item, other wise the game is the very definition of linear game play. So, after the first play through, unless you enjoyed the game, there's no reason to play it twice. Overall, the game is the gold standard in the "save the damsel in distress" genre for all future game developers.
Forbidding battlements rise above a stark ravine. The stillness of the surrounding forest is broken by the sound of approaching hooves. A group of horsemen appears, masked and silent, carrying with them a struggling youn... Read Full Review
GRAPHICS For visuals of this vintage from a game released in 2001 they really standup and don't seem all that old. The art direction is absolutely fantastic and that definitely helps the game's look stand up to the tes... Read Full Review
