The game that would be Shadow of the Colossus (SotC). That's really the best way to sum up ICO in one sentence. Its immersive and artistic setting, its deep yet ambiguous story, and its innovation in game design, all help to make ICO a classic adventure title. Its repetitive action sequences and frustrating camera & save-point issues however, mar an otherwise brilliant game. But when your experience with ICO is completed, you will no doubt find, as I did, that you have enjoyed it much more than you thought you would.

ICO begins its story with a group of hooded figures on horseback carrying the player's character, a young horned boy, through the forest. His destination: a mysterious castle by the sea. Using a magical sword to enter the castle, the figures place the boy inside a sarcophagus, and leave him as sacrifice "for the good of the village." After his captors leave, a tremor moves through the fortress's walls and the boy's prison is tipped from it's resting place; he is spilled to the ground and knocked unconscious. While asleep, the boy dreams of a girl trapped inside a cage suspended at the top of a tall tower. As he tries to speak to her, hands made of shadow spring out from the walls and drag him into the darkness.

As the boy awakes from his dream, the gameplay begins. The player sets out to explore the castle and hopefully find their way to freedom. Much like SotC, there is no on-screen interface in ICO, which adds to the immersion of the game. Before long, the player finds the tower from the boy's dream and the girl suspended at the top. After freeing her from her cage, and protecting her from the unnatural shadow creatures, the player sets off with the girl to continue the search for a way out of the castle.

The gameplay of ICO is equal parts ambition, innovation, & repetition. The player has only a very few number of actions they can take. Picking up certain objects to use as weapons or tools, jumping & climbing, and leading the girl (Yorda) by the hand. Aside from falling from a great height, the player really cannot die. The shadows do you no real harm, but merely hope to distract you, while they drag Yorda into the shadows. Therein lies the innovation of the game.

Yorda represents the player's life. If you leave her alone for too long, or move too many rooms away, the shadows will come for her; if she is taken, you die. She is a key for opening the mystical doors that impede your progress through the castle. And she is a walking tool for solving the game's numerous puzzles.

The action elements of ICO however are simplistic and repetitive. When the shadows appear, you must do your best to defend Yorda. This is accomplished by mashing the X button as fast as you possibly can, until the shadows stop coming. The combat offers little challenge, even during the final confrontation with the game's villain.

The meat of ICO are its puzzles. You will have to navigate massive rooms, climbing ladders and swinging on chains, to eventually find a way to lead Yorda to the next doorway. It sounds simplistic and boring, but it's actually quite a peaceful and enjoyable experience. The only real aspect of the game that reflects negatively on the puzzle-solving / platforming portions are the occasional camera problems or a poorly-placed save-point. Unfortunately, more than once I was forced to repeat a particularly long puzzle segment after a missed jump, due to a bad camera angle and the lack of a nearby save.

ICO's graphics are both very impressive and somewhat disappointing all at once. The character designs are all excellent, and the setting is breathtaking. The blooming effect in the game is well-done also, but the textures leave a little to be desired. Granted it's a castle made of stone, so only so much variety can be expected. But a little more difference in the bricks would have helped to alleviate some of the more frustrating, M.C. Escher-like moments caused by the camera placement and repetitive (nearly uniform) textures.

The sound of ICO is very much like that found in SotC. Wind blowing, birds fluttering and calling, and the sound of your feet pounding against the stone as you run. The music is subtle, and perfectly placed. Although, not as stirring as the soundtrack of SotC, ICO's score is enjoyable and some of the best music to be found in video games.

Although a short experience (I finished it in just under 7 hours), ICO is a game that I truly enjoyed. I would even argue that it's length adds to it's value. Much like a favorite movie, ICO can be completed with very little time investment. And it is just long enough to provide repeated brain-teasing challenges, until perhaps after numerous run-throughs. The bottom line is, if you enjoy a great adventure game or simply a touching story of fantasy, ICO is a title that you shouldn't miss.