Ico is a young man who possesses horns. When he was twelve years old, and his horns had reached the appropriate size, the village elders decided it was best to send him away to be sacrificed so that evil spirits would not attack the village and only begin his escape after a freak earthquake rips lose the vessel he has been confined in. Before this, Ico had been entombed in an ancient castle that was falling apart. Ico quickly faces a princess named 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 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 various puzzles. Most 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. Ico must push and pull items, operate switches, rearrange structures, and so on to solve the game’s physical puzzles, which take place in the environment.
Throughout most of the game, Yorda remains 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 unique and can only be opened by Yorda. Yorda is not as athletic as Ico, so she frequently requires a more comfortable path to be constructed. Ico can take Yorda’s hand and walk with her while also beckoning her to get closer to him.
All the game’s foes are shadows except the final monster, the only one of its kind. They strike in large numbers at predetermined checkpoints or when Ico has been away from Yorda for an extended period. 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 cannot save her before the darkness portal swallows her. On the other hand, Ico is immune to the shadows’ ability to kill him; all they can do is drive him back and prevent him from reaching Yorda in time. Therefore, it is up to the player to defend themselves against the shadows (Ico uses a stick for most of the game) while rushing to reach Yorda as quickly as possible. One of the most critical aspects of the gameplay in ICO is finding a way to save and defend Yorda.
There is no heads-up display, or HUD, in this game. Other unique aspects include the visual style of soft lighting, the low-key use of in-game music, and conversations conducted in a fictional language, all of which leave a lot to the player’s imagination.
