As I stand on this craggy firmament, the soft glove of this maiden’s hand in mine, I gaze in wonder at my surroundings. Entranced in a dream, alight from nightmarish misanthropy and transfixed by the wonder of my mysterious companion, my fear and hope are boundless. From below are winds unbridled, prancing across my tunic, playing through Yorda’s hair like delighted children, only to echo the solitude of our lonely perch. She smiles at me, this fey female, eyes warm as Sol’s caress. Her flowing tongue weaves a tapestry of colors that I cannot fathom, her meanings as elusive as our escape.

However short our time together, she has become my strength, my one true reason for freedom: this woman who trusts me without question. For her I would risk my life, for she has brought meaning to one as wretched as mine. I will protect her from the ghast that calls itself her “Mother” and her brood, who even now belch and plume from the crumbled cobbles of our crag. The time for reflection has ended. Grasping Yorda’s hand tightly, my eyes wide - she looks at me quizzically, only to read the terror on my tongue. “RUN!”

It has been almost a year since ICO was announced for the Playstation 2. Despite very early screen shots, the only description was a game where a boy leads a young woman through a castle. What kind of game would ICO be: a sweeping adventure, a lock-and-key puzzler, or both? For months, the gaming community could only speculate.

Originally planned as a near-launch title, ICO had fallen off the radar, until it made a small, though wonderful, appearance in the Playstation Underground “Summer Jam Pack” demo compilation. Finally, more light was shed on a title that was once thought to be lost in the abyss. ICO is an adventure game at heart with a solid puzzle foundation graced with a respectable amount of challenging combat. Now the final release is upon us and it is with great pleasure that I share with you my experience, in the dream that is ICO.

Graphics: 96%

I am at a loss for words to fully describe the picturesque beauty of ICO. The entire world of ICO was borne of lusciously rendered polygons, lovingly crafted into the most frightfully realistic architecture this side of reality. From the towering battlements of the castle to the oceanic cliffs at its base, its magnificence is unparalleled. ICO’s world is completely rendered in real-time, meeting, and in many ways, surpassing the static cinematic splendor of “Riven: The Sequel to Myst”.

ICO’s environmental textures are clean, though occasionally simplistic, designed to create a much crisper image when the camera pans outward, an event that will leave you breathless. The architectural design of the castle is distinctly Byzantine with a touch of Islamic influence. The sheer size of ICO’s environs is mind numbing, as is the immense detail present therein.

To push the envelope even further, there are no significant traces of the dreaded PS2 aliasing, and the entire environment runs at a smooth 60fps. The cinematic camera does an amazing job of capturing the range and scope of each area in impressive detail; gamers with vertigo may want to have something solid to hold onto, as some of the dizzying heights ICO employs left me feeling slightly nauseated.

Though there is a significant amount of backtracking, there is little repetition between areas and there are always new vistas to gape at. ICO uses an occasional filter to simulate darkness and bright sunlight, but these effects are not only unobtrusive, they are pulled off with cinematic mastery. The light sourcing from even simple flames send shadows sprawling across both ceiling and floor, highlighting details in every texture map.

Artistically, ICO presents a point of contention with typical videogames. The colors are notably drab in the dungeon depths, a myriad of sepia and stone, while the overworld is painted in bright hues that are washed out with an occasionally blinding luminescence. ICO is not a world bursting with chromatic pastels, but one molded from granite and sandstone. SCEI’s decision to use muted hues and luminescent filters only add to the solidity of the environment.

Also of note is the impressively accurate rendition of water, either pooling in a gentle pond, flowing from the mouth of a monstrous cavern, and even the moisture vapor at the base of the waterfall. Truly, the PS2’s particle system shines through in its environmental accentuation.

The character design is remarkable, reminiscent of many of Studio Ghibli’s creations (Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro), giving each creation personality and depth. These character models, constructed of innumerable polygons, are animated with frightening realism. All human actions were motion-captured, and from the moment you see “Ico” do a running grab at a ladder, the quality of the animation will be apparent. The character actors were so exquisitely life-like that there was no need to add SGI cinematics; all the story sequences use the in-game models. I was very impressed to see that all character expressions were genuinely believable, a task Sony’s vaunted “Emotion Engine” had yet to accomplish.

What else can be said about the graphical orgasm of ICO? The beauty therein is surely one of the game’s numerous caveats. ICO is a cinematic marvel that treads into a realm of frightening realism and a surreal level of artistry. The captivating world that SCEI has created will leave your eyes wide and your mouth agape.

Music: 89%

There really isn’t much that can be said about the acoustic accoutrements of ICO. The orchestration is limited to the cinematics and the occasional tones of tension during combat. The music that does play during times of storytelling is a wondrous medley of wind instruments, percussion and the occasional synthesizer and chorus.

The style of the music is Teutonic as is the language spoken by the characters. The music is ethereal, beginning as subtly as the breeze, suddenly becoming intrusive and accentuating times of intense emotion. When the music does grace the player, it is enticing and memorable.

I understand that limiting the overall score enhances the stark emptiness of the castle fortress, and the solitude of the characters of Ico and Yorda. I just wish there were more musical interludes during gameplay. Thankfully the ending is blessed with a captivating folk song, featuring a songstress whose vocal range seems to embody the entire musical selection of the game.

The environmental audio is very well done; the sound of rustling feathers from the castle’s aeries as well as the wind that whistles through the vaulted windows is crystal clear. The sounds of the character’s feet scurrying across grass and granite are sampled accordingly, as are the sounds of fierce combat.

The vocal performance of the characters is also impressive, though unintelligible without the provided subtitles. The sheer power and presence of the Queen, voiced by the talented Misa Watanabe (All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku-Nuku ) will make even the most disinterested gamer snap to attention (not too far of a stretch from her playing a megalomaniacal CEO and totally INSANE mother in the anime). Another interesting piece of trivia is that Ico’s voice actor, Kazuhiro Shindou, was a supporting voice actor in the Hayao Miyakazi (Studio Ghibli) film, “My Neighbors the Yamadas”.

I am very pleased that SCEA decided to preserve the game’s acting integrity. Unfortunately the original plans to translate Yorda’s hieroglyphic subtitles upon completion of the game fell by the wayside. Though initially disappointing, in retrospect, this does little to impact the overall experience, as keeping her shrouded in mystery enriches the game.

As with most of the PS2 releases, ICO is Dolby Digital 2.0 compatible, but Dolby Digital 5.1 isn’t supported. Regardless of “true” cinematic sound, ICO does have some surround sound support using the standard stereo configuration. Overall, I’m pleased with the acoustic artistry inherent in ICO, my complaints are small, but it does impact what could have been a near perfect score.

Story 82%

ICO is a tale of a young boy with horns upon his head. In his village, a child with horns is born once a generation. The horned child is branded as an ill omen and upon adolescence these children are entombed in a crumbling castle-fortress on the sea. The village has abided by this law for countless generations and on his 12th birthday, Ico is carried in chains to this prison. Atop heavy warhorses, a hooded priest and two horned helmed warriors carry the boy to the shore. By boat they travel to the rocky embankment of the castle. By using a monstrous mystical blade, Ico’s captors unseal the elevator to a galleria of crypts. With a word of apology to the boy, the priest then commands the warriors to place Ico in a stone sarcophagus. Using the power of the sword, the gallery is sealed off, and the masked trio leaves the boy for dead.

A quirk of fate allows Ico to free himself from his living tomb. In his search for a way out of the immense castle, he comes across a mysterious young woman. Having freed her from her wicked prison, Ico discovers that she has the intrinsic power move the same stone idols sealed by the mystic blade. But as she is a boon, she is a burden, for shadowy demons emerge from nothingness to drag her into their portals of darkness. It is Ico’s duty to protect this strange woman who follows him without question, as they work together to free themselves from this castle. Just who is this woman, and what is her relation to the fortress, the Queen of the Shadows, and Ico? Those questions and more will arise as the player delves deeper into the game.

ICO opens with a cinematic tour-de-force, but very infrequent and haphazard placement of storyline cinematics leaves much to be desired. Even upon completion of the game there is still much left to speculation, and while a worthwhile effort, there just wasn’t enough storytelling to be truly satisfying.

SCEI crafted an amazing world, believable characters, and enough potential for a riveting plot. Sadly ICO was a case of diminishing returns. With the length and quality of the introductory cinematic, I found myself dying to see the next story sequence. What followed was a myriad of small event cinemas, and brief moments of self-reflection. Not until the middle of the game and very conclusion was there a truly meaty, story-driven interlude. Granted, the entire game is a cinematic extravaganza, but more dedication to sharing the plot with the audience was needed. It disheartens me to see such potential wasted, but I’m happy they gave the game a wonderful sense of character.

Gameplay: 94%

The gameplay in ICO is phenomenal with environmental puzzles ranging from the simple to the bewildering. The central task in ICO is to create a pathway that is not only safe but also traversable by both Ico and Yorda. Since Yorda does not have the strength or dexterity of Ico, he must find ways to open doors and clear impasses so that he may either summon her by voice or lead her by the hand to the idol gates that she may open with her magic.

Yorda exhibits fantastic AI, but she will not always take the path of least resistance and can logically make decisions about some of her actions. You can actually see her hesitation at some of the more arduous obstacles, but with some urging from Ico, she will even leap across the most gaping expanse.

To add to the complexity of the gameplay, if Yorda is left outside of Ico’s range of vision for any significant amount of time she will provoke a random shadow attack. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that you keep Yorda as close as possible and try not to wander too far. Later in the game there are instances where you have no choice but to leave her for extended periods of time, but with careful planning you can execute a puzzle in stages, advancing Yorda with you as you go. There are also mandatory shadow attacks that occur in the most inconvenient of places and it is up to you to protect Yorda from them. The consequences of a shadow capturing her are most dire.

Before you conclude that ICO is simply a glorified version of “Lemmings”, there are instances where the goal is not to create a safe path, but to either operate ancient machinery, find a way back into the castle, even challenge your chief antagonist. The puzzles range from throwing a simple switch to redecorating the landscape with TNT. None of the puzzles approach the sheer insanity of a typical “King's Quest” adventure, as most of them are well within the realms of human logic.

Completing each puzzle and advancing to the next area of the castle is a compelling and satisfying event. Thankfully ICO doesn’t bore you to death with block puzzles ala “Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ”, though there are a few box pushing episodes. The sheer number, scale and diversity in the puzzles is not only a refreshing change of pace for an adventure game, the addition of a dependent makes it an experience unlike anything you’ve ever played before.

Control: 96%

What else does ICO do right? How about having control that is not only intuitive and responsive but elegantly simple yet complex? Since ICO is a fully three dimensional adventure, players must navigate Ico using the left analog stick while the controls for jumping, attacking, and interacting with objects are delegated to the symbol face buttons. Calling Yorda, holding/releasing her hand and pulling her upwards is assigned to the R1 shoulder button.

The gameplay camera is automatic and, while very intelligent, has a propensity to focus on the cinematic aspect of the environment instead of the action. This has led to occasions with the camera being too slow to keep up with the swift flight of Ico and Yorda. Also, on a large number of high wire walks, I was terrified the camera would pan and totally change my control angle causing me to plunge Ico to his end. I’m pleased to say that that never occurred, but I could feel the camera’s gears grinding at the opportunity to scan a gorgeous venue as your poor ignored character goes splat.

Again, if you have a problem with heights or severe vertigo, play at your own peril, as ICO requires the gamer to frequently navigate across narrow areas several hundred feet in the air. The camera may be manipulated manually with the right analog stick, but upon release the camera will slowly pan back to its automatic setting. This feature is useful for looking about the area for clues or to admire the surrounding majesty, but manual use in actual gameplay is unwieldy and for the most part unnecessary.

I was amazed to see that many of Ico’s animation routes were interruptible. Essentially, you could interrupt an animation, like running, with another action (jumping) without waiting for the animation cycle to complete. These transitions between motions, even erratic ones, were executed without a single animation or frame-rate hiccup. What does this mean? Gameplay control so tight you’ll need to undo your belt. Complaints about falling off a cliff because of poor control timing issues or input misinterpretation are put to rest. If you make a movement faux pas, it’s not the control; it was your own stupidity. My advice: do not play ICO after eating greasy pizza, it WILL kill you!

The combat, though simplistic is elegantly executed. During shadow attacks, you may continue to escape with Yorda, but many times she is too paralyzed with fright to move as swiftly as necessary. But, should you manage to get to an idol gate, Yorda’s power will lash out from the gate and obliterate any pursuing shades instantly.

The weapon choices are limited, though there is a mace hidden in the game (you’ll never find it without the strategy guide or FAQ). Smacking or hacking is simply done by hitting the attack button, and based upon how the character is moving, you can string up to 4 hit combos. Ico may even leap upwards to perform a punishing downward blow. Finding the more powerful weapons will make the dispatching of these bilious pests much easier.

Unfortunately there is no form of defense, and if a shade lands a successful strike, Ico will go sprawling and it takes time for him get back to his feet. Based on the size of the shadow and the force of the blow, it can take a significant amount of time for Ico to shake the fuzz from his head and get back into battle.

Also of notice, ICO has no GUI (graphic user interface). There is no health bar, no timer, no item screen, no nothing. The item you carry can be dropped when you attempt to pick up another and is interchanged just as easily. Saving is accomplished by sitting both Ico and Yorda on stone couches scattered about the game. Ico dies if he falls from a terrible height and if Yorda is captured and taken fully through a shadow portal, Ico is turned to stone.

Combat with shadows causes no damage, but is a rush against time, as more shadows will appear to capture Yorda. They will attack in droves; some will attempt to bait you while another swoops in on wings of smoke to lift the bewildered Yorda away. This gets immensely irritating as there are usually several portals open during later fights, and only by calling Yorda with R1 can you find the location of her captor’s true destination. Using R1, you may pull Yorda from a portal before she is complete subsumed, but this takes some time and you will be unable to defend yourself should the enemy dog-pile you around the portal.

The control in ICO is simplistic enough for even a new gamer to pick up without thumbing through the manual, but complex and challenging enough to keep veteran gamers entrenched until the credits roll.

Overall: 92%

There are many ways to describe the game, the world, and the experience that is ICO. I could waste volumes in twirling diatribe over the countless accolades the game deserves. ICO has met and transcended most of my initial expectations: espousing staggering beauty with elegant control in a fantastical world of very human characters. I can only describe the game as a breathtaking voyage, filled with the wonder and majesty of a most regal dream.

Would I call this game a classic? Most assuredly. Though a linear sequel is probably far from question, with the strong art and character design, I believe there is definite potential. But in a time where gaming is not only mass market, the deplorable whoring of timeless favorites spawning mindless piddle is commonplace. Jaded as gamers have become in such an atmosphere of mercantilism, how can an idea that blooms into an opus exist and be appreciated amidst the stench of far more glamorous offal? For ICO, I shall keep my fingers crossed.