ICO

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 528 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 448 out of 528
  2. Mixed: 57 out of 528
  3. Negative: 23 out of 528
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. VLG
    Aug 22, 2023
    10
    A true work of art, there is nothing like it and there will never be. I played it some years after its release, and before the PS2 was dead. The atmosphere was absolutely unique, I wish there were more games like this.
  2. Chirritox
    Aug 2, 2023
    8
    Este juego lo jugamso en directo y nos gusto bastante la historia es interesante algo criptica y confusa el gameplay es bastante entretenido y se nota que este juego es la inspiracion de los juegos indies actualmente la musica es casi nula pero en su sundtrack tiene bueno temas, el u pero que es muy corto y la compañante es muy tonta y irritante pero estuvo bien

    la audiencia que fue    Este juego lo jugamso en directo y nos gusto bastante la historia es interesante algo criptica y confusa el gameplay es bastante entretenido y se nota que este juego es la inspiracion de los juegos indies actualmente la musica es casi nula pero en su sundtrack tiene bueno temas, el u pero que es muy corto y la compañante es muy tonta y irritante pero estuvo bien

    la audiencia que fue mostrado este juego en el directo le gusto hubo varios espectadores.    … Expand
  3. Yojimbo2015
    Jul 18, 2023
    8
    Atmospheric and beautiful 3D platform game that sees you guiding a helpless damsel in distress through monster infested castles. Enemies can feel a bit more like a nuisance than a threat but the intriguing storyline and lovely visuals make for a rather unique experience.
  4. Judgement1991
    Mar 28, 2023
    10
    + Settings
    + Gameplay and puzzles
    + Art direction + Ambient sounds + Music + Plot + The castle is wonderfully interconnected + The relationship between Ico and Yorda who do not know each other and do not understand why they do not speak the same language, but who help each other to continue and escape from the castle + The feeling of making you feel small compared to the    + Settings
    + Gameplay and puzzles
    + Art direction
    + Ambient sounds
    + Music
    + Plot
    + The castle is wonderfully interconnected
    + The relationship between Ico and Yorda who do not know each other and do not understand why they do not speak the same language, but who help each other to continue and escape from the castle
    + The feeling of making you feel small compared to the environment around you that give you some camera shots
    + No icon and Hud screen that makes you completely immerse in the environment and the game world
    + The places of the castle you see in the game you will reach them during the game and from different places you will review the places you have already visited because the castle is wonderfully interconnected
    + Perfect duration for the game type
    + Unlockable extra content once the game is over

    - None

    For me it’s crazy to think that Ico came out in 2001 and it was an incredible game for the time and it’s incredible even now, also it’s crazy how they made a game like that more than 20 years ago and that is still very enjoyable today.

    For my one of the best games of all time and one of my favorite games.    … Expand
  5. 3ls0ul
    Mar 6, 2023
    9
    Este juego aún no lo eh jugado o completado, así que pondré una reseña y nota diferentes cuando lo haga.
  6. Mastereed
    Feb 27, 2023
    9
    SHADOW OF THE CUCKOLD MAN

    BEFORE WE BEGIN: The game was played via the official emulator in its original PS2 version. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA: The game begins, as usual of Fumito Ueda, the lead designer of Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian, with a mysterious silent Cutscene depicting the protagonist in the middle of a journey to an immense castle by the sea. As per    SHADOW OF THE CUCKOLD MAN

    BEFORE WE BEGIN:
    The game was played via the official emulator in its original PS2 version.

    IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA:
    The game begins, as usual of Fumito Ueda, the lead designer of Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian, with a mysterious silent Cutscene depicting the protagonist in the middle of a journey to an immense castle by the sea. As per his style, the whole thing comes across as extremely mysterious and open to interpretation. This is remarked by the language that the protagonist will speak, namely a made-up language, similar to Japanese, with reverse sentences. With the same mysteriousness as the intro, the game explains its mechanics; There is, in fact, no tutorial; the player will have to try his hand from the start in what is a puzzle game with hints of sword fighting. Just ahead of the initial area the little cuckolded man will free and get acquainted with a young girl, little older than herself, imprisoned in what looks like a birdcage. From there on, Ico's goal, and the player's accordingly, will be to discover the history of this castle, and to get the girl and himself outside the immense walls that separate them from the sea.

    EMBRACE YOUR STICK:
    The gameplay of Ico turns out to be as simple as it is intuitive. The basic parkour is well aroused by the genre of the game, the paths to follow being very intuitive, except for a few chaotic smears in which a player will rarely waste time finding the correct path. Puzzles remain very basic ranging from moving crates to operating levers to open paths. Combat, on the other hand, is very repetitive, consisting of few attacks and animations, and a couple of weapons that stand out only by their aesthetics and damage. The story is linear, allowing the player to retrace his steps whenever he wants, but leaving little freedom for exploration. The mechanic that gives the game a huge prominence is that of the girl, who will be an interacting character and not just a static NPC; in fact, the goal will always be to take her by the hand to drag her through the most difficult situations, creating easy passages for her thanks to puzzles, and defeating the enemies who will try to kidnap her. All this is of course balanced by impassable walls without the young girl, and the impossibility of saving to the game except in pairs.
    A wonderful little treat is the box art, which, at least in the Japanese version, represents a famous painting by painter Giorgio De Chirico.

    A SPRINGY SIGHT:
    The difficulty of evaluating a game played 20 years after its release is insane, but it is indisputable that Ico was a standard in its scene, with excellent and pleasing graphics even in modern times. The use of dull, gray colors makes the sight of bright colors such as green and blue a wonderful and exciting contrast. The animations are smooth and extremely natural, so much so that they impressed me in the foreground. Finally, the greatest virtue, from which many games should take a cue, concerns the camera; it, relying on the automatic one, turns out to be practically always perfect, engaging and suitable for every situation, following prominent cinematographic and directorial canons.

    HEARING DISTANT SCREAMS:
    The audio side of the game could be a very contestable point, as here too Ico stands out from the crowd, with little more than 3 in-game OSTs; most of the adventure is shrouded in silence, accompanied by chirps, gusts of wind, and bursts of grass. The ensemble creates an atmosphere of solitude and tranquility unique to the game and rarely seen in other titles.

    BUT WHY 9?

    PROS:
    Ico turns out to be one of those timeless gems. Even played after its 20th anniversary it turns out to be perfect in certain aspects and even undefeated in others, such as the already discussed camera. From the review itself it is easy to infer the merits and so no further information is necessary.

    CONS:
    The cons belong to small details that could be dictated by time and the inevitable aging of the video game. The biggest flaw is also related to the biggest virtue, namely the camera; it is not compulsorily automatic, but will be controllable by the player, in a way however, extremely unpleasant to the eye; the main sensation you get from using it is that it is like tied with a rubber band, and that it bounces every time you try to turn it. Combat is as already mentioned extremely repetitive, and the aesthetics of the enemies are of little consequence.
    The rest of the flaws found are superfluous and certainly given by the aging of the title, and it would therefore be pointless to criticize them.

    RATING
    Gameplay: 9
    Music: 7
    Story: 8
    Art Direction: 10
    _    … Expand
  7. AtomosFabian
    Feb 7, 2023
    10
    Una obra Maestra de los videojuegos, Fumito Ueda demuestra que los videojuegos son Arte. Creando un mundo y unos personajes increíbles, la historia y las sentimientos que transmites es fascinante.
  8. MadIsAdopted
    Oct 23, 2022
    8
    Simple yet genius.
    Ugly yet marvelous.
    Meaningless yet deep.
    Boring yet exciting.
    Outdated yet up-to-date.
    Goofy yet perfect.

    Forgotten yet legendary.
  9. Kjap92
    Sep 7, 2022
    10
    A Masterpiece. Beautiful story, you really become invested in the characters ICO and Yorda. The scenery is gorgeous and the level design great, good puzzles and obstacles.
    Controls are a little but clunky at times and the camera can be a bit unpredictable, but you soon become used to how it works! It's from the ps2 era so it isn't going to be perfect lol.
    Overall the storytelling,    A Masterpiece. Beautiful story, you really become invested in the characters ICO and Yorda. The scenery is gorgeous and the level design great, good puzzles and obstacles.
    Controls are a little but clunky at times and the camera can be a bit unpredictable, but you soon become used to how it works! It's from the ps2 era so it isn't going to be perfect lol.
    Overall the storytelling, characters and puzzles outweigh the bad. A must play.    … Expand
  10. SilentLev
    Aug 22, 2022
    10
    Торжество аскетичного дизайна, минимализма во всех аспектах.
  11. HuevoAlce
    Jun 27, 2022
    9
    Short but sweet. ICO continues so much story just by its sheer environment.
  12. bancandrei
    Apr 23, 2022
    8
    An action/adventure title from the same era as Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, from which it seems to take a lot of inspiration. But it does everything differently, like Jackie Chan describing his approach compared to Bruce Lee. And the end result is almost as good. Subdued an melancholic where Prince of Persia was bombastic and cinematic.
  13. hocineDZ
    Feb 26, 2022
    8
    The biggest issue here is the camera that affects the controls so directions are not accurate especially for free jumps it can be frustrating at some points and yorda is very slow especially climbing and descending ladders and she doesn't follow properly unless you hold her hand, the game has almost identical puzzles mirrored in the left and right part of the castle. level design, visualsThe biggest issue here is the camera that affects the controls so directions are not accurate especially for free jumps it can be frustrating at some points and yorda is very slow especially climbing and descending ladders and she doesn't follow properly unless you hold her hand, the game has almost identical puzzles mirrored in the left and right part of the castle. level design, visuals and sound are amazing… Expand
  14. Elite_Soldier
    Aug 20, 2021
    8
    The game was too sick. there's sj in the game, like cmon free up my guy, Travis Scotts my guy with the burger but the feminism allow that but pls allow it this ain't pokemon but nobody beats Goku, but kar98 is the best still, one-shot some kill.
  15. Aircus
    Jul 19, 2021
    10
    The most haunting game I ever play, a piece of art, doesn't like other popcorn culture games nowadays.
  16. Sergiopcv
    Apr 18, 2021
    10
    Sin lugar a dudas una obra maestra del team ICO, un juego muy simple en cuanto a jugabilidad y temática, muy minimalista. Otra de las obras indispensables en tu colección retro.
  17. FanAtreus-Drake
    Mar 4, 2021
    10
    Con solo mostrarte lo que ocurre y unos cuantos diálogos al comienzo, ICO te introduce en su mundo de una manera en la que sientes que tu lo estas viviendo. El diseño de niveles esta muy bien diseñado además de ser intuitivo y la historia que quiere contarte es conmovedora. En los tramos finales de la historia sientes el corazón en la garganta.
  18. Markfrancis
    Jan 7, 2021
    10
    Still holds up in 2021 I recommend this game to anyone. Would love it to get the same treatment collous recently got.
  19. DAV_2-0
    Sep 5, 2020
    10
    One of the best games i've ever played. From the mechanics to the environment to the characters to the level design, everything is so unique and emotionally overwhelming. Fumito Ueda is one of the best game directors and imo this is his best creation. Ico will forever live in my mind. 10/10
  20. Junjisiah
    Jul 12, 2020
    8
    난 이 게임 아주 추억의 게임이에요.
    오래전에 재미있게 했었어요.
    그러나 너무 오래됐네요.
    PS5로 리메이크 된다면 만점을 드릴께요!
  21. Inuyasha17
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    It's like a game in which a typical Japanese boy is the main character.
    It also feels like a legend of Zelda.
    I feel like I've become the main character in a fairy tale.
    It's a very well-made game, but it's too bad because it's an old game. I hope it will be released again on Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4.
  22. Lenna_
    Jan 30, 2020
    10
    História e jogabilidade perfeita, merece um remake igual shadow of the Colossus
  23. 7ucky
    Jun 3, 2019
    10
    There was never a game ilke ICO when it was released and only a few since (most of which were directly influenced by or paid homage to ICO - hello Rime!). It's combination of level design, animation and story-telling are things I've not seen matched in any other game. Players can take as much or as little as they want to from this play experience and, for me personally, ICO will always beThere was never a game ilke ICO when it was released and only a few since (most of which were directly influenced by or paid homage to ICO - hello Rime!). It's combination of level design, animation and story-telling are things I've not seen matched in any other game. Players can take as much or as little as they want to from this play experience and, for me personally, ICO will always be a lovely vignette into a world I revisit every few years.

    Look beyond the date controls and camera scheme for this game that was launched in the early 2000s and you will be treated to a unique fairytale love story and creative partner-puzzle-solving experience.    … Expand
  24. abekdd
    Mar 16, 2019
    8
    He tardado, y aún desconozco el motivo, en darle la estocada final a Ico. Tras varios intentos en los que abandonaba esta obra, fuera por el motivo que fuera, justo en su broche final, he aprovechado el lanzamiento de PS Now en España para terminarla de una vez. Y como no podía ser de otra manera, no puedo estar más contento. Ico es la ópera prima de un Fumito Ueda que dota de su esencia aHe tardado, y aún desconozco el motivo, en darle la estocada final a Ico. Tras varios intentos en los que abandonaba esta obra, fuera por el motivo que fuera, justo en su broche final, he aprovechado el lanzamiento de PS Now en España para terminarla de una vez. Y como no podía ser de otra manera, no puedo estar más contento. Ico es la ópera prima de un Fumito Ueda que dota de su esencia a cada recoveco de este título, ofreciéndonos una historia única donde no desesperaremos en ningún momento. Bueno, miento, hay algunos saltos que... telita. Ico es abandonado a su suerte en un castillo, consiguiendo escapar de la cruel muerte que le espera por un golpe del destino. Allí conoce a Yorda, una muchacha especial que resultará la clave de una historia de caballeros y princesas (aunque no en el sentido más ortodoxo). Con una banda sonora única y una estética inigualable, el paso del tiempo no hace mucha mella en un título que nos formula a todos la misma pregunta: ¿a qué está esperando Sony para realizar un remake?… Expand
  25. Ydun79
    Feb 11, 2019
    8
    A beautiful game, though a bit too empty to score higher than an eight. It's a beautiful story though.
  26. Heisenberg93
    Dec 16, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Do you want to hear a funny story? I was playing for about 4 hours and just opened the East Gate in the game when, while waiting 5 seconds for saving before turning off the console... black out! Data saved corrupted, game to restart from beginning. Isn't it a funny story? In fact it's not. Sometimes my solid faith in science and coincidences wavers and it seems to me like there is only a huge conspiracy behind me. The experience with the game was a bit ruined, as far as I'm concerned, but I made sure to write this review without this affecting my judgment. Because it would not be right. So, ICO: cult video game, which marked Fumito Ueda's debut as a game designer and certainly left a mark in the history of video games.

    Not all the questions in ICO's plot are answered, and maybe that's the way it's meant to be. It's not clear – at least to me – the reason why these horned boys are born and why they should be sacrificed to protect their native villages. Maybe ICO's plot wants to tell us how this one particular boy with horns – evidently identified as an inborn evil – can ultimately show good heart, will and courage, revealing to be everything but wicked. Maybe it would have been the same for the others too, but it's interesting to note how he, in particular, had the fortune (or destiny?) to survive the sacrifice to prove himself. And he did: the boy fought to save himself and the girl and in the end, after thousands vicissitudes, it was the girl who saved herself and the boy.

    Most of ICO consists in moving in different areas solving puzzles, one after the other, reaching the final goal. Puzzles are indeed very well made, always understandable but still require a good level of reasoning. The game is able to silently communicate the right direction to the player, without interfering in gameplay with tutorials, suggestions or explicit explanations. Yorda's A.I. works fine and her silent and minimal relationship with the boy is enjoyable. Actions with her are really well integrated: the game makes you want to protect her, to help her. An empathy communicated with few words and actions, but full of meaning. The settings of ICO truly manage to evoke feelings, to ask questions in the head, to feel immersed in this castle, similar to Pandora's Temple on Kronos' back in God of War. These qualities are the most successful side of the so-called "subtracting design" created by Ueda. However, ICO is all but perfect. Triggering of interactions is not always accurate and it happens that it doesn't respond correctly to the player's commands. Then, honestly it happened to me very few times to see – even considering its origin era – video games with a "bird's eye" camera so poorly managed in many part of the game: it makes difficult to observe the environment, often causes game over because of unintentional falling or jumps which are badly calibrated and some fightings are almost unplayable because of bad camera shots. And speaking about fightings, it is clear how the combat system is just sketchy. It wasn't supposed to be Devil May Cry-like, but in ICO we are really at basic levels. Not only that: many fightings, especially against outnumbering enemies, tend to be a mere "back and forth" between black pools where Yorda is sucked into, trying to save her, rather than actually fighting. It doesn't even help the "recovery time" of the boy, whom as soon as he undergoes an attack will end up agonizing on the ground as if he suffers chronic stomach ache, instead of quickly raising up.

    Graphically ICO is great, considering its release in 2001, during PlayStation 2's first year. A good job in the realization of settings and evocative views, above all. There's not much to say about the soundtrack: it's intended to be minimal, but "You Were There" – the ending cutscene/credits theme – is probably one of the best and nicests songs in the history of video games.

    ICO is surely a video game with good ideas and a bit of originality and charm of its own, but these qualities are not enough to make a good video game into a masterpiece. Clearly Ueda was in his beginning years – ICO was in fact the first video game he designed – and this didn't allow him to notice some fallacies in the project. But is ICO an experience that must be played? Yes, of course.    … Expand
  27. Moony545
    Nov 14, 2018
    10
    По сути, игра это сплошная головоломка, задачи стоят перед игроком интересные, но не сильно сложные, я только в одном месте задержался надолго (на целые сутки, в ютуб не хотел подглядывать) Мне понравилась идея с девченкой, которую мы должны защищать и прорываться вместе с ней на свободу, потому-что только вместе они могут выбраться из этого плена, понравилось окружение в котором находятсяПо сути, игра это сплошная головоломка, задачи стоят перед игроком интересные, но не сильно сложные, я только в одном месте задержался надолго (на целые сутки, в ютуб не хотел подглядывать) Мне понравилась идея с девченкой, которую мы должны защищать и прорываться вместе с ней на свободу, потому-что только вместе они могут выбраться из этого плена, понравилось окружение в котором находятся герои, этот загадочный зАмок огромных размеров, с открывающимися взору не менее огромными пейзажами (аля Гад оф Вор), когда удается ненадолго покинуть мрачные залы зАмка. Битвы с врагами сделаны тут для галочки, в угоду сюжету и атмосфере игры, никакой сложности они не представляют, а боссов тут, вообще нет, соответственно, боевая система самая простая, какая она вообще может быть. Вспоминая о сюжете, можно сказать, что игра не балует игрока сюжетными видео вставками, 2-3 на всю игру, до самого конца ничего не понятно, но несмотря на это, сюжет очень хорош, да жесток, но... кажется тут стоит остановиться Что еще сказать, игра повторюсь своеобразна, как уже тут было сказано - на любителя... да, на любителя, но я заметил, что она притягивает взгляды людей, которые не шибко любят не то что головоломки а игры вообще и даже начинают "помогать" в прохождении игры

    ICO, это одна из тех игр, про которую мало что можно сказать, в нее нужно просто поиграть, прочувствовать самому эту игру, этот несомненный шедевр.    … Expand
  28. antenneone
    Sep 18, 2018
    9
    Primera obra de Fumito Ueda. Emocinante, jugabilidad maravillosa, preciosa historia, rejugable infinitamente. Un joya
  29. AKthaBeast
    May 7, 2018
    10
    Such a great game that allows the player to figure out everything on their own and really explore the world. The only downside is that it is a very short game but everything is done really well
  30. hustlie
    Mar 15, 2018
    9
    Embarked with ambient environments, brain busters, an arguably straightforward combat system and a story to remember, comes 2001's "Ico" a game exclusive to the PlayStation brand that can only be delivered with the comfort of it's controls on the DualShock controller.

    If you're a fan of unheavy complexion in video games, It's fair to say your chances of enjoying this game could come    Embarked with ambient environments, brain busters, an arguably straightforward combat system and a story to remember, comes 2001's "Ico" a game exclusive to the PlayStation brand that can only be delivered with the comfort of it's controls on the DualShock controller.

    If you're a fan of unheavy complexion in video games, It's fair to say your chances of enjoying this game could come natural considering it takes a bit more than just the average IQ to progress in all stages of this game. There hasn't been a single puzzle believed to be the end of the road, if you utilize and understand your options, the game aids but doesn't baby you throughout the story.

    As mentioned before, the DualShock controller is your only tool to help you on your journey to beating Ico. Considering your options in this game, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase the game with the assumption that the controls might be too overwhelming or difficult to understand, this is the kind of game your entire family can enjoy with minimal effort.

    I can't say I've been disappointed. All things considered, I've come to realize that Ico was a game going out of the typical comfort zone of puzzle games and delivering a solution to a complex issue without being afraid to introduce the use of prior knowledge or backtracking as well as having the free-will to let your mind run wild as you try your best to find out what happens next.

    Style points for being oddly unique from the opening intro, menu system, overall battle presentation and feel of the game but perhaps a little too unique for my taste. At times, it does feel that some elements may come across as repetitive and sometimes even very slightly unnecessary but viewing it from a designer's perspective, it's easy to see these elements are present to preserve the dramatization of it's scenes but that's just a case of nitpicking if that kind of stuff matters to you.

    As you'll come to find out, the story runs deep and it's characters undoubtedly memorable. It's not a story understood primarily through logic but rather through sentiment and justice is served to the environments, the characters, it's system and the way it portrays it's unique puzzles. All in all, this game will leave you with very few words to describe it's experience and I couldn't have designed it's visuals better myself even if I tried.    … Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best PS2 Game of 2001
8
#8 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2001
8
#8 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 59
  3. Negative: 0 out of 59
  1. Just Adventure
    100
    Easily the most addictive game I have played this year on either console or computer and would be a welcome addition to any adventure gamer's collection.
    Read full review
  2. Maxim Online
    80
    Odd adventure.
    Read full review
  3. Cheat Code Central
    90
    Although it borrows from other gaming experiences in certain places, you haven't ever played a game like Ico. Highly recommended!
See all critic reviews »