I am a massive fan of Shadow of the Colossus, yet I have never gotten around to playing the other games that Team Ico has developed. I own The Last Guardian, but I never got around to playing it, partly because I wanted to play the game that started this unique, lore filled world.

Ico is incredible. For so many reasons. I know it has been praised by many for its art, world, story telling, and so on, even by the likes of Hideo Kojima, Guillermo del Toro, and numerous developers of well known, beloved games.

The game starts with a short cutscene, and after that there is very little dialogue to explain what is going on, but you are constantly piecing things together and you never stop wondering what has happened/gone wrong in this cruel, strange place. And one of the best features of the game is seeing the bond that Ico and Yorda develop throughout the story. They have no reason to help each other, but both being outcasts that are so isolated from others they form a trust for one another, and it’s beautiful.

As far as gameplay, it is 5 percent combat, 10 percent exploration, and 85 percent puzzle solving. Let’s start with combat. It’s… fine. Really you just press the attack button until the enemies are gone. I do appreciate the different weapons you can find, especially the hidden ones that reward you for your exploration! Speaking of, I wish there was MORE exploration involved, because I loved wandering around the massive castle you are tasked with escaping. I don’t know how they could have done it, but I wish there were more items that were placed secretly around the map, or maybe flashbacks that explain a bit more of the story? I don’t know, I just wished there was a bit more here. Finally, the puzzles are super fun. Some very simple, some challenging enough to make you wonder if you are doing the right thing, but never cryptic and frustrating, a perfect combination.

Of course, this game does have its flaws. As with every Team Ico game so far, the controls aren’t the best in the world, but in this game they aren’t too bad. However, the camera is not good at all. I was constantly fighting it, or wishing it would fix itself. Then comes the most frustrating part of this game, the waiting. There isn’t a ton of it, but when it does happen it is painfully slow. Climbing up ladders, turning specific dials, or waiting for Yorda to figure out how to get out of a damn hole in the ground are not fun to sit through. A specific example was a ladder in the west arena, where Yorda couldn’t make up her find and would get halfway down, change her mind and go all the way back up, run around, and then finally come all the way down the ladder.

All that being said, this game is lovely. The ambiance, world, music, and story are all beautiful. And as a side note, I love how this ties directly to the events in Shadow of the Colossus.

This game is a must play for anyone who considers video games to be an art form, and pretty much anyone who likes video games. One more game to play in the Team Ico library!

Reviewed on Dec 16, 2022


2 Comments


1 year ago

The atmosphere and animations of Yorda just brought the game to life in such an amazing way making me care about them without dialogue. Some of the gameplay could have been better but Ico just excelled at making me feel. Even the way the save system works has this fantastic way of imparting that.

Wonderful game, I'm glad you liked it.

1 year ago

Completely agree! The way they are angled at each other and their hands are almost touching when resting at the save points, it looks like they are truly exhausted but still thinking of each other and their main goal.