ico video game review
When a developer lets his creative genius and his sensitivity speak, the fruit of his labor becomes a work of art that can only fascinate and upset the players that we are. This game is the journey of Ico and Yorda, two beings united by their desire to escape from the terrible destiny assigned to them, and resolved for this to walk hand in hand to overcome their weaknesses and their fragility.
Widely unknown to the general public, Ico is nevertheless one of the best surprises of this start of the year on Playstation 2, both for its poetic and enchanting aesthetics and for the intelligence of its gameplay. So this is an exit not to be missed if you are one of those hardened collectors who only have pearls in their toy library. A magical gaming experience that will leave no one indifferent.
Ico is a young boy rejected from his tribe because he is different. He does not know exactly why he is forcibly taken to this gigantic fortress, but he suspects that it is because of his horns. Those who have locked him in this dark sarcophagus say that it is for the good of their village, but Ico does not intend to submit to the sacrifice and to let himself die without trying anything. Distraught and lost, he miraculously manages to escape from his stone prison, and then rushes madly through the maze of this labyrinth to try to locate an exit. Then he discovers Yorda, a young girl trapped in a suspended, silent and submissive cage. Then begins a hopeless journey for our two heroes, who will have to join forces and progress hand in hand (literally as figuratively) to try to find the door to freedom. The adventure presents itself as a vast succession of enigmas which will sometimes force Ico to temporarily abandon Yorda in order to modify the environment and activate mechanisms which will then allow the young girl to follow him. All in an oppressive atmosphere, because the threat of shadows still hangs, these specters who will seize the slightest moment of inattention on your part to remove the young girl and drag her into their dark dimension.
As we can see, the adventure is exciting, the numerous puzzles and the fights add appreciable tension to the progress of the progression, but it is still necessary to express some reservations. Everything is not perfect behind this seemingly idyllic picture, and there are some sometimes annoying faults on several levels of the game. The achievement, in particular, is quite uneven. The graphics are sometimes truly enchanting, displaying gigantic and majestic environments which benefit from striking lighting effects; but they also prove disappointing at times, because they are for the most part too dark and because the environments as well as the textures lack variety. In the same way, the angles of view are sometimes very judicious when it comes to appreciating the globality of a place, but sometimes exasperating if we want to examine a precise element because the camera is never fixed.
With regard to the fights, Ico has only to defend itself a vulgar stick which will be able to evolve in weapons a little more effective during the game, and it is with the passion which characterizes it that our young friend will carry out reels imprecise to scare opponents. Another reason for disappointment is the repetition of the fights, but the animations of the characters more than make up for this aspect of the game. The behavior of the shadows when they pretend to pass behind Yorda and grab them while you are busy repelling the onslaught of other evil spirits reveals a fascinating attention to detail. The same goes for the animations of the two heroes which perfectly reflect their character. We can feel the resistance of the girl when Ico takes her hand to bring her abruptly in one direction, and we must see the young boy reach out in the black puddle which symbolizes the portal between the worlds to try to extract Yorda from the magnetic abyss into which she is sinking. Yorda's abilities are limited, but she will go to the limit of her limits to accompany you towards the end of the nightmare. The atmosphere seizes from the first minutes. Ico and Yorda don't speak the same language, but they will find other ways to communicate.
Finally, we can especially regret the short life of the game, and the lack of renewal of the plot. Impossible, however, not to be seduced by this title which it is up to us to praise the qualities, so as to get this software out of the lack of consideration of which it is a victim, while it amply deserves its place in sides of the best Playstation 2 productions, and thus encourage the release of a possible Ico 2. For those who still fear not to hang on this title a little out of the ordinary, they can rest assured. It is obvious that we can love titles like Devil May Cry and at the same time know how to appreciate a game like Ico, provided you let your sensitivity speak. And that any player should be able to do.
The notes
Graphics 16/20
A very particular but often uneven achievement, displaying grandiose and superb environments, but at the same time not very varied and often very dark. The Pal version benefits from the 60 Hertz mode.
Gameplay 17/20
The gameplay is impeccable despite limited camera movements. The puzzles are numerous and rarely obvious, but they are repeated sometimes, especially towards the end of the game. The complementarity of the two characters and their respective attitudes bring a lot to the interest of progression.
Lifespan 13/20
The lifespan is relatively short, but the puzzles are rarely obvious and it is worth repeating the adventure to take advantage of the new bonuses. It will be possible in particular to control Yorda with a second pad (an option which was not however verified on the version that we tested here), to understand the words of the girl thanks to subtitles, and the end of the game will have changed slightly.
Soundtrack 16/20
A soundtrack entirely at the service of the atmosphere, made up entirely of sound effects: chirping of birds, sounds of waterfall, quivering of the wind, rhythm of the steps and voices of the characters.
Scenario 15/20
A disturbing and mysterious scenario, but which does not really evolve throughout the game. It lacks twists and turns, the puzzles are linked without the plot renewing itself at any time.
An unexpected title which unfortunately could go unnoticed despite its excellent content. The gameplay is innovative, the progression exciting and the atmosphere is a masterpiece. Even if the adventure is a bit short, the experience is well worth the detour as long as you are at least sensitive to the magic atmosphere of this game.
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