ICO appreciation thread 2.0
 

Arise, my horned warriors, your time has come again!

They may strike us down, but we will not be slain! Hell, we don't even have lifebars! Just as long as no one knocks us off edges too high, we should be fine.

And with that, :savepoint:revival:savepoint:

Anyone who's anyone knows what ICO is about, even though the game is still more of a small-scale cult title, despite near unanimous praise from gaming media. With the recent re-print of ICO in Europe, even more players are both introduced to the title or actually getting their hands on a copy.

But yeah, this one is for the fans. You know the drill, everything ICO goes here.

What you loved about it, what you disliked about it. Discuss the atmosphere, the story, the gameplay, the structure, the legacy, the theories and interpretations. Made you smile, made you cry, made you love games again, made you care, made you dream? How does it relate to Shadow of the Colossus? Is it just thematic and stylistic similarities, or is there some actual connection between the two?

Discuss, argue, theorise, share fanart you've found. Everything ICO goes here.

Dude, I bought the re-released version because of you.

Not played it yet but once I do I'll be in back in here in a shot!

My brother bought this game back when it came out a few years ago and he loved it..but I think i was alittle too young to appreciate it. I just beat it a few weeks ago however(after playing the pure greatness that isShadow of the Colossus) and found it to be an amazing game. Loved the atmosphere, story, and gameplay..and it was just the right length IMO...Great stuff

Sign me up. I love ICO. When I have some spare cash I'll definitely try to pick up the rerelease of ICO, as it's at a nice price currently. Speaking of ICO, I have a few websites relating to ICO art which I thought would be nice to share, as you probably won't find them simply via google.

http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wander01.html
http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wander02.html
http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wander03.html
http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wander04.html
http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wander05.html
http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wander06.html
http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wander07.html
http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wander08.html
http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wandere01.html
http://aoi.fool.jp/image/wandere02.html
http://kobato.spur.ne.jp/gallery_f.htm
http://kobato.spur.ne.jp/pb/
http://umitokage.hippy.jp/wander/oasis.htm
http://www3.to/psychedelica
http://kky.kemono.cc/index2.html
http://www.geocities.jp/kanamegumu/main/illust.html
http://inu.pya.jp/kyo/kyo_e.htm
http://www005.upp.so-net.ne.jp/kei/e.html
http://tatsu.sakura.ne.jp/fp/home/index.html
http://mattori0405.fc2web.com/framepage2.htm

http://img470.imageshack.us/img470/8769/ico039rz.th.jpghttp://img470.imageshack.us/img470/1607/ico029bb.th.jpghttp://img470.imageshack.us/img470/1647/ico017dw.th.jpghttp://img470.imageshack.us/img470/8164/11tg.th.jpg
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4889/ico011lw.th.jpghttp://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6653/iy019ea.th.jpghttp://img228.imageshack.us/img228/8...ge018yz.th.jpghttp://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3142/crane4gz.th.jpghttp://img228.imageshack.us/img228/1...92010yq.th.jpg

I don't spend my days hunting this stuff down(like Q ='D) but there's some really nice stuff in here, guys. I suggest you check it out if you're interested, and if you look hard enough there's even some Shadow of the Colossus fanart shoved in there as well.

I bought this game last summer for 10$ and I haven't got past the first 20 minutes. To much shit going on in my life, I really have to get to it soon before I completly forget that I have the game!!!

It's nice to see ICO back up. What's funny is that it's almost exactly a year since I beat ICO in late February, 2005. I will try to devote more time the next round I play to figure the puzzles out instead of reading the walkthrough. Perhaps this will test my memory?

I first discovered ICO on a demo disc I bought back when I first got my PS2 back in 2002. Ever since then I had been interested in the game, but was holding out for a cheap, new copy. I found this copy in 2004, at one of my local Sam Goodys, for the low price of $14. And though I got it in 2004, it was not until last year, in 2005, that I finally played and finished the game. It was a wonderful experience, full of beautiful music, graphics and gameplay. I would definitely call it one of the best games in the PS2 library, a game that will go down in history.

And that is my story of ICO.

Ahh, good ol' ICO. Here's some fan-made comic strips, stuff from my old pictures folder

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/8...62278011pf.png
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/8470/ico2rj.th.jpghttp://img89.imageshack.us/img89/8113/icob6qx.th.jpghttp://img157.imageshack.us/img157/5...tc011ys.th.jpghttp://img157.imageshack.us/img157/9...tc027jo.th.jpg

Finally got hold of a copy. Bought a PS2 just for this and Shadow of the Colossus, and I'd have to say that it was definitely worth it. From the part where it started raining to the end credits was utterly beautiful in the way it was presented and conveyed. Probably the best ending to a game I've ever seen.

http://www005.upp.so-net.ne.jp/kei/e.html

Wow, i dont know if this is fan art, but some of this stuff is really good.

I wonder if there are any shops here that still sell the game. Or have ever sold it, for that matter.

If I happen to find one, I'll be sure to pick it up.

Well, it was rereleased as a regular plastic case version in Europe now that Shadow of the Colossus arrived, so finding a copy should be a lot easier now.

I had a tough time finding the game in the last couple of years. EB never had anything other than the latest stuff and used games and more used games.

Until one day this past December, when I walked in EB just for the hell of it, and saw a pre-owned copy of ICO. I rarely buy pre-owned games -- as I like my purchases new.

But I could not pass this up. So I bought that copy of ICO, and ran home with it happy. I happily played it and beat it.

And I'm still happy.

Man I wish they would have rereleased it in the US with the extra content that was only avaliable for the European release. I know it is very little, but I want to see the watermelon scene.

Yea, I know what you mean. I ended up purchasing mine from Play-Asia (paid like $50 something with shipping) last year. Though, just a few weeks I happend to stumbled upon a copy at Costco for half the amount ($25) I paid to import it. I was surprised as I didn't even know Costco sold video games, much less a rather rare gem like ICO.

Lets forget, they have to change the original packaging, as the original was crap!

Oh well, I doubt it'll ever happen. Seeing as how it never really sold well.

Great finds Elixir! <3

I recently completed this game before I go ahead and try Shadow of the Colossus. It was a really enjoyable game, and especially liked how literally no help or hints are really given. It makes it all the more satisfying when you figure out what to do.

I recently loaned Shadow of the Colossus out to my brother. He wanted to play it soon after he visited and saw me beat it T___T That was a few months ago. I rented ICO off Gamefly recently and currently am 3 hours into it. As soon as I saw the opening cinematic, I was almost driven to tears because I didn't have Shadow of the Colossus with me =( This makes me want to play it again like you can't even imagine.

I think the game would be more fun if the main character's controls were something like the Prince of Persia games. What I mean are his movements and such. For example, his climbing ropes have pre-clunked out notches he slides to, per se. Jumping off ladders has a weird delay and you can't launch yourself into any angle you want -- just away. But hell, it's a 2001 game. And it still looks damn pretty. I've heard lots of awesome music from this game over the net across the years, but I have yet to hear many of them. Must come during cinematics and such...

I'm on it to =) I already made a website about SotC and ICO. Some of you have seen it =). ICO section is 0% sompletec cause all my time I spend on SotC Section =( In Polish version it's 97% complete. :cow:

Thanks, why don't you post your ICO art? I've seen it, and it's really good.

HERE We can find ICO Beach video showing beach from ICO ending. Now you can see how different it is from Shadow of the Colossus beach.

I snagged a copy off Ebay sometime ago. I really liked the visuals and puzzles. Enemies aren't coming at you constantly like most other games.
It was a refreshing change of pace. The final battle was neat too.

Now it's time for you to get Shadow of the Colossus =)

Funy ICO Flash movie =) Check THIS out!

Hah, I was actually expecting it to be really unfunny, but the use of Wallace & Gromit music and the way Yorda pushed Ico off of her were terrific.
Still no match for Metal Gear Awesome~

Haha, that was cute. Loved the "shadow" monsters :D

Well it wasn't quite what ICO fan would like to see but =) Thing about 7 hours game was good to =D We're walking here for 5 hours already, it's 7 hour game so we have 2 hours left =D

What price should I expect to pay for a new copy of this game? I see it going new on Ebay for around $25 plus shipping. Does that sound reasonable? If so, I think I'll pick this up before it becomes more rare...

I was so glad this game got re-released since I recently got a PS2. About 3/4 of the way through and I love it. Such an artistically beautiful game!


BTW...am I the only one who finds the game looks worst in 60Hz mode (PAL version)?

It depends on your TV. I have same problem. I have PAL TV and PS2 with PAL converter. 50Hz usually look better then 60Hz. Besides PAL have higher resolution then NTSC.

Tell that to my PAL version of FFX which has larger black boarders than you could possibly imagine.

That's the first time somebody has ever said 50Hz looks better than 60Hz, unless you're meaning PAL60 which I haven't experienced first hand.

mainly because FFX is not in 50hz... they didn't do any converting(sp?) to FFX so the game look like crap on PAL TV

PAL, the actual signal, is better than NTSC, Elixir. The problem is that since most games are originally made in NTSC, developers are too lazy or inexperienced to properly convert them to 50Hz and adjust the slightly larger resolution, so they tend to just squish it, which results in the type of borders FFX suffers from.

Meanwhile, look at Konami's conversions of Silent Hill 2 and 3 and Metal Gear Solid 2, Sony's God of War, and you'll see good PAL conversions.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/7...cf000319bl.jpg

Picked this up for $37 US. The disc is in incredible condition and it appears as if it's been taken really good care of.

Unfortunately I rarely even remember anything from the first time I played ICO. Currently I'm up to the part where you find the sword, and I've had to use a guide already because I'm horrible at 3D games and suck at puzzles.

I never noticed this before, but the demo I've been playing is different from the game. The european demo has you save Yorda, open the Idol doors which leads into the windmill, which leads into the outer door closing. It all appeared to fit properly in the demo, but apparently that wasn't the case in the actual game.

First post on the new forum!

After blistering reviews (particularly from Eurogamer) and Gamingforce members I decided to go out and purchase this game they call ICO. What a buy. I'm only an hour and a half through - including being stuck on some basic puzzles - but even so the game is absolutely magnificant. I actually didn't think I would love ICO too much as I'm not a huge fan of puzzles in your average game but I loved Another Code while it lasted and I'm on the road to loving ICO.

How long does this game last? I'm at the Main gate at the moment.

the game is about 8hours long i think

more like 4-5h the first run >.> maybe 7-8h if you are really slow or get stuck long time on a puzzle

I can do the game now in 2h30-3h (probably less if I skip all cutscene but who want to do that in this so beautiful game ^^)

If you can do ICO in two and a half hours you might as well submit a video to Speed Demos Archive.

I'm 4 hours in and I'm taking it pretty slow.

It's quite possible to run through the game around 2 hours, but I usually end up taking around 7-8 hours since I keep stopping to admire the views.

Yeah Q you're right I just can't resist to step on the wall and look as far as I can... it's just that you are hypnotized with the view. My first time took me 6-7 hours and this is how long you should play it to feel the game as it really is.

Why is it that whenever I'm at the windmill, east reflector or west reflector I just like to sit down and relax. Yum. Oh, there's a girl that's dumb as a nut, Double Yum!. ^____^ Sup Q.

I must confess, I often like seeing Ico stumble and start to fall, then hang off a cliff.

It's pointless, but I always end up doing it. It's a really bad habit.

I like to jump over a cliff then tell Yorda to jump, but right before she jumps, I release the R2 and hopes she falls down the cliff. LOL!!!!

Dumb nut.

LoL and you have a t-shits with "Kill Yorda" sign? You're bad bad person...

No, I'm just very sadistic.

don't get me wrong i'm like most of you all, I take my time for this game too, but sometime when I have 2-3h of free time and feel like playing ICO. I put it in my ps2 and I do not really a speed-run but the whole game mostly without saving ^^ in like 3h, anyone can easily do it in 3h. I should try someday to see how much I could do in a speed-run, I think the minimum would be 2h30 or so...

Yeah. Puzzle games are generally short so I guess this would be completable in around three, four hours.

I'm three hours in and am really, really enjoying it. Its a pure game with none of the fancy 'extras' which I often feel are needed for a good game - music, for example.

*Revive*

Dear gods, how I love ICO! It's such a wonderful and fun game. <3

I rented it in either.. 2001/2002 from Blockbuster in the Summer. Good times..

Now I'm going to go through all those shiny links~

ICO is back into the Limelight I see.

I played through the game during the school year and it was wonderful. I didn't use an FAQ and got through it in about 5 hours.

I like the European box art better than the dumb American box art
http://www.porkrind.org/reviews/ico.jpg

Elixer - nice pics

I had never seen box art that bad... I'm lucky that I live in EUR =D

I just went to http://www.cdcovers.cc/ and picked out the "proper" ICO cover, threw away the old crappy cover, and got a nice colour laser printer to print up a new cover. I did the same with the MGS2: Substance one since the old copy didn't have a proper cover either.

I think this is the perfect opportunity for you to raise your hands in the air and proclaim "FTW!"

No, getting a proper authentic North American cover that says "NTSC US" or something long that lines with the proper cover (sup Q), would be For The Win; the cover I'm using has the PAL sign on it, which my copy of the game is clearly not the case.

Getting a proper version of the game (in this the much improved PAL version) would be For The Win. Here it is simply about hiding a glaring flaw~

True True. Seeing if I could get my hands on a PAL -TV to support such a resolution. Then I'd need to get a mod chip, then the PAL game...man oh man. Not For The Win for my wallet.

Yum, watermelons.

I never saw the watermelon cutscene ;_;

You don't need a PAL TV for PAL ICO. The game has selectable NTSC/PAL display.

Getting a modchip would be well worth it. You could play The Chikyuu Boueigun 2 as well, which I'm utterly in love with right now <3

Holy fuck, that's for the PS2???? How does a budget game look so go (okay, it's not ZOMG GOD OF WAR quality, but still). No seriously.

To be honest, that looks like it'd become boring after awhile. But I'm really surprised that it's a Simple Series release, with such quality and effort put into the game.

505 Gamestreet will probably make a PAL release and name it "Oversized Bug Invasion"

Well erm, it IS a Simple 2000 title, after all. You're the one praising Zombie vs Ambulance.

And I've been playing 17 missions so far, with both characters, on Normal difficulty (there's about 7 difficulties in total), and I haven't gotten bored yet. The game just keeps throwing new and wonderful things in your face at an alarming pace and you love it. I thought the level with the five walking giant tripods was amazing, but then the game puts you against twice the amount. Then I thought the giant spider assault level was hysterical, but later on the game combines it with a level with two massive motherships that keep dropping MORE of them at you until you destroy the motherships. And dropping one of those three city blocks sized ships means they actually rain down on you and you have to hightail it out of there FAST or get left under as the ensuing explosion levels even more of the city.

And it was only THEN that I got to fight my first Godzilla monster. That was comparable to Area 5 in Rez in terms of orgasmic awesome, a 10 minute endurance fight of hysterical proportions as I tried to desperately stay alive from his ridiculous fire breath attack and pumping him full of any weaponry I had.

As for European release, Essential Games delayed the game till next month, but it's still coming out here, as Global Defence Force. If they don't dub it, I'll buy myself a copy.

You're a redhead. You drive an ambulance and you save people who just happen to be gradually transforming into zombies. Meanwhile at the hospital, people add upgrades to your ambulance such as spiked wheels, faster speed, extra defense, etc. Then you have the combo counter and zombies spawning in the middle of the road. The game reeks of awesome, much like Shinryu Explosion (Saturn game to Simple Series).

Just because it's a simple series game, doesn't mean it sucks, although 90% of the time it does. People are very critical when it comes to Zombie vs. Ambulance, because Simple Series titles don't have the greatest reputation.

I don't really like oversized bugs and spiders and shit (even Mushihimesama's fourth boss creeps me the fuck out) so I might give it a miss. It looks graphically stunning though.

Thread related: In ICO I'm at the waterfall save point, and there's this part where you have to climb yourself around a room to pull a lever, which makes this cogwheel and brick start rotating/moving upwards. Sort of stuck there. I guess I'll hit up GameFAQs when I'm in the mood again.

I didn't say it sucks. But like all Simple 2000 games, it IS simple and is bound to get repetitive. So my point was, I fail to see how you can defend Zombie vs Ambulance and yet do that "NO OFFENSE, BUT THAT'S BOUND TO GET DULL" for EDF2 =/
There's tons of completely different weapons you find from levels for later use, unique for each character. Both characters are completely different to play, massive variety in levels, vehicles to use, 7 difficulty settings etc etc

I hate insects myself, makes it all the more fun to shoot up giant spiders, as icky as they are. The ants are completely harmless though, unless they get too close.


As for Ico, are you at the yard, or still stuck inside? A lot of people get stuck on the jump there. Just place yourself on the piston that keeps popping out and start your jump early and you'll fly up to the platform edge above with the door.

lol I just was reading this thread so I went and dusted off my copy of ICO. I got up to a part where i need to swing into a tower window and I keep dying. Sad how my skills have faded in this game.

Oh right, err, I'd like to show just how much I appreciate this game too. So I ripped it. With convos and everything, plus the storyline. And some music.

Great game, yup yup, too bad Yorda's a little slow.
OOMPA!

Double Post:
For the sake of staying on-topic, I really enjoyed the game. The whole atmosphere is stunning - especially the architecture. The mix of the music, the castle, the mist and the dusky sun brings such an incredibly strong feeling of just how nice love and friendship can be.

I don't know if I'm the only one about this, but I can stare at that sun shining through the windows and hitting those medieval castlewalls for hours on end. Call me a lunatic, but there's something really special about it.

BUMP

one more Ico fansite

I remeber the original ico thread! :D nice to know it was brought back after the server problems.
I'm still reviving an old thread however but it was in Qwarky's sig so I'm sure my fellow GFFers won't take offence. I played Shadow of Colussus about the time it was released in Europe, all I can say is I'm glad I played Ico first because it puts things into context, I dunno about anyone else but I would have been left with a bitter guilt taste to the game ending without that past knowledge :annoyed:

It's a nice little site. The paper craft is something I've never seen before.

When I first got a PS2, there was a demo of ICO. It was one of the first games I had played for the system and I thought it was wonderful. I mean the colours were so vibrant, the sound was amazing, and the atmosphere was very nice.

Its too bad that I never ended up buying it. Maybe someday, I will be able to enjoy it.

http://ico5th.blog77.fc2.com/ not English

http://titi.milkcafe.to/icosearch/ oh shit the mother load, a listing of tons and tons of Ico fansites and such

http://www.geocities.jp/kanamegumu/main/illust.html this one too


I can't play my copy of Ico right now. I bought it a couple of months ago (new) online for about 12 bucks. My ps2 refuses to play ps1 games and blue cd ps2 games. I have tried cleaning the laser and I have concluded that I need to adjust the voltage screw but I don't want to open up my system that far.

This game actually made me consider buying a PS2 at the time.

Well, that and MGS3 (which STILL hasn't been released for PC, unlike its predecessors :cussing: and from the look of things neither will MGS4).

I'm finally going to be able to play this game, I bought one of 2 copies from a local GameStop for 15$ (<3 employee discounts) and its in mint condition. This game is supposed to be the predecessor to Shadow of the Colossus right? But theres no relation between the two, story wise. Anyway, I can't wait to see what all the talk is about, especially how this is one of the most romantic stories of all time.

In NICO there was obvious connection, but now in SotC you have to see the ending to know how those two are connected =)

Though even then it's wishful thinking on most parts. People WANT the two games to be connected, even though there aren't that many hints to it in the end.

At most, Wanderer could be the reason Ico and his kind are treated like they are in ICO, but that's it. There's nothing else said in SotC, really.

well we can still speculate that:

Ehh, no.

Heh. Discovering this thread has prompted me to go to my local GameCrazy, the only game store tangibly close to where I can take a busline to, and pick up this title. Got it used for $10 bucks. Not too shabby! I'm only about 40 minutes in, but I'm already liking it. FFXII, TP... this is an interesting haitus from the two, to say the least. I like this because it doesn't have a HUD, which surprisingly increases the immersion factor. I would like to think any person including the video game inept could pick up this game and play it. Will post a few more times about what I think about this title when I progress further.

This is a valid bump, mind you. Four days later I completed this game. My finish time is about 9 hours and 30 minutes. I, like many other people couldn't help but admire the scenes in this game. I absolutely abused the movable camera too, that thing rocks. Often I'd feel a little regret to peel myself to advance through a part, because just being there was cool. I completed the game with no help from FAQs, which proved to be only frustrating ONE time, when I first discovered you could pull Yorda up from ledges. Other than that, everything I gradually figured out. Man, Ico sure can leap! He does like, a freakin Mario 64 long jump, imagine Ico yelling "Ya-hoooo!" Heh heh!

I also held Yorda's hand a lot of the time, but sometimes it was nice to just call for her while you're running ahead of her. This may be a given but is the language Ico speaks japanese? Or is his language also unknown.

Also, the "save couch" is a freaking signature key of awesome for this game. Save couch! YEAH!

Great game though. Thanks to this thread I was able to appreciate what is ICO. Now now, who's FTP am I going to be leeching the OST from? =D

the ICO language is made up. They created this language especially for this game and Shadow of the colossus use the same language.

I'm actually jealous of the PAL version because they had a lot of bonus with this game, like when you finish the game one time, the second time you play the game the speak of Yorda are translated, it's not much but still XD there's a new weapon too that is like a light saber and the box art is way better than the crappy US version and they had some beautiful postcard that came with it if I'm correct XD

Wha! that's an awesome bonus(es). US Version got the shaft there.

Yeah, subtitles for Yorda speech, four optional (and pointless but cool) effect filters, 2-player mode, light saber and the infamous watermelon ending are in the Japanese and PAL versions of the game.

The first print of the European version came in a sweet cardboard case (same as Shadow of the Colossus) with four (or two, if you were unlucky) artcards. The recent (cheap) rerelease came in the standard European plastic PS2 case and no artcards.

Actually, it's not a "real" language, just made up gibberish. Insofar as the Ico and Shadow of the Collosus languages appear similar, it's probably because the voice actors were given lines, but there's no consistent vocabulary or grammar.

What's interesting is that in the Ico the sound of the language is still very Japanese-ish, but in Shadow of the Collosus, it's much closer to Chinese. The voice actors took a lot more care to avoid "Japanese-isms" in SotC (although some can still be found).

Yes, I researched the language in Ico and SotC. I'm a dork. :(

I suppose he meant the language is "made up" as in not real japanese like some people claim. I've read more than one "It's actually Japanese, just an old dialect, I recognize it" on message boards :tpg:

well I meant that like you said, it's not a real language, it's was somewhat created for this game.

I really like the language they speak, there's something mysterious and ancient about it ^^

I played it with a girl yesterday night and she got tears in her eyes and i got laid, so im raising this game to the level of EXTREME WIN.

I've owned this game for, oh, four years or so, and I've just recently started playing it with the intent of finishing it, so forgive my ignorance please. All this is news to me, and I am super jealous. :( Two player mode? Two player mode?

Yeah, second player controls Yorda. She can walk, run, jump, climb ledges (but not chains) and carry bombs. It would have been hilarious if she could drag Ico along and do the fighting.

The camera is still focused on Ico, but the second player can "snatch" the focus by holding a button down, which has the same effect as when Ico calls for Yorda and the camera moves to her.

A lot of people complain about the 2-player option and it is kinda pointless since the game is so obviously meant as a single-player experience. But afterthought or not, it's surprisingly well implemented, and a very nice afterthought regardless. I suppose they intended guys play with their girlfriends.

I (and a lot of others) feel the watermelon ending is the true bonus of the PAL version~

I am one of the people who have owned the game for a long time but never played it... until recently. I started 4 days ago and am currently 4.5 hours into the game.

I am repeatedly amazed at how much effort was put into the subtle things in this game. This really hit me when I first discovered the windmill. The low groan of the blades turning, the refracting and reflecting pool of water, all the textures and sounds made just for this one object that you end up spending 2 minutes with (once you figure out how to proceed).

Recently, I was crossing a wooden bridge near a waterfall and I saw a rainbow in the waterfall's mist. :tpg:

I love how there are seemingly extraneous ladders, doors, pots, etc that end up having nothing to do with your progress. It really helps with the immersion and keeps the puzzle from being too obvious.

Reading the manual first helped quite a bit, since it discusses how to "help" Yorda get around and other hints, such as lighting your stick on fire.

Actually the language used in both ICO and SotC is a mix of japanese and latin.

Well, I finished the game just now. My final save on the couch next to the gate says 6:01 is the time I have spent. It took me about another hour to actually complete it from that point. I spent a lot of that final hour trying some chain swing jump in the wrong direction.

Awesome game. I actually found it just the right length. The "puzzles" were relatively simple and never had me wishing for a FAQ. The game is very linear, but that was refreshing for this type of game, since I didn't have to wander around through areas I had already been looking for some obscure item or lever.

I really enjoyed the total lack of music during the gameplay. The last game I played was God of War and holy crap did the music get loud and annoying at times.

Again, no.

You may think it sounds like a mix of Japanese and Latin or maybe you like to say something like that in hopes of someone believing you actually know something about this, but the languages in the games are not real, already used languages (nor are they created, full languages either). It's not a mix of languages, it's not an old dialect, it's simply made up. Anyone can hear this, but in case someone adamantly wants to insist against that, Ueda has himself said it, for instance in this old interview with GIA:

http://terror.snm-hgkz.ch/mirrors/th...s/f010831.html




dcorban, I'm happy to hear you loved it. It's always lovely to find out someone else has discovered/played through the game and been able to enjoy it.

Hmmm seems my sources were crap wrong. Oh well...

A lot of people are convinced Ico talks an old dialect of Japanese and many are quick to believe them since it sounds plausible enough. Hell, someone I know thought the creatures in LocoRoco spoke a real language :tpg:

I heard that it was backwards Japanese, with the occasional bit of Latin. You know, just so that nobody can really refute the latest silly rumour without going to a lot of trouble. I never believed it even for a second. I doubt that any real thought went into the language at all.

I'm surprised these rumours can persist in the face of official denial such as that interview, though.

The only sad thing about this game is that I cannot imagine playing it ever again. :(

How come? For me, it's the kind of game, like Rez, that you keep returning to again and again because it's such a simple and likeable fairytale, with a beautiful atmosphere.

After managing to grab a pirated copy off a friend a couple of days ago, I've only completed ICO today! Took me about 7 hours, mostly spent fiddling with the camera to enjoy the gorgeous scenery. The puzzles were clever, and quite easy at the same time, as the game was mostly linear and usually points to where you need to go next. Though, it took me a bit to realize that you can pick up stuff. =)

Loved everything about it. The visual/aural experience and solemn ambience is all very akin to Myst games. The only bad thing about it that it turned out to be the US version. =(

I could definitely see myself replaying this some time in the future, to relive the atmosphere and maybe try to figure out/imagine what Yorda's trying to say. (Also to find that mace that I've missed.)

Why not download/buy the European version? D:

Hell, I could rip an image of mine, you'd get subtitles for Yorda's speech (though you'd need to complete the game again).

Well, I had to download the European version a while ago, and play through it, twice, to get all the extras. And there were a few notable differences from the US's; more aggressive shadowmen (they also have new moves, like shrinking and hiding down in the floor), different save couch placements, a couple of annoying timed jumping puzzles (that weren't included in the US version), a "talking" Yorda in the game as opposed to staying silent throughout, and other bits of odds and ends.

Still, I think the US version was more polished, as I've encountered a few bugs/oddities in the PAL. Like one time when I made it to the windmill, Yorda's dress was stretched all over the place. And the way she gets confused when you try to climb a ladder she's already on. Or how ICO was more incessant when calling her. But it was totally worth it for the extras.

Is it too late to join the ICO appreciation thread ^_^?

I first played this while on schoolies at my friend's beach house. Not finishing the game was what eventually led me to getting a ps2 (man they're ultra cheap now). And what a bloody beautiful game it is.

The language the characters speak is the small element I'm most impressed with, as it helped draw me into the world of ICO. So mysterious yet familiar, as someone mentioned above. The unity of all the gaming elements (graphics, sound, mood, gameplay and etc.) is near damn flawless, and another reason to why I love this game.

Spread the word!

I love ICO. ;d It's an awesome game and very beautiful. I also love the mysterious elements about it and how Shadow of the Colossus ties in real well with ICO.

I also always thought the language was a mixture of Japanese and Latin. I think I read that somewhere.

I got a copy of this game in a flea market for fifteen dollars or so. The cover was faded (but it was the really shitty American version, so it was ok), and there was no manual, but I definitely didn't mind.

I remember hearing about this is Gamepro several years ago, but never managing to get a copy. AWESOME game; the visuals were amazing, and really rekindled my love for architecture. When the shadow monsters attacked, I was literally panicing when they took Yorda away (I don't talk when I play games, but for Ico, I sometimes muttered "Get away from her!" and whatnot XD;; )

As for the language...I know it's made up, but when Ico says "Are you alright?", it sounds a lot like "daijoub?". In Japanese, "daijoubu" means the same thing, so maybe that's why a lot of people thought it to be ancient Japanese...?