Got Game?
If you're tired of the current crop of sports and racing games, then "ICO" for the PlayStation 2 will be a welcome reprieve. ‘ICO’ makes you run with
your thinking capYou play a boy named Ico, who was born with horns on his head. His village believes such children bring bad luck, so when Ico is 12, he is sealed in a crypt in an isolated castle.
Ico breaks free of his prison and rescues a ghostly girl, Yorda, trapped in a cage. He must protect her from the evil Queen and spirits that try to steal her, all while working out their escape from the castle. If Yorda is taken, the game ends.
You have to figure out how things connect and relate to each other, which is no easy feat in this massive 3-D castle.
Most of the puzzles deal with finding ways to bring Yorda safely across. About all she can do is climb ladders, jump limited distances and wander off, while Ico has to scale walls, push boxes, carry bombs and fight spirits.
Battles are usually triggered by solving a puzzle. Spirits often lurk offscreen, so pay attention to Ico: If he crouches and keeps his weapon ready, there are still enemies around.
The good part is that Ico cannot die by getting hits from enemies, so there is no energy bar to worry about.
The graphics in ICO are nothing short of amazing. A pond in one area has reflections that distort perfectly when ripples run across the surface. Light dances over water and plays through swaying tree leaves. Characters' movements are incredibly realistic.
Music is nearly non-existent, and excellent sound effects -- crackling torches, howling wind, echoing footsteps -- add to the eerie atmosphere.
But the game's most important tool -- your view of a room or other area -- is also its poorest aspect. Controlling the camera is difficult, especially when trying to hold it steady as you pan the room and zoom into spots to search for clues.
Views are also limited: The camera cannot rotate 360 degrees and there is no way to change it so as to look around through Ico's eyes. This can cause some grief when running; you're often not able to see things such as cliff ledges until you fall off them to your death.
Players will complete ICO in only about eight hours, but the mental challenge makes up for that. For those who don't have the time or patience to devote 40 hours to role-playing games, ICO is a good brain-busting altern
Wilma Jandoc covers the universe
of video games and anime for the
Star-Bulletin. She can be emailed at
wjandoc@starbulletin.com