Another cult classic, visually stunning, vibrantly immersion game by Team Ico.

User Rating: 8 | ICO PS2
Ico runs in the same vein as Shadow of the Colossus, all titles of the cult classic churning development team, Team Ico. The plot is subtle, yet deep, and you get the feeling as Ico - our protagonist - saves the princess in need Yorda from the evil Queen of the Castle, that you're the part of something much larger than yourself and the characters on the screen.

What is this castle? What is the backstory behind Ico, Yorda, the Queen, and the mysterious people who take Ico to the island? Many questions are left unanswered, which is the point: this is intricate, delicate storytelling at its finest; a plot that interweaves with Shadow of the Colossus. The visuals on screen are simply stunning, especially for such an early release for the PS2. The controls can be a bit cumbersome at times, but they're so simple, it's hard to gripe. The combat with the evil shadow beings varies from run-of-the-mill to dire and desperate swinging depending on the situation, and will thrill any player. And the entire game caries a strong sense of emptiness, loneliness, like you really are alone in a strange world, having to take care of yourself.

Ico has become an artistic classic of the next-generation age. One can only claim they are a true gamer in contemporary times if they've added Ico as a notch on their belt.