Review Sadaharu_TR 4/5 · Mar 15, 2026
I mean it's alright.
Aged badly for sure. Played it only for the gaming culture.
Had fun? Yeah. Annoyed? Yeah.
Without gameplay videos.. bruh.. old games are painful.
Still a good game tho.
Ico (2001)
4.06 from 1292 ratings
3109 members have it in their collection · 77 playing now · 1106 backlogged · 901 wish listed
How long? Main story 9h · with extras 6h · 100% 7h (from 26 logged playthroughs)
Details
Release dates
- Sep 25, 2001 (North_America) PlayStation 2
- Dec 06, 2001 (Japan) PlayStation 2
- Mar 22, 2002 (Europe) PlayStation 2
- Feb 17, 2006 (Europe) PlayStation 2
Also available on
- ICO: Limited Edition (2002) · PS2
- Ico (2012) · PS3
Featured in lists
Rating distribution
5 stars
513
4 stars
456
3 stars
226
2 stars
79
1 star
18
Community All Reviews Statuses
Review SnakeyDave 5/5 · Jun 28, 2025
Only gets better with age
Replayed this for umpteenth time and it remains wonderful. Beautiful, muted visuals give the game a gently melancholic tone, and the delicate animation work makes every interaction feel significant and fraught; it so captures the clumsiness of being a child, their fragility, and the bond between Ico and Yorda. The near-absence of music and the diagetic soundscape make the castle …
Replayed this for umpteenth time and it remains wonderful. Beautiful, muted visuals give the game a gently melancholic tone, and the delicate animation work makes every interaction feel significant and fraught; it so captures the clumsiness of being a child, their fragility, and the bond between Ico and Yorda. The near-absence of music and the diagetic soundscape make the castle feel real; the intricate yet grounded level design and sense of isolation call back to Tomb Raider and echo forward to Dark Souls.
The fights with the shadows are the only blemish, as they go on a shade too long. But the peril of those fights is palpable, as is the tension they imbue to the moments when Ico and Yorda must separate.
A beautiful, touching adventure.
Review westonm02 5/5 · Sep 22, 2022
ICO the wander/wonder.
I loved this game. It was eerie yet inviting. Having a companion along the way that you have to keep up with and protect made you really think through some of the puzzling gameplay. Satisfying cutscenes when completing milestone tasks, music that really knew how to set the tone and lead the experience to another level, and subtle story telling …
Read moreI loved this game. It was eerie yet inviting. Having a companion along the way that you have to keep up with and protect made you really think through some of the puzzling gameplay. Satisfying cutscenes when completing milestone tasks, music that really knew how to set the tone and lead the experience to another level, and subtle story telling without much of any dialogue that still portrayed the story. The controls of an early ps2 game was actually really intuitive. I liked (for the most part) how the creators wanted you to explore and experiment to learn all of the simple controls. You would think walking around a blurry, empty, maze like castle with a painfully slow mandatory companion, completing puzzles that at times have no rhyme or reason would be awful, but team Ico put an IP together that truly stood the test of time. for now. PS. I did play the Ps2 version on original hardware.
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Review Witt997 1/5 · Dec 27, 2021
orribile
io detesto ICO: non capisco come fa la gente ad amarlo. grafica soottotono, persino su ps3, controlli ingestibili, yorda talmente stupida da correre verso i nemici invece di scappare, per non parlare della sua non collaborazione. bella la trama e il level design sottrattivo Voto: 5.5/10
Review DirtyMidnighter 4/5 · Apr 23, 2020
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Utterly beautiful and restrained, ICO is one of the games that brought video games closer to art in the minds of those who played it. At times the camera pulls so far back that your character is a mere speck lost within a massive, imposing labyrinth. Notably, this game launched the Ueda-verse, of which Shadow of the Colossus and The …
Read moreUtterly beautiful and restrained, ICO is one of the games that brought video games closer to art in the minds of those who played it. At times the camera pulls so far back that your character is a mere speck lost within a massive, imposing labyrinth. Notably, this game launched the Ueda-verse, of which Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian, also great games, are a part. The only knock against it is that like the other two, the gameplay can be frustrating and a bit vague. Just be patient and observant and you'll enjoy this quiet, mysterious and very pretty little game.
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Review QDB 4/5 · Jul 1, 2017
Team Ico's First Opus
A minimalist masterpiece in the form of a game that excels at puzzles and making the player care about the damsel in distress you escort through a hauntingly beautiful castle. Unfortunately the lackluster combat becomes especially noticeable due to it's frequency. But in spite of this small flaw, Team Ico's first game stands the test of time.
4/5
A minimalist masterpiece in the form of a game that excels at puzzles and making the player care about the damsel in distress you escort through a hauntingly beautiful castle. Unfortunately the lackluster combat becomes especially noticeable due to it's frequency. But in spite of this small flaw, Team Ico's first game stands the test of time.
4/5
Review killerstar 5/5 · Feb 28, 2017
This game is delightful. Is one of those rare instances where every part blends masterfully to build a cohesive whole. The character designs, the castle, the music (or lack thereof). I love how there's a very solid sense of place; that you ate not going through a series of unconnected puzzle chambers, but that every sector fits perfectly like a …
This game is delightful. Is one of those rare instances where every part blends masterfully to build a cohesive whole. The character designs, the castle, the music (or lack thereof). I love how there's a very solid sense of place; that you ate not going through a series of unconnected puzzle chambers, but that every sector fits perfectly like a lego piece.
I played the PS2 version and the only thing that really hasn't age well is the aweful camera. While I appreciate the fact that it's deliberately placed, I still often found it cumbersome and annoying.
Review theWellRedMage 5/5 · Sep 2, 2016
Ico (2001)
Shadow of the Colossus' less popular brother is worthy of greater fame... https://thewellredmage.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/ic...
Review Pale 3/5 · Mar 17, 2014
Ico is a wonderful idea combined with a pleasant art style mixed with a bunch of gameplay flaws. I'm glad I finally played it through to the end but I don't see myself going back to it. The story is charming. The characters are nicely developed. Some of the scenes are awe inspiring. But... ugh. This game begins with puzzles …
Read moreIco is a wonderful idea combined with a pleasant art style mixed with a bunch of gameplay flaws. I'm glad I finally played it through to the end but I don't see myself going back to it. The story is charming. The characters are nicely developed. Some of the scenes are awe inspiring. But... ugh. This game begins with puzzles that are nearly impossible to solve on your own. Once solved, you start to understand how the designers think and design the stages. Then all of the puzzles toward the end of the game feel incredibly telegraphed and simple. Any part that relies on platform jumping is intensely frustrating. I hope things are improved in Shadow of the Colossus as I plan to eventually get around to playing that.
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