Allow me to let you into a little secret: being a games reviewer isn't all it's cracked up to be. The number of games you end up really enjoying is minute. I'm whining because when I tell you Ico is the best game I've played this year, I want you to believe me. I'm still playing it, for God's sake. A game of wonder and imagination, Ico is the name of a boy born with horns, who's been captured in order to be sacrificed. That's where the story starts, where you control Ico and, together with a strange ghost girl, help him escape. The animation in Ico is beautiful, with characters moving just like children do, made even more impressive by the gorgeously rendered environments. Sound plays a huge part in making up the atmosphere of this game, too. Ico is effectively a fighting/puzzle game, but done with so much style it feels completely fresh. (NP)
