ICO ICO
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Game Information

Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.®
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America™
Platform: Sony PlayStation® 2
Media Format: Compact Disc
Discs: 1
ESRB Rating: Teen; violence
Genre: Puzzle, Action/Adventure
Memory Card (PS2): 360 KB
Compatible: Digital/Analog Control, Vibration Function
Players: 1

Description: "Within a world of enchantment and wonder, evil resides in an ancient castle. Ico, a young boy born with horns, has been expelled from his village and left within this isolated fortress. Embarking on a perilous quest to save himself as well as a beautiful princess, Ico must find a way to escape. However, escaping will be no easy task. Every towering staircase and stone block is a piece of a puzzle. Every open window, dangling chain and razorthin escape illuminates another mystery."


Instruction Manual Contents

(Pages are numbered in context with the Instruction Manual itself.)
Getting Started. 2
      Memory Cards. 2
Starting Up. 3
Contolling Ico. 4
Ico's Odyssey. 5
The Main Menu. 8
      Loading Game Data. 8
The Pause Screen. 9
      Options. 9
Playing ICO. 10
      The Queen and the Princess. 11
      Puzzling Out an Escape. 11
      Protecting the Princess. 12
      Couches and Saving Game Progress. 13
Jumping, Climbing, and Hanging. 14
      Ladders. 14
      Chains. 14
      Leaping. 15
      Moving While Hanging. 15
Switches and Levers. 16
Moving Objects. 17
      Pushing and Pulling Objects. 17
      Picking Up Objects. 17
Doors. 18
      Idol Doors. 18
      Pressure Switch Doors. 18
      Lever Gates. 19
The Spirits. 20
Fighting. 22
Losing. 24
      Continue Play. 24
Stages. 25
Notes. 28
Credits. 30
Warranty. 33


Getting Started

Set up your PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system according to the instructions in its Instruction Manual. Make sure the MAIN POWER switch (located on the back of the console is turned ON. Press the RESET button. When the power indicator lights up, press the open button and the disc try will open. Place the ICO™ disc on the disc try with the label side facing up. Press the open button again and the disc tray will close. Attack game controllers and other peripherals, as appropriate. Follow on-screen instructions andrefer to this manual for information on using the software.

Memory Cards

To save game settings and progress, insert a memory card (for PlayStation 2) into MEMORY CARD slot 1 or slot 2 of your PlayStation 2. You can load saved game data from teh same card, or any Memory Card (8MB)(for PlayStation 2) containing previously saved ICO games. For information, see "Couches and Saving Game Progress" on page 13.


Controlling Ico

Run/Swim:
Left analog stick(analog sensitive). Can also be done with the directional pad.

Walk:
To walk, you can either used the sensitivity of the analog stick or hold the Circle button down and move with the directional pad or analog stick.

Jump up:
Triangle button

Lunge/Strike with weapon:
Square button

Release:
X button

Pull up and stand:
Left analog stick + Triangle button

Climb chains/pipes:
Left analog stick Up

Slide down chains/pipes:
Left analog stick Down

Leap:
Left analog stick + Triangle button

Move while hanging:
Left analog stick

Hold Yorda's hand/Call her/Pull her up:
R1 button

Activate switch/Throw lever:
Circle button

Pick up objects or weapons:
Circle button

Throw objects:
Circle button

View Surroundings:
Right analog stick

Zoom Camera:
R2 button


Ico's Odyssey

Ico's nightmare started the day he drew his first breath. In his village, the birth of a normal child is a source of happiness and relief. Proud fathers show off their new offspring, reassuring themselves and others that this time, the curse has not left its mark. But some births bring suspicion and fear. Once in every generation, the curse arrives with the birth of a special child born with tiny horns jutting from his head.

With word of a cursed birth, fear leaps from person to person like a plague. The whole village settles into a state of quiet, suspicious panic. Any misfortune that befalls the village is blamed on the child with horns. If a crop fails or an illness strikes, he is blamed. Everyone wishes for the day of the sacrifice and the return to good fortune.

For Ico that day was his 12th birthday. When his horns grew large, the villagers knew that it was time. The elders would sacrifice him to keep the spirits from harming the village. In the morning, faceless horsemen arrived and took Ico away, riding deep into hte forest and beyond. The journey ended at an ancient fortress ruin that stood crumbling against the harsh grey seas.

Inside the fortress, stone crypts stood stacked in the massive fortress hall. A horseman placed Ico into one of the crypts and sealed the terrified boy inside. An eternity of torment would surely follow.

But a twist of destiny granted a short reprieve.

A dream within a nightmare showed Ico a vision of ghostly beauty that drives him to escape. Ico realized that he is not alone and he must free both himself and this lonely prisoner. Indeed his only way out is with the beautiful girl named Yorda.

An ancient Queen rules the castle and her body is beginning to fail. Ico must take Yorda out of hte castle before the evil Queen can stop them. He will learn quickly that the shortest distance between two places is a perilous detour. Centuries of disrepair have turned the castle into a death trap and many escape routes are hidden magical portals that must be opend by complex actions. Ico will literally crawl the walls in search of a way out. Throughout the castle, spirits erupt from the floors to capture the princess and Ico must fight them off. Every twisted towering staircase and stone block of this castle tomb is the piece of a puzzel. Each torch and shaft of light illuminates another mystery. Every open window, dangling chain and razor thin escape is the invitation to one more riddle.

Solve the puzzels or join the tormented spirits forever.


The Main Menu

Press the START button to display the Main Menu. Press the Directional button Up/Down to make a selection and press the X button.

New Game

Begin a new game.

Load

To load an ICO game in progress:
  1. On the Title screen, highlight LOAD and press the X button.
  2. On the load game screen, press the Directional button to select the game you want to continue playing and press the X button.
Note: See "Couches and Saving Game Progress" on page 13 to learn about saving game progress.


The Pause Screen

Press the START button to pause the game and display the Pause Screen. Press the Directional button Up/Down to select an option and press the X button.

Options

  1. Press the Directional button Up/Down to highlight an option.
  2. Press teh X button to change a setting or open the highlighted option.
Sound
Adjust the sound volume.

Vibration
Turn the Vibration Function ON/OFF.

Key Configuration
Highlight a contriol action and press the button you want to assign to that action. Select DEFAULT to undo any changes.

Brightness
Press the Directional button Left/Right to adjust display brightness.

Exit

Return to the game.

End Game

Quit playing ICO.


Playing ICO

Ico must escape the fortress with the girl and sae her from the Queen's evil designs. Begin Ico's escape from his sacrificial crypt. He has to first search out the girl in the cage and attempt to recapture her. There is now way out of this place without her. The whole fortress is designed to confuse and mislead the reare mortal that walks freely within its walls. Finding an escape route presents one puzzling dilemma after another. Some passages are merely blocked.. Others require dangerous detours. Many paths are incisibele until opened by some hidden trigger. Much of the fortress has fallen into disrepeair. Walkways may crumble underfoot or chains may snap.

Search the corridors, halls and courtyards of the fortress and solve the puzzles within. When Ico and the girl reach a new stage in the journey, you are shown a glimpse of important elements as the camera pans around the new environment. The views hint at what is necessary to complete part of the escape.

The Queesn and the Princess

The Queen rules this fortress of enslaved spirits. She has the power over body and soul of any who enter. Like her underlings, the Queen can take pure spirit form. But she slao assumes human form by inhabiting a body. The Queen will send her spirit slaves after Ico and Yorda to foil any escape. But you can be sure, if Ico proves resoursceful to outwit this fortress, she will take a more direct role in dealing with him.

Planning Out an Escape

Many important routes may be high overhead. Look for handholds on walls, broken windows, pipes, chains or ledges. Peer into the darkness of use a torch to discover useful escape routes obscured by darkness. Gain insights into furture exploration by looking off in the distance when Ico and the princess are outside and can view the rest of the fortress from a parapet or other high position.

Protection the Princess

If Ico loses the princess to the spirits, the escape is a failure. Try to keep her as close and protected as posssible. The princess cannot go every place that Ico needs to go and he has no coice but to leave her at times. She may become sidoriented and wandner away, leaving her vulnerable to the next attack by the spirits. If you do not see the princess, press and hold the R1 button to call out to her. If she is within view, the camers will shift briefly to let you see where she is.

When the Spirits Attack
Whe nthe spirits rise up to retriece Yorda, they will attempt to drag her back to the portals. When the spirits attack, send Ico in to counter-attack any way he can, barehanded if necessary. The spirits only want Yorda, but they will attack Ico if he gets in the way.

Couches and Saving Game Progress

Sit Ico and Yorda down in couches to save game progress. Sit Ico down while holding Yorda's hand and she will follow. Both Ico and Yorda must be seated to save game progress.

With Ico and Yorda resting in a couch, the Save Game screen will appear:
  1. Press teh X button with YES highlighted to begin saving.
  2. Select the file you want to save the game to.
  3. If prompted to OVERWRITE data, select YES and press the X button or select a different fil in which to dave the game.

Jumping, Climbing and Hanging

Much of Ico's progress through the game will involve climbing and hanging from ledges or chains to find routes through the fortress. To jump up and grap a ledge, chain, or pipe, press the Triangle button.

Ladders

Chains

Jump While Hanging from a Chain
Ico can crawl up a chain and jupm either forward or backward. Once Ico is at the height you want him to jump from, press the Triangle button to jump back away from the chain.

Swinging from Chains
Ico can swing back and forth on thain to throw himself great distances. After climbing onto a chain, press and hold the Circle button. Then press the left analog stick back and forth (either LEFT/RIGHT or UP/DOWN) to begin swinging.

Leaping

To leap: Press the leftanalog stick in the direction you want Ico to leap and press the Triangle button.

Some Situations deman that Ico and Yorda make great leaps across open chasms or broken bridges. Some of these are leaps of faith and can end the game if Ico or Yorda takes a fatal fall.

The princess will leap with encouragement form Ico. After he leaps across an open area, turn Ico toward her and press teh R1 button. He will lean over the edge and reach for the princess as she flies toward him.

Moving While Hanging

Look for horizontal pipes or ledges to hang from. Then move left or right. When Ico runs out of room to move, look for more handholds directly above or below him.

Switches and Levers

When Ico finds a switches and levers, press the Circle button to throw them.

Pressure Switches

Pressure switches open doors or sometimes reveal unseen avenues of escape. Some pressure switches must bear constant weight to keep a passage open. Remove the weaight and the passage snaps shut.

Levers

Levers control machinery or open passages. A lever may be far from the device it controls. Throw a lever by walking up to it and pressing the Circle button.

Pushing and Pulling Objects

Some objects can be pushed or pulled to operate machinery, open passages, reveal something useful or to use as a step.

Picking Up Objects

Press the Circle button to pick up weapnos or other objects.

When picking up heavy objects. Ico will bend down and heave the object up. Press teh left analog stick to movethe item where you want and press the Circle button to set it down.

Be careful! If you press the Circle button while Ico is movng forward he will throw the object instead of setting it down.


Doors

Idol Doors

Idol doors mark the progression form one stage to the next. CArved in them are images of the sorry horned souls who arrived before Ico. Ico is mortal and in most cases, cannot open an Idol Door. The Princess Yorda, who straddles the real and spiritual world, can open these doors. Ico may discover the secrest opening these doors himself at a later time.

Pressure Switch Doors

Pressure switch doors respond whe nweight is applies to the pressrue switch in from of them. Once Ico and the princess pass through them, they may slam shut. If there is no pressure switch on the other side, returning through them may be impossible.

Lever Gates

Find levers to open huge gates that block Ico and Yorda's way. You may find that others can conrol these gates.


The Spirits

Spirits flow up through solid rock anywhere in the fortress to recapture the princess and return her to the cage. Most are slow but all are relentless. Some attack or distract Ico while others drag hte princess into a portal. They must materialize to grab the princess and are then vulnerable to attack.

Spider Wraith

Spider wraiths scamper around madly withough attacking Yorda. They may congregate closte to her but seem to weak to drag her away. But when Ico defeast a larger spirit, they morph into a replacement and attack.

Sentry

Sentries are the size of a grown man. They may try to separate Ico and the princess before throwing her over a shoulde and walking into a portal. Sentries can dodge some attacks or throw up shields.

Fortress Ghouls

These large hulking spirits can knock Ico across a room. They attack in pairs whle pounding and tossing Ico so furiously he cannot counterattack. They often try to corner him while another drags the princess away.

Other Spirits

Occasionally, other apparitions will appear to battle Ico and attempt to take back Yorda. Do not take these spirits lightly.


Fighting

Ico can destry the spirits that come to steal back the princess. In the moments they materialize, they can be attacked and destroyed.

There are weapons in the fortress Ico can find to help him defend Yorda. To attack with a weapon, press the Square button. If spirits latch onto the princess, Ico can attack them without fear of hurting her.

Lunging

If Ico is weaponless, he can drive his horns into spirits by lunging at them (Square button + left analog stick). Weaker ones are sometimes sent sprawling. Stronger spirits may respon by hurlling Ico across a room.

The Stick

The stick is Ico's weakest weapon, but it can double as a torch should you discove how to light it. The stick will defest Spider Wraiths easily and can defeat Sentries. Though he can defeat larger spirits with a stick, they have a better change of taking Yorda back to their portal.

Swords

Ico can find swords but they must be won by solving a puzzle. They are far superior to a stick for fighting spirits and one carries essential magic powers.

Throwing Bombs

To use a bomb against a spirit or to clear an obstruction:
  1. Light the fuse with a flame from a torch. Have Ico hold the stick up to a torch to light the end of it, then move the stick towards the bomb or pick up the bomb and hold it up to a torch.
  2. Pick up the bomb by pressing the Circle button.
  3. Press and hold the left analog stick in the direction you want to throw and press the Circle button.



Losing

Several threats loom in the Castle:

Ico or Yorda suffers a fatal fall
Ico or Yorda can survive short falls. After a short fall, each will get up and recover. But if the fall is too far, it will be gatal and the game is over.

The Spirits capture Yorda.
If a spirit can take Yorda back to a portal and disappear into the floor with her, the game is over.

Continue Play

When Ico or Yorda is mortally injured, the Continue Screen appears. You will be prompted to continue the game. Select YES to contnue play from the last couch where you saved game progress.


Stages

Tombs

Learn the art of the detour in this first puzzle. Ico dreamed of her, and now he must search for Yorda in the cage. There is no exit from this towering tomb without her. If Ico can even free the girl, smoldering spirits will not waste a moment before attempting to snatch her away. Take the time to learn how to guide Yorda. Discover when she will follow and when she needs to be grabbed and rushed out of danger (R1 button). If they can make it outside, a commanding view of the castle complex will hint at escape routes. The sacrificial tombs stand isolated from teh castle. The only hope of escape is a rail trip right to the heart of this bewildering prison.

Fear of Falling

The fear of eternal confinement gives way to the terror of falling. Scurry along the high crumbling batlements on the outside walls whre a miscalculated leap means a descent into oblivion. Yorda and Ico's fate may lie in the strength of the other's grip. It is here that the spirits make a relentless show of force as Ico attempts to puzzle out a solution to the drawbridge.

Symmetry

Travel a long windblown parapet atop a sky-high castle bridge to enter the first area of this baffling puzzle. Terror gives way to frustration as Ico tries to figure out how to open huge circular doors that serve some unknown purpose. Symmetry is really two sides of the same riddle, one left and one right. Ico will confront the other side later. The spirits level a furious effort to reclaim Yorda while pounding Ico to the ground. A better weapon would even the score as the spirits bcecome bigger and meaner. Another cage awaits and the Queen prepares to take a personal role in stopping the escape.

Water and Wood

Water moves toware the sea but where it comes from is a mystery. Begin by solving the puzzle of the waterfall. It is easy for Ico to move through this area, but finding a path for Yorda is not. Next, descend into the rock underground that supports the castle and move toward the seaside cliffs. Perial returns as Ico tries to figure out how to cross decaying wooden catwalks that lead to the outer reaches of the casle. Huge leaps are you only hope for moving forward. the fortress juts straight out of the cliff here and some connecting walkways have crumbled into the ocean long ago. Exploit te decay and ancient machinery to travel this confusing and deadly area.

The Sea

Ico must descend underground to an ovean inlet where huge wheels churn under the water cascading over the coliffs. Ico must find his way up through the waterworks lunging from gear to gear in search of a path out. Then he will descend below the castle out onto the cliff face as an ever-narrowing path vanishes, leaving Ico in a free-cimbing nightmare. He must hang onto slippery rain-soaked rocks hundreds of feet in the air carefully looking for handholds in the dim light. Discovery of a pipeline means he survived.

The Queen

The time of transition is near and the Queen plays her final card. She orders her Spirits to destroy Ico if he insists on interfering. Ico, who came to the castle as just one more sacrificed soul, now stands as a threat to the Queen's very existence.


Notes

(Write your notes in this section)




Credits

SCEI

Director
Fumito Ueda

Producer
Kenji Kaido

Executive Producer
Yasuhide Kobayashi

Supervisor
Akira Sato, Fumiya Takeno, Masatsuka Saeki

Game Design
Fumito Ueda

Planners
Junichi Hosono, Kei Kuwabara, Tsutomu Kouno


GRAPHIC ARTISTS
Character Animation
Atsuko Fukuyama, Takeshi Ambe (ICO, YORDA, QUEEN)
Mizuki Muramatsu (SmokeMan, ICO)
Fumito Ueda (Lead Animator)

Background Artists
Kazuhiro Numata, Nanako Ohmura, Chickara Ueno, Mitsuhiro Shumooki, Katsuhiro Abe, Atsushi Morioka, Taijurou Hachiya, Mikiko Takeda, Kaihei Hayano, Tsutomu Kouno

Character Design
Fumito Ueda, Chika Fukui Kazuhiro Numata, Mitsuhiro Shimooki


PROGRAMMERS
System Program
Jinji Horagai, Fumiaki Hara

Characters & Objects Program
Shotaro Omori, Hajime Sugiyams, Toshihiro Ito

Motion System Program
Hajime Sugiyama

YORDA A.I. Program
Shotaro Omori, Jinji Horagai

Draw Engine Program
Takuya Seki

Visual Program
Hajime Sugiyama, Takuya Seki

Tools Program
Toahihiro Ito

Scripting
Junichi Hosono


MUSIC AND SOUND
Sound Designer
Masaaki Kaneko

Sound Effects
Masaaki Kaneko, Keiichi Kitahara

Music Supervisor
George Asahi

Composer
Michiru Ohsima, Pentagon

Music Arrangements
Pentagon

Recording Coordination
Lynne Hobday (ORTUS PRODUCTIONS JAPAN)
Emari Mamiya (TOUSHITU SEISAKU CO., LTD.)

Recording Studio
MASTER ROCK STUDIO (London)

Engineer
Roland Herington

Voice of ICO
Kazuhiro Shindou

Voice of YORDA
Rieko Takahashi

Voice of the Queen
Misha Wantanabe

Voice Production
Miho Kawagoe, Shinsaku Tanaka (TOHOKUSHINSHA FILM CORPORATION)

Subtitles
Hideo Sato (A.M.L.)

Technical Cooperation
Junichi Koayashi, Satoru Fukui, Toshitake Tsuchikura, Koji Mitsuda, Asako Sanada

Overseas Coordination
Katsuhiko Kanazawa, Masaaki Doi, Tsubasa Inaba, Mikiko Okai, Koji Saito



SCEA

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
VP of Product Development
Shuhei Yoshida

Director of Product Development
Connie Booth

Producer
Darren Yager

Assistant Producers
Ron Allen, Ken Chan


TEST STAFF
Director, FPQA
Micheal Blackledge

Senior Manager, FPQA
Ritchard Markelz

Core Manager, FPQA
Sam Bradeley

Usability Manager, FPQA
Christian Arends

Technical Coordinator, FPQA
Ara Demirjian

Project Manager, FPQA
Nicole Nokes

Project Coordinator, FPQA
Eric Ippolito

Lead
Andrew Woodworth

Testers
Ericon Babaran, Raymond Chung, Lenny Gordon, Ryan Gorospe, Andrew Jennings, Joel Manzano, Randy Miranda, Ed Toomey, Wil Shepard


MARKETING
Senior Vice-President of Marketing
Andrew House

Director of Marketing
Ami Matsumura-Blaire

Product Manager
John Koller

Product Marketing Specialist
Maggie Rojas

Director of Public Relations
Molly Smith

Public Relations
Patrick Seybold, Tina Casalino

Director of Promotions
Sharon Shapiro

Promotions
Donna Armentor, Aimee Duell, Johanna Legarda, May Thomas, Jill Grabencort

Director of Creative Services
Ed DeMasi

Creative Services
Josh Bingham, Peggy Gallaher, Ted Jalbert, Marie Macaspac, Quinn Le, Noel Silvia, Ben Wallace

V.P. of Loyalty & Channel Marketing
Marilyn Weyant

Direct Marketing
Kim Yuen, Jesse Caid

Legal and Intellectual Property
Lisa Lunger, Michelle Manahan, Ninalei Morrison, Susan O'Driscoll, Riley Russell, Jim Williams

Packaging Illustration/Design
Gregory Harsh, Beeline Group

Documentation
Hanshaw Ink & Image


SPECIAL THANKS
Bruce Asams, Shelley Ashitomi, John Aspinwall, Omar Brodrick, Claudette Castillo, Bruce Cochrane, Brian Dimick, Ron Eagle, Butch Freedhoff, Michele Freeman, Keith Friedly, Brian Hale, Heather Hampton, Kaz Hirai, Jeff Hutchinson, Ian Jackson, Lori Kajiya, Grace Kao, Rich LaRocca, Jeff Labbe, Chuck Lacson, Kenneth Law, Frank O'Malley, Susan Nourai, Tenny Park, David Pfaff, George Richard, Torin Tettig, Jonathan Ries, Rick Rooney, Nikki Robbins, Mike Rose, Rob Segal, Sarai Sequeira, Cy Tano, Jack Tretton, Mark Valledor, Joe Ward, Rapp-Collins, Zugara


Limited Warranty

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) warrants to the original purchaser of this SCEA product that this software is free from defects in amterial and workmanship of a period of ninety (90) days from the original date of purchase. SCEA agrees for a period of ninety (90) days either repair or replace, at its option, the SCEA product. You must either call 1-800-345-SONY to receive instructions to obtain repair/replacement services.

this warranty shall not be applicable and shall be void if the defect in the SCEA product ahs arisen through abuse, unreasonable use, mistreatment or neglect.

THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES AND NO OTHER REPRESENTATIONS OR CLAIMS OF ANY NATURE SHALL BE BINDING ON OR OBLIGATE SCEA. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES APPLICABLE TO THIS SOFTWARE PRODUCT, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED TO THE NINETY (90) DAY PERIOD DESCRIBE ABOVE. IN NO EVENT WILL SCEA BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM POSSESSION, USE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE SCEA SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

Some states do not allow limitations as to how long an implied warranty lasts and/or exclusions or limitations of consequential damages, so the above limitations and/or exclusions of liability may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have otehr rights which vary from state to state.