ICO

Entombed in a crumbling ancient castle, Ico only manages to begin his escape when a freak earthquake shakes loose the vessel he has been locked in.

Ico shortly meets a princess named Yorda, who has been imprisoned by the evil queen.

The two children must explore the ominous castle, trying to find a way to escape, persecuted by the queen's shadow minions.

ICO is a third-person perspective game that mixes action-based exploration gameplay with puzzles.

The game is set almost exclusively in the castle, which consists of dozens of rooms, passages, platforms, and contraptions.

Ico will run, climb, and jump his way through these environments.

The puzzles in the game are physical (environmental): Ico must push and pull objects, manipulate switches, re-arrange structures, etc.

Yorda will accompany Ico throughout most of the game.

Many of the puzzles revolve around creating a way for Yorda to access special glowing blue doors, which only she is capable of unlocking with her powers.

Being less athletic than Ico, Yorda will often need a more comfortable path built for her.

Ico can hold Yorda's hand to lead her with him, and also call her to come nearer.

With the exception of the final (and only) boss, all the enemies in the game are shadows.

They attack in groups, either at pre-set points, or when Ico is separated from Yorda for a long time.

Their goal is always the same: to capture Yorda and carry her towards a black whirlpool.

If the player fails to rescue her before she is consumed by this shadow portal, the game is over.

Conversely, Ico can not be killed by the shadows; they can only push him, preventing him from reaching Yorda in time.

The player must therefore fend off the shadows (Ico uses a stick for the largest portion of the game), at the same time hurrying towards Yorda.

ICO for PlayStation 2 is currently worth €40.10 loose, €23.18 complete in box, and €166.75 factory sealed. Prices are based on real sales and update regularly on Gamevaro.

ICO has a steady sales history on the tracked marketplaces, meaning it trades hands regularly and isn't considered particularly rare.

Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. For ICO, loose is €40.10 and CIB is €23.18 — CIB commands a premium because original boxes and manuals are fragile and often don't survive.

The PAL version of ICO is currently worth €40.10 loose, versus €32.32 for NTSC-U. Regional price differences usually come down to print run size and regional collector demand.