------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ICO - FAQ/WALKTHROUGH ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ Chapter 1 ~ Introduction ................ [ICY1A] - Story ..................... [ICY1B] - Characters ................ [ICY1C] ~ Chapter 2 ~ Button Configuration ........ [ICY2A] - Battle Tips ............... [ICY2B] - Puzzle Solving ............ [ICY2C] ~ Chapter 3 ~ Walkthrough ................. [ICY3A] - Freedom ................... [ICY3B] - The Spiral Staircase ...... [ICY3C] - Old Bridge ................ [ICY3D] - Large Chamber ............. [ICY3E] - The Trolley ............... [ICY3F] - The Crane ................. [ICY3G] - The Long Hall ............. [ICY3H] - Escape .................... [ICY3I] - Graveyard ................. [ICY3J] - Windmill .................. [ICY3K] - The Sewers ................ [ICY3L] - The Stone Pillar .......... [ICY3M] - Opening the East Gate ..... [ICY3N] - Courtyard ................. [ICY3O] - Waterfall ................. [ICY3P] - Gondola ................... [ICY3Q] - Water Tower ............... [ICY3R] - Opening the West Gate ..... [ICY3S] - Escape (Pt. II) ........... [ICY3T] - The Rescue ................ [ICY3U] - The Tombs ................. [ICY3V] - The Final Battle .......... [ICY3W] ~ Chapter 4 ~ Appendixes .................. [ICY4A] ~ Chapter 5 ~ Side Quests ................. [ICY5A] - Mace ...................... [ICY5B] - Light-Saber ............... [ICY5C] ~ Chapter 6 ~ PAL Changes ................. [ICY6A] ~ Chapter 7 ~ Game Script ................. [ICY7A] ~~~ Version History ............. [ICYVH] Disclaimer .................. [ICYDR] Credits ..................... [ICYCD] NOTE: To easily find the section you're looking for in this guide, just press Ctrl + F to bring up the Find window, then copy and paste the letters and numbers between the brackets. The same goes for the appendixes in the walkthrough. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- CHAPTER ONE -------------------------------- >ICO> INTRODUCTION --------------------------------------------------[ICY1A]-- Hello and welcome to kidalpha's second game guide. This FAQ/walkthrough has been written about a little-known gem called ICO, released back in 2001. When the game first appeared, ICO was engulfed with critical acclaim and hailed as one of the PlayStation 2's finest achievements, picking up many awards here and there. However, the game did not sell too well in North America and Europe and the mainstream never really got to experience such a great game. It has since gained more popularity with the release of Shadow of the Colossus, a game by the same team, which has seen demand for ICO increased. ICO has been fondly remembered by everyone who played it and has now become a cult classic. >ICO> STORY ---------------------------------------------------------[ICY1B]-- The story centres on a boy named Ico, who has been sacrificed to the castle because he has horns, a sign that is seen as a bad omen by the people of his village. Ico is taken to the castle by three horsemen from the village, one of them finds a large sword, which he is able to use to open the green idol doors found throughout the castle. The boy is then taken into an elevator which ascends to a room filled with many sarcophagi. The young horned boy is lifted and placed inside one of the sarcophagi, and abandoned by the three men - "Do not be angry with us, this is for the good of the village." As the three men descend in the elevator, the ground begins to shake. Ico uses this opportunity to rock his tomb back and forth from the inside. The sarcophagus then towers over, smashing onto the ground, freeing Ico, as well as knocking him unconscious. He escapes into a dream, where he sees himself walking up a large spiral staircase. He then sees a cage, which is at first empty, but then starts to mysteriously fill with a strange liquid. A dark figure rises out of the liquid, then a second dark creature grabs Ico from behind and pulls him into a portal. Ico regains consciousness and begins to explore the castle. When he exits the room in which he was imprisoned, he finds an area not unlike his dream, with a spiral staircase and a cage hanging from the very top. Ico begins to climb the staircase, and when he gets close enough to the cage, he can see a young girl sitting inside, she is pale-skinned and clad in white. "Is anybody there? who are you?" Ico then discovers a lever which lowers the cage almost to the ground, but when he gets to the bottom, he finds that the cage still has not opened. Ico then climbs onto a ledge overlooking the cage. He jumps onto the cage, breaking one of the links holding it, sending the cage to the ground and releasing the girl. The girl steadily walks towards Ico, and says something in a language which he doesn't understand. The girl is then suddenly grabbed from behind by a strange dark creature, similar to the one which grabbed Ico in his dream. Ico then picks up a cudgel and starts to fight the dark creature. Ico saves the girl from being taken through a portal, to which the dark creature was trying to lead her. "It's too dangerous for us to be here! we need to get out of here!" Ico and Yorda now know they must escape this castle if they are to survive, and overcome many obstacles on their journey. >ICO> CHARACTERS ----------------------------------------------------[ICY1C]-- >Ico As you can guess, he's the protagonist (he must be if the game's named after him). Ico is a young boy, aged about 10, who has two bull-like horns on his head. He has been sacrificed by the people of his village because they see his horns as a bad omen. >Yorda She is a young girl, aged about 12-13, who is found by Ico imprisoned inside a cage. She is a ghost-like figure, dressed mainly in white and has the ability to open the large idol doors. She is also the daughter of the Queen of the castle. >The Queen She is, well... the game's villain. She controls the shadowdemons who attempt to stop Ico and Yorda from escaping the castle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- CHAPTER TWO -------------------------------- >ICO> CONTROLS ------------------------------------------------------[ICY2A]-- The button configuration for this game is as follows: X - Drop down (when hanging) Circle - Pull Levers Push/Pull Boxes (with left analogue stick) Pick up weapons/bombs etc Swing on Chain (hold button) Walk (hold button) Square - Attack with weapon Attack with horns (with left analogue stick)* Triangle - Jump Pull self up (when hanging) R1 - Call Yorda Hold/Release Yorda's hand R2 - Zoom in Left Analogue Stick - Move Ico Right Analogue Stick - Move camera *This can only be done when no weapon is equipped. >ICO> BATTLE TIPS ---------------------------------------------------[ICY2B]-- Here are a few tips on beating those shadowdemons: - You should always remember that these shadowdemons main priority is to kidnap Yorda and take her to the portal, this means that your number one priority is to protect her, so always keep her close to you. - Only abandon Yorda when you have to. Shadowdemons will strike at any time when you're in a different area from her (i.e. when you enter an area where there is a load time). - It is sometimes a good idea to stay close to the portal, so you can get to Yorda quicker if she is abducted. - When shadowdemons first attack, you will hear some spooky sounds (you'll know what I am talking about soon enough), at this point you should try to find out where ALL the portals are. - You can knock a shadowdemon straight to the ground if you jump and hit them, this is useful for whenever Yorda gets kidnapped as the shadowdemons will sometimes surround the portal to hinder you. - You can also use Yorda as bait. Stand behind Yorda, let one of the shadowdemons grab her, then run forward and strike the shadowdemon, you'll knock it straight to the ground. - If beating the shadowdemons gets a bit too much for you, another option is to run (with Yorda) towards any unopened idol doors and have Yorda take care of them for you. >ICO> PUZZLE SOLVING ------------------------------------------------[ICY2C]-- Here are a few tips on getting through the game: - Wherever you are, your destination is usually the idol doors, if you can see them, try to figure out a way to get both yourself and Yorda to them. - Explore the entire area. If you see a box, then remember it must have some use if it's there. - Make use of the right analogue stick and the R2 (zoom) button when exploring an area. - Pulling levers and setting things on fire is often all you have to do to progress through the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- CHAPTER THREE ------------------------------- >ICO> WALKTHROUGH --------------------------------------------------[ICY3A]-- After his dramatic escape from his own tomb, a premonition will tell him of these mysterious dark creatures that reside in the castle in which he has been imprisoned. Once he regains consciousness - this is the moment when you take control of Ico. >ICO> FREEDOM-------------------------------------------------------[ICY3B]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > Looking around, you'll see that the idol doors through which Ico was brought here are no longer accessible. To the left of the screen you'll see some stairs, though you won't be able to reach up to the upper levels. To the right of the screen looks more promising - there is a closed gate behind the centre stairway, and above it is a lever... < WHAT TO DO > First, head towards the staircase to the right of Ico. When you get to the top, you'll find a lever on the wall directly in front of you - press the circle button to unlock the gate below. Now go down the staircase and enter the next area through the gate. In this next area, use the triangle button to jump up onto the two platforms. When you get to the top, you'll see a gold chain. Stand behind the chain, against the wall and facing towards the camera. Now press the triangle button to leap forward and onto the chain and then climb and jump onto the upper platform. Now jump through one of the two windows in front of you. >ICO> THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE------------------------------------------[ICY3C]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > This place may already be familiar to you. There are two ladders on both sides of Ico here, the one on the right of the screen leads to a ledge above the idol doors, while the one on the left leads to the beginning of a long spiral staircase. The idol doors could lead somewhere, but they cannot be moved. < WHAT TO DO > Now go towards the ladder to the left of the screen. When you reach the top of the ladder, you'll find yourself at the bottom of a long spiral staircase. Start climbing. About halfway up the staircase, you'll come across another gold chain, so climb it then continue on your way up. As you get closer to the top, you'll begin to notice a cage hanging from a beam. There will then be a short scene here where you'll see a young girl trapped inside the cage. Time to rescue her, I guess... A part of the staircase will be ruined, so you'll need to find another way round. Climb the ledge below the broken window, then climb through it to reach the outside. Now on the outside of the castle, head to the right of the screen until you come to the very last window. Now jump through it. Finally you've made it to the very top of the staircase. Continue along the path to the left until you see a lever. Pull it and the cage will be lowered to the ground. Now head all the way down to the bottom of the staircase, by going the exact same way you came up. < EXPLORING THE AREA > When you reach the bottom you'll see that the girl is still trapped inside the cage. You may notice a ledge overlooking the cage, just above the idol doors. Can you think of a way to get up there? < WHAT TO DO > To free her, you'll need to climb the ladder opposite the one you used for the staircase. Head around the path until you come to a ledge overlooking the cage. Jump onto the girl's cage. Also note that when the cage falls, so will a cudgel (a stout stick that can be used as a weapon). After a cut-scene, Yorda will be grabbed and taken towards a portal by a shadowdemon. You can charge into the demon by using the left analogue stick and the square button, but it's best to pick up that cudgel. Also, it's likely that the girl will be taken into the portal at some point here, if this happens, use the R1 button to pull her out. Defeating the shadowdemon is simple, just keep the girl close to you, and it will take about 7-8 hits to kill the demon. Remember, the shadowdemons are always after Yorda, so protecting her is your number one priority. Now hold Yorda's hand and take her towards the large green idol doors. In the next area, there are some points where you need to help Yorda up onto higher ground. Just stand over the edge and hold R1 to reach out for Yorda, then pull her up with the left analogue stick. Continue on towards the next area through the doorway. >ICO> THE OLD BRIDGE------------------------------------------------[ICY3D]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > You'll see the first save point in the game here - it's a glowing white couch. To save your game, both Ico and Yorda must be seated on the couch. Yorda will automatically walk over to it at this part of the game. Looking across to the other side of the bridge, there are some idol doors guarding the entrance to the next area. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix i [ICY4B]. < WHAT TO DO > Now take Yorda and RUN across the bridge, as it will break about halfway across it, so make sure you don't run across by yourself and call Yorda, as she will be killed. Now open the idol doors with Yorda's help, and enter the next area. < EXPLORING THE AREA > You'll now find yourself in a chamber. In front of Ico you'll see many barrels placed around the area, plus a box to the right of when you go down the stairs, looks like it could be pushed or pulled. Also on the opposite side of the room there is a door leading back to the outside of the castle. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix ii [ICY4C]. < WHAT TO DO > Walk down the steps and watch the shadowdemon enter the area, this time though he's accompanied by several spiders. These spiders cannot harm Yorda, but they can knock Ico to the ground, giving the shadowdemon the opportunity to kidnap Yorda. In this battle, keep Yorda close to you (as always) and focus on defeating the one shadowdemon first, then take care of those spiders. Moving on, to the left of the stairs you'll see a box, walk up to it and hold the circle button and the left analogue stick (any direction). Ico will release a pressure switch and some stairs will rise from the right side of the room. Go up these stairs and on towards the next area. You're now on the outside of the castle, directly above the old bridge. Follow the path to the left and on towards the next section. >ICO> LARGE CHAMBER-------------------------------------------------[ICY3E]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > The gate ahead of you is locked, so you may need to look for some sort of device to open it. You should be able to get down to the bottom by jumping over the barrier - can you survive the fall? Looking elsewhere, you'll see a chain leading to a platform above, then a box to the right of the second column. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix iii [ICY4D]. < WHAT TO DO > Walk straight ahead until you come to the locked gate. To the right of it is a banister, jump onto it, then fall down to the bottom of the area. Now go to the top-left corner of this area (opposite the stairs to the closed gate) and pull the lever to open the gate. Call Yorda and wait for her to come down the stairs. Now take her towards the larger area to which you had to fall down. Jump onto the chain, then jump onto the platform above. When you've done this, shadowdemons will enter through a portal, so jump down to the bottom and keep those demons away from Yorda. In total they'll be three shadowdemons to defeat here, plus a few spiders. Once the shadowdemons have been taken care of, go back up the chain, you'll see a box to the right of the second pillar. Push it down to the ground, where Yorda is, then stand over the edge and hold the R1 button - Yorda will climb onto the box, then jump up to grab Ico's hand. Now exit the area through the door behind the second pillar. >ICO> THE TROLLEY---------------------------------------------------[ICY3F]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > To Ico's left there's some a couple of stairs leading up to the roof of the large chamber. You'll be able to find a save point in between the watch tower and the far wall, and opposite this save point is a ladder leading down to a trolley. < WHAT TO DO > Now head straight up the stairs to the right of the door, and continue up until you reach the very top. Here you'll encounter more shadowdemons - it gets tougher from here on, they now have the ability to fly. When they have been defeated, you can save your game on the white couch (it's hidden between the watch tower and the far right wall). Head towards the ladder, in the direction opposite to where the save point is, and climb down the ladder, when you reach the bottom, call Yorda and she'll follow. Now go onto the railway and head to the right of the screen, you'll eventually come across a trolley. Climb onto it and help Yorda up as well. Go to the lever, hold circle and hold the left analogue stick to the left to go forward. When you reach the end of the railway, jump from the trolley to the platform above, and again help Yorda up (you won't be able to reach the platform without the trolley). >ICO> THE CRANE-----------------------------------------------------[ICY3G]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > Save your game. There's a path forward - you may need to help Yorda along here. There is also a huge box attached to a chain. < WHAT TO DO > To the right of the save point, make your way up to higher ground, helping Yorda along the way. You'll then see a large hollow gap in the path, jump over it, then hold R1 to hold out your hand so Yorda can grab on when she jumps over the hole. When you reach the end of this path, look to the wall and you'll see a railing that you can jump onto, use it to shimmy to the right and on towards a lever. Pull it to move the crane upwards and then towards where you left Yorda. Now go back across the railing and jump onto the box of the crane. Call Yorda and she'll jump onto the cage. Now go back across the railing again and pull the lever to lower the crane. To the right of the lever is a ledge you can jump onto, then a second above that, then a third to reach the top. Here, head towards the beam of the crane and slide down the chain, when you reach the bottom, you'll be reunited with Yorda. Now jump onto the stone terrain to the right of where the crane has lowered, and help Yorda to where you are. There will be a save point here. Now enter the doorway to the left of the save point. >ICO> THE LONG HALL-------------------------------------------------[ICY3H]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > You'll see the idol doors at the other end of the hall, at the bottom. There is a chain leading to the bottom to the right of the idol doors, but remember Yorda cannot climb chains. If you look above, you'll see some beams running horizontally and vertically across the ceiling, there is also a chandelier placed at the centre. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix iv [ICY4E]. < WHAT TO DO > Leave Yorda at the doorway, and run across the bridge, then jump over the gap and turn to the right when you reach the doorway on the opposite side (but don't enter it). Here you'll see several windows with ledges below them. Jump onto the window sills and make your way to the top, then climb the ladder to the left and run across the beams until you get to the chandelier hanging from the centre of the ceiling. Now lower yourself over the edge of the beam, and fall onto the chandelier and watch it crash to the ground. Head back towards the doorway and take Yorda outside and back to the save point. Head down the stairs that lead around the stone terrain, then enter the door to the lower floor. You'll now see that the column is still somehow supporting the bridge, despite the damage Ico also already done to it, so it's time for something a little more extreme. Now go back outside and pick up one of the bombs just outside the doorway and then place it next to the column. Run over to what remains of the chandelier and light your weapon on fire (hold the circle button next to one of the candles), then go back to the column, ignite the bomb and watch the bridge fall. < EXPLORING THE AREA > It seems you've now created a path for yourself and Yorda to get to the idol doors. You'll need to get to the upper level. < WHAT TO DO > Go back outside and enter the hall again through the upper doorway. As you begin to run down the bridge, you'll be ambushed by five shadowdemons. You can choose to fight and defeat them one by one, or you can run straight down the bridge with Yorda and have her defeat them when you reach the idol doors. >ICO> ESCAPE--------------------------------------------------------[ICY3I]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > You'll have little time to explore here because as soon as you enter this area, those shadowdemons will come out of hiding, ready to attack. If you look over the railing in front of the steps below you, you'll see the idol doors. < WHAT TO DO > Run down the steps, you'll then come to a crossroad, whichever way you choose to go, just follow the path until you get to the lower level, then head straight for those idol doors, unless you want to spend a good half an hour fighting those dark creatures. Yorda will automatically run through the idol doors, so just follow her into the next area. < EXPLORING THE AREA > After the scene where Ico first encounters the Queen, you'll be stranded in the bailey. There is a save point here, to the left of the main gate. Also if you watch Yorda, you'll notice she keeps running up towards the unlit beacons which line the path towards the main gate. < WHAT TO DO > Run up to the beacons, there are four on each side, and hold the circle button to pull them back - this will light them on fire. When all eight torches have been moved, the doors to the previous area will once again open. Now re-enter the graveyard. There is one difference from when you were last here - the beacons have now set alight. Go back up to the entrance to the long hall and look to the right, you'll see a path that has been blocked by a few planks of wood, you may also notice some bombs to the left of the long hall doorway. Pretty obvious what to do here - take one of the bombs and place it in front of the blocked path, then set your weapon on fire by holding it up by on of the torches, then ignite the bomb. The pathway will now be cleared. >ICO> GRAVEYARD-----------------------------------------------------[ICY3J]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > Make sure you save your game here. Beyond the stairs leading downhill are two terraces. On the bottom terrace, there is a doorway leading to the next area, but it is locked. In the far corner on both sides of the door are two pressure switches, there is also a box in-between the sets of stairs which leads down to the lower terrace. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix v [ICY4Fi]. < WHAT TO DO > When you run down the stairs in front of the save point, two portals will open up on both sides of the stairs. Fight off the demons on the upper level of this area as there are no idol doors to help you defeat them. Now run to the bottom of the graveyard and place Yorda on either of the two pressure switches. Then go and get the box found between the stairs and put it on the other pressure switch - this will open the door in between them. You'll have to leave Yorda behind for the first time, so now enter through the doorway. < EXPLORING THE AREA > There are two ladders here, one leading down into the lower level, while the other ladder leads upwards. There are ledges, ladders and chains at the top of the room. Also on the other side of the room you'll see some idol doors, though they are out of reach. < WHAT TO DO > Climb up the ladder to the left of where you came in, then jump onto the chain and climb it to reach the upper level of this area, now walk through the door (don't take too long here, as you are in a different area from Yorda). < EXPLORING THE AREA > There's the second box! It's directly in front of Ico as he come out of the door. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix v [ICY4Fii]. < WHAT TO DO > Push the second box over the edge and down to the ground. As soon as the box lands, you will encounter more shadowdemons. Jump down to the lower level yourself, or use the ladder to the right if you don't want to get hurt, and make sure you know where Yorda is, so you're ready to protect her. When the shadowdemons have been defeated, place the box on the pressure switch which you had previously put Yorda on - this will keep the door open permanently, so now head back inside the castle with Yorda. Leave Yorda behind and climb the ladder to go back outside (to where you found the second box), then look for the door hidden to the left of the screen, it will lead you back to the same area where Yorda is, only to a higher level. Head around the path, until you come to a ledge, climb onto it and move to the right. When you are directly below the ladder, jump up to grab onto it, then climb to the very top. Hit the triangle button to make Ico do a spectacular jump from the ladder to the chain - this will make part of the ground rise up. Bit of a problem here, the raised ground is too high to jump onto. Jump back onto that chain and climb it until you are above the raised ground. Hold the circle button to make Ico swing on the chain, and when he has made two lunges forward, press the triangle button to jump onto the raised ground. When you've made it up, you and Yorda will once again be ambushed by shadowdemons, so jump down and get close to Yorda (smack that demon if he has already grabbed her). You'll be fighting a lot of demons in a confined area, so you may get hit quite and a lot, and Yorda will often get kidnapped, but the portal will always be close to you, so getting back to Yorda will be easy. If Yorda does get taken into the portal, quickly jump and attack the shadowdemons to make them fall straight to the ground, then rescue Yorda. When all the shadowdemons have fallen, jump back onto the chain, swing towards the raised ground, then help Yorda climb up onto it. Now make your way towards the idol doors. >ICO> WINDMILL------------------------------------------------------[ICY3K]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > You may notice a windmill at the centre of this area - it's pretty large. Anyway, there are many ledges on the windmill's structure that you can be climb to get to the top of it. < WHAT TO DO > Make your way up the steps in front of the windmill and jump onto the ledge above. Now move to the right and around to the side of the windmill, then make three more jumps straight up to reach the halfway point. Make your way to the other side of the windmill and look at the sails. Wait until one of the sails is level with Ico and then run and jump forward, you should grab onto the next sail coming up. Shimmy up to the right of the sail, then when the sail takes you to the highest point, jump to land on the zenith of the windmill. Don't worry if you fall at any point, as you'll most likely just land in the water below. Move forward, jump over the gap and down the steps. You'll see a save point here, but you cannot save the game without Yorda. Turn to the left and down some more steps, then pass the idol doors. You'll eventually come across a lever - Pull it to make a bridge move across to the area where Yorda is. Call Yorda and help her across the bridge, then move on towards the idol doors (you might want to turn right and head towards the save point first). >ICO> SEWERS--------------------------------------------------------[ICY3L]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > First thing you will notice when you enter this area is the gold chain, and the upper level which it leads up to contains the idol doors, though Yorda won't be able to climb it so you'll need to find an alternative route for her. Also there is an unopened gate to the right of the chain - this leads to the sewers. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix vi [ICY4G]. < WHAT TO DO > Jump onto the chain, when you get about halfway up, you'll hear a sound which you should now be very familiar with, that's right - shadowdemons. Jump off the chain and protect Yorda. The portal is in between the chain and the sewers gate. There are only two shadowdemons to defeat, so this should be done very quickly. Climb up the chain, then turn right past the idol doors and down the stairs. You'll now find yourself on a lawn of grass, below you are the sewers. There are six manholes, but only the second from the left is open, so drop down it. You'll see Yorda behind the closed gate, so now head the opposite direction and you'll come to two pressure switches. Stand on the one to the right of the camera, this will open the far gate - call Yorda. When she comes to you, place her on the pressure switch to the left of the camera - this will open the gate closest to you, now leave Yorda behind and run through it. Climb the thin pipe up to the stone terrain, then jump across the water to the soil. Now head towards the second manhole (the one you had to jump down), stand over the edge and hold R1. Yorda will now run to you and climb up to the area above. Now make your way towards the idol doors, opposite the chain you had to climb up, and move on towards the next area. >ICO> THE STONE PILLAR----------------------------------------------[ICY3M]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > To the right of the camera is a lift. When you reach the upper level of this area, you'll see a large lever, though it does seem a bit out of reach. To the right of this lever you'll see that the barrier leading around the perimeter of the area has broken. There is also a save point and a box to the left, though these are also a bit out of reach. To the far end (opposite the save point) you'll see the idol doors. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix vii [ICY4H]. < WHAT TO DO > Enter the lift and pull the lever inside, this will take you to a higher area. Now go past the lever and pass through the broken barrier. There are several ledges that will take you around the perimeter of this area, here is how to get across them: - Drop down two of the ledges, then shimmy to the left. - Jump up unto the ledge above. - Again shimmy to the left. - Drop down the two ledges until you reach the bottom. Now run around the perimeter until you come to some blocks, climb up them and then you'll see some more ledges. - Jump up onto the bottom ledge. - shimmy to the left and jump up onto the middle ledge. - Jump up onto the top ledge. - shimmy to the right until you can climb back onto the surface. When you get to the top, push the box down to the area where Yorda is, then jump down yourself. More shadowdemons will depart from their portal - two demons and two spiders. When they have been defeated, push the box, and place it beneath the large lever. Now climb onto the box and pull the lever to lower a chain on the other side of the area. Now push the box back to where it had previously fallen, then climb onto the box and onto the platform above, help Yorda up as well. There is a save point here by the wall with the ledges. Up ahead, it's too far to jump, so you'll need to use the ledges to the right of the save point to get across. Climb up onto the second ledge on the wall and make your way to the other side of the area. When you touch down, shadowdemons will appear below, but these ones cannot fly, so Yorda is safe where she is. Now head towards the beam holding the gold chain (the one you lowered with the large lever). Begin to slide down it until you are level with the window, start to swing on the chain then lunge forward through the window. When you reach the ground, those shadowdemons will come after you. Yorda's not here so this really is a pointless battle as there is no chance of getting a game over. Once they've been defeated, go to the wall (opposite where you entered), you'll see two windows, both with boxes blocking their path. Go up to one of these boxes and push it through the window (it doesn't matter which one), then go through the window yourself. You'll now find yourself back in the sewers section of the castle. Get a hold of the box and push it towards the left of the stairs that go to the ajar idol doors. Now place the box in the top left corner of the grass area so you can reach the stone terrain above (make sure to leave a gap between the box and the wall on the far left side, or you won't be able to make the jump). Jump up, then follow the path around until you come to a chain - climb up it. Now run up the stairs and back into the Stone Pillar area. Do not spend too long in this area, as Yorda could get kidnapped. Climb the ladder to the left of the camera, then run across the ledge built against the wall. When you come to the end of it, you'll see a chain and beyond that is a lever, but before you go off to find out what the lever does, call Yorda so that she is standing on the wooden part of the ground below (see diagram - where it says "BRIDGE FOR YORDA"). Now use the chain to get to the lever and pull it. Yorda will be taken to the other side of the area. A shadowdemon will now take advantage of the great distance between yourself and Yorda, so quickly jump onto the chain and slide down to the ground. Head to the portal to the left of the idol doors and pull Yorda out. Now take Yorda to the idol doors to get rid of that irritating shadowdemon. You may realize that you've been in this next area before. Continue along the path until you reach the next idol doors. >ICO> OPENING THE EAST GATE-----------------------------------------[ICY3N]-- < WHAT TO DO > No need to explore here. Ignore the ladder on the right of the screen (as it leads to a locked door) and run along the rampart. You'll eventually come to some idol doors. ----- EAST ARENA ----- < EXPLORING THE AREA > A short scene here will show you the area, including a close-up of a sword, but it's stuck in the wall. You might be able to open this wall up at some point later. There are two stairs on both sides of the room, and two doors on each side of the closed wall - Only the door on the right is open for now. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix viii [ICY4I]. < WHAT TO DO > Firstly, climb the ladder to the left of the screen and call Yorda up. Here, a portal will open up and a shadowdemon will rise out of it. Defeat it and save your game. To the wall on the opposite side of where you came in, there are two doors on both sides of the wall, the left one is shut, so enter the right door for now. ----- EAST IDOL STAIRS ----- < EXPLORING THE AREA > Look down the pit to the right of the ladder - there is a platform in front of a ladder. There is a lever on the level above the ladder, and a closed wall at the far end of the area, but both of these are out of reach. < WHAT TO DO > Climb down the ladder to the left of the door and then climb up to the round platform in front of the ladder. When you bring Yorda up onto it, you'll find that it is actually some kind of switch. Some stairs will rise up, leading up to the closed wall. Some shadowdemons will attack here, fight close to the portals so that you don't have to run all the way down the stairs if Yorda gets kidnapped. When they've been defeated, go up the stairs and pull the lever on the left - this will rotate two orbs on the wall. You can now light these up, light your weapon by holding it up by one of the torches, and set fire to both of the orbs. The wall will now open itself up to you, climb through it and head outdoors ----- EAST REFLECTOR ----- < EXPLORING THE AREA > There is a save point on the right of the screen. In the middle of this area you'll see a reflector (you'll find out why it's called a reflector soon enough). Other than that, there is a ladder on the other side of the opened wall. < WHAT TO DO > Not much - climb the ladder to the left of the opened wall and re=enter the East Idol Stairs area. ----- EAST IDOL STAIRS ----- < WHAT TO DO > Run to the end of the path until you see a lever, pull it, this will rotate the orbs below the second closed wall. Light your cudgel from the torch to the right of the lever, then drop down and run towards the orbs to open the second wall. This will now release the sword on the other side of the wall. Make sure you have Yorda with you, and go back to the East Arena. ----- EAST ARENA ----- < EXPLORING THE AREA > The sword is now laying on the floor in front of the opened wall. There don't seem to be any traps or anything. Still, best to keep Yorda close to you... < WHAT TO DO > Pick up the sword, this will make a gate rise up around you, trapping you inside this place. If Yorda's in a different area, then its most probably game over. Look on both sides of the opened wall in front of you - you'll see two ropes. Use your newly acquired weapon to cut the ropes, this will lower the gate. Now go up the stairs to the left of the opened wall and jump and cut the rope there, this will open a door down the side below. Enter it. ----- WATER SLIDE ----- < EXPLORING THE AREA > You'll see a river flowing downwards, so getting up it will be a struggle. There are some ledges on the wall to the right of the camera, and there is also a lever on a balcony at the very top of the area. < WHAT TO DO > Climbing the ledges is the only way up, so you'll have to leave Yorda behind for now. Here is how to do it: - Start off by jumping onto the first ledge (climb up so that you're standing on it) and move to the right. - Jump up onto the ledge above, and then the ledge above that. - Shimmy to the left, then jump up to the two ledges above that. - Move across to the right, until you get past the first pillar, then jump onto the ledge above. - Move to the right to the second pillar, then drop down. - Again move to the right, to the small part of the ledge after the second pillar and drop down. - Shimmy to the far right and jump up to the two ledges above. - Make your way to the far right again and jump up. - Again move to the far right and drop down to the finish line. You'll now find yourself at the top of the water slide. Now follow the path around (you'll see the reflector on the outside) until you come to a pressure switch, stand on it, then enter the door to the upper level of the East Idol Stairs. ----- EAST IDOL STAIRS ----- < EXPLORING THE AREA > There are two bridges being held up by two sets of ropes - cutting these ropes could lower the bridge to make a path for yourself and Yorda later on. < WHAT TO DO > Follow the path, jump over the gap and continue up the stairs. You'll eventually come across two ropes holding up a bridge, jump to cut the two ropes. Now follow the path around to the other side of the room and cut the ropes there. Move on towards the pressure switch for the door ahead. ----- WATER SLIDE ----- < WHAT TO DO > You'll now find yourself above the water slide. Pull the lever to stop the water flowing down, then call Yorda up. There no need to go all the way around to get back to Yorda, you can just jump over the railing in front of the lever. Now take Yorda with you into the room where you put together the bridge. ----- EAST IDOL STAIRS ----- < WHAT TO DO > Go across the bridge and into the East Arena. ----- EAST ARENA ----- < EXPLORING THE AREA > Looking to the other side of the East Arena, there are some idol doors guarding an area with a lever and an elevator, jumping all that distance might be a bit too much. The lift will take you back down to the lower level of the East Arena. < WHAT TO DO > Approach the edge of the platform (with Yorda) and a pathway will open itself up to you. When you pass through the idol doors, turn left and pull the lever - this will rotate the orbs down below. Now go to the right of the idol doors and walk into the lift, it will automatically descend when you step on it. You should know what to do now - light the orbs. Put down your sword and pick up a cudgel (you'll find one by the entrance to the East Arena), then go to the orbs by the wall where the sword was lodged, and light your cudgel on fire. Now go to the orbs by the entrance and light them both - congratulations on opening the East Gate. You'll now be allowed to exit the area. Be sure to pick the sword back up. >ICO> COURTYARD-----------------------------------------------------[ICY3O]-- < WHAT TO DO > When you come out of the East Arena, you'll see a portal open up, followed by another ambush by shadowdemons. Run all the way around the rampart and fight the shadowdemons by the portal - defeating them is now quick and easy with the sword. Now climb the ladder to the right of the doorway to the courtyard and enter the balcony above it. You'll see a sword on the right of the screen (pick it up if you managed to leave your other sword behind), then pull the lever to the right of it - this will lower one of the bridges in the courtyard. Also its worth noting that Yorda will almost certainly get kidnapped if you don't bring her up the ladder with you. Now enter the doorway to the right of the ladder. < EXPLORING THE AREA > The bridge has been lowered so you now have access to the Long Hall. To the left of the Long Hall's entrance, you'll see a box in the corner, to the left of the columns. Also take note of the rope, you can see it between the two columns. The rope looks as though it can be lowered to the open window in the courtyard below. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix ix [ICY4J]. < WHAT TO DO > Make your way across the bridge, and turn left, and ignore the Long Hall's entrance for now. Continue on until you see a box in the corner, with a rope between the two columns. Pull the box and place it just to the left of the nearest column. Climb onto the box, then jump up onto the left column, and jump towards the rope and swing your sword to cut it. Now head towards the Long Hall. Nothing new here. Run around the interior of the area until you get to the opening of the bridge, expect an ambush by some shadowdemons as well. If you're going to fight them off, it's best to stay near the portal by the idol doors (the ones you opened earlier). Now go to the ground level of the courtyard. Head to the west corner of the courtyard, and jump onto the rope (the one you lowered from above). Climb up the rope, you'll see two windows that you will be able to jump through, so lunge yourself towards the upper window. Next run across to the right and through the door. You'll see a box here, push it over the edge, and jump down (or use the ladder), then push the box out of the bottom window. Now using the box, help Yorda through the window, then run up the stairs and through the idol doors. >ICO> WATERFALL-----------------------------------------------------[ICY3P]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA > To the left there are two bridges, one above the other. The top one leads to a gate which is locked, though there is a ladder if you follow the ledge to the right. To the right of the second bridge is a save point, though there is no access for Yorda to it just yet, while to the left there is a chain that goes right to the bottom of the area. Also at the bottom, behind the waterfall, you'll find the idol doors, though again, there is no access for Yorda. < WHAT TO DO > Turn left and go across the bridge, you'll then come to a locked gate. Leave Yorda here and turn right towards the ladder, then climb it. Now run along the ledge to the left and jump out of the large window and into the outside. Now turn left of the screen, here you'll see a chain, jump onto it, then swing towards the bridge. Now climb down the ladder on the opposite side of the bridge and go to the box leaning over the edge. Push it down, then jump down yourself. Now go to the lift to the right and pull the lever to go up. Now head along to the right. Here, you'll see Yorda on the other side of the gate, and to the right of her is a lever - pull it. Now head back to the lift with Yorda and descend. Help Yorda climb up the box and onto the grass, then climb the ladder to the bridge. Call Yorda, then make your way towards the second ladder. Same again - climb it and call Yorda, now move onto the pressure switch to open the door. Make your way across the bridge and into a chamber. < EXPLORING THE AREA > This chamber features an upper level and a lower level, plus four platforms above. Just to the right of the stairs leading downwards is a wooden gate, but its locked. Opposite the gate is a ladder that will take you to the first platform, and a railing that will take you all the way around the area. For those playing the PAL version, see Chapter Six of this guide. < APPENDIX > For a diagram of this area, see Appendix x [ICY4K] < SIDE QUEST > You can get an even more powerful weapon than your sword in this area, see Chapter Five to find out how. < WHAT TO DO > Go straight down the stairs and climb up the ladder opposite the wooden gate, then jump up and grab onto the railing and shimmy to the left, until you come to the second platform. Continue this until you reach the fourth platform, then climb out of the window and down the ladder. < EXPLORING THE AREA > Look to the left of the staircase, you'll see a lever. There is a box just beside the river, which flows down towards the idol doors. There are some ledges that could be used to cross to the other side of the river and you may also notice a ladder to the right of the opening. < WHAT TO DO > Pull the lever to the right of the tree, this will open the wooden gate, so you can now get Yorda out of the chamber. Now go to the box by the river and push it into the water, then watch it disappear down the waterfall. Now go to the wall (in the direction where the water is flowing), and jump onto the lowest ledge, and keep jumping up until you reach the ledge that moves right across the river. Go to the tree, then continue along the grass until you reach a ladder, climb it and then turn the wheel counter-clockwise to stop the water flowing. Take Yorda's hand and run into the gorge, then head towards where the waterfall once was. Turn left and head down the stairs, then climb over the barrier and across the suspension bridge. There is a save point to the left of the bridge if you want to sit down for a while. Make your way to the right of the suspension bridge and go down the stairs. Right to the bottom of the area, you'll rediscover the box, as well as a few shadowdemons - They'll be two portals on both sides of the box. Defeat the three shadowdemons and push the box towards the platform, then help Yorda up towards the idol doors. >ICO> GONDOLA-------------------------------------------------------[ICY3Q]-- < EXPLORING THE AREA >