Search - Michiru Ôshima, Steven Geraghty :: Ico-Melody in the Mist

In anticipation of "Shadow of the Colossus", the next game b

Kris B. | Ontario, Canada | 07/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was starting to get antsy for SotC, so I finally broke down and bought the Ico soundtrack. Ideally, since I'm from Canada, I would've bought it from Amazon.com's sister site, Amazon.ca...but they don't have it listed, it's not available there. Whatever, it was well worth what Amazon is charging for it.



One of the reasons I'm most glad I got this is because it features the game's original Japanese cover art--a vast improvement over the needlessly glossy CGI art we received on the North American release (on which Ico doesn't even look like his intended Asian-resembling self).



It was nice of them to consider that many non-Japanese-speaking people would be buying this score--a lot of the credits, but most importantly the lyrics to "You Were There", are in English as well.



The music, I love the music, I wish there was more of it (though that would mean that they would've composed more for the game and included it in that. But I appreciated the minimalist, atmospheric approach to sound in the game, where only nature was often the background noise). Many of the tracks are great, but for the most part it's the longer ones that leave an impression. I may as well give the CD another listen while I write this, go down the list...



1. "prologue" isn't much to speak of at 35 seconds of hollow echo-sound, but it makes an appropriate entrance into the game's aural world.

2. "coffin" is foreboding and a little creepy in one or two places, but as with "prologue", we're still just getting into Ico.

3. Same deal with "impression", though this marks the first track on the disc that isn't creepy, IMO. It evokes a sense of wonder, curiosity, maybe even a hint of hopefulness. All these early tracks really served the character and helped draw the player into the mood of the piece.

4. "Caste in the Mist" is what played over the trailer in the demo when I first played and fell in love with the game. I never get tired of this track. It is absolutely awesome.

5. "beginning" might be the only iffy track in the score. It feels like something that belongs in a Final Fantasy game. It's just...I dunno, a little more melodramatic than most of the rest of Ico's music? As such, it kinda stands out. It has something to do with the loud piano notes. Reminding me of the FF series isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't fit with Ico as well as the composer probably intended. Bah, whatever, it's not even a long enough track to really notice.

6. "Who are you?" Ah, meeting Yorda and the first emergence of Shadows. Memories. From serene curiosity to foreboding "wow are we ever screwed".

7. The thing about "darkness" is that it provokes you even more into wanting to dispatch with the Shadows as quickly as possible. Probably because of its repetition, and the "tch tch tch tch tch" rising up toward the end, which sounds like the skittering noise they might make if their movement had sound effects.

8. "heal" is cute and peaceful. Just like the scenes it plays over, with Yorda and Ico sitting together on medieval stone couches, safe from danger for the moment.

9. "The Gate" Who didn't get hopeful at the site that accompanied this short track? There was a bit of a Neverending Story-ish, so-close-yet-no-deal feel to it.

10. "Queen" isn't anything remarkable as far as villain theme music goes, but there's nothing wrong with it either. It does its job.

11. "continue" is fine. I got distracted doing something else online while writing this review and listening to it, so I guess it's not very memorable. It's not meant to be though. It's outside of the regular playtime of the game, during that limbo of "Will I continue or not?"

12. "deja vu" Yeep, how alternately cool, creepy, and frustrating was it to find yourself at the beginning of the game again? I think that's what this played over. Ico entering the chamber of coffins and making his way toward Yorda's petrified (?) body, which leads into the following...

13. "Shadow" is eerie and wonderful. Kind of an easy pass the developers gave the gamer on this scene, having all those Shadows flying around and not having a single one of them attack you. It was all about catching up to and defeating them. Perfect music to go along with the sight of dozens (maybe a 100 or more?) of phantomy black things floating around a dimly lit room.

14. "Entity" is good boss music. That's all there is to it. Parts of it give me a little bit of a Legend of Zelda feel, specifically the SNES title in that series, A Link to the Past. This familiarity is appreciated, as Zelda is one of the games Ico has the most in common with.

15. "collapse" is beautiful. It almost plays against the scene in some ways because, despite defeating the Queen, you're in utter suspense over what will come next and that isn't reflected in this piece of music at all. Yorda in shadow form is really something...

16. "ICO - You were there" is the best closing track I could've imagined for this work of art. It is much different than the rest of the tracks, but perfectly fitting.



Damn, I think I need to play through the game again now."

ICO (PS2 Game Soundtrack)

orinoco17 | Sydney, Australia | 08/14/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you liked the game, you will love the soundtrack. If you have have no idea about what ICO is, think something along the lines of Myst or Riven. ICO has been clearly inspired by those two creations, but takes the idea to new heights.The soundtrack is incidental and atmospheric music from the game. The incidental pieces come from the various set-pieces you encounter, and can be quite dark. The atmospheric pieces are lighter, with a very minimal quality; just one or two strings. I would call this music 'ambient' but not in the Brian Eno style, nor Enya's style. It is a world away from 'relaxation' music. The closest albums I can think of are the soundtracks of Myst and Riven, but probably 'Gone To Earth' by David Sylvian is a better match. If you like David Sylvian, you might like this.Overall, I like it. A lot. It has been in my CD deck regularly over the past 4 weeks since I bought it. Not a '5' though, '4' because it is a little under 30 mins - too short!"

Short but excellent for those who loved the game

Samantha Jones | 02/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At only 25'35" you'd probably think this CD isn't worth spending the cash needed; however, if you loved the short yet beautiful scenes and gameplay of Ico for the PS2, I think you will enjoy this. The songs are presented exactly as they were in the game, even the closing theme song, which is in English so you can sing along. "Castle in the Mist" - a song you may remember playing in the trailer for the game - is one of my favorites from the CD. I think this CD is great for listening when you want to relax with while reading a book or when you are about to go to sleep."