Book Review: Ico - Castle in the Mist

I have recently finished reading this 2008 novelization of the 2001 Playstation 2 game “Ico,” written by Miyuki Miyabe and translated by Alexander O. Smith. I will freely admit to have never actually played the game due to not owning a PS2, so please let me know if I make any mistakes due to my limited knowledge of the game.

The game’s plot is relatively simple: a young boy with horns named Ico who has been chosen to head into the Castle in the Mist as a sacrifice. While inside the castle he meets a girl by the name of Yorda and the two work together in order to escape the castle while shadowy creatures working for the queen of the castle attempt to hinder them and recapture Yorda. As you can tell, the plot is somewhat minimalistic and must be expanded upon for novelization.

The additions to the novel aren’t bad when it comes to characterization. The first few chapters are dedicated to Ico’s life before being sent into the castle and focus on his relationship with his fellow villagers. We are shown how painful it is for Ico’s foster mother Oneh to deal with the fact that he is a sacrifice and the determination of his friend Toto to save him from his fate. This addition shows the readers that Ico is someone who is loved and adds a bit of a new spin on his escape from the castle; not only is he now trying to rescue Yorda from imprisonment but he is also trying to get back to the people he cares about.

The book also expands on Yorda’s past and her relationship with her mother and a warrior named Ozuma. Yorda’s mother, the main antagonist of the game, is built up as an ever-present threat, a being who is almost god-like in power within the castle who keeps Yorda shackled to her domain with fear. On the other hand, her relationship with Ozuma is what prevents her from being completely cowed by her mother as he is the one who helps her discover the fate of her father by her mother’s hand and prove to her that the queen was not invincible. This part of the novel provides the reader with further insight into Yorda’s character and motivations, shedding some light on the mysterious waif that she is in the game.

The novel, admittedly, has a tough act to follow. The main draw of the game is the relationship between Ico and Yorda and players are drawn into this through several game mechanics: Ico can grab onto Yorda’s hand to lead her around the castle, Yorda provides hints on how to progress at certain parts of the game, and the player can only save by leading both characters to a stone chair where they fall asleep together. The video game has an easier time establishing this relationship since the players essentially step into Ico’s shoes while protecting Yorda and trying to escape the castle, but constantly reading about two characters holding hands and leaping up stone blocks admittedly gets a little tiring after a few pages.

Thankfully the novel got the memo that the relationship between Ico and Yorda was a vital part of the story and attempts to build up the relationship by emphasizing Ico’s protective feelings and his determination to get her out of the castle. However, fans of the game may find this a little less effective than the way the game builds on their relationship since the game is more immersive and has more time to show the characters interacting with each other and making their bond seem more legitimate. Still, the book does not do a bad job in building their relationship; it provides enough character interaction to show how the two go from complete strangers to becoming each other’s emotional support.

Overall, this book was quite enjoyable and, most importantly, can stand by itself as a story and does not require knowledge of the game to fully enjoy. For those who have never played the game it is a hauntingly beautiful story about two people attempting to break the chains of fate; for those who have played the game it is like an expansion pack that provides further insight into the protagonists players have grown to love and more lore about the magnificent world of “Ico.”

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