It's kind of like when you meet someone who is reading Catch-22 and you ask them what they think and they say something like, "It's OK but I wish there was more fighting". That's how I feel about the OP.
Relative to the time in which Ico was released, it was absolutely brilliant and unique. It changed gaming and was an influence for a lot of people. I played it when it first came out and I'd never come across anything like it.
I can't explain why Ico is special anymore than I can explain why kittens are cure or rainbows are pretty. Either you see it or you don't. Either you feel the connection between Yorda and Ico or you don't. Either your heart breaks at the end or it doesn't. That's just the way it is. All I can say is that playing Ico was one of the more immersive and amazing experiences of my gaming life, and I played it fresh, without the slightest bit of hype.
