All the in-game animation in Ico has been created by hand, not through motion capture. As a result, Ico and Yorda have a filmic grace to them - there are no sharp edges, stiff movements or glaring colours to these characters. Instead, you can almost feel Yorda's frailty thanks to the realistic animation that lies at the heart of the game.

Graphically, playing Ico is like looking at the soft tones of an old sepia photograph - subtle, evocative and melancholic. Harsh colours are replaced with a beautiful palette of earthy tones which brings to life the fortress and the shadowy figures that populate it, as well as the unforgettable characters of Ico and Yorda.