Mysterious Boy Pulls Ico Novel to U.S.

While you’re waiting for the Ico HD remake, why not sit down with the game’s novelization?

2001’s Ico became a cult-classic that has stayed in gamer consciousness for nearly a decade, with an HD PS3 remake set for release in 2011. In Japan, it was even given a novelization written by Miyuki Miyabe called Ico: Castle of the Mist, which is finally making its way to the U.S.

Ico: Castle of the Mist‘s translation is being handled by Viz Media, a company known for its prowess with anime and manga. The novel is over 400 pages long.

Miyabe’s narrative reportedly expands on the story of the characters in Ico: a horned boy and a girl named Yorda. Its description is as follows:

When a boy named Ico grows long curved horns overnight, his fate has been sealed-he is to be sacrificed in the Castle in the Mist. But in the castle, Ico meets a young girl named Yorda imprisoned in its halls. Alone they will die, but together Ico and Yorda might just be able to defy their destinies and escape the magic of the castle.

This is definitely a novel I’d like to check out, because Ico doesn’t seem like a natural fit for a novelization. Its characters are basically silent. They don’t have lengthy conversations about their pasts, hobbies, or likes and dislikes. Ico‘s appeal is mostly about the mystery behind the two, and the emotional feel of leading the girl through multiple environments without any dialog.

I’ll read an Ico novel, but I’m just not sure exactly what I’ll be reading. Ico: Castle in the Mist is expected by summer 2011, but doesn’t have an announced release date yet. It can be found on Amazon here.

Source: GameSetWatch