Unused Locations (ICO)

List of Unused Locations from ICO. This list may also include earlier iterations of stages that are present in the retail game.

Boat Storage

Boat Storage stage.

A concept art from February 10th, 2000 shows what appears to be the location where Ico and Yorda would originally escape the castle from, before being removed in favor of a more climactic ending. It contained a mask on a fence that would react to Yorda in some way.

Chapel

Chapel stage.

A concept art from January 28th, 2000 shows an early concept named "Chapel idea (1)". This area would eventually evolve into the 'Altar'; and seemingly included a part 2 that is unseen.

Dynamite Room

Main article: Dynamite Room

Lightwave renders made for the PS1 version provided by Zackmann on BlueSky. The torture chamber can be seen among some of the pictures.

The Dynamite Room (st11) was planned to be the underground of the Chandelier stage. It was created around the time the game was still in its PlayStation 1 Era, and it's uncertain when it was removed.

Zackmann: "あとSt11（シャンデリアの地下）の拷問エリアのレンダリングデータもありました。（鎖やベルトコンベア、仮のICO文字の入った蛍光灯など）"

Heroine Room Connection

Early concept art of 'Heroine Room Connection'.

A cut idea of a room connecting to the Heroine Room. The element of the idol gates blocking the outside was seemingly reused for the Spiral Stairs.

Labyrinth

Early stage planning document that includes 「迷路」as the name of stage 06b.

Mentioned in an early stage planning document under the stage ID '06b'. It would have been entered from the 'cycling' stage, '06a' (later called Sluice), and connected to the similarly unused 1a stage (name unknown). While hard to make out, its name is rendered in kanji as「迷路」.

The name 'Labyrinth' (迷路) was also used for the cut arena of the early Buddha colossus in Shadow of the Colossus.

Prison

Prison stage.

Prison was seemingly what appears to be an early idea for what would eventually become st04c (East Arena). A concept from February 9th, 2000 shows the entire progression in detail:

1. Pass through.
2. The iron barred door is closed.
3. Outside. -> Attachment 1
4. Pass through the hole from the outside.
5. The iron bars on the inside are used.
6. All jail cells are empty. The innermost part is used as a storehouse. -> Inside the warehouse, see attached sheet 1
7. The path to the sword is now blocked by a wall and further hidden by a shelf. -> Appendix
8. The duel starts.

Ruins

A conceptual map of the castle from March 21st, 2000, detailing a player's progression across various environments, especially during the game's 2nd act. 'Ruins' are written as「遺跡」on Step 4.

Sketched in a stage continuity concept from March 21st, 2000. The location seems to consists of platforms (or perhaps pillars) jutting far out from the cliff-face under the mainland bridge. The Japanese term used for this location (遺跡) sometimes carries specific archeological connotations of ancient human activity. This location precedes the Underground Lake location.

The name 'Ruins' (遺跡) ended up being used for the arena of the 14th colossus in Shadow of the Colossus.

Underground Lake

Sketched in a stage continuity concept from March 21st, 2000. The location contains the hanging cages seen in the final game's Cage location, but occupies the space that Cogwheel would later fill. In the concept it originates, this area immediately follows the Ruins location.