Enlightenment Run Trophy Guide (and tips)

Trophies That You Get Just by Beating the Game:

1- Rescue: Rescue Yorda
2- Failure: Watch the cutscene of the failed escape at the main gate (you can actually skip the cutscene, since the trophy is awarded by returning to the courtyard area after pulling the torches)
3- Armed and Ready: Get the sword that is stuck in E. Arena door
4- East Gate: Open the East Gate
5- West Gate: Open the West Gate
6- Farewell: Say good-bye to stick (and Yorda at bridge separation)
7- Royal Arms: Get the Queen's sword
8- Emancipation: Beat the game


Trophies That You Get with Extra Effort

FIRST PLAYTHROUGH (Starting by selecting "new game")
9- Spiked Club: Get the mace in the hidden area of the water pump section (You must do this on the first playthrough or the shining sword will not be there for 2nd playthrough)

SECOND PLAYTHROUGH (Starting with "continue" from the final save of last game)
10- Shining Sword: Get the lightsaber in the hidden area of the water pump section
11- Split the Watermelon: After the credits, bring a watermelon to Yorda to trigger the hidden ending (hoping is faster than walking)

EITHER PLAYTHROUGH
12- Benchwarmer - Save at all benches in the game (See all locations below. Also and be aware of Yorda placement. Leading her right to where she should sit can save time.)
13- Unscathed Escape - Clear the game without viewing a game over screen (if you do die, you can quit out and restart from last bench save to still get the trophy, so if you are worried about dying it is recommended to do this at the same time you do benchwarmer trophy)
14 - Express Journey - Beat the game in under 4 hours (can get at same time as Castle Guide, so no worries here)
15 - Castle Guide - Beat the game in under 2 hours (For less experienced runners, it is recommended to learn speedrun strats and focus on this trophy for the NG run [but don't forget the mace!] and Benchwarmer/Unscathed Escape for the NG+ run. For more experienced runners, it is possible to earn Castle Guide, Benchwarmer, and Unscathed all in the NG run.)
16- Enlightenment - Get all of the above trophies.


Bench Locations:
Old Bridge - At the bridge, before it breaks, after you first save Yorda.
Trolley 1 - In a room below the trolley tracks.
Trolley 2 - After the trolley ride.
Crane - After getting Yorda off the crane, before the Chandelier room.
Main Gate - To the left of the Main Gate exit
Graveyard - At top of steps in graveyard area
Windmill - At top of ramp to the right of the Idol Doors at Windmill area exit
Stone Pillar - Located right before Yorda moving platform puzzle
East Area - In the first room of East Arena
East Reflector - Outside the back of East Arena, opposite direction of the ladder (easiest bench to miss)
Waterfall - After watermill puzzle, while traveling down to the Idol Doors below. On your left, after the bridge.
Gondola - After going up the first elevator in this section, before the moving ladder puzzle.
Water Tower - After leaving the Gondola section.
West Idol Stairs - In the second room of West Arena area. (The Benchwarmer trophy should show up as you save here, but there are reports that it doesn't show up until the beach, so be aware of that.)

How to do the super yeet jumps in PAL 50hz - Video Guide

Ico PS3 Any% Speedrun Tutorial Videos (For Beginners)

These 6 videos divide the game into 6 easy to practice segments, that avg about 15-17 minutes each portion of the run for a goal IGT of 1 hr 45 min or less. The vids are closer to 30 minutes each because of careful explanations of how to do certain skips and why they work.

Segment 1 - New Game to Graveyard Bench
https://youtu.be/k1jT7lYAnUc

Segment 2 - Graveyard to Stone Pillar Exit
https://youtu.be/01yath-PkJM

Segment 3 - East Area (Reflector) to Waterfall Entrance
https://youtu.be/9g2jff2PcaI

Segment 4 - Waterfall to Water Tower Exit
https://youtu.be/i3YPsyi06Xk

Segment 5 - West Area (Reflector) to Main Gate
https://youtu.be/pyZzqt71mLY

Segment 6 - Hanging Jails to Queen Stab (plus final Beach run)
https://youtu.be/k7-qGduEpFM

NTSC-U and YOU: Differences you need to know if you are stupid enough to try and run it

Here are differences between the rushed early US release of Ico (PS2 - NTSC-U/C) compared to all other versions, which are basically the same (PS3, PS2 NTSC-J, PS2 PAL 60hz) except for the glitch jump (PAL 50hz).

Some differences are aesthetic and are not listed here, a couple are actually helpful, but most impact the runtime negatively:

                       --PUZZLES--
- No drawbridge forces you to take Yorda on the Trolley and Crane
- No water pump or watermill puzzles in the waterfall section, they are flat out just missing. This actually makes these puzzle areas take more time, because the unfinished solutions are slower.
- All other puzzles and mini-skips are possible and solved the same way as PS3/PS2-J runs.

                       --SHADOWS--
- Shadows all have higher HP (14 hit points, while in PS3/PS2J/PAL smaller shadows have 7, larger have 11).
- Shadows are more aggressive and also more difficult to deal with. They are better at dodging, team up on you more, will hit through your swings (while other versions make that a tie and Ico and shadows just block each other to no dmg), and take Yorda to pools faster when in the air.
- First shadow is SO fast (you almost can't save Yorda from getting put in pool) and has 8 hp instead of 4.
- Spider shadows can hit you in this version, WHAT THE WHAT?!?
- Shadows at the water tower WILL follow Yorda onto the block that hangs from the chain. In other versions, the usually just watch from the ledge.
- Final shadow fight takes longer because many shadows will just swirl in circles instead of coming towards you. You have to hunt them down and then still chase them. They swirl around stone Yorda, the right first ledge, the left back of the room towards the stairs, and possibly one or two other places.

                       --CUTSCENES--
- LOTS more unskipable cutscenes than in PS3/PS2japanese versions, making the runtime longer. Skipable cutscenes include Yorda leaving her cage, first main gate cutscene, and the water tower explosion for some weird reason. All other cutscenes cannot be skipped once they begin.
- several shadow fights are now unskippable because you can't skip the cutscenes during which they spawn and move towards Ico and Yorda (example: E.Idol Stairs skip), while other's take more time to set up so Yorda is at a safe distance (example: W.Idol Stairs).

                       --MECHANICS--
- Calling Yorda swings the camera HARD, making this an unusable strategy to run faster in much of the game.
- Dropping from chains does not auto catch (so you die if you drop from the top of the crane, for instance)
- Ico climbs up ledges both with the TRIANGLE and with pushing UP. In other versions, it's only the triangle. This makes it very easy to accidentally climb when not wanting to.
- Yorda does NOT shake her head at you EVER... so yay?
- Holding Yorda's hand is by tapping R1 rather than holding it down, same to let go (other versions make this mode an option but it is not the default).
- Yorda holds Ico's hand much better... let's go less often at corners or when he is swinging the stick while holding her hand.

--OTHER--
- No IGT is displayed when beating the game because there is no final save option
- No NG+ mode (2 player, lightsaber, melon), removing this as a possible speedrun sub-category

NOTE: Besides the above differences, many of the jumps and movement tricks still work, although the 4:3 aspect ratio changes some of the visual cues. Thus, the PS3 speedrun tutorial videos are still helpful. Also, gooperman recently got the WR in the NTSC-U category and SanchoPanda did an analysis of his run. If you are considering running this version of the game, this video is highly recommended:

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1050006307

PS3 Any% Advanced Run Strats (Works for PS2 NTSC 60hz as well)

This guide adds to the 6-part beginner videos. It corrects and/or changes a couple strats from the original tutorials that are now outdated, and shows the most recent methods with explanations for why the run has made some changes. The shadows didn't want us to get our good skips this time, but that's okay. Most of the tutorial focuses on Ico's movements becoming more efficient.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvRaCdMwBoI

Name	Author
Enlightenment Run Trophy Guide (and tips)	SanchoPanda 4 years ago
How to do the super yeet jumps in PAL 50hz - Video Guide	SanchoPanda 1 year ago
Ico PS3 Any% Speedrun Tutorial Videos (For Beginners)	SanchoPanda 4 years ago
NTSC-U and YOU: Differences you need to know if you are stupid enough to try and run it	SanchoPanda 3 years ago
PS3 Any% Advanced Run Strats (Works for PS2 NTSC 60hz as well)	SanchoPanda 4 years ago