Video Games : Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)

Rating: - Ico and the Ocarina.
Imagine a game the "Ico" looks with just the boss characters from a Zelda game. Drop this into a overly large Hyrule field and volia, it's Shadow of the Colossus.

The Colossi are not as big or complex as one would have hoped. I was expecting more of a level in the shape of a massive monster, not a standard boss. I was expecting a mechanic more like the Ico puzzle castle, with colossi as segments of the 'castle'.

Yes, underneath all the jumping and holding onto fur, it's just a boss. The glowing weak points and the puzzle element have been done before. It's not as orginal as people wish. But it looks good, well, if you liked Ico that is.

Ico is the far superior game, although this is fairly enjoyable. It is not a direct sequel, but uses the same style. Ico was all about the castle puzzle, this is about boss fights. This is like a minimalist adult version of Zelda. It's a new spin on old gaming cliches. It could have been more minimalist by doing away with the health bar. The whole risk of dying element adds little except the occasional restart (you'll die mostly due to clunky control moments rather than real danger).

Frustrations come from the usual 3D camera/control issues, the obscure map and occassional glitch. You go from boss to boss via the large Hyrule field. But to make things last longer your glowing sword acts as a compass. The map is useless, you'll often find you've taken the wrong route and find a mountain range or canyon in the way; When this happens it's easier to restart. The boss fight puzzle can feel obscure at times; but just remember this is a traditional game. Look for out of place glowing lights or obvious props like geysers. There's one fight that's uncharacteristic of the others, where you need to pick up a stick and light it; this can prove annoying as it seems to break the games rules.

I think you're expected to feel something for the horse and the colossi that die, but frankly I found it all a relief when they were dead. The MacGuffin of the 'girlfriend in a coma' plot is just the filler between boss fights. There really isn't an important plot or story to be told here, except what you put into it yourself. It's all atmosphere and old-school gaming you've seen on N64 games, but in a different set of clothes (borrowed from Ico).

The looks of Ico, but lacking it's charm. It's still a very enjoyable and atmospheric game, just not that original.

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Rating: - Personally The Best Game Ever Made
Well first of all this game is totally different from any other game you would have played. The size is enormous, probaly near to the size of San Andreas and the graphics on this are beautiful. The gameplay is short though. The first time I completed this it took me about 5 hours I think but this is the sort of game which will make you want to go through more than once. You don't fight any sort of creatures in this game apart from the Colossi themeselves. There are sixteen in total and you fight them one after another. When you fight one you have to find a way to climb on them and then you have to find there weakness before you can kill them. The main character (Wander) does all this for a loved one (Mono) who has been sacrificed or something for being cursed. You don't find out much about it, just that you have to defeat all sixteen colossi in order to bring her back from the dead. As you progress through the game and defeat more Colossi Mono's body starts to get more life and looks a little less dead after every Colossus beaten however the more you beat the more Wander's body start's to look more pale and he even grows a set of small horns. There are all sorts of different Colossi. There are ones that live on land, flying colossi, colossi that live in the water, colossi that are like giant bugs, giants, small doglike colossi and even flying sand colossi. Each of them never leaves there territory and some will attack you as soon as you approach them and some won't attck until provocked. This is a one-off game which you probaly won't find any other game like and if you do it won't be as good as this. This is by far the best game ever on PS2, maybe even one of the best games ever made. To me this is the best game ever made.

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Rating: - Profound
The review title says it in one word but I shall continue, I am returning to this game after a one year break. I sold my ps2 and all games for a ps3, after a slew of average ps3 games I purchased this again to play on the PS3. It runs on my first gen ps3 fine, be aware later models cannot run ps2 games.

The game is the most moving video game ever and I've been playing games for 25 years, totaly unlike any other I have played. Great story and amazing colossi that fill the screen, great landscapes. This game is a work of art, the soundtrack is also awsome. So good in fact I have purchased the cd.

Don't miss out its a gem and one that will become much sought after in later years as people realise how good it is.

Enjoy

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Rating: - One of the best
After the awesome ICO, the followup is a bold change in direction and is the most unique adventure game I have ever come across.

The finale is one of the most moving moments in videogames, a game that I have played over and over again as it is always a challenge but one that is an incredibly rewarding experience. Like Okami, this is a game that MUST be experienced

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Rating: - A beautiful and poignant masterpiece
I feel I owe this game a great deal, for it has restored my faith in gaming on the basis of art, storytelling, an epic sountrack and, of course, superb gameplay. Too much of what we see in the gaming charts nowadays are the hallmark of generic mediocrisy. Flashy games with impressive graphics and lots of guns, trying to hide their abysmal lack of depth. Well, SOTC breaks the trend.

You play as Wander (Wanda), a young swordsman from a small rural village. The game opens with him and Agro (his horse), and an unknown woman wrapped in cloth (dead, as we shall soon find), making their way across an immense bridge towards a temple. The original premise of the game is deceptively simple; that Wander falls in love with the maiden, she is killed in a ritualistic act for reasons unknown, and he untertakes an epic quest to bring her back to life, by stealing the Ancient Sword from the shaman of the village. We then meet Dormin, an entity whose morality is questionable. He/She tells Wander that to bring her back to life, he must find and slay 16 colossi using the Ancient sword. What follows is 16 of the most original and imaginative boss battles you will ever see. Every colossi is unique, requiring a combination of puzzle solving and action orientated gameplay. The main issue is how to get onto each one in the first place, in order to find the weak spot and strike home the fatal blow.

What is most striking about this game is the emotional bond we have Wander, and your sole companion, Agro. As you travel through the immense, barren scenery looking for the next colossi, you feel glad to have your horse at your side. Also, you begijn to question the reasons for killing the Colossi, in fact you begin to feel sorry for them; you are the cause for the demise of these majestic creatures. They rarely strike the first blow, only when threatened. A question of morality seeps into the gameplay.

The ending is perhaps the most maserful piece of storytelling I have witnessed, save MGS4. Everything comes together; What is Dormin? Does it fulfil its promise to Wander? What are those black strings that enter Wanders body once he beats a colossi? And, for Ico fans, this chronological prequel explains the origins of the horned civilisation.

This is a beautiful game that deserves to be revered for what it is; a poetic masterpiece of imaginative splendour.