Shadow Of The Colossus (PS2) > Reviews > Shadow of the Colossus

Author's product rating:   

Playability & Enjoyment	A good game - playable and enjoyable
Addictiveness	Compulsive
Graphics	Good
Difficulty & Complexity	Average - suitable for most
Value for money	Good value

Advantages:	Involving gameplay, beautiful graphics, very innovative
Disadvantages:	Occasionally confusing

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Shadow of the Colossus is another game from the team behind the under appreciated 'Ico' for the PS2. As with the previous title, it is visibly distinct and shares a similar explorative construct. After a cutscene that displays the graphical beauty of the land, we are told that a girl has been sacrificed and her soul has been lost. The boy who has brought her to a sacred temple wants to revive her and the mystical land in which he finds himself is the perfect place for such a miracle. He is told by an unknown voice that speaks from the light that he must defeat the Colossi that roam the land. Every time one is defeated, their respective idol will be destroyed within the temple. Once all the Colossi/idols are destroyed, the power to bring the girl back to life will be unearthed.

Granted the game may seem quite different to anything you may have played before. The language is incomprehensible and the story is slightly fantastical. However, it is purposely so to involve the player in a deeper fashion. Your role is to explore the vast lands in search of each Colossus. The only equipment you have at your disposal is a sword, a bow and arrow and a horse.

The sword is used to damage the Colossi, but also to locate their position using light. In a sunny area, you hold the sword up to the sky and where the light concentrates, that is the direction you must go to find them. It is also used to find certain weak spots in each of the Colossi.

The bow and arrow is used to hurt the Colossi as well and can be used as a distraction also. It is useful for certain enemies that need to be damaged in smaller, more specific areas.

The horse is invaluable as you must often travel around vast landscape and it is the quickest form of transport. The horse is extremely realistic and the mechanics that have gone into its movement are very well done. It moves as a horse is supposed to move, in a realistic and lifelike fashion.

There are no enemies besides the Colossi. They are all enormous and most are quite daunting. They range from gigantic, club wielding warriors to swift, flying beasts. Each Colossus is different and there are 16 in all to defeat. Often, you must find a way to climb them in order to search for their weak point and damage them with the sword/bow. Sometimes you may think that you have gotten to grips with this until suddenly, you are faced with a Colossus that seems impervious to attack. Each one can be a puzzle and figuring out how to defeat them is half the battle. Essentially, the player travels to 16 sepearate Boss fights.

Personally, I always love a good Boss fight. I like a challenge and often they are tricky to defeat. There is something extremely satisfying about climbing a huge beast and taking it down with just a sword and a bow and arrow - no rocket launchers here folks! Travelling to each Colossus is also very interesting. The journey is always different and at first the land may seem similar, but on exploring, you encounter desert, beautiful waterfalls, grassy areas, barren mountainous plains and they all push the Playstation 2 graphically. The effects are very well animated and each Colossus looks very different.

It is very refreshing, as with 'Ico', to see a game that dares to be different and succeeds. It is innovative in its gameplay and visually immersive and gorgeous. If you are a little bored with some of the more orthodox and possibly tired genre games, Shadow of the Colossus is a breath of fresh air. It is a journey, and a very memorable one indeed. Please give it a go as I really don't think you will be disappointed.