Shadow of the Colossus Review (Playstation 2, 2005)

Shadow of the Colossus. What can I say about this epic that hasnt already been said? This successor to the popular game Ico follows the story of a man named Wander, who travels to a shrine in a place known as the Forbidden Land in order to revive his dead lover Mono (sacrificed for having a cursed fate, which is never specified exactly what it is). In order to do so, he must find and defeat the sixteen colossi that roam the Forbidden Land, each of which you will find require incredibly varied ways to be defeated. With little more than the sixteen boss battles it is easy to assume this game has little plot, but this is a rare case of it doesnt need it. And the cutscenes themselves are like watching a three hour movie. But lets dissect Team Icos work critically, shall we?

Critique I : Gameplay
With a game centred solely around exploring and boss battles, it would be difficult to say that the gameplay is incredibly different, but it is fantastic at what it does. The X button will call your horse, the circle button allows you to raise your sword to the skies (or kick your horse whilst riding it), the triangle button will let you jump, and the square button allows you to swing your sword (whilst on the ground). This setup is effective for exploration, and if you dont like it, you can change it toowhich I have to admit can be a godsend at times. The basic exploration itself is breathtaking- the Forbidden Land is far more vast than any other gaming overworld I have ever seen. Forests, waterfalls, cliffs, natural formations or bridges, everything; by the time you are at the sixteenth colossus you will have waded through every kind of terrain imaginable. I have to say kudos to Team Ico for creating such a wide, varied landscape; to get to each colossus you will find yourself having to do different things, for some you will need your horse, Agro, and others you can venture off alone into a massive lake. The controls themselves for the sections where you must jump from one platform to another, however, are a major weakness as far as controls are concerned; a notable example is before the third colossus, where you must jump from the top of a spire to a solitary platform, where upon failure you must trek all the way back up and try again, which can take an age if you arent used to it. Next is the boss battles, which will take up most of your game time, and thankfully, they are outstanding. It is the kind of experience that makes it worth the journey, however long it may be. Each colossus is different, and will require you to do all sorts of different things to get to their weak spot; for instance in one you will need to shoot it to agitate it just to grab onto it whilst in another you need to make it swing its sword for you to use to get up onto it. The creativity here is fantastic, even if the fact that the weak point is usually the head can get slightly overused if you are playing for long periods of time. Personally, I think this is one of the best parts of the game; the strategies to beating each colossus can get stuck in your head for ages after youve even shut your PS2 down. Overall, the gameplay is addictive and an amazing experience, even if some sections can be slightly overdone or vague. But once you get far enough into the game, and get into the rhythm of things, it is an unparalleled experience, even for a first-timer who is unexperienced with the controls.

SCORE: 9.5/10

Critique II : Graphics
Before I begin this section I would like to point out that this game was released in 2005, and I will be judging it based on the graphics of the time but also in comparison to other games of its time and of the consoles capabilities overall. The graphics are arguably one of the games most rewarding features, and for its time, this would be more like a work of art. The harsh, dark yet beautiful landscape of the Forbidden Land is simply intoxicating, and the level of intricacy and care shown towards the graphics for this game are mindblowing. Each waterfall in the game looks so utterly lush and almost lifelike at times it is a marvel to behold. The stone arch bridge at the beginning of the game is particularly memorable, as it is arguably the most breathtaking graphical achievement. The framerate, however, is one aspect I will have to critique, as it can be incredibly jumpy even in 60hz. This isn't really very noticeable until the very end, but it can lose some of the effect (especially if you're in the PAL regions where 50hz is used over 60hz). There really isnt much else to comment on here, but it was widely received through gamers as a work of art, which stands as a testament to the greatness of the graphics; the only game to really surpass this is Final Fantasy XII. However, generally speaking, I would say the graphics are far ahead of their time, and the recent PS3 remake of this has drawn out these astounding graphics even more.

SCORE: 9.5/10

Critique III : Sound

KOU OHTANI IS A GENIUS. The beautiful soundtrack of Shadow of the Colossus, composed by the aforementioned, is a rich orchestral selection of thirty-seven songs that will destroy everything you knew about good music and replace it with the acclaimed melodies that play throughout. Limiting the soundtracks to only cutscenes and the fights with the colossi gives it a far more dramatic effect, and once the battles begin, it provides a real atmosphere that the creature you must fight is powerful and towering over you. The first of the two songs that will typically play often gives you a sense that the battle is starting slow, but once you get onto the colossi the likes of The Opened Way or Gatekeeper of the Castle Ruins will show you that the battle is only beginning. Again, there is little to say other than that it is incredibly atmospheric and effective; the cutscene music makes it feel cinematic, and the battle music makes you feel as though youre in a fight to the death with every single colossi you face. I for one feel that the music is quite fitting for each battle, such as A Messenger From Behind works quite well for the quick-paced action of the air during the fight with the Fifth Colossus: its amazing how Ohtani has done this.

SCORE: 10/10

Critique IV: Length and Replayability

Shadow of the Colossus is not a long game, I cant sugarcoat that. A skilled player of the game could easily finish it in three hours or so. But for the casual first-timer, it is long enough to be entertaining, filling up a good twenty to twenty-five hours. But the colossi battles themselves are notably timeconsuming, taking up to a whole hour for some of them. Its main longevity comes from the long journeys through the Forbidden Land to reach the sixteen targets, which are easily unnoticed by the distraction of the scenery, however. Replayability is a wonder in this game, since once all sixteen colossi fall and the end credits have rolled, you are given the option to refight any colossus you want, giving a whole new level of replayability to the game. If you want to replay the whole thing, you can also easily go out and restart the game; each fight is so diverse you can easily go back and relive the experience without it becoming stale (and remembering the locations of all sixteen requires rather good memory, too). I personally would say this game is a fair length for someone not heavily into RPGs, but slightly disappointing for those who are.

SCORE: 10/10

Final Verdict: 39/40 (A*)

Shadow of the Colossus is a fantastic game well deserving of its title as an interactive work of art. The musical and graphical elements of the game alone have been enough to draw in many an Internet user into buying this masterpiece, and whilst the controls can be iffy at times these are easily forgiven by the overall natural flow of the rest of the controls. The colossi are incredibly varied, making each a pleasure to seek and destroy; the twists throughout the game are enough to suffice alone for an interesting plot, and the plot itself is comparable to a box-office sell-out. I cannot recommend this game strongly enough; the game will make you question your motives, make you emotional, and feel proud, and happy; all of which the bare minimum of words are even said between the beginning and end, apart from the memorable words of Dormin- Thy next foe is I highly suggest searching online for this game, even though it is becoming rarer and rarer by the day.

By Asch Rees