Shadow of the Colossus - A beautiful game experience

fullmetal84 · 06-06-2007, 12:50 PM

I just recently finished Shadow of the Colossus on the PS2, and I must say...if you haven't played this game yet, I highly suggest trying it out. The attention to detail makes this game's presentation intricately polished and very cinematic.

The game is an action/adventure title, so if you're not a fan, it may not be for you. But, the scenery is something special to behold, if nothing else. The landscape is massive in scale, with sprawling mountains and gorges, and everything is open-ended...there are no loading screens. As a direct result of this huge scale, you truly get the feeling that you are just one small piece within this land. The shrines, mountains, colossi, bridges, and everything around you tower above and dwarf you constantly. Also, I must commend the animators with the highest of praise--all of the animations in this game are extremely life-like and fluid; it truly looks like a human running around in there and all stages of a horse's gallop are perfectly captured by his companion. If there was one gripe I had with this game, it was the camera. At times, it felt so right--the cinematic feel of the sweeping camera made the battles intense and satisfying, not to mention breathtaking. However, at other times, it was utterly useless--when you're hanging onto a colossus for dear life, and the camera zooms in to capture only a portion of its palm on screen, or it continuously cirlces around, never letting you get a solid bearing on the situation, it gets frustratingly difficult to make any progress.

However, I would instantly recommend this game--the pluses FAR outweigh the minuses. Everything about this game feels cinematic: the sweeping camera and cut scenes, the moody symphonic score, and the EPIC scale of the game.

It is truly a masterpiece of a game.

-Jon Manafi

ronnoc10 · 06-06-2007, 01:42 PM

Team Ico is crazy awsome. If you haven't played Ico, I suggest you do so now. :P

Shadow of the Colossus just looks wonderful. The shading and lighting is really pretty and everything is big, and basicly it just looks awsome. Not only that, the game is a boss rush, and really, really simplistic. Overall, it kicks ass. People who have not played it should do so now.

jaybee · 06-13-2007, 03:39 PM

Great review! I'm glad I saw this. I loved Ico and I completely forgot about Shadow of the Colossus with so many games out there.

jillduffy · 08-22-2007, 12:12 PM

GameCareerGuide.com has a new article that's coming out tomorrow about Shadow of the Colossus.

It's a beautiful game with powerful symbolism, imagery, and meaning -- but is it accessible? Or is it so esoteric that it's too much of a pain to actually play?

Check out the article tomorrow, and feel free to post your comments and reactions in this thread (or a new one) on the forums.

Darth Tomi · 09-25-2007, 01:53 PM

It's a nice looking game but I found it to be a bit frustrating.
1. the colossi (spl?) can only be fought in a certain order. I couldn't see why you could take on each one whenever you want.
2. Usually fighting meant finding a way to climb up the beast, stab in certain area, repeat. Couldn't I blind one then push it off a cliff?
3. It's all about the saving the girlfriend or such. I figured at one point if I have to go through all this for her, well, I should just give it up and find me another chick. Sheesh.