Shadow of the Colossus review

[Kodos]

From Gamespot. (http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/wandaandthecolossus/preview_6123309.html)

Here's an interesting upcoming game from the team that made ICO.

The newly renamed Shadow of the Colossus is the eagerly anticipated second game from the Sony Japan development team who brought us the stunning ICO. Originally known as Wanda and the Colossus, the game was first announced in September of last year, and it garnered a fair amount of attention when it was announced because of ICO's beloved status with industry critics and gamers alike. For its next outing on the PlayStation 2, the ICO team has served up an intriguing new action game that isn't a direct sequel to ICO but shares many of the same sensibilities. After having been teased by a trailer late last year at the 2004 Tokyo Game Show, we've finally managed to get our hands on a work-in-progress version to see what new magic the team has cooked up.

Shadow of the Colossus' story features the same timeless fairy-tale quality as ICO, albeit with a more mature theme. The story here is essentially one of love. You're cast as a nameless hero on a quest to save a loved one, and your journey will take you to an ancient temple where you discover the power to save your love's spirit. However, in order to unlock this power, you must obtain the essence of 16 colossi, mountainous gargantuan beasts that roam the land. How can a man who's about the size of an ant next to these beasts do such a thing armed with only a sword and a bow and arrow? That's for you to find out.

The short demo that we tried opened up in what we assume is the temple where you'll get your marching orders. You'll gather your wits, mount your faithful steed, and head out onto the open plains surrounding the temple. You're dwarfed by the massive world that looms before you, which you can explore to your heart's content if you like. Once you get over the initial shock of the world's scale, you can get to business. Shadow's structure appears to be a linear series of quests that target each of the colossi. Your sword will possess mystical properties that will let it reflect sunlight when held above your head, which points you in the direction of the colossus.

Once you know where to go, you'll have to navigate the landscape in order to get to your destination, which serves as a subgame unto itself. In our demo, we had to figure out a way to get up and over the walls in a valley by jumping and climbing along a series of cliffs and vines. Once we got near the colossus, a real-time cinematic triggered and we got a full view of the massive creature, which is sure to cause some deep gulps in players the first time they see it. At that point, the next aspect of the game experience kicked in, which is best described as equal parts puzzle and action. As we mentioned, you're not exactly packing a bazooka, so you'll have to use your wits in order to defeat the mighty creature.

To save the life of your lost love, you'll square off against 16 truly massive, imposing beasts: the colossi.

We won't spoil the specifics on how to kill the beast, but plan on spending some time just observing its movements and scrutinizing the makeup of its body. The tools you need to defeat the creature are always in plain sight--the challenge for you is to figure out how to use them. Of course, knowing what you need to do and actually doing it are two very different things when it comes to taking down a mountain-sized foe. The colossi aren't exactly going to let you scamper about and kill them, as evidenced by our fun romp with the one in the demo. They'll move around and try to stomp you once you get their attention, so you'll have to be quick on your feet.

Avoiding stompage is actually feasible thanks to the game's control scheme, which is laid out simply. You'll move around with the analog stick, jump with triangle, use your sword to reflect light with the circle button, attack with square, call your horse with X, and use R1 to hold and climb. It's a simple system that lets you perform actions quickly, which is always nice when a massive foot is looming over you.

ICO is remembered fondly by many gamers for its beautiful, subtle production values and strong aesthetic effort. How does Shadow of the Colossus stack up in the looks department, given the pedigree of its illustrious predecessor? Read on to find out.

Shadow's visual presentation shares the same stunning artistic flair that gave ICO such a powerful presence. This new game is by no means derivative of its predecessor, however. Shadow has its own unique look and feel that's conveyed by richly detailed environments and savvy use of color. The nameless hero sports an impressive amount of fine detail (such as patterned clothing, a cape, and lace-up sandals), and this gives him an almost Native American look. His faithful steed, amusingly named Agro, is equally outstanding, thanks to a comparable level of detail and smooth, lifelike animation. His tail, mane, and bridle sway convincingly as you make your way across the massive landscape.

The development team is bringing its audiovisual chops fully to bear with this new game.

The detailed pair fit snugly into the rich landscape crafted for the game. The most striking aspect of the world you'll be exploring is its sheer scope. The start of the demo had us leave the familiar confines of a temple by descending a path that led to a vast open area where you could see for quite a ways. The outdoor setting of the game lets Shadow's art team play with all manner of subtle conventions in color and scale, and they seem to be doing an outstanding job of conveying the hero's place in the world. At the same time, some of the structures we've seen--vast bridges that feature swirling architecture, for example--are equally effective at making you feel smaller than an ant.

But, as impressive as all of this is, the game isn't named after the hero, his horse, or the stunning landscape. The stars of the game are the 16 colossi who you'll be hunting and bringing down. While we only got a glimpse of two--the one in the demo and another in one of the game's cinematics--it must be said they are arguably some of the most impressive video-game beings we've seen in ages. The massive creatures are a stunning mix of art and technology. The two beasts we saw featured patchwork designs that mixed natural elements, such as rock and grassy earth, with more mechanical elements, like gears and metal, into dazzling creations that are both dangerous and awe-inspiring. Their presence is complemented by their effect on the world around them, which is most obvious when you run up to them, as dirt and debris are kicked up while they make their way through the world.

On the technical front, Shadow of the Colossus' visuals are definitely a step beyond what was seen in ICO, although you'll see some obvious similarities. Shadow will employ the same sweeping style of camera, with shaky-cam movement and ghostly after-image filters thrown in for effect. Given the more-dynamic nature of Shadow's action, the camera has been adjusted a bit to ensure that it keeps up. You'll see more color and lighting effects used to make the world a richer place than what was seen in ICO. From a performance standpoint, the demo we played ran comparably to ICO, with occasional bouts of minor slowdown, which was perfectly acceptable.

The audio in the demo shared the same minimalist sensibilities used in ICO, which suits the action well. In many ways, moments of total silence punctuated by ambient noise are some of the most common themes you'll hear. While this may sound a little weird, it absolutely works and is an invaluable aspect of the experience. However, the game isn't all just wind noise and meaningful silence--you'll hear sweeping music tracks that underscore key moments, such as when you're solving a puzzle or fighting a colossus. As you'd expect, the music tracks are subtle but powerful and ably direct Shadow's emotional tone. As far as voice goes, Shadow of the Colossus is a game of few words. You'll hear some key emoting from the hero, his horse, and the colossi, but based on what we've seen so far, there isn't going to be lots of chatting going on. Finally, the sound effects that are sprinkled throughout are sporadically used like the voice, but they nicely suit the experience.

Anyone who appreciated ICO should be getting very excited for Shadow of the Colossus right about now.

Based on what we've seen so far, Shadow of the Colossus will be a game that offers a rich experience on the PlayStation 2, the likes of which hasn't been done since ICO. We're a little curious as to just how long it's going to be, but we're hopeful it will live up to its promise and be one of those truly special games that's long remembered. The unique premise, rich audiovisual presentation, and engaging gameplay should make it one of the most compelling PS2 titles of 2005. If you liked ICO or are looking for an experience like no other, you should certainly keep an eye out for Shadow of the Colossus when it ships this fall for the PlayStation 2. Until then, look for more on the title next month at E3 and in the months to come.

[Kodos]

Review from 1Up. (http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3144750&did=1)

This game sounds fantastic. If you haven't played ICO (the development team's previous effort), I recommend giving that one a try. One of the few games that ever drew an honest emotional reaction from me with characters that I actually came to care about. Anyhow, here's the review:

Shadow of the Colossus

Platform: PS2

by James Mielke 10/14/2005

One glance at Shadow of the Colossus and it's clear that you're looking at a game designed by the same people who brought you the rapturous, yet simplistic delights of Ico. The high, arching architecture, the sun-blotted landscapes, the languid visual aesthetic that sets it apart from any other game made in the West or East; it's all there. Go a little deeper and you'll find even more parallels, however deliberate they may or may not be, from the opening horseback stroll through the woods, to the sarcophogus that line the Temple At the End of the World, to the shadow creatures that emerge from the ground at the start of every chapter. Fans of Ico should feel right at home here, as Shadow is packed with visual odes to the past. But beneath the textures and polygons lies the heart of a very different beast.
Anyone expecting Ico part II is in for a big surprise. While Ico was a solemn, solitary sort of game, where the environment was your biggest challenge (despite the occasional shadow horde that would harass you), it came with a placid, do-it-yourself pace that kept the pressure self-imposed. Shadow, on the other hand, is a conceptual 180-degree turn that still stays true to the development team's minimal design stance, but introduces two significant elements that sharply distinguish it from Ico: In your face conflict, and pointedly-evolved game mechanics. While Ico threw the occasional pack of horned shadow teams after you every so often, it was never a war of attrition, as there was never any real benefit to killing enemies beyond mere survival. In Shadow, it's all about conquering your foes. That's not to say the main hero is a killing machine, as you're never tasked to banish hundreds of foes before the eventual boss battle. Your only enemies in Shadow are the bosses -- sixteen of them to be precise.

That's the beauty of director Fumito Ueda's games, in that both Shadow and Ico get straight to the point. Besides the omnipresent voices of the Dormin, the godlike presence that sends you sallying forth to slay the giant colossi, Shadow features zero non-playable characters, save for the dormant Wanda who lies on the altar table. Your only other ally in the game is your horse, Agro, a swarthy black stallion who helps you in your battles against the colossi. With no clichéd townsfolk to distract you with static details, with no real inventory to speak of, and to be frank, with very little to distract you from your job at hand, Shadow is one of the purest gaming experiences you could ever imagine. The unique, organic manner in which you must locate and conquer each colossus reinforces this. While Shadow's progressive path through the colossi (kill one, get a cutscene and a save point) feels more structured than Ico's also-linear, but less directed quest, it still feels like an adventure. It's because the colossi are so spread out, requiring you to find each one with the help of Agro's breathtaking speed. The amount of control you have over Agro (or with, rather) provides a good portion of the excitement. Whether you're simply digging your heels into his side for an extra burst of speed, clamping down on his mane to pick up the pace, standing on his back while firing arrows at an overhead colossi, or tugging back on the reins to get him to stop, e-brake style, there's arguably more "gameplay" in Agro than in the eponymous Ico's entire arsenal. In case you think that sounds complex, it's actually very intuitive, no more difficult than taking Epona for a spin in Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. But once you've achieved what you set out to do, which is find the colossi, Shadow unveils an entirely separate control scheme for you.

In a subtle parallel, both Ico and Shadow make you solve puzzles; that's the gist of both games. But the way in which each game presents the environmentally-based challenges is worlds apart. In Ico, the challenges were there, dormant until deciphered. In Shadow you have no such luxury, as the challenge is living, breathing, and downright monstrous. Once again revealing the developer's penchant for towering heights of unbelievable scale, Shadow of the Colossus not only makes you scramble vertically upside the biggest creatures ever seen in a video game, it also sends you plummeting fathoms deep under the water, and clinging for dear life, soaring through the sky like a stunt-double in The NeverEnding Story. While the process of raising your sword like a divining rod to the sky to first locate the next colossus, and riding around the stark, gorgeous environments may seem like a mere appetizer to the main event, it's actually enjoyable enough in its own right to make you look forward to finding the next boss. As the environments change from desert to forest to lagoon, one's anticipation heightens at what sort of strategy you'll need to emerge victorious in the next confrontation. It's a surprisingly effective prelude to each of the game's 16 stages.

Once you've arrived at your destination, each successive colossus is where the real additions to Shadow's game mechanics become apparent. The addition of a lock-on camera on L1 (in addition to a center-camera button on L2) helps keep the main character locked-on to the boss, which while viewed typically from a challenging worms-eye perspective, provides a thrilling sense of scale to each battle. Like Ico, Shadow places a great priority on jumping and grabbing puzzles, which are made exponentially more challenging due to the fact that Shadow's "levels" thrash, buck, and flail in ways Ico's stony environs never did. Shadow also introduces something Ico lacked (albeit deliberately), and that's a heads-up display. It's expectedly minimal, though, keeping the player aware of three key things: your health, your stamina, and what item you've equipped (a sword, a bow, or your bare hands). These are especially important, because the stamina gauge will tell you how long you can hold on to the thrashing colossus until you lose your grip (sort of important when you're clinging for dear life 200 feet in the air), what weapon you've equipped determines your strategy against the monster, and naturally, how long you've got until you die. Shadow is forgiving, however, as all things can be replenished. If you're halfway up a boss, and your HP is low, or your stamina is tapped, if you can find a platform (usually jutting out of the creature's body) you can crouch to regain both resources. Pressing triangle causes your hero to jump, but unlike Ico, grabbing hold of whatever ledge or moss or fur you're trying to latch onto requires you to press a different button, in this case R1. If you're used to Ico, it takes a little adjusting to, especially in nerve-wracking situations, of which there are many, that usually take place at vertigo-inducing heights. Lastly, besides pressing X to call Agro (a whistle or a shout emits, depending on your proximity to horse), your weapons of sword or bow and arrow -- and you have infinite arrows -- are all managed by simply pressing square.

Once you've gotten to grips with the expanded repertoire of moves, it's time to figure out how to climb onto, and kill each colossus. To describe any of the challenges would be to give them away, but suffice to say each of the game's 16 bosses requires a distinctly different strategy to overcome. That's the entirety of the game, right there, and it's one of the most exciting things you'll ever have the privilege of enjoying. The challenge of rooting out each bosses weak point (sometimes more more obscured than others) is the thrill, and wondering how to get to them, or how to even get close to the colossi, combined with running around on the ground trying to avoid being smashed to bits, or riding on horseback chasing after speedy bosses is concentrated excitement that makes the thought of returning to a world of coin-collecting and box-pushing even more miserable. Sure, once you've figured out what makes each boss tick, successive replays become even more efficient, but at least Shadow, unlike Ico, offers a host of unlockable Easter eggs that will have gamers playing through the game over and over.

Like Ico, Shadow is clearly painted from the same visual palette, but the details are more forthcoming. Ico was originally developed for the PS1 before moving to the PS2, and compared to the richness of Shadow's visuals, it shows. While the framerate could be a little smoother, it's stable, and never gets in the way of the action, and that's impressive considering the size of what's coming after you. Although much of the graphic content feels like a PS2 game, closer inspection reveals stunning architectural artistry (even in things as minor as a platform jutting out of a colossus' body), particle effects (watch as one boss' shoulders crumble with every violent swing), animations, and even fur. And not enough can be said for the actual boss design. While the main character is clearly built from the same indigenous pelts and tunics as Ico, he's better animated and a more versatile character in whole, and his horse Agro contains his own unique, muscular aura. The orchestration is restrained, but when it does emerge, usually to accent a moment, it is breathless in its classicism. Soundtracks like this rarely ever grace a game.

But what makes Shadow truly special is not so easily defined by the success or failure of its gameplay, or the sum total of its aesthetics; it's in what it provides emotionally. While the first few colossi fall easily, at least in terms of conscience, it's not long before you find yourself feeling slightly off-balance in regards to why you're actually doing this. Sure, the pragmatic response is "Because I bought the game," but as each successive monster falls, a certain gravity takes hold of you as you make your way through the game. This is not a game in which ones machismo is easily riled. Yes, they're giant creatures, but unlike David and Goliath, these towering behemoths didn't do anything to warrant extermination, which is precisely what you're doing. You're even warned by the Dormin at Shadow's outset that your actions may come at heavy price. As you cross the finish line and learn for yourself the true and genuinely shocking nature of what you have done (vaguely told in the most ambiguous, but blood-pumping terms), you're left with a similar, bittersweet ache as the one which touched you at the end of Ico, only this time it's a little less kind. And to be perfectly frank, Shadow of the Colossus is a braver experience for it.

Not one to rest on their laurels, or content with what they achieved with Ico, Fumito Ueda's development team have come roaring back with the game that may yet define them. While it's not an easy task to follow up the all-around brilliance of Ico, follow they have, and then some. Rich with a more urgent experience and just the right balance of control and balance, Shadow of the Colossus is the true definition of an adventure game. This game will remind you of why you play video games in the first place. No game makes you soar as high, sink as low, or feel as small as Shadow does, and that equals sheer adrenaline. Not the kind generated by zombies lurking around corners, or being run down by gangstas in a drive-by, but the sort of well-rounded emotional package that could exist only in a world like this. This is virtual reality, this is the great escape, this is a game that takes you somewhere you've never been before, Ico or no Ico. It's a game that dares you to exhilarate while hammering you with consequence. In short, Shadow of the Colossus breaks storytelling barriers none of us knew existed. It's the rare game for which the often overused words "ground-breaking" were truly reserved for, and it's enough to make you regret every stupid coin you ever collected. There's more to gaming than rote clichés and borrowed ideas, and Shadow of the Colossus is kind enough to remind us of what could be. You really couldn't ask for better than that. Besides merely being one of gaming's great moments, this is the experience of the year.

[Kodos]

Wow. I'm surprised nobody seems to be interested in this game. It sounds utterly unique and thought provoking in that the "hero" is on a morally ambiguous mission. Anyhow, here's GameSpot's review (http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/wandaandthecolossus/review.html).

Overall 8.7 great
Gameplay 8
Graphics 9
Sound 9
Value 7
Tilt 10
Difficulty: Medium
Learning Curve: About 1 hour

The Good: Unparalleled, larger-than-life action; Stunning aesthetic presentation across characters and landscape; Engrossing, otherworldly sense of place; Did we mention how ridiculously big those colossi are?;

The Bad: Some technical issues mar the superb visuals; A little on the short side; Controls can be a touch unwieldy;

With a little patience and a taste for high-concept adventure, you'll find an experience in Shadow of the Colossus that's unlike any other.
Towering mythical giants walk the earth, and it's your job to kill them in Shadow of the Colossus, the long-awaited PlayStation 2 adventure from the team that created 2001's sublimely rendered ICO. Shadow shares a prevailing aesthetic and subtle attention to detail with ICO, but where the latter focused on the intimately protective relationship between an outcast boy and his fragile feminine charge, this new game pits you in epic combat against some of the largest foes ever to grace a television screen. The game's fighting and pacing are in stark contrast to those of typical action games, but with a little patience and a taste for high-concept adventure, you'll find an experience here that's unlike any other.

You'll do battle against some of the largest foes in video game history in your quest to save your fallen love. There's only a bare pretense of story at the outset. From the introduction, you know that you'll play the role of a young warrior who has brought his fallen love to a faraway temple in the hopes of restoring her to health. According to a mysterious presence that dwells within the sanctuary walls, the only way to save this girl is to hunt down and destroy the 16 colossal beasts that roam the varied lands surrounding the temple. This is all you know as you set out on your quest, and it's all you need to know. Is the girl your wife, or perhaps your sister? Is she dead or merely injured? What is it about the colossi, exactly, that will confer upon you the power to bring her back?

The answers don't really matter. Your focus and sole occupation is the defeat of the colossi themselves, and these striking, larger-than-life beings are the real stars of this show. Shadow's gameplay consists of two parts. You leave the temple in search of the next colossus (under instruction from that disembodied voice), and when you find the beast, you engage it and kill it. Once you've slain and absorbed the essence of that colossus, you return to the temple in a dreamlike haze so you can repeat the process all over again. There's no quantifiable leveling up, and no menial combat to get in the way of each encounter. You'll fight each colossus in quick succession, and you'll finish the game in essentially the same state as you began it.

If all this sounds like a series of massive boss fights that make up an entire game, it's more or less what it is. The designers could have doubled or even tripled the length of the adventure by placing hundreds of lesser foes between you and your ultimate objectives. But that would have only diluted the experience of fighting these beasts that tower hundreds of feet above you and shake the very earth with their footsteps. In other words, don't mistake Shadow of the Colossus' purity of focus for a thin or potentially unsatisfying adventure. Indeed, it's one of the game's most commendable traits.

In the spirit of that singular design, your tools of battle are basic and unchanging. You embark on your trusty steed armed only with a simple sword and a bow and arrow, which you'll keep with you till you've seen your quest through to the end. The sword acts as a compass of sorts. When you hold it aloft in the sunlight, the sword produces a beam of light that becomes more focused as you point it closer to the location of the next battle. Once you've pinpointed your destination, it's a relatively simple matter to navigate the environment until you reach the area in which the colossus makes its home. On occasion, you'll have to circumvent such obstacles as canyons or mountains to get where you're going, and you'll sometimes be faced with light, Prince of Persia-style platforming elements that require you to climb moss-covered walls or hoist yourself over a few ledges. Just as often, though, reaching a colossus is as simple as pointing your horse in the right direction and just running there.

The real challenge of the game is figuring out how to defeat the colossi, each of which is unique in its own way. Your sword and bow are indispensable tools in the appropriate situations, but your most important weapon against the great beasts is your wits, which you'll need to use in full to puzzle out the right way to defeat each colossus without being ground under one massive heel after another. In fact, Shadow of the Colossus feels almost as much like a puzzle game as it does an action game, or an adventure, since you'll frequently have to make creative use of both the environment and your weapons just to reach a monster's weak points, much less strike at these points effectively to bring it down.

The battles with each great beast are exceptionally hectic and thrilling. Climbing up the back of a thrashing enemy the size of a skyscraper is quite the experience. Simply put, the battles with the colossi are among the most frantic and exciting action sequences in gaming. Your smaller foes are only comparable to, say, a house, but the largest ones are the size of skyscrapers, reaching heights hundreds of feet high and sundering the ground with every footstep. Some of them take flight, soaring high into the air, while others dive deep below the surface of a lake. Some are fast, and some are slow. Each of your foes exhibits unique and thoughtful design on the part of the game's creators. No two battles proceed in nearly the same manner.

The only commonality between all of the colossi is their weak points, which are always located up high and require you to literally climb right up the great beasts themselves. Understandably, none of the colossi are happy when you plunge your sword into their most tender regions. They'll thrash and buck around wildly in an attempt to remove you, and you'll spend more time clinging desperately to a given monster than you will actually attacking it. There's a grip mechanic at work here, whereby holding R1 will cause you to grab onto any surface that provides purchase, whether it's coarse fur or hard armor plating. Oddly, if you're thrown to the ground even from a hundred feet up, you'll usually only take a small amount of damage and then be required to climb all the way back up again.

The constant threat of being thrown off creates a palpable sense of tension that endures until the moment you send the colossus plummeting to the ground. The game's controls aren't as responsive and precise as in, say, a game like God of War, and it does take time to get used to the climbing and jumping mechanics (not to mention the horseback riding). But no matter what you're doing, whether it's clutching the back of a soaring winged beast, running from the danger of a giant's crushing hammer, or firing arrows from the back of your speeding mount, the battles in the game are uniformly exhilarating and must be seen (and played) to be fully appreciated.

The game's aesthetic presentation is unparalleled, by any standard.
These epic battles even engender a sense of moral ambiguity. With a few exceptions, the colossi aren't aggressive. The ones who attack you on sight are in the minority; most of them regard you with curiosity or even indifference when you arrive on the scene. What's more, the game makes you feel sympathy for the great beasts as they crash to the ground, victims of your burning drive to complete an arguably selfish quest. Though the storyline isn't heavily developed until the end of the game, you'll eventually come to wonder exactly who the bad guy is in this adventure.

Veterans of ICO will remember that while the game was not the most technically accomplished on the PS2, it was an artistic tour de force. That dichotomy holds true for Shadow of the Colossus as well, not least of all because the visual similarities to ICO are so prevalent. The resemblances in the architecture, character artwork, soft focus, and unsaturated color palette are both unmistakable and eminently pleasing. You'll experience some breathtaking moments as you explore the lonely, immaculately detailed world, which stretches across plains, deserts, forests, lakes, underground caverns, and more. The game streams all these environments from the game disc, so you won't even encounter any loading as you move from one lavishly designed area to the next.

The character animation is also top-notch. Your own hapless warrior is a little clumsy and a little unsure of himself--he'll stumble a bit after a long leap, and clamber awkwardly up the side of a foe, flailing his legs all the way. When you mount your horse, it moves around like, well, a real horse. Then there's the colossi themselves, the designs of which stem from a common template but branch into diverse territory. Some foes are humanoid in nature, while others draw on specific animal influences, but they are all unmistakably of the same origin. They also move with a plodding expressiveness that's utterly appropriate to their great and terrible forms.

The game makes such an exceptional visual effort, in fact, that it's a disappointment that the technical execution is less than perfect. This is primarily due to an uneven frame rate, which is reasonably smooth while you're exploring the land but can dip dangerously low when a battle heats up--the worst time for it to happen. The camera can also be a bit erratic while you're climbing around the back of a colossus, though you can hold down L1 to center the camera on the monster, which helps to mitigate this problem. The low frame rate is actually countered somewhat by a motion blur effect, which makes everything appear a little smoother and adds a superb cinematic quality to boot. The game also supports 480p and widescreen modes on HDTVs, which enhances the visual presentation all the more. In any event, this is still one of the best-looking games on the PlayStation 2, and these minor visual flaws absolutely shouldn't keep you from playing it.

This is as much a puzzle game as an action game, since the process of defeating each colossus is highly cerebral. Though Shadow is similar to ICO in visual terms, it features a more cohesive orchestral score than its predecessor. You'll explore the world itself with only the subtle sounds of wind and water as a soundtrack. But once you've encountered a colossus, you'll hear music that effectively conveys the mood of the situation, whether your foe is more interested in destroying you or is simply existing in peace. Without exception, the moment you climb upon or anger any of the beasts, you'll hear a great swell in the score that perfectly enhances the tension and excitement of the battle. It's also worth noting that Shadow makes use of a fictional language in its few instances of dialogue, which seems appropriate to the otherworldly atmosphere that's so prevalent throughout all aspects of the game.

It's inherent and unavoidable, given the design of Shadow of the Colossus, that the game is fairly brief and lacking in substantive replay value. You can finish the main story in roughly 10 to 12 hours, and once you know how to defeat each colossus, much of the challenge is removed. But none of the wonder is. The game makes a great showpiece--you'll be able to go back and fight individual colossi time and again and experience that same thrill as you battle with these beings, some of which are hundreds of times your own size. Shadow of the Colossus deserves a look by anyone with an interest in cerebral, slightly offbeat action adventures. There's never really been anything like it, on the PlayStation 2 or on any other platform.

By Brad Shoemaker

[Pumpy Tudors]

If I didn't hate the PS2 controller, I'd probably be interested in this game. I like reading about it, but I would despise playing it. If they did an XBox version, I'd be all over it. Sorry.

[SackAttack]

Haven't gotten my review copy yet, so I'm in a holding pattern, Kodos.

[Kodos]

I think this will be the rare game that I pick up for full price. After ICO, it just sounds like a great game.

[Ramzavail]

I'm getting it for sure.

[QuikSand]

Wow. I'm surprised nobody seems to be interested in this game.

Maybe the console fans lack the attention span to read that many words.

[Kodos]

I think console fans aren't given much credit on this board. Maybe you fellas with no coordination are just jealous. ;)

[QuikSand]

Maybe.

[Kodos]

It's awfully easy to just dismiss console game players as thumb-jockeys. It's fine not to like console games, but to dismiss the people who play them as dimwits who are dazzled by pretty graphics seems a bit short-sighted. Just as on the computer, there are good games and there are bad games on the consoles. I think this game illustrates that the consoles do on occasion have something worthwhile to offer.

[Blade6119]

One thing that deters me is i read in EGM that it takes a lot of work between boss fights to stay interested...it said you often run on your horse looking for a colossus for like 10 minutes straight...id be afraid of boredom...not the case?

I never played ico either, worth picking up?

[QuikSand]

It's awfully easy to just dismiss console game players as thumb-jockeys. It's fine not to like console games, but to dismiss the people who play them as dimwits who are dazzled by pretty graphics seems a bit short-sighted. Just as on the computer, there are good games and there are bad games on the consoles. I think this game illustrates that the consoles do on occasion have something worthwhile to offer.

Sorry, it was just meant as a playful jab... that only came to me after I, myself, lacked the attention span to read the lengthy posted articles. Didn't mean to be questioning your integrity or mahood or anything of that sort.

[Kodos]

One thing that deters me is i read in EGM that it takes a lot of work between boss fights to stay interested...it said you often run on your horse looking for a colossus for like 10 minutes straight...id be afraid of boredom...not the case?

I never played ico either, worth picking up?

ICO is not a fast-paced game, nor is their a ton of fighting/other action. It's appeal is that it creates a great atmosphere and gets you to really come to care about the main characters (the boy who you control and the girl he is trying to help protect / escape the castle). And they do this without even speaking English. It's just a superior artistic accomplishment for a video game, and an experience that you should give a try. The castle is sprawling and a joy to explore / behold.

[Kodos]

Sorry, it was just meant as a playful jab... that only came to me after I, myself, lacked the attention span to read the lengthy posted articles. Didn't mean to be questioning your integrity or mahood or anything of that sort.

I know. I just get a little tired of people on this board always talking down to console players. I think both consoles and computers have their merit, and it seems like people are quick to dismiss/put down anything console related.

[Blade6119]

Im a big console fan, and i think both PC and consoles are better in certain areas...this board is about a PC game though, so understand the audience kodos

[Kodos]

Here's IGN's review of ICO (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/164/164833p1.html).

ICO

Dream a little dream...the most original adventure in years, a game you almost certainly must play.

by David Smith

September 25, 2001 - Ico is a bit of a difficult study. Well, honestly, why beat around the bush? This is the damnedest game to come down the pike in a long while, and not just in the Buchigire Kongou/Drum Mania "ain't that goofy?" sense. In gameplay terms, it is an extremely simple piece of work. On the most basic level, the challenge is just to move from point A to point B, overcoming the inanimate obstacles in between. As an experience, though, it's almost impossible to describe.

Ico is short, Ico is quiet, and Ico is in fact nearly incomprehensible. It has an action quotient very close to zero. It has a story, but you see and hear only tiny hints and snatches, spending most of the game on one side of an impenetrable language barrier. So what is there to actually recommend this game, given that I do recommend it almost without reservation? The experience.

The feeling of simply being in the world that Ico creates is one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen in a videogame. The visuals, sound, and original puzzle design come together to make something that is almost, if not quite, completely unlike anything else on the market, and feels wonderful because of it. The sensation is like a very strange dream -- a little frightening, a little beautiful, intriguing throughout -- and its only main problem is the same one all dreams suffer from. It's over a good deal sooner than you might like.

Gameplay

Ico contains a smattering of 3D combat, but it seems to be there mainly to show off the remarkable look of the shadow-beasts that pursue you. Hand-to-hand encounters are few in number and dead easy anyway. At heart, Ico is a puzzle adventure game, a modern descendant of the Sierra, Infocom, and Lucasarts adventures that filled the PC market back in the day. It's a collection of brain-teasers, organized in roughly linear fashion, challenging you to find your way out of a haunted castle.

To recycle the structure of the introduction, that's the game in a nutshell, but at the same time that isn't the half of it. Ico is possibly the most marvelous creation of mood and atmosphere I've ever found in a game. The only close comparison in terms of quality would be Silent Hill, whose foreboding nightmare spaces prove equally enveloping, but Ico encloses the player in an entirely different feeling. Perhaps this is what Myst would have been like, had its creators possessed the technical competence to make something more advanced than a Hypercard stack. It's a similar sort of misty, twilit fantasy realm, almost barren of interaction with anything living, and with no obvious time or genre or other pigeon-hole to shove it in. Well, there's one living thing to deal with, at least. The quest, quaintly enough, is to save a princess, a beautiful young girl found trapped in a cage. Shadowy demons and a foreboding, regal woman pursue her, and so it's the hero's job to lead her to safety.

Now, saving princesses may be old hat in games, but she's the linchpin of Ico's puzzle design, and the key to its originality. Most would agree, after all, that puzzle design has rather landed in a rut in the adventure genre. Snorefests like Code Veronica and Fear Effect 2 have crashed and burned on account of their adherence to dry, repetitive fetch-and-carry action. Ico, in brilliant contrast, is a one-game renaissance in the field, combining challenges that emerge out of the features of the environment, rather than randomly placed objects, with the unusual kinks that leading the princess about throws in.

Jorda (her name) doesn't move on her own, and she's possessed of limited mobility in comparison to the nimble hero. To maneuver her around, you have to lead her by the hand, or call her from a short distance across a path she can easily negotiate. Opening the way through successive challenges isn't just a matter of getting the hero from A to B -- you also have to find a route for Jorda, which may be entirely different. Thus, different layers of challenge appear in many areas, with basic platforming to get the hero around and more complex environmental manipulation to maneuver Jorda.

The result is one of the most fulfilling puzzle challenges ever made -- this proves the art didn't die with Infocom. Ico draws influences from more modern games as well, though. For example, the brief puzzle cutscene effect from Ocarina of Time appears, showing the way to a key puzzle feature after you've activated it. The emphasis on using the features of the environment gives a little of the feel of something like Myst, meanwhile, but without feeling anywhere near as contrived.

The chief caveat, unfortunately, is that Ico suffers in the replay department. The promised feature of added story elements the second time through was scrapped late in development, and so upon repeat play the game turns out to be both drastically shortened and questionably fulfilling. Its length on a first playthrough can vary wildly depending on your puzzle-solving skill (8-10 hours is a median ballpark, certainly not the full range), but once you know what to do, there remains nothing but to do it, and you can blaze through in three hours or so.

This brings up an important point: if you finish Ico with a walkthrough, you're simply cheating yourself, both of the money you spent on the game and the experience it could be granting you. Getting help on one or two puzzles after an hour or so of goofing around, that can perhaps be forgiven, but you really ought to try and complete this game on your own brainpower. It's a far more fulfilling experience that way -- after all, much of the time you spend drinking in the atmosphere is also the time you spend wondering what on earth you're supposed to do next.

Graphics

For a game where every unnatural movement is a remarkable event, I could stare at Ico for hours. Like Metal Gear Solid 2, it is a prime example of the graphical strategy that produces impressive results in this generation. Polygons are the foundation of a good-looking game, but they aren't the entire package by any means. The layers of effects on top of that foundation are what make first-class visuals on PlayStation 2. In Ico, to begin with, you have the castle and the two characters that inhabit it. None of these are particularly complex creations -- the castle is impressive thanks to its design, not the fine detail of its modeling. What brings it to life is the careful lighting, the judicious use of mist and fog, and the camera strategies that present it all.

The camera is semi-automatic, presenting default angles that you can vary slightly with the right analog stick. Thus, while you do have some autonomy, the game still controls how the world is presented. In the hands of weaker artists, this might be a problem, but Ico's designers use the camera to present incredible vistas without limiting your view of the puzzles at hand. The castle's design is so cohesive, too, that you can look down from the heights of one area and see places you've already been, as well as the path you took to get from one place to the other. It's one of many elements that work together to enclose you in Ico's world.

Light is another -- rarely do you feel the presence of light in so realistic a fashion as in Ico. It pours out of the sky, filters down through clouds, and drifts through dusty windows. Transparent textures, fog, and other effects tweak the way light meets your eyes, making for detailed, shaded scenes, each with their own particular feel. Different sources produce different sorts of light, too, from the continuous glare of the sun to the flickering glow of torches.

That flicker is a simply lovely effect, just like anything else that animates in this game. As I said, not a great deal moves about in Ico, but what does is almost perfectly true to life. That goes especially for the two lead characters, who have obviously received modeling attention in proportion to the size of their role in the game (after all, they're on-screen the entire time). Watching the hero scramble up ledges, leap across chasms, clamber up ropes, or simply run around a wide open space is a reminder of how artificial the movements in many 3D gamers are. The animation in Ico gives a near-perfect impression of the weight in the characters' limbs, the push and pull of gravity and the surfaces they move on. More infrequent, but equally well-executed, is the movement of water, fire, and other natural features -- the water surface animation could be the best I've ever seen -- and the shadows, of course, are amazing creations. They're presumably solid polygon models, but they ebb and flow as if they're made of nothing but smoke. However that's done, it's done very well.

Sound

After what you do and what you see, what you hear is the third leg in the tripod of a good game, and Ico again refuses to disappoint. For the most part, ambient environmental sounds are the only accompaniment, but that's the right decision -- too heavy a musical score would have overwhelmed the ethereal quality of the visuals. When proper music appears, on very rare occasions, it's light guitar-driven folk, which works well to complement the quiet, lonely atmosphere.

The sound effects are tuned to enhance the expansive spaces of the game world. Everything echoes, for example. Crackling fires mix with each other as they bounce around dungeons, rushing water fills underground caverns, and Ico's little shout as he calls Jorda is magnified by towering ceilings and stone walls. It's a small thing, perhaps, but it's another addition to the litany of tiny details that add up to Ico's amazing effect.


Closing Comments

As I say, the only unfortunate thing about Ico is that it's over just a bit quickly. This is a world that one could almost drown in, so rich is its detail. The goal of the game is never clear, even when it's completed -- if there's a story here, Ico's creators have neglected to bother telling it to us -- but the game world presents itself as a reward for solving puzzles. You struggle through one area because you know the next one is going to be worth seeing.

So here's a question -- are there players who won't appreciate this game? Sadly, perhaps so. If you crave violent action and nothing but, Ico has hardly any to offer you. What it does offer, I think you sorely need, but opinions may inevitably differ on that point.

That said, anybody should at least give this game a try, and fans of a quality adventure should trample the homeless and small children on their way to picking up a copy. Even if it may not seem like your cup of sturm-und-drang tea, you owe it to yourself and the games industry at large to chip in a bit of horizon-expansion all round. Ico is something new, different, and brilliantly executed -- the more we see this kind of innovation, the better off we'll all be in the long run.

IGN's Ratings for ICO (PS2)
Rating Description
out of 10 click here for ratings guide
9.4 Presentation
Impeccable. The sound, visuals, and strange half-story create a marvelously cohesive world.
9.3 Graphics
Superior environmental design, brilliant use of effects, and character animation that deserves imitation.
9.0 Sound
The ambient soundtrack is limited, but entirely appropriate, and the effects all show thoughtful design
9.5 Gameplay
The blend of platforming, cooperative navigation, and environmental manipulation makes for a landmark in puzzle design.
8.9 Lasting Appeal
Sigh...it's over a bit quickly, and a second time is much shorter than the first. But you'll definitely want to see some of these sights twice.
9.4 OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)
9.1 Reader Average

[Kodos]

Wow. I'm really whoring this game, and it's not even from EA Sports.... ;)

IGN gives Shadow a 9.7. (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/658/658991p1.html)

Shadow of the Colossus

The adventure of a lifetime.

by Chris Roper

October 17, 2005 - Shadow of the Colossus is a rather difficult game to review for a couple very important reasons. First, it's hard to talk about the game without spoiling anything, something I'm going to attempt to avoid doing as much as possible. Secondly, trying to describe exactly what makes Shadow of the Colossus so fantastic is akin to trying to describe why the bodies of work of Picasso, Bach or Beethoven are unquestioned classics; you can do your best, but any of these examples must be experienced in full to truly be understood, and especially appreciated.

What isn't difficult, however, is stating that not only is Shadow of the Colossus an absolute must-play experience, but one of the most important games you'll come across anytime soon. Shadow is a true work of art, the likes of which we've only seen approached by a very, very small number of games. The closest thing that comes to mind is ICO, the studio's spiritual precursor to Shadow.

One thing that Shadow of the Colossus shares with ICO is its sense of solitude, one that overwhelms you with simultaneous feelings of calmness and despair. Whereas most games rely on scattering their environments with living and breathing creatures, intricate structures, various types of foliage and the like to bring their worlds to life, the near-complete lack of any of these in the world of Shadow of the Colossus forces you to essentially paint your own picture of how the world came to be as it is, why it is essentially a wasteland, or even a prison if you will, for the colossi that inhabit said land.

In this, Shadow excels more so than possibly any title in the history of gaming. No game has done so much with so little, and no game has focused so much of its design and gambled so much of its experience on what essentially comes down to sixteen boss battles, the traveling to them between each fight and very little else.

But even with as simple a setup as this sounds, Shadow of the Colossus is an experience that is not to be missed. Shadow practically redefines the term "cinematic" in videogames, especially the sort where the player is in control during the entirety of the game.

At Whatever the Cost

You begin the game with very little setup. You're seen traveling across the game's exterior world before arriving upon an enclosed wasteland, setting forth within its central castle - one of the game's few man-made interior environments - and placing a clearly deceased girl upon a pedestal. You're then given a voiceover that explains that the land you're in is a cursed one, forbidden for any living creature to enter. But, great power also lies within this land, including the power to restore life to the dead.

You're then given the ominous task to defeat each of the sixteen colossi that roam the land, after which your female companion may or may not actually be brought back to life - don't worry, this isn't a spoiler; you're told this at the outset. You're told that it "may not be impossible" for her to come back, and you're sent on your way. The setup is pretty cool in that you're told that things may not end up exactly as planned and that your loved one may or may not come back to life, giving you doubt as to whether the massive task you're about to set out on is worth it or not. Doubt apparently matters not though, as you're determined to do whatever it takes to bring her back, which helps install an even greater sense of purpose for your actions as the player. You want to bring her back to life not only to complete the game, but to figure out who she is, why she had her life taken from her, and why she's so very important to you.

From the start of the game, you're armed with your sword, a bow, your horse and the clothes on your back. As your sword is said to be the only thing in the world that is capable of taking down the colossi you're after, it's pretty evident from the get-go that your small inventory is all you'll ever need and likely ever have access to throughout the game. The game instills a great "do with what you've got" attitude, and as such rewards you with a greater sense of accomplishment as you never really receive any extraneous help from the game via new items or the like. It's simply you, the colossi and the world around you.

Colossal Battles

As mentioned at the beginning of the review, it's hard to discuss many things that make Shadow of the Colossus great because most of said examples have to do with the various colossi themselves. You've likely seen - and via the demo, possibly beaten - the first colossus in the game. While he's pretty damn cool, he serves only as a very tiny appetizer for what the rest of the game has to offer.

While you'll have your favorites (mine are numbers seven and fifteen, while our Guides guru, Mark Ryan Sallee's, is number thirteen), there's little question that the game gets better and better as a whole as it progresses. Shadow of the Colossus constantly outdoes itself the whole way through. While one fight may make you wonder how things could get any cooler, the very next one will answer that question and turn things up a couple notches. By the time you reach the end of the game, you'll begin watching other people who have just started the game and shake your head, saying, "If you think that's cool, just wait." The torture, though, is not being able to say anything more than that because anything else would ruin what is easily one of the most wondrous, rewarding and constantly wowing adventures you'll experience anywhere.

The first few colossi you'll fight are rather straightforward to beat; find some fur to dangle from, climb to their weak spot and stab away while you try and avoid being thrown from their convulsing and twitching masses. As you progress through the game though, the puzzle aspect of the game kicks into full gear and you'll first need to figure out how to even get onto each colossus, much less figure out where you need to begin impaling your sword into its vital spots.

This part of the game is half the fun. Some of the monstrous beasts you'll encounter will require that you sprint full-speed on your horse alongside it and make a daring jump just to latch on. Others will be the opposite, where you'll have to ride for your life and wait for the opportune moment in order to strike.

This brings us to a quick aside: your horse, Agro, who is also your only companion throughout the game, is nearly flawless in every aspect of his implementation. Firstly, his animation is absolutely phenomenal and easily one of the most realistically animated animals we've ever seen in a videogame. Secondly, he does a great job (for the most part) of finding his own path through an area. There are a couple small wooded areas in the game that he has problems with, running into trees and such if you're not careful to direct him around them, but he does an excellent job of navigating down winding paths on his own. Aside from having occasional problems with trees, his movement, reactions and general demeanor give him enough personality that, even though he doesn't talk, he becomes a great compatriot and even friend throughout your time through the game.

Back to the colossi, the tactics that you'll need to use to defeat each of them are unique in and of themselves, separating each battle into its own individualized and standout section of the game. The end goal is always the same in that you'll need to find and stab each colossus in its vital area(s), but the fun is in getting there and hanging on, not to mention the sheer beauty in witnessing all of this.

Just to mix things up, the game throws you a fair bit of curveballs that challenge what you think you know. Just when you think that every colossus' weak spot is on their head or at the highest point, you'll find out that this isn't the case. When you think that each and every colossus will get larger and larger and put the focus on simply climbing them, once again, you'll find out that this isn't the case. When you're used to using the environment to your advantage to defeat the colossi, things will all of a sudden become turned around and the environment will work against you and the colossus with it. And when you think you've seen everything there is to see, you'll quickly realize you haven't seen anything yet.

When you've finally beaten all of the colossi, you'll be treated to an absolutely fantastic finale. Without spoiling anything, I must say that Shadow of the Colossus has one of the best ending sequences I've ever witnessed. The events that take place, what you'll see and, as general of a descriptor as this is it's absolutely true, what you'll experience is nothing short of phenomenal.

When It's Over, It's Not Over

But even when you're kicked back to the title screen, your journey is not over. Shadow has a whole boatload of things to do, collect and so forth after you've finished it off, including a hard mode, and you'll be immediately sucked back in. As you beat each colossus your strength will increase, and your accrued strength from the first time through will stick with you at the start of the second, allowing you to reach places you couldn't the first time around.

In order to hunt down everything there is to find in the seemingly barren world, you'll actually need to finish the game more than once. And while you're working through the main story for the second or third time, by adventuring and completing other tasks you'll find a whole ton of other goodies to collect.

So, while you might think you've seen everything there is to be seen after your first time through the game, think again. If you want a hint of what's in store for you, check out our forthcoming guide.

A Visual and Aural Masterpiece

While we generally say that graphics aren't important with regards to a game's overall enjoyment, Shadow of the Colossus proves that while we might be right about the technical side of that, pixel-perfect art direction can heighten an experience in ways that next-gen systems can only dream of.

Shadow of the Colossus is a visual masterpiece in this regard. It doesn't have the best framerate we've ever seen - though it never actually hinders gameplay in any way - and the game's geometric detail isn't as high as some other lookers on the system, but its art direction is matched only by a very, very small number of games.

The colossi themselves look stunning, both in terms of size and in terms of their design, with semblances of animals, machinery and god-like icons all mixed into one. Fur covers large areas of their bodies and rivals similar animalistic attempts on the Xbox. Their animation is phenomenal as it perfectly communicates not only the size but the weight of these creatures as well.

The landscape is also breathtaking. Though much of the land you're in is made up of some sort of nearly-barren wasteland, be it rock, sand or simply dried earth, you'll also come across smaller segments of living and thriving plant life, like dense woods for example, giant waterfalls and more. It all blends together in such a natural manner that you'll never notice when you actually cross over from one terrain type to another, further implying that this land was once full of life but has now mostly become a desolate wasteland, with only pockets of life left in it.

Sound effects don't really make up much of the game's audio track, though what's there - like Agro's hoofs beating against the lay of the land or your feet scrambling over segments of rock - all sound great. The game's soundtrack is absolutely stellar, with passages that remind of us tunes that we usually only associate with epic movies or RPGs. The soundtrack perfectly matches with the tone of each battle, with the first being somewhat upbeat as you can basically have your way with the first colossus, while the last is something much more downtrodden and somber in tone, with each track in-between blending the ends together in a very natural manner.

Will Everyone Appreciate It?

Shadow of the Colossus is one of those rare games that most everyone can appreciate in some fashion, but may not quite be everyone's cup of tea in the end. It's not as action-oriented as something like God of War, though it's easily its equal in terms of presentation and art direction. And while Shadow may not have the namesake or be as directly relatable as a Grand Theft Auto title, it easily trumps them in terms of the emotional experiences you'll take from it.

Really, if you look at it from a very fact-based standpoint then the game doesn't break down into much more than climbing a giant creature and stabbing it repeatedly until it's dead. But when you stand back and take in the game as a whole, it excels in virtually every way possible.

It's not that Shadow of the Colossus isn't something that any gamer who is interested in it will enjoy, because they will, and thoroughly so, but it might not be one of those titles you can pass off to your ADD-suffering little cousin. But not every game is made for the Ritalin generation, Shadow of the Colossus being one of them. In fact, it's a game that rewards you for taking a chance and seeking out new experiences, and in these ways and what it'll give back to you for doing so, it's a phenomenal success.

Closing Comments

Shadow of the Colossus is easily one of my favorite games on the PlayStation 2 and ranks highly among my favorites on any system. It is a true masterpiece in terms of art direction and, dare I say, cinematography. From the fights with the colossi to exploring the world to basically just standing back and letting it all soak in, Shadow of the Colossus is an amazing experience and an absolute must-have title.

IGN's Ratings for Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
Rating Description
out of 10 click here for ratings guide

9.5 Presentation
From the cinematic camera work to the somber setting to the beautifully orchestrated story, this is near-perfect. Minor camera problems hold it back from perfection, but only slightly.

9.0 Graphics
Not the best framerate we've ever seen nor the crispest graphics, but the art direction and animation are absolutely phenomenal.

10 Sound
The effects are light but nearly perfect. The score is virtually unmatched.

10 Gameplay
One of the most original games we've seen in a long time is also one of the best games on the PS2. Combining elements of puzzle solving, adventure and action, this is gaming bliss.

9.0 Lasting Appeal
It's so good you'll pick up again down the road, like a great movie. Plus, there's plenty of stuff to grab and places to explore after you're done.

[Kodos]

Bought it last night and stayed up past my bedtime to sneak in my first Collosus. It's pretty cool. The first time you see a Collosus, you're struck by the thought of: "How the hell do I kill that with just a sword and a bow and arrow?" The earth shakes when they walk, and if you are close by, a stomp will send you to the ground. After getting squashed a few times, I finally figured out how to get onto the thing and made my way up his back with him trying to shake me off the whole time. It's cool, because you have a grip meter, and as it's running out, you have to try to maneuver to a place that you can stand on the Collosus to rest your hands. Anyhow, I eventually got to where I had to be and stabbed him to death. When he falls to the ground (complete with a cinematic camere angle), it does give you a feeling of accomplishment.

It's a pretty game, and the world is massive. There's a 10 minute intro at the beginning of the game that sets things up for why you are there and why you must kill the Collosi (all 16 of them). I was really looking forward to this game, and so far it has not disappointed me. I even cut short my gameplanning time for my IHOF game against Boston just so I could try the new game out. I sure hope I have time to play some more tonight. :)

[Kodos]

Got to play it again last night. I'm really enjoying this game. The basic gameplay sounds repetitious (find monster, climb to weak spot, kill with sword), but the strategy for achieving that goal changes so much with each new Collosus. It's certainly better than having to fight through a hundred generic bad guys like in a lot of games. And there's no boring fetch-quest aspect to the game either. There's also plenty of stuff to explore if you want to, or you can just move as quickly as possible to the next Collusus' area. It's just you, your trusty horse, and the Collosi. Each Collosus acts different from the ones that came before it. Some have been aggressive right from the start, while one just seemed to be curious about me. I actually felt a little bad about having to attack him. Another was indifferent to me until I started shooting arrows his way. The game does a great job of making the battles epic -- you charge into battle on your horse, hooves and grass flying, you come around a bend, and suddenly you're faced with this towering creature. As you make your way up their body, they furiously try to shake you off as you scramble to find a spot where you can rest before your hands get too tired and you lose your grip. I was up until 2 last night because I kept wanting to see what the next one would be like. It's like cookies. I'll just have one more and stop... If you're looking for a game that defies the same old conventions and instead branches into new territory, give this one a try. :)

[dawgfan]

I saw a video review of it a couple of days ago and was very intrigued. I don't own a PS2 myself, but we have a few around the office so I might be tempted to pick it up to play at work (on breaks of course... ;) )

I'm not sure if this is a "system-seller" or not, but it's one of the few PS2 exclusives that has me bummed I don't own one.

[Kodos]

Yeah, it probably won't move a lot of units like a Halo or Madden, but it seems to have quite the cult following judging by the IGN boards.

[Kodos]

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XTaM-lxS9WI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XTaM-lxS9WI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

A video of the game. The music isn't from the game, but it works okay. :)

[daedalus]

First time I saw this thread. Sounds awesome, Kodos. :)

Not my cup of tea as action is just not my thing, but it sounds like it has a story that's emotional enough to be on par with Torment (and that's high praises from me).

[daedalus]

And, no, I didn't notice the date on the earlier posts until I ran through the thread the second time. Heh. :)

[Peregrine]

Yeah Kodos is working on his part-time job as thread-necromancer.

[Kodos]

Yeah Kodos is working on his part-time job as thread-necromancer.


The game is a greatest hit now too, so you can get it for $20. :)