Well, I just finished Shadow of the Colossus for the PS2 today, and I must say it was one of the more unique gaming experiences I’ve had in recent years. The ending was incredibly shocking and touching, and the connection made to ICO was an eye-opener. What made this game so distinctive is just how Team ICO basically puts your character, Wander, in a large, detailed, yet ominously empty world with his horse, Agro, and that’s it. Solitude is really a big theme in this game. You’re the only living human being out there, and you’re tasked with finding and destroying sixteen Colossi to resurrect a girl. The game encourages exploration, and I had a grandiose time going through a forbidden land and admiring the enthralling architecture and landmarks. Was there any reason to scale the Temple of Worship (the main “hub” of the game)? No, but it was a challenging experience and it was rather exhilarating to be able to find hidden areas in the game, even if they truly serve no purpose. It’s exploring just for the sake of exploring. It’s truly a beautiful game. I played the game at 480p Widescreen on an HDTV and it’s quite strange; one can see that the game’s polygons are very jaggy and pop-in does happen at times, but it was easy for me to ignore such things. The game’s world design is just that mesmerizing, not to mention that the game’s engine uses some great effects, like desaturated colors, motion blur, HDR, and bloom lighting.

The sixteen Colossi that Wander needs to eliminate are the only enemies in the actual game. To some, the idea of a game only having sixteen bosses without any fighting in between sounds pretty lame, but it works well with this game (lead designer Fumito Ueda made this decision not only to differentiate the game from others, but also so that the team could give special focus to the colossi and thus make them the best they can be). There’s a thrill to searching for each colossus, and given the how epic and taxing these encounters are, the exploration aspect helps give players a chance to recuperate. Is it repetitive? Sure, but if you really get into the game you’d care not for that, rather, you become attracted to the thought of what mammoth beast the game developers have in store for you next. Shadow of the Colossus is a very different kind of action/adventure game, because there’s an enormous puzzle aspect to figuring out the weak-point of a Colossus, not to mention how to go about reaching that weak-point. There’s a very frequent use of the environment in many of the battles against the Colossi (I refrain from posting any examples, for that would spoil the surprises to be had in this game). The encounters with the Colossi themselves are what make this game. There are plenty of jaw-dropping, “OH SHIT” moments to be had throughout. Each battle gets ridiculously exciting; it’s like an interactive movie. I watched in awe as I had Wander grip onto a flying Colossus for dear life and it soared through the sky, trying to shake me off. Seeing Wander’s body squirm as a Colossus tries to wildly shake him off is a sight to behold. An integral part to these encounters is the music. I highly recommend this game’s soundtrack, Kō Ōtani’s compositions are incredible and always succeeds in sending shivers down your spine as the epic orchestral score blares on and changes dynamically depending on what’s going on during battle.
Well then, all I have to end with is this: Every PS2/PS3 owner should have a copy of this game. If you want to justify games as an art form, then Shadow of the Colossus serves as an excellent example. I can’t wait for the next Team ICO game!

- Nuka Cola’s favorite Colossus Fights:
# 3: Gaius, # 5: Avion, # 7: Hydrus, # 11: Celosia,# 12: Pelagia, # 13: Phalanx, # 16: Malus
- Info on the soundtrack can be found here.