As a kid my dad would always take me to Blockbusters every Friday to rent a game. I’d never really go in with certain game in mind but would just look around for ten or fifteen minutes and pick the one that looked the coolest. Enter Shadow of the Colossus.
Giant monsters are cool and always will be, so when I saw this on the shelf I immediately grabbed it. I didn’t need to look at the back cover and gather more information on it since the image on the front had already sold it to me. My dad got me the game and as soon as I got home I popped the disc in my PlayStation 2 and got ready to play. Now if you’re thinking I played it 24/7 because of how much I loved it, you’re wrong. I couldn’t beat the first colossus which is embarrassing but remember I was like eight. I was so frustrated that I ended up returning the game and getting something else. It wasn’t until I was around fourteen years old I picked it up again and finished it. Recently I played the remastered version and being older I actually appreciated it a lot more.
I want to start by saying Shadow of the Colossus is a beautiful game, the graphics may not be the greatest but the landscape and designs of the Colossi are spectacular. Every time I’d see one of Colossi for the first time I would just stare at the screen and admire it . Each one has a unique look and feel different to one another, for me they weren’t mindless giants roaming the land but were living creatures. Whenever I killed one of them I felt pretty bad, the way their death is displayed made it seem really tragic as if I was the villain.
The battles with the Colossi are just overwhelming, dangling from a ninety foot titan is both terrifying and breathtaking. Only a handful of games have had me so focused and enthralled in its fights and this is one of them. What’s great is that every confrontation is like a puzzle, you can’t win unless you use your brain. Each colossus can only be beaten a certain way; One may require you to lead it into a rock so it hits it’s head and falls down so you can mount it. Another might need shooting in specific areas with your bow and arrow. This means the battles never become tedious or boring which is essential with a game that is primarily boss fights.
Other than the epic fights one of the best aspects of the game is the music, without the music I guarantee the fights wouldn’t feel as grand and immense as they do, to this day I still listen to ‘The Opened Way’. What I always found brilliant was how simple the story was; Defeat sixteen Colossi to save the girl. You’re not told who this girl is and what she means to you but you know you have to save her. There’s no need for an over complicated plot and the game embraces that, while some games focus on world building you’re forced to paint your own picture of how the world came to be.
Another thing is how the characters are developed despite a lack of dialogue, you understand Wander’s motive and are with him through the entire journey. I also found myself attached to Wander’s horse companion, Agro. He wasn’t just there to provide transport, he was a valuable ally. In a lot of the fights you’ll need him for a number of reasons and as the player you really do appreciate it. I do believe the bond between Agro and Wander is a strong one and you can clearly see that through their actions.
If I was to select my favourite colossus it would have to be either Gaius or Phalanx purely because of how gigantic they both were and the overall design of them. As for my favorite battle it’s hands down the one with Phalanx. Riding Agro as he races alongside this behemoth that is well over five hundred feet so that you can jump and climb upon it really is perfect.
There’s no doubt that Shadow of the Colossus redefined the term ‘cinematic’ in gaming, especially the sort where the player is in control during the entirety of the game. With its genius concept, beautiful visuals and amazing battles it demonstrates that something so simple, if executed properly can make for an extraordinary game. It’s one of those gems that needs experiencing in order for you to really understand and appreciate it since it really is one of a kind.
Leave a Reply