Shadow of the Colossus for PlayStation 2 Reviews by Gamers

Shadow of the Colossus is the closest that a game has ever come to approaching art. In every way, this game is a beacon to how video games are the new dominant form of artistic creation.

The game's premise is pretty simple: there are 16 Colossi between the Wanderer and the revival of his girlfriend. Each fight is essentially a puzzle to solve, as each Colossus requires a different strategy to defeat. Some of the fights will take 15 to 20 minutes to finish, particularly the later ones in the game. The Colossi are the only "enemies" in the game, there are no other creatures to fight.

Graphically, the game is gorgeous. Considering that it is close to 4 years old now, the game holds up surprisingly well. Played on the PS3, frame rate drops did occur, but it was never detrimental to the gameplay. Everything from the lighting effects, animation and the Colossi are painstakingly detailed, and proves that a game doesn't need raw horsepower to look good, artistic direction will go a long way.

The gameplay is very unique, requiring a lot of climbing to scale the massive Colossi. The Wanderer's grip is very important, and as such, will always have to be managed. If the grip meter runs out, the Wanderer will fall and will have to begin the long climb again. Riding on the horse also takes some getting used to, as well as the fact that the sword is relegated almost entirely to stabbing the Colossi instead of swinging it like a typical sword would be used. The slower pace of play may turn off some players who want quick thrills, but the pace fits perfectly with the story and the overall feeling of the game.

The story is the main draw of Shadow of the Colossus, and it is one that will keep driving the player to the end of the game, constantly wondering what will happen next to the Wanderer. The ending is fantastic as well, a perfect bookend to a superb game.

Highly recommended.

before I wrote the review I took a look at some of the previous reviews, both negative and positive. I agreed with most of the people that gave the game an 8, 9, or 10. the majority of people that gave the game a 1, 3, or 4 had bad grammar, spelling, etc. that's fine, I don't consider myself the master of the english language, but there's a freakin' spell check right there in the corner!!!

what I'm getting at is that the people that hate this game don't like it, because they cant figure out the (not-so-hard) puzzles, or even how to search for a FAQ on the internet!!

that being said, I'm gonna get on to the review.

STORY: this prequel to ICO clarifies a lot of questions arisen from ICO. It conveys a great story, while still using barely any words. by the end, you really feel for the nameless wanderer. SCORE: 9

GRAPHICS: similar to ICO, SotC makes up for it's slightly-above-average graphics with beautiful scenery. it's only a minor graphical upgrade from ICO. this game proves that a game can look good without the newest, most-advanced graphics. SCORE: 10

SOUND: the sound effects and music is much better than in ICO. What once was nothing but footsteps in ICO is now a beautiful orchestral score in SotC. SCORE: 8

GAMEPLAY: gameplay really is the most important aspect of a game, and in shadow of the colossus, the gameplay excels. Much improved from ICO, SotC puts you against 16 colossal creatures. from a giant electric eel, to a living castle-like creature the size of the empire state building, Shadow of the colossus has it all. the battles between you and the giant beasts will keep you asking for more. the only problems I had with the games were
1) before you get the hang of using the sword to find the colossus, prepare to wander around for a while.
2)after you beat the game once or twice, it can get a bit boring.
SCORE: 9

GENERAL: SotC is still a great game, and I highly recommend it to any gamer, casual, or hardcore.