Great experiece that lacks replay value.
When I first heard about this game a couple years back, I was skeptical to say the least. A game where all you do is hunt down the bosses, or Colossi as they called them, sound like it would get old pretty fast. Once I played the game, that was really all that there was to it. There was you, your horse, and sixteen big bad colossi to hunt down. The thing that really surprised me was how much I liked it.
In this game you play as Wander a young man trying to save his friend Mono from dying. He makes a deal with some spiritual beings, Dormin, in exchange for killing the colossi they will restore Mono's health. So wth his trusty stead, he sets out on a mission to kill the colossi.
The visuals in this game is simply breath taking. The graphics in this game pushes the PS2 to it's limits. The world you inhabit is quite large, with the shadows and light being perfect. When fighting the colossi, you screen may end up being blinded by a dust storm. One particular fight have the colossi drag you underwater, and this was without a dobut the best graphical moment in the game.
Fighting the colossi ranged from pretty easy, to challenging, to down right frustrating. The colossi are huge creatures the size of mountains, that you must climb and find the weak points. To add a bit more challenge, after a certain amount of damage is taken, the weak spot on a colossi will change positions. You'll find yourself crawling across the colossi to find the new weak spots, while hanging for your life. The main appeal for this is the fact that every colossi is different, making strategies for killing each different with each encounter. One major complaint with gameplay however is the awkward camera angles. Sometimes at the most worst possible times, the camera will begin to act funky, but this is not always common.
Now the major weak point in the game is the lack of any real replayability value. While it's no surprise, considering this is a game with nothing but boss fights, it still lowers the overall value. Most of the fun and challenge in this game comes from effort you put into learning the strategies to beat the colossi. Once you beat the game the first time, every playthrough after will consequentially be shorter and less fun. The game does try to spice it up somewhat by adding a hard mode and time attack option, but it still does little to help the replay value.
This games are really for people who are looking for a new experience. While the replay value is a major limiting factor, it does remain an enjoyable experience all the way through.
