Shadow of the Colossus

When the local gaming store was having a buy two get one free sale, I figured picking up the supposedly short Shadow of the Colossus was a no-brainer. A short but sweet adventure was just what I needed after embarking on the crusade that was Twilight Princess and the hectic Project: Snowblind. Little did I know that this game that took a measly nine hours to complete was going to be one of the most stunning experiences that I have ever had the privilege of playing. Shadow of the Colossus is a revolutionary game in every sense, putting enthralling game play and beautiful graphics before hours of exposition and cut scenes.

Shadow of the Colossus opens with an unnamed hero, whom the credits list as called Wanderer, riding his horse into an ancient temple in what is called the Forbidden Lands. On his faithful horse, Agro, he carries a bundle that, upon arrival at altar in the lowest reaches of the temple, is revealed to be a dead girl named Mono. Who is the Wanderer? Why does he seek to bring this girl back? Exactly what is this Dormin entity that he seeks aid from? Who was the weird guy in the mask in the opening cut scene? And just where did this dork that can barely seem to fight with a sword, get this so called Ancient Sword that Dormin seems so interested in? These questions are never answered and honestly its better that way. Part of the mystery of this game is the lack of story and how its absence lets us focus on what really matters; the Wanderers' quest to take out the ancient Colossi.

The real stars of SotC are the sixteen Colossi spread across the world. These creatures are seemingly built of thick hide, a coat of thick fur, stone and even metal in some cases. As you would expect, these monstrosities are nigh invincible, leading to you having to use your bow, sword, horse and quick thinking to find ways to take these beasts down. The answer to each puzzle is usually either the beasts' attacks or the environment it is located in, but one thing is almost guaranteed... there is going to be a lot of climbing involved in hurting these beasts. To reach their vital spots, glowing glyphs that indicate their weak points, you are going to have to clamber and climb your way atop the beasts to position much aimed strikes to these runes. As you can imagine, they’re not going to let this happen without a fight and you will get accustomed to them thrashing about, trying to dislodge you while the Wanderer clings to them for dear life. The knowledge that if you fall off these monsters you will get hurt, but more importantly, you will have to climb up them again is a great motivator in figuring out how to not be hurled to the ground like a speck of dust. Just as you would expect, these fights are incredibly tense and exciting getting your pulse pounding every time as you attempt to not be squished like the insignificant insect that you are to them.

The graphics in this game, while not top of the line are incredibly effective at conveying the mood of the game and the enormity of the situations Wanderer finds himself in. The game is bright and almost cheerful in the deserted Forbidden Lands which is a rather jarring contrast. There is very little in the ways of life here, being limited to scattered small animals and plant life. You are the only living human in this place and as time goes on the difference becomes noticeable. Also, when fighting the giant Colossi you will see just how pathetically small you are compared to them and watching them lumber around after you is definitely a sight. The ground will be smashed as they walk, throwing dust and dirt into the air, as well as you should you get too close. In addition, on some of the beasts who are truly tall, or fly, I personally almost experienced vertigo several times when I was able to see the ground, or was being flailed about in an attempt to dislodge me. The actual sight of the floor from so far up was rather dizzying and almost cost me a few boss fights, most notably the final one who is almost like a living citadel unto himself. There are some minor graphical glitches, such as some odd clipping problems, which lowered my score a bit, but overall the game is a beautiful sight to behold. This is especially true in the few cut scenes to be found in the game. You will never fail to be pulled in by the setting and mystique of the games presentation and this is a huge accomplishment to be done in what are rather unobtrusive and short cinemas.

The sound is to be complimented as well. The musical scores are perfectly suited to every situation you will come across. During your treks over the map to hunt the Colossi, done by using your sword like a compass, there is almost always no music. When you near a Colossus lair, the music begins to pick up and there is fight theme music. However, the best is when you cling to the beasts. The epic score that plays during this time is definitely fitting to the struggle that you will find yourself in. In addition, the made up language used in the game adds a certain layer of surrealism to the game that only benefits the whole package. There is very little conversation however, much of the game consisting of the god-like Dormin telling you where to go and you trekking across the lonely lands to find your target.

The controls took some getting used to, however. While I found myself quickly comfortable with the jumping and climbing mechanisms, it took me some time to get used to the horses controls as well as using the bow accurately. The horse moves like a sixteen wheeler and handles like one as well, which makes controlling it a bit of a chore at times. This can get especially annoying during the boss fights where it is required to use your horse. The bow aiming can be a touchy and it was a bit looser than I would have liked, however I was able to get the job done when it was required of me, so this isn’t a tremendous complaint. However, the climbing is incredibly simple, requiring that you simply hold the R1 button down and move along a ledge or the fur of a colossus. Wanderer will automatically grip the fur when he must or simply kneel down and keep his balance. This will allow your grip strength to recover while in the midst of a heated battle with a colossus, as well as letting your health come back. In addition, actually using the sword is a rather simple matter that is mostly context sensitive. While your character is standing or running you will do a normal swing of the sword that I personally never used in the game. However, when you are crouching or clinging to a colossus, he will raise up the sword and prepare a harsh downward thrust. You will need to climb to the beasts weak spots and use this attack to kill them and it is all rather simple to do in execution, with the exception of the beasts thrashing to get that pesky insect, namely you, off of them.

The only warning that truly needs to be given with this game is that it can get a bit dull at times. While traveling from Colossus, to the sacred temple and back and forth, you will encounter nothing to fight or speak to. This can lead to some getting a mite bit bored with the game itself and not wanting to play. The developers seem to have intentionally left the sole inhabitants of the world being yourself, some scattered animals, your horse and the colossi so as to more effectively convey just how tremendous these creatures are in the scope of the game play. It is incredibly effective, but there were times where I couldn’t help but be a bit bored when trying to reach the locations of some colossi. The actual seeking of these titans can take up to forty or fifty minutes if you’re not totally sure where to go and getting your horse into some of the locations can be tricky, meaning you will likely go on foot and thus take even longer to reach the actual fighting. Even when fighting the colossi themselves it’s not an action packed throw down. Its more of thinking mans approach to fighting, requiring you to plot and plan how to maneuver around and on the colossus you are fighting to take it out. While it’s exciting, it’s not the most action packed experience I’ve ever had.

While the controlling can be a bit touchy at times, Shadow of the Colossus is a major success in every other way. It’s an engrossing trip into another world that never gets bogged down by page after page of story or having so many cut scenes it becomes an interactive movie. There is just the right mix of music, conversation, cinemas and story to keep you personally invested in the game you are playing rather than it feeling like a movie or book. The game creator, Fumito Ueda, has crafted a gaming experience that is unlike anything else out there on the mark and this is perhaps Shadow of the Colouss’ greatest success. In a video game market that is buckling under sequels, retreads and just a very general lack of true creativity he has managed to release a game like this that is truly something never seen before and to likely ever be seen again. This is a must own game for any action fans who are willing to use their brains for a fight rather than just muscling through it. You won’t be disappointed by this game.

Score: 5/5