Hold on to that R1, now.....
Let me begin by saying that this is my favourite game of all time, for multiple reasons. The basic premise of the game is simple- you must kill 16 gigantic enemies to coax a mysterious power into reviving your love, but in presentation, it becomes so much more.
Storyline
Now, I'll be honest here, the storyline is a bit hit or miss. There is a minimum of dialogue and actual story development, with most of the plot condensed into the beginning and end, and the entire presentation being so ambiguous that it will leave certain people scratching their heads, wondering what was so great about it.
There isn't much I can say about the actual plot without spoiling, so this'll be brief. A young man, Wander, journeys to a forbidden land with his horse, Agro, his dead lover, Mono, a bow, and a sword which he has stolen. Upon reaching the temple in the forbidden land, he is contacted by a mysterious disembodied voice, known as The Dormin, a mythical being said to be able to control the dead. Dormin says he will revive Mono, on condition that Wander first slay the 16 Colossi that roam the land. And with that, to the actual gameplay.
Gameplay
The gameplay in SoTC is solid and feels suitably epic, but can occasionally become annoying. The premise is simple- ride around the massive(and I mean massive) overworld, using your sword's power to track down a Colossus, upon finding it, you need to climb it or stun it, then stab it's weak point with your sword. The overworld is huge, beautiful, and a treat to explore, but sometimes can become confusing to navigate. The fights themselves are flawless- each Colossus has a unique weakness or method, and, while not exactly easy, the fight are very intuitive. Hanging on to some of the bigger Colossi for dear life, in particular, is what makes the game.
Graphics
Top of the line for PS2, all the environments look lush and beautiful. It is artistic style, however, which makes the game truly stand out. The overworld is starkly beautiful, with locales ranging from dense woods to arid wastelands. The Colossi as well, are inspired, each one drawing inspiration from a different creature, man, or structure, and looking like a mix of organic creature and golem-like creation. Even Wander and the changes he undergoes during the game are reflective of the style in this game.
Sound
Sound effects- Not much to talk about, actually. Agro's hoofbeats and Wander's footsteps sound nice, the Colossi sound truly frightening when they roar, and yeah, that's it.
Dialogue- Again, a bit of a hit or miss. There is hardly any dialogue in the game to speak of, and what little there is is rendered in a fictional language that I have ben told is a combination of Latin and Japanese spoken backwards.
Soundtrack- Awesome. Sheer awesome. Orchestraic violins and choirs fully do justice to the Colossi, and end up making the whole experience that much nicer.
tl;dr
You may not like this game. However, chances are that you will. And if you like it, you will love it.
Well worth the price
