Shadow of the Colossus
by Sony Computer Entertainment
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Video Game Reviews of Shadow of the Colossus
Customer Review: I loved it
Summary: 5 Stars
The whole time I have played this game I kept saying to myself "I am amazed this is a PS2 game" and usually followed by a "wow". This game is amazing for the generation it came out and hopefully it will be a PS3 sequel someday. I can only hope. Some like this games and others hate it so rent before you buy. Customer Review: Amazing, if flawed
Summary: 5 Stars
I should give this game 5 stars for introducing me to ICO alone. Not that Shadow is worse, but it certainly is different enough in gameplay mechanics - atmosphere, hints at story and artistic direction notwithstanding. In retrospect though, unlike ICO, it left me with wanting more from the game. I didn't miss fighting hordes of other enemies in between, desolation and limited number of massive bosses was part of the appeal. But the problem is that the experience is a bit shallow. The world is massive and lovingly crafted, but there is no reward in exploring it other than aesthetic experience - there are no hidden artifacts that could aid in your quest, no puzzles to solve, and you can't find just any colossus accidentally even if you arrive at their domain - the fights proceed in a fixed sequence. While it is reasonable for the sake of ramping up the difficulty gradually, it is also limiting.
The biggest gripe, if you can call it that, is that while initial press touted colossi as "puzzles", they really aren't much of one. From those descriptions I imagined moving living castles, a massive beast that is as much an architectural maze as it is a foe. But the puzzle component really boils down to finding the spots covered in fur, and clinging to them in search of the weak points to pierce with your sword. The first and last colossus come close, as they are hard to navigate and are disorienting much in a way I imagined, turning the colossus into an obstacle course made up of various castle-like elements, but the rest of them are unfortunately more straightforward.
It is a great game, make no mistake, but I can't help feeling that it could have been that much more. Visually, however, it is a tour de force in much the way ICO is, despite the low resolution and the occasional minor graphical stutter. Since there are plenty of reviews that cover that aspect in great detail there is no need for me to repeat them. If you haven't played this game already, and are looking to catch up on some of the more interesting games of the last few years, definitely don't miss this title.
Customer Review: Utter Beauty
Summary: 5 Stars
One can only hope that all future games and consoles take a lesson from the simple yet complex pleasures found in Shadows of the Colossus. The sheer immensity and sense of solitude makes it a gaming experience like no other. Ico is next on my list and I know that the creators of these games have amazing things in store for any platform.Customer Review: This Is One Classic Game (A Must Have)
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the first game I bought for my ps2 and maybe the only reason why I bought the ps2. I knew this would dazzle my expectations. It is very unique and cuts right to the chase. It's always been my dream to have to climb on huge moving creatures and stab my way through it. It's very epic and not complicated at all. I have to say this is a masterpiece, both for visual effects and gameplay. The massive terrains may be confusing at times and may get you lost to find your next battle, but once you've found it, it was all worth it.Customer Review: Simultaneously Horrible and Fantastic... An Enigma...
Summary: 3 Stars
After buying this game for $20 and playing it through, and after reading all the varied, greatly differing, polarized reviews for this game, my own paradoxical experience with SotC has compelled me to write my own review, so that hopefully someone can gain something from my two cents.
I'm still very conflicted about this game. It seems to defy evaluation, possibly because it's just so different from most games out there. It's at once both terrible and wonderful - and indeed it seems to elicit a love/hate response from most players. I've seen very little reviews that rate this game right in the middle of the "good/bad" value spectrum.
You've probably already gleaned enough information from other sources or reviews to give you an idea about the story and plot line, but I'll provide the typical story synopsis, just in case: You (the main character) have traveled far and wide to reach an ancient, mystical, deserted land in order to try to find a way to revive your deceased love. An enigmatic, bodiless deity approaches you, and you reach a bargain in which, in return for completion of a task, the deity has decided that it "may not be entirely impossible" to bring your girlfriend back from the dead. Of course, the task is really sixteen sub-tasks (the slaying of sixteen Colossi), and so, with nothing else to lose, you set out on your quest to vanquish the behemoths.
This is where different aspects of the game start diverging in quality.
There are a few things that stand out in this game, some of which both add and detract from the overall experience. A key theme or characteristic of the game is its simplicity and bareness. The HUD and interface are simple - you only have two weapons, a sword and bow, and no upgrades or replacements or augmentations to speak of, and the HUD consists of only a health bar, a weapon-select diagram, and a circle that represents your stamina (for climbing, holding onto Colossi, etc.) and the "charge" level of your weapon (how far back your bow is pulled, how hard your sword will strike, etc.). When it comes to gameplay and environmental interaction, this simple design scheme can actually be quite pleasant and convenient, and works to emphasize the cool experience of the game itself, rather than forcing the player to concentrate on the all-too-common chaos of coordinating elaborately sequenced combos or timed button-mashing.
The initially-presented back story is deliberately vague and simple, which adds an intriguing mystery element and allows the player to use his/her imagination to discern the history/background of the characters and ponder the origins of the somber, beautifully crafted game world. Some players, however, may find the lack of story foundation and substance irritating.
As far as gameplay goes, SotC is often painfully lacking. Problems arise almost immediately as you start playing. The controls are ABYSMAL. Camera control is counter-intuitive and thumbstick movement sensitivity is sluggishly slow (to the game's credit, both of these can be adjusted, but it's still a hassle and a drawback when controls aren't comfortable right form the get-go). Although the button layout is fairly decent, the main character's control is awkward, imprecise, and clumsy, and often very loose and unresponsive. At times it's frustratingly difficult to get him to react in the desired manner with the desired timing, and in the direction that's intended. Be prepared to frequently miss jumps, misfire arrows, fall off ledges, and get smashed while trying to dodge "Colossal" blows. The game also has problems with action-trigger locations and responses - meaning that in order for the character to properly latch onto a ledge after jumping or grab an object, you have to position him EXACTLY correctly, with no room for fault.
All these main character setbacks pale in comparison to the virtual inoperability of your horse, however, which is your main - and only - form of transportation. This might have only been a small inconvenience if it wasn't for the fact that half the game is spent traversing the huge, bare, open plains in order to get from Colossus to Colossus. The horse is slow to begin with, often painfully so; navigating obstacles (especially trees) is a major irritant, the horse frequently "spazzes out", and getting him to start moving anywhere takes both an eternity and several thousand button-mashings. He's also IMPOSSIBLE to mount. You have to be standing perfectly still, right in the exact spot before you press the corresponding button. This poor performance is enough to simply make any and all travel a chore, but during combat it can become a major, survival-inhibiting detriment that will put your character in unnecessary danger.
As far as the actual Colossus battles go, though, most of them really are quite good. The Colossi, in everything from their appearance to their movement and behavior to their attacks to the beastly sounds they make, are extremely well done and very cool, very artistic. The game is subject to (sometimes severe) frame rate lag during these encounters, however, and it can become quite frustrating and jarring during battle, but most of this is soon forgotten in the epic majesty of Colossus' downfall. Exposing and exploiting their individually unique weaknesses is fun and challenging, and striking the final take-down blow is immensely satisfying. There are a few problems to encounter, though - like the fact that some of the later monsters are downright merciless, employing tactics and attacks that are impossible to counter, or the fact that the keys to defeating some Colossi are occasionally far too cryptic and challenging, and all but impossible to discern. All this makes for a few boss battles that are astoundingly difficult to win. Also, the game makes an abrupt, unexpected change of pace about midway through. The game difficulty level shoots suddenly and sporadically from Easy to Fairly Hard. It almost feels at times like the creators didn't think through the necessary framework of game balances all the way, and left some game dynamics unfair and unpolished.
As far as premise of the game goes (it's essentially just sixteen boss battles), the idea is unique and fairly cool, all while being efficient and streamlined (it's somewhat of a plus that you don't have to bother slashing through legions of lesser monsters to get to the main baddies) and simple (there's the beauty of the "simple" factor in play again).
However, because there's really only three characters, and only two ever interact (infrequently, at that), the game feels somewhat empty. As there's really nothing else to interact with, manipulate, or work to achieve in the world outside of the Colossus battles - basically nothing else to DO at all - it often makes the barren, deserted world seem too stagnant, stale, and, from a design point of view, unfinished. I believe that that "barren, devoid-of-life" characteristic was an intentional design choice, and from a story point of view, it works fantastically. It makes the forbidden land seem all the more foreboding. It also really helps create a wonderfully forlorn, dark and moody ambiance and atmosphere, which are both superb. From a gameplay perspective, though, I just expected more. The game sometimes feels incomplete. If you exclude the element of the Colossi (of which there really aren't that many, anyway) it's like the creators just plopped you in an empty sandbox environment with nothing to do but roam around pointlessly, enjoying the scenery, perhaps. It takes the point out of exploring the game world, because you know nothing else will be there.
On a positive note, the major, over-arching thematic elements of the game really are superb. The art design and graphics are beautiful, often breathtakingly-so for a PS2 game; the story is sadly poignant and moving, eclectic and mysterious, and all together pretty fantastic, although the end is somewhat ambiguous and may leave some feeling unsatisfied. The music is also superb, which one can't help but notice; it is well composed and finely expresses the proper mood relative to what is happening in-game. And again, the atmosphere created around the player is very good as well.
All in all, with the discounted price it's going for today, this really is a must-play game, if nothing else than just for it's unique vision. It has many failings, some of which caused me enough grief to want to simply abandon the game, but in the end you'll be able to look past most of these faults, and see it for what it really is: a beautiful, visionary concept with (at times profoundly)lackluster execution and a myriad of unfortunate design issues. I really don't even consider this a true "game" in the conventional sense - for it fails too thoroughly and too consistently to achieve that end and earn (or perhaps be marred by) such a typical title. SotC is more like a fully interactive movie - if you can understand it as such, you'll appreciate it much more and learn to better understand its defects. It simply exists as a fascinating digital experience, in a medium all of its own. I do love and hate this game simultaneously, and I suppose that equilibrium levels it somewhere around "just average". But SotC is more than just the sum of its parts... And I think that's part of the reason it has garnered so much acclaim. Shadow of the Colossus is deemed to be great because it makes you WANT to believe it to be so... simply because of what it is... and at the same time what it's not.