SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS

What an incredibly memorably game. It has so many great things going for it. ICO was such a fantastic game as well (for those of you who haven't played it, try it out some time). ICO had the graphics and the sound and the ambience to make a wonderful environment. Shadow of the Colossus improved upon all of those ideas twofold. The beginning cutscene leaves you mesmerized. Remember when they showed the bridge he (Wander) was crossing, and the camera kept backing up and backing up, and you saw more and more of the bridge, and you realized just how huge the game was going to be. And they kept everything so simple. Hold up your sword, see where the next colossus is, and spur your horse into a gallop in that direction. Running through barren landscapes that are also diverse enough to keep the environments interesting.

Then you get to the colossus. I thought the first one was big. HA. The second one was huge! And then the dragon near the end. That was ridiculous. The battle with the sandsnake in that huge sand cavern, the battle with the huge raven, the fight against the freaking electric eel. All were crazy. And then you get to the final colossus. "HOLY F*****G S**T WHAT THE F**K IS THAT?!" My dad, my best friend, and my neighbor all watched me beat the last colossus, and it was an amazing experience for all of us, not to mention an exhilarating and terrifying experience for me. This was such a great game. And then you have no idea what is happening once you see the last cutscene, but it seems that it's connected to ICO in some way. A little baby with horns. Really? Yeah. Shadow of the Colossus should never be missed, by anyone. It's just so...artistic and unique and wonderful.