An artistic masterpiece.
In this game you play the role of a young fighter with a horse that is set in a huge open world filled with more than a dozen skyscraping foes, your "objective" in the game is to kill those few enemies, and only that. No sidequests, towns to explore, people to meet, etc. This can be a bit boring those raised on the somewhat similar zelda series. The camera and the climbing system are two very confusing things to do at once, and you will have to do both very often while climbing the huge beasts. The game is basicly just one huge boss battle after another, although it isn't a linear game, you can go around the whole open world right from the get go. Overall the gameplay could have used a major facelift, though not TERRIBLE it could have had a few extra features.
The graphics are some of the best the PS2 has offered. A seemless, no loading world is right at your fingertips. Although a bit stale with not much to do, it is a virtual vacation that is just waiting to be explored. The game plays at a fairly inconsistent framerate but it is still playable. Sound wise, this game has a rousing, orchestral fanfare that is waiting to be blasted from the speakers. This makes the zelda series music seem almost cartoony in sound.
After completeing the game you can go back and replay bosses and earn some new items and clothes, so there is still a lot to do after you beat it. Though multiple playthrews can get very tedious and boring.
Overall Shadow of the Colossus is a prime example how to make a game artisticly and beautifully, but falls rather flat in the gameplay department. If you are looking for an extreme fast paced action game, you wont get it here. But if you like games nicely paced, rather long sections of no action, and moody. Then SOTC will suit your craving for a long time to come.