Team Ico leaves a legacy with arguably one of the best action-adventure titles of all time.

User Rating: 9.5 | Shadow of the Colossus PS2
By sayonaragalaxy | Review Date:
Shadow of the Colossus is arguably one of the greatest action-adventure games ever created. Developed by the esteemed and greatly hailed game developers, Team Ico, Shadow of the Colossus is the prequel to the developers famed first release, Ico. Set at an ambiguous time, likely several centuries before Ico, the game begins with a young boy on horseback with his questionably-alive lady friend. This girl was sacrificed in a village's ancient sacrificial ritual, but for reasons unknown, the unnamed protagonist (given the name The Wander by fans) is on a journey to take her to a forbidden land. When he arrives at a large castle in this forbidden land, he is greeted by Dormir, the resident god of the land. The protagonist asks the god to bring the girl back to life; Dormir agrees, but only if Wander first slays the sixteen giants that reside in the land.

In actuality, the title is nothing more than a platforming-puzzle game. So what makes this such a pivotal game? The presentation. Team Ico has a special talent of storytelling and use of gameplay that in unparalleled. While the story of Shadow of the Colossus is deep and intricate, not a whole lot of the plot is in fact revealed. Much of the plot takes place before the events that you experience, and the ending is left very open-ended. You feel like you're experiencing something much greater than what appears before you, which offers a beautiful perspective on the story. The gameplay is all about destroying these giant 20+ story tall colossi, but you're free to roam the sandbox-styled landscape freely, and can enter these massive boss battles whenever you feel ready and prepared. The landscape is simply awe inspiring, and there is no danger to disturb your taking in the scenery. And when you do enter these battles, they are intense, and really give you the feeling that these colossi are indeed colossal.

Shadow of the Colossus offers a completely unique experience, and is one of those few games that simply can't be missed.

Other Helpful Reviews for Shadow of the Colossus

Load Comments (0)