One of the most visionary titles to hit the PlayStation2
Shadow of the Colossus is the spiritual successor to Ico, Sony’s 2001 sleeper hit that redefined accompanying AI, a gameplay mechanic that was considered by many to be broken before the game’s release. Although titles today surpass it (Resident Evil 4, MGS3: Snake Eater), it was a breakthrough in programming for its time and still holds a place in people’s hearts – with an atmospheric soundtrack and an art influenced visual scheme, it earned the respect of competing game developers who were going more conservative with new gameplay and spending their dollars toward graphics and control. Almost five years later, Shadow of The Colossus for PS2 emerges from the same Sony offices (SCEA/SCEI) and delivers another mesmerizing experience. In it you play a warrior whose love has recently passed away and seeks help from the gods of his world in a temple infested with light. He asks the powerful ones how he can bring her maiden back to life, which he is then given an option that even the gods think for a mortal to be near impossible to accomplish: destroy the 16 colossi that inhibit the world and gather their shadows back to the temple where your love lies. With overwhelming odds and doubt of success on your conscience, you hop on your trusty steed Aggro and commence your quest.
From the start, the player feels a sense of loneliness and isolation; the game takes a “you’re on your own” approach where all you have is a sword, bow and arrow, and a horse as your only friend to help you complete your task. There is no leveling up or earning experience points in this game: extra items and weapons won’t be found. In a vast world with a confusing map, you quickly feel like this adventure will not be a cakewalk. This is a game that has abandoned the “guided hand” tactic most programmers implemented to aid gamers in a 3D universe; gamers who have longed for the active experience that was previously exclusive to classic games will certainly rejoice at this exclusion. Those who prefer a more passive, video-interactive style game may not appreciate this and will probably hang the game up after a few attempts that led to no avail or assistance. With the exception of occasional hints given during battle if a player is unable to uncover the weak points of a colossus, the gamer has to rely primarily on his/her own skills and intelligence in order to progress through the game.
Once you gain control of your character, the awkward button configuration becomes apparent, but it becomes second nature after 15 minutes or so. You Move your hero with the left dual stick and manipulate the camera with the right. Equip weapons with the D-pad, attack by pressing square and press triangle to jump. R1 allows you to crouch and grip onto ledges while L1, L2 and R2 switch camera positions to Colossus view (only available when in battle with a colossus), reset camera angle and close up shot, respectively. You can hold up your sword in the sunlight by pressing circle and a blue evanescent light will emit from your blade that will direct you to where the first colossus lies. From there, you hop on your horse by standing near Aggro and pressing Triangle. To accelerate, press X and tap repeatedly to get a quick jump start. While traveling, you see the sheer beauty of Aggro’s movements and your own, all the while witnessing the environment around you being streamed almost seamlessly by the PS2’s prehistoric RAM and processor – a spectacle in itself to see. Most PS2 owners, especially those who purchased one during its release in 2000 at the retail price of $300, never imagined seeing such flawless animation and gorgeous visuals such as what this game exhibits.
As you approach a colossus, you are almost always forced to abandon your companion and travel the final remaining yards to the battleground without Aggro, leaving you to fight the beast on your own. Up to 20 stories high, these enemies are gigantic in every sense of the word, including the fear they strike in your veins and the damage they deal to your hero. Although this game is an action/adventure/platformer, it should also be classified under puzzle as each abomination you encounter has a secret weakness that you must uncover, expose and strike in order for you to be successful in your quest. It is because of this that Shadow of the Colossus etches its own genre into the fray of today’s serials and creates an opening for future games to fall into.
The bosses start as simple yet exhilarating and continue to get more difficult through out the course of your journey. In fact, it is around the halfway point of the game that advanced players will start to really be challenged and the rush begins. Although the last few battles are almost hair-raisingly impossible for novices, the game builds up to them rather nicely so that almost anyone can complete this game with enough patience and intuition.
Clinging onto the beasts’ gristly hairs, wings and limbs – just watching the epic battles is a delight as they deliver David and Goliath proportioned struggles that could only be otherwise created by Tolkienesque geniuses of fantasy and legend. The Playstation 2 is pushed to its limit with these fights, so much so that when the action gets really out of hand the framerate drops dramatically. In most cases, this would be a disappointing interruption that can disturb the flow of what would be otherwise exciting gameplay, but the developers at SCEA found a way to get around it by creating a motion blur effect that links all the animation together and reduces stutter. The art style is similar to that of Ico, which was beautiful then and with a higher polygon count, more detailed textures and superb use of lighting, Shadow of the Colossus succeeds it in everyway. The soundtrack is almost nonexistent until the battle begins and starts to a heavy, pulsing rhythm accompanied by strings and orchestra, which then expand into a climatic melody when the hero grasps onto the colossus, urging and cheering the protagonist to be ceaseless in his/her strive for victory.
At the triumphant end of every battle, you find yourself out breath, just like your hero, and eager to contend with the next demon on the list. Each colossus is harder, bigger, more destructive and more exciting than the one preceding it – the gamer has an “It can’t get any better than this” feeling while in the midst of fighting a colossus, yet it is always surpassed by the succeeding battle, a rule that is without exception. In fact, most gamers will be sad when the journey is over and the spectacular ending closes the adventure. But with a plethora of added bonuses and game modes at the player’s disposal upon completion, the replay value is high and you will find yourself enjoying your favorite struggles again and again long after the credits roll.
Shadow of the Colossus is one of those games that come very rarely and should be added to every gamer’s library when they do arrive. There are those who may not appreciate or enjoy this title due to its unusual game set up and pacing, which is a shame because those turned off by it will be missing out on an incredible experience that won’t be easily replicated. As this generation of gaming dies and graphic powerhouses start to rule the gaming market again, the games that prove inspiration and freshness over glamour will be far away and between those who sport shiny rendering and impressive handling. If you have been waiting for something new and different and aren’t ready to try your hands at Katamari Damacy or Killer 7, you should definitely check out Shadow of the Colossus for PS2. You won’t regret it.