a unique game that overshadows its few flaws
gameplay-as i said- simplistic. the game consists of this: find a colossus then kill it. do that 16 times and that's it. what makes it work is that it's more puzzle solving than combat. as a spectator it looks really boring, but its actually quite fun to figure out how to scale each beast. and as similar as some of them may look, each colossus is unique. the only other element to the game is that you can collect lizard tails and fruit to increase your life and grip meters. the camera gets a little troublesome at times and your horse can be a little skittish. otherwise the game control works well for this set up.
graphics-in spots (such as with the colossi) the graphics can be very impressive; however, overall the graphics are a little too ambitious for the ps2. as you travel the vast, empty world, the scenery can be bland and indistinct. i can see where they were going with the art direction and with sharper graphics it would have looked awesome, but alas it was a little ahead of its time.
sound-like the graphics, the game's sound (or lack thereof) helps create a bleak atmosphere. the score only kicks in during the battles. through most of the game you will just be listening to your horses hoof steps. dialog is almost nonexistent and it consists of a japanese-esque gibberish.
value-i'm glad i didn't pay $50 for the game when it first came out, but it's surely worth the $20 of its greatest hits incarnation. it's fun the first time through with a decent enough length. but there isn't much replay value. there is a time attack mode and hard difficulty that is unlocked after beating it, but since the biggest challenge is the method rather than execution this doesn't add much.
tilt- despite its few problems, it still works. it's both fun and addictive. i guess sometimes originality goes a long way. though i must advise renting it first, as it will surely not please everyone.
update: dispite my previous comment i did go back and replay the game and found it more fun the second time. i had a little easier time with the finding of the colossi which was really my only problem with it the first time. i left a long enough gap that i was able to re-enjoy the colossus battles as if they were new (negating my replayability comment). i still think the often tedious and frustrating searching sections keep it from a perfect score, but it's impossible to deny this game as a unique artistic triumph.