Shadow of the Colossus is the years best PS2 game and may be one of the top few games of this generation.
The graphics, namely the animation, are top-notch and despite the technical limitations of the Playstation 2 I came away very impressed. Games that had better graphics from a technical standpoint have yet to wow me with convincing animation like Shadow of the Colossus did. The horse moves ridiculously realistic and it feels as though you are riding an independent animal rather than controlling the horse itself as in Zelda or other games. The way its body moves at different speeds and the way it jerks its head was the very first thing that impressed me. Then there is the animation of the main character which is filled with great subtleties. You can tell that he is not your typical hero and is far from super strong or athletic and really has no idea how to handle a sword. He flails about realistically and stumbles as anyone would after making a terrifying and difficult jump.
Soundwise the game has one of the best orchestral scores ever in a game and the way it changes based on the action is great and adds a whole other layer to the game. The ambient sounds also go quite far in making the world convincing.
The colossi and their environments and sequences all show off the great graphics and animation but what makes this game is the scale of each of the battles. For the most part these colossi are immense in a way that nothing in video game history has ever been. Screens don't do it justice enough and you need to actually go through the experience of trying to scale one of them to understand it fully. The puzzles surrounding the battles are always unique and inventive, and they progress in difficulty as the game goes on in a very appropriate way. Sometimes I got a little frustrated but given a little time you will find the correct method and I never needed to rely on a guide or FAQ. I could write pages about the great moments with the different beasts and everything but that would only spoil the game for potential players. I will say though that even my two least favorite enemies, looking back now, were great experiences and although they sort of failed when compared to the others in the game they really surpassed anything you'd see in other games.
The games story is cool even though the ending may leave some disappointed and its morally ambiguous nature separates it from the typical adventure game.
Shadow of the Colossus is the best reason I can think of to own a Playstation 2 and is one of the best games of the generation, its just a shame that so many people will overlook it. I may go as far as to say it is one of 2005's top 3 games.