Shadow of the Colossus is an amazingly streamlined game that delivers a particular experience very well. It is utterly fantastic.
Shadow of the Colossus had some of the most striking visuals when it was released, and they still hold up simply because of the art direction and style. Everything feels textured and real, with the sun, fog, and weather in the various biomes making this feel like an expansive, abandoned world that you are alone in.
The Colossi are all unique and seeing what the next one will even look like is a large part of what draws me through this game. Some of them are giant, lumbering beasts, others are surprisingly lithe and acutely dangerous. Though the gameplay on some of them misses, the visual design never does.
The soundtrack is incredible.
The game knows what it is trying to do with its gameplay, and focuses on that. The protagonist, Wander, is a capable rider, climber, and bowman, but most other actions can feel clunky. Even raising your sword to deliver a killing blow to a colossus once you have clambered up its body feels like a dicey move you are hardly in control of. The somewhat awkward controls can take some getting used to, but I only rarely felt like they got in my way.
When you are riding, climbing, or shooting, the game feels great, with a perfect mix of tension and resistance (from your horse, your grip bar, or the colossus itself) that promotes mastery of the controls and timing that you come to over the course of your play. Steady upgrades to your health and grip as you play serve to make you feel measurably stronger, without ever really feeling overpowered.
Each of the colossi require you to examine their patterns and anatomy in order to figure out how to best approach and defeat them. At their best, these are exhilarating climbing and navigation puzzles you contend with while hanging a hundred feet off the ground, soaring through the sky, or being dragged through the depths of a lake. These moments of excitement and triumph heavily outweigh the few colossi that have unclear mechanics and strange solutions.
Shadow of the Colossus is light on narrative, but tells a very minimalistic story of love and sacrifice. Wander's relationship to the girl he is saving is never quite clear, though his willingness to sacrifice everything for her is. Shadow of the Colossus has some of the most genuinely heart-wrenching and surprising moments I have experience in video games, delivered almost entirely through gameplay. Additionally the personal narrative you form as you make your way in solitude through these deserts, plains, and forests is filled with moments of confusion and realization, awe and wonder that make it feel incredibly personal and real.
Shadow of the Colossus is really fantastic. Its few minor stumbles do little to mar the cohesion of the narrative and gameplay or the mystery, excitement, and grandeur of Wander's quest.
Shadow of the Colossus had some of the most striking visuals when it was released, and they still hold up simply because of the art direction and style. Everything feels textured and real, with the sun, fog, and weather in the various biomes making this feel like an expansive, abandoned world that you are alone in.
The Colossi are all unique and seeing what the next one will even look like is a large part of what draws me through this game. Some of them are giant, lumbering beasts, others are surprisingly lithe and acutely dangerous. Though the gameplay on some of them misses, the visual design never does.
The soundtrack is incredible.
The game knows what it is trying to do with its gameplay, and focuses on that. The protagonist, Wander, is a capable rider, climber, and bowman, but most other actions can feel clunky. Even raising your sword to deliver a killing blow to a colossus once you have clambered up its body feels like a dicey move you are hardly in control of. The somewhat awkward controls can take some getting used to, but I only rarely felt like they got in my way.
When you are riding, climbing, or shooting, the game feels great, with a perfect mix of tension and resistance (from your horse, your grip bar, or the colossus itself) that promotes mastery of the controls and timing that you come to over the course of your play. Steady upgrades to your health and grip as you play serve to make you feel measurably stronger, without ever really feeling overpowered.
Each of the colossi require you to examine their patterns and anatomy in order to figure out how to best approach and defeat them. At their best, these are exhilarating climbing and navigation puzzles you contend with while hanging a hundred feet off the ground, soaring through the sky, or being dragged through the depths of a lake. These moments of excitement and triumph heavily outweigh the few colossi that have unclear mechanics and strange solutions.
Shadow of the Colossus is light on narrative, but tells a very minimalistic story of love and sacrifice. Wander's relationship to the girl he is saving is never quite clear, though his willingness to sacrifice everything for her is. Shadow of the Colossus has some of the most genuinely heart-wrenching and surprising moments I have experience in video games, delivered almost entirely through gameplay. Additionally the personal narrative you form as you make your way in solitude through these deserts, plains, and forests is filled with moments of confusion and realization, awe and wonder that make it feel incredibly personal and real.
Shadow of the Colossus is really fantastic. Its few minor stumbles do little to mar the cohesion of the narrative and gameplay or the mystery, excitement, and grandeur of Wander's quest.