Link To Us
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Shadow of the Colossus Review
As the next set of video game consoles creep closer to release, some wonder if the future will bring more in the way of gameplay innovation rather than just fancier graphics and inflated budgets. Whatever the outcome, it’s clear that the current generation platforms still have some tricks up their sleeves. If more than a few next generation games end up like Shadow of the Colossus, then the future of gaming is properly insured.
Colossus is an enchanting adventure that places you in the role of a young man who sets out to resurrect the love of his life. He travels to a mysterious land and is told by an equally mysterious voice that he must defeat sixteen beasts called the colossi for there to be a hope of bringing back the love of his life. The story really doesn’t become any more complicated than that, leaving room for a game that places almost all of its focus on its gameplay.
Coming from the creative minds of Ico, one would expect that playing Shadow would feel different than most games. It’s an action game, but at times you’d never know it. Your mission is to ride out on your trusty horse and discover the locations of the sixteen colossi. Once found, as absurd as it may sound, you must destroy them with nothing but your sword and bow. Once you lay your eyes on the first beast, you may find yourself with a limited ability to express your awe in words. Since the colossi are the games’ only enemies, every encounter can be summed up as an extravagant boss battle that’s pulls all the stops.
The key to these encounters with the colossi is to find its weaknesses. Using your sword, the goal is to attack or travel to wherever the light is most intensified. Some of the beasts have fur to grab onto, while others create makeshift paths to exploit through their own actions within the environment. Once at the source of its weakness, your sword can finally be used to stab and stab some more. Getting to the top of each beast is not exactly a piece of cake and either is staying on top. Each beast is basically a giant puzzle and that’s essentially part of the game's charm. It would be a fairly throwaway experience if the game simply consisted of climbing up a patch of hair and stabbing some monster to death, but the developers have made each encounter a massive obstacle course littered with areas to climb, vault over and hold onto for dear life. What may look like the beast's spine from a distance becomes a series of walls to climb over as you get closer. Perspective and how you view the world and its obstacles is very important with this game. Some beasts are grounded, some take to the skies and sometimes that little old element called water gets in the way. Each encounter varies in difficulty and you not only have to contend with exploring the beast, but protecting yourself from its defenses. Most of them will shake and try to fling you off to the ground below, and knowing when to stop hopping around is essential.
As a game, Shadow of the Colossus has all the right elements. Vast exploration, challenging enemy encounters and leaving a player with a sense of satisfaction, it’s all here. It’s just that the game presents these ideas in a different and genuinely unique way. Providing us with a subtle story and only one set of enemies to set our sights on, the game is an extremely focused package that has very few aspects to fault. Probably the most common complaint that Shadow will garner is that it can seem pretty short when all is said and done. It’s a game that’s meant to be played in spurts. Simply hunting all sixteen colossi and completing the game in one week is possible, but it’s just doesn't seem to be meant to play that way. The urge to play through the game a second time is present and while there isn’t a whole lot to see and do outside of the main game, its unlikely the experience will be any less enjoyable a second time through.
Visually and aurally, Shadow of the Colossus impresses wherever it can. The graphics push the Playstation 2 hardware to its limit and for every shining detail, amazing monster and beautiful landscape, the price comes in its framerate. For those who live by speed and the rules of 30 and 60 frames per second, they may find themselves conflicted by what Shadow represents. Its framerate never feels that consistent, but at the same time, it’s always playable, always smooth and generally manageable throughout. Even when a giant beast is towering above you causing havoc, the game runs suitably. The details present throughout the environment and on the colossi are amazing. The main character moves fluidly and riding around on your horse can become addictive simply because of how well its movement is handled. The voice acting is presented in a different language that is translated with subtitles and the game features a wonderfully subtle score that picks up considerably when the colossi battles take place. Some of the year's best game music can be found within Shadow. The ambience in this game is wonderful and sets the bar for making a world seem so enchanting, but creepily empty at the same time.
 Shadow of the Colossi is one of the Playstation 2's best games without a doubt. It gives us originality, a convincing fantasy world, involved and exciting gameplay, wonderful music, an appropriately subtle story and a feast for the eyes even if the system doesn't handle it perfectly. Its not fifty plus hours long and it doesn't have twenty multiple endings, but its one standout feature is how great it makes you feel when playing it and how it makes you crave for more when its over. That’s the mark of a great game right there.
Written by Joseph Bennett. Posted year 2005.
|
|
|
|
Released on
October 18, 2005
|
