Shadow of the Colossus - Student Review
Score: 98% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America Developer: Sony Interactive Entertainment America Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Puzzle
Graphics & Sound: Shadow of the Colossus offers some of the best graphics to date for the PlayStation 2. This game shows that the system still has something to show in the graphics department. This game offers breathtaking visuals from beginning to end, never ceasing to please the eye. Shadow of the Colossus is based in a huge, open land of beautiful scenery and lush environments. The land offers everything from barren cliffs, to sloping hills, to harsh deserts, to ancient ruins, to beautiful meadows. The land is seamless and the player barely notices the transitions from one area to the next, as they go from large open grasslands to the arid desert. Great voice-acting and an amazing sound track keep the Audio of Shadow of the Colossus up to par with the Graphics. Done entirely in another language, the dialogue offers a mysterious realism to the characters.
Gameplay: Shadow of the Colossus has a simple, yet epic story. The hero, who is known simply as Wanderer, travels to this forsaken land to resurrect a loved one. Once in the temple of this forsaken land, a disembodied voice tells him of a way to revive her: to destroy 16 statues along the great hall of the temple. This is a feat that is not easily accomplished, as these statues are invulnerable. The voice tells our hero that in order to destroy these statues, he must defeat 16 colossi counterparts that roam the land. So our hero has his quest now - he must find these colossi and then defeat them. How does this single person find these colossi, giant as they might be, in this huge world? He has a magic sword that, when held up in the sunlight, uses rays of light to point in the direction of the next colossus. So, using his magical sword and riding his trusty mount Agro, our hero sets off to defeat these 16 colossi. The colossi are massive creatures that roam the land. Most are confined to small areas that seem like a habitat, of sorts, for these creatures. Others are left to roam vast areas. When one hears the word Colossus or Colossi, they think of giant stone men. While, in some cases, this may be a true description, the colossi in Shadow of the Colossus vary in shape, size and type. Some are quite small, while others are incredibly large. There are ones that can fly, swim, or even just stand still. As different as each colossus is, so is the way to defeat it. The player must figure out several things for each colossus before even attempting to climb onto it, much less defeat it. He must figure out where the weak spot or spots are on each colossus (done by holding your sword in the sunlight and pointing it at the colossus), figure out where to get on the colossus and then how to get to the weak spot from there. All these tasks combined make each colossus a unique encounter that is exciting and fun. Figuring out how to climb onto each colossus and then getting to their weak spot can sometimes be a very frustrating and difficult thing to do, but this makes slaying each all the more satisfying in the end.
Difficulty: Shadow of the Colossus is a simple game, offering very few enemies and with only one goal for each. Do not let this fool you though. While not an impossible or very difficult game, Shadow of the Colossus offers a challenge to any Action, Puzzle or RPG gamer. As the game progresses, the battles get harder and more difficult to figure out, forcing the player to use the surrounding environment and his brain to defeat each colossus. For the flying or swimming colossi, simply getting on them is a challenge; the smaller, four-legged colossi actually attempt to attack the player, whereas the other colossi usually don't even notice the player until he is hurting them.
Game Mechanics: Shadow of the Colossus' controls are very simple and easy to understand. The left and right buttons switch between the bow and the sword. The (TRIANGLE) button is used in conjunction with the (R1) button and the analog stick in various ways to jump. When jumping to a ledge, the player would tap the (TRIANGLE) button to jump and then hold (R1) to grab the ledge and hang from it. While hanging from a ledge or from the colossus, the player can move the analog stick in a direction and tap the (TRIANGLE) button to jump in that direction and grabbing onto another ledge or patch of fur. When using your bow or wielding your sword over a weak spot, you can charge your blows by holding down the (SQUARE) button and releasing it when you are ready. The (X) button is used to call Agro or to spur him on when already mounted; the player mounts him by tapping the (TRIANGLE) button when at his side. Shadow of the Colossus is an epic and beautiful game, while remaining simple and easy to understand. It offers a challenge, while remaining fun. It can get frustrating, at times, when the player is stuck on a more difficult colossus, but it is never overly difficult. All-in-all, a game that should be recommended for anyone to buy.
-Cody Blanchard
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