Back in 2001, a little game known as Ico was released. And it was good. Critics loved it, while most gamers ignored it. Fast-forward four years, and you have its spiritual successor: Shadow of the Colossus. Does it sate the craving Ico fans have? Does it hold up to all of the hype? But basically, does it hold up as well as Ico?
You control a nameless hero (most people call him "Wanderer") who has taken his dead lover/friend to a shrine in a "forbidden land." To resurrect her, the "gods" of that land want a sacrifice: 16 colossi. From there, you travel the land in search of these massive beings.
There is no "travel to and through a dungeon and kill the boss at the end of the area to advance the plot." Oh, no. It is much more basic: You hunt them and then kill them. It is that simple. Simply having Wanderer hold his sword in the air when it is sunny allows him to figure out where a colossus is located (roughly speaking). Once you find one, you then have to find a way to climb on it and stab its vitals — in other words, its weak spot(s). This is where the difficulty gets a little clumsy, even though it is very nice learning curve. It ranges from easy to downright hard to solve how to take down each giant. The last two are the hardest, but that is because killing them is not as obvious or clear as the previous 14. I found myself going online and looking for guides on how to kill them.
Graphically, it feels like a dream; just like its spiritual predecessor Ico, the soft lens gives the realistic graphics a dreamy feel. But unlike a dream in which everything is seamless, the game briefly slows down at different parts to fully process everything. Is this on the upper limits of the PlayStation 2's processing power? Or is it just poor planning on the developer's end? I am uncertain. Regardless, in 10 years, people will still say this game looks good. Sure, it will not look ultra-realistic and awesome compared to Halo 47, but does every game have to look good to be awesome?
Controlwise, moving Wanderer around is rather easy — as is climbing in general. Problems arise from controlling his horse, Argo, which is like moving a stiff tank (think early horror game controls). Connected to this is the camera, which leans toward the cinematic front instead of the practical. The other problem is climbing a colossus and staying on. OK, maybe that is a little harsh. Climbing is rather simple and intuitive, but staying on is an issue. This is because I am uncertain if moving the analog stick around actually helps; all you have to do to stay on is hold the R1 button and figure out when to push the square button to charge up and again to stab. Yet again, part of the challenge is staying on, because the colossi will try to throw Wanderer off. Thankfully, as you defeat colossi (and find lizards and fruit), health and stamina increase.
The game's sound is rather sparse. Yet again, this helps with the feel of loneliness as birds are heard chirping in the distance. Music pipes in when fighting a colossus, and it feels epic. It fits perfectly to the game's atmosphere. The voice acting is unusual. Let me explain: The characters do not speak English or Japanese; they speak their own fantasy language. Think Simspeak, Animalese and the mumblings of 12- or 13-year-olds. This forces you to look at the characters' faces, read the subtitles and listen to the inflection. I believe it makes the game even more emotional when the ending is finally reached. I can imagine a linguist having a field day with this game.
Overall, Shadow of the Colossus is an awesome game that everyone should play. From a technical perspective, it may not be something to write home to mom about, but from a creative standpoint, feel free to describe it in great detail to her. This is one of those rare games that has truly effected me like any good dream, though I may not be able to describe how. The game took me about nine to 10 hours to complete. There is a hard mode and a time-attack mode, which unlocks weapons to play with during colossi battles. This may not be the game that Ico fans wanted, but gosh darn it, just like Ico, I want more! Now I have two games that I want proper sequels to! I may not play it any time soon, but I look forward to my next journey with Wanderer and his horse.
