Shadow of the Colossus is one of those Japanese games that caught the attention of most PS2 gamers. It was an exclusive like no other -- somewhere stuck between the gameplay of Dark Souls, Legend of Zelda, and Dragon's Dogma, and before two of those games even existed. It had the brutal balancing of King's Field, and controls equal parts oddly intuitive and awkward like out of Metal Gears Solid. I finally got to find a copy of the game, and not only that, but a brand new copy. I've so far beaten the first four Colossi in about two or so hours. These are my impressions thus far.
Why hello there! -- OW! STOP SHOOTING MY FEET YOU ***!
I didn't know what to expect with this game. It defied standard genre and, well, was one of those few iconic games that seemed to transcend most boundaries. It was made by a studio that beforehand had made only one other game. It was a world with only like 16 or so enemies. I had heard both awful and fantastic things about it, so I was, for once, left to my own devices as to how I perceived the game. I had no preview explaining the gameplay or spoiling a section of the game. I had no hints or real guides besides the tutorials and instructions the game gave me. It was an unfiltered experience, and I think that's really how you should play it. I will honestly try my best to not spoil any of the campaign as I have thus far played.
The simple controls are brilliantly handled. Instead of complex control motions (I'm looking at you, MGS2/MGS3) like some of my other PS2 games, almost every action is a single button press. You aren't doing a dance just to fire a bow or swing a sword, but your ability to intelligently use them will define how much an asset each tool is. Similarly, your horse can be a great ally or a pain in the arse, at least partially dependent on how good you are at controlling him (clearly -I- am not meant to be a cowboy).
The atmosphere of the world takes you back to that first moment you say Peter Jackson's vision of Middle Earth. The vast vistas, the bending hills and tight valleys, the grand mixtures of light and dark are all present here, included with a limited but well paced and used soundtrack. Venturing the world is also amazingly easy, and you can find areas long before you'll ever need to kill a Colossi near them. I must have crossed a good fifth of the map trying to find one, and managed to get where I was headed even though it was in the complete opposite direction.
Dear Rocksteady/Ubisoft/WB Montreal -- this is what a boss fight looks like.
Platforming is included as well, and is necessary to combat the titanic foes you meet. Scaling one of them is an intense game unto itself, before you even get to fighting them. The addition of puzzle like weaknesses and a sense of freedom in your attack is wonderful. Sure, maybe that weakspot on the head will do the trick quick, but you keep getting knocked off it, so instead you stab it a thousand times in the side until it gives in. It's up to you -- the only fail state is to die in the process. Not only does the game fight rather fairly with you, it gives you plenty of advantages other games wouldn't. Rarely has something like boss fights intrigued me the way these battles have. It was downright addictive, although
I am aware there is a twist ending, so I am keeping my eyes wary for that. Until that time, I'm giving SotC a 9/10. Even with blurry graphics due to my TV resolution, it is one of the best games I've ever played.
And yes, I'm aware there was an HD re-release. I can deal with blurry textures if it means five bucks less.
Cheers,
Paradigm the Fallen
Something philosophical, I dunno, I'm writing this late at night again.