Shadow of the Colossus was created and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Released for the PS2 in the year 2005, the game is made as a spiritual successor to Ico, also a blockbuster title. Considering the game garnered mostly positive feedback from the community, it’s worth a try sharing the work of art that is Shadow of the Colossus.
The game places the players in the role of Wander, a young man whom together with his trusted steed, Agro, venturesthevast and lonely expanse of a fantasy world in order to revive a dead maiden named Mono. Striking a deal with an entity named Dormin, Wander must now find and eliminate fourteen colossi scattered across the land in exchange for Mono’s revival. The story may look simple, but players would be surprised in the way the game portrays itself.
Taking advantage of the enormous landscape, the game plays in a third person view enabling the player to assess and plan each attack on the colossi. There are no other enemies in game, just sixteen boss battles with big bad colossi. In playing the game, players are subjected to a sequence of steps to accomplish the task at hand. First, Players navigate through walking or riding Agro to search for a colossus, players would often experience Wander tripping and stumbling, and Agro refusing to budge.
This may look irritating to some but it adds realism and feel in the game, showing that the characters are human and life-like.Second, after locating the colossus, players can identify its weak spots through Wander’s sword, and for players to be able to plan for an approach. And the third step is the most exciting and memorable part of all, taking down the colossus.
Players are encouraged to take advantage of the behavior of the colossi and the surroundings of which it inhibits. For example, a certain colossus constantly smashes the ground with its club, and because of that, players are given the opportunity to be able to scale the colossus and hit it where it hurts. After killing the colossus, the process starts all over again until the player kills the last colossus. And with these characteristics, Shadow of the Colossus is mostly considered as a puzzle/action game.
The presentation of the game would surely take players aback. It is not a graphically endowed game even at its time, but the way it uses the lighting, the environment, and the characters give way to emotion and immersion. Environment is presented to look similar to a rich and fantasy-like setting, populated with ruins, forests, pools of water, and the like.
Designed as a cross between stone and fur, these giants could serve as an exciting challenge, or an apparently unbeatable obstacle to the player. The feel of downing these hulking giants gives a sense of satisfaction and superiority and is truly an unforgettable experience. The sounds likewise, are also an integral part in giving the feel of the game.
The game soundtrack depends on the location and the situation of the player and may often encourage a calm or heart-bursting experience. All in all, the game’s creators have truly succeeded in creating a game with the feel and atmosphere of a “lonely hero”.
Shadow of the Colossus itself is a success worldwide. Garnering multiple awards and very positive feedbacks from critics and gamers alike including yours truly, would certainly recommend this game to fellow gamers. Also, the gaming community considers Shadow of the Colossus as a work of art and is often cited as an influential title.
