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Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
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| Description:
In a nutshell:
In a world of identikit sequels and licenses this game stands alone. Cast as the mysterious Wanderer you are charged with destroying sixteen colossi – gigantic and apparently invincible stone monsters. Each colossus has a weak point though and by climbing onto them and exploring them like moving castles you may have a chance to save your sweetheart. The lowdown:
This game really does look and plays like nothing else, with a game world as large as the colossi which you can only explore via your trusty horse Argo. The graphics are fantastic, both technically and in terms of artistic design, and the melancholy atmosphere utterly unique. The colossi look particularly amazing, as you reach barely to the toe tops of most of them. The method of killing each one is perhaps not quite as varied as it could be and it’s a shame that there’s not anything to do in the overworld except travel to the next colossi, but the overall gaming experience is unparalleled. Most exciting moment:
Your first sight of a colossus, as you realise the end-of-level boss is the level. Since you ask:
This game is by the same team behind cult hit ICO, although a connection between the two stories is only evident at the very end of the gameâ?¦ The bottom line:
One of the most beautiful and original video games ever made.
HARRISON DENT
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5/5 |
Personally The Best Game Ever Made
(August 05, 2008) |
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Well first of all this game is totally different from any other game you would have played. The size is enormous, probaly near to the size of San Andreas and the graphics on this are beautiful. The gameplay is short though. The first time I completed this it took me about 5 hours I think but this is the sort of game which will make you want to go through more than once. You don't fight any sort of creatures in this game apart from the Colossi themeselves. There are sixteen in total and you fight them one after another. When you fight one you have to find a way to climb on them and then you have to find there weakness before you can kill them. The main character (Wander) does all this for a loved one (Mono) who has been sacrificed or something for being cursed. You don't find out much about it, just that you have to defeat all sixteen colossi in order to bring her back from the dead. As you progress through the game and defeat more Colossi Mono's body starts to get more life and looks a little less dead after every Colossus beaten however the more you beat the more Wander's body start's to look more pale and he even grows a set of small horns. There are all sorts of different Colossi. There are ones that live on land, flying colossi, colossi that live in the water, colossi that are like giant bugs, giants, small doglike colossi and even flying sand colossi. Each of them never leaves there territory and some will attack you as soon as you approach them and some won't attck until provocked. This is a one-off game which you probaly won't find any other game like and if you do it won't be as good as this. This is by far the best game ever on PS2, maybe even one of the best games ever made. To me this is the best game ever made. |
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5/5 |
Profound
(July 20, 2008) |
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The review title says it in one word but I shall continue, I am returning to this game after a one year break. I sold my ps2 and all games for a ps3, after a slew of average ps3 games I purchased this again to play on the PS3. It runs on my first gen ps3 fine, be aware later models cannot run ps2 games.
The game is the most moving video game ever and I've been playing games for 25 years, totaly unlike any other I have played. Great story and amazing colossi that fill the screen, great landscapes. This game is a work of art, the soundtrack is also awsome. So good in fact I have purchased the cd.
Don't miss out its a gem and one that will become much sought after in later years as people realise how good it is.
Enjoy |
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5/5 |
One of the best
(July 10, 2008) |
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After the awesome ICO, the followup is a bold change in direction and is the most unique adventure game I have ever come across.
The finale is one of the most moving moments in videogames, a game that I have played over and over again as it is always a challenge but one that is an incredibly rewarding experience. Like Okami, this is a game that MUST be experienced |
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5/5 |
A beautiful and poignant masterpiece
(June 24, 2008) |
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I feel I owe this game a great deal, for it has restored my faith in gaming on the basis of art, storytelling, an epic sountrack and, of course, superb gameplay. Too much of what we see in the gaming charts nowadays are the hallmark of generic mediocrisy. Flashy games with impressive graphics and lots of guns, trying to hide their abysmal lack of depth. Well, SOTC breaks the trend.
You play as Wander (Wanda), a young swordsman from a small rural village. The game opens with him and Agro (his horse), and an unknown woman wrapped in cloth (dead, as we shall soon find), making their way across an immense bridge towards a temple. The original premise of the game is deceptively simple; that Wander falls in love with the maiden, she is killed in a ritualistic act for reasons unknown, and he untertakes an epic quest to bring her back to life, by stealing the Ancient Sword from the shaman of the village. We then meet Dormin, an entity whose morality is questionable. He/She tells Wander that to bring her back to life, he must find and slay 16 colossi using the Ancient sword. What follows is 16 of the most original and imaginative boss battles you will ever see. Every colossi is unique, requiring a combination of puzzle solving and action orientated gameplay. The main issue is how to get onto each one in the first place, in order to find the weak spot and strike home the fatal blow.
What is most striking about this game is the emotional bond we have Wander, and your sole companion, Agro. As you travel through the immense, barren scenery looking for the next colossi, you feel glad to have your horse at your side. Also, you begijn to question the reasons for killing the Colossi, in fact you begin to feel sorry for them; you are the cause for the demise of these majestic creatures. They rarely strike the first blow, only when threatened. A question of morality seeps into the gameplay.
The ending is perhaps the most maserful piece of storytelling I have witnessed, save MGS4. Everything comes together; What is Dormin? Does it fulfil its promise to Wander? What are those black strings that enter Wanders body once he beats a colossi? And, for Ico fans, this chronological prequel explains the origins of the horned civilisation.
This is a beautiful game that deserves to be revered for what it is; a poetic masterpiece of imaginative splendour.
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2/5 |
Not a Shadow on Ico
(May 27, 2008) |
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Being the prequel...or is it sequel to Ico (one of my all time favourite games - see my review), I was really looking forward to this but something held me back which was why I only bought it recently.
Sadly, my instincts were right and I was very disappointed with it, mainly due to the poor controls and gameplay. Unlike say Tomb Raider, where you jump onto a ledge and Lara hangs there all day until you release, with SOTC you have to hold the button down to actually stay on the colossi, then release and jump to progress upwards. Doing this on a moving colossi with iffy camera angles is frustrating and ultimately not much fun. Get to the top and misjudge and you're back on the ground getting trampled. When you do make it to the weak spot, basically you just stab. And stab. This isn't very enjoyable either, nor is the alternative of shooting your pretty feeble arrows.
Riding the horse is not as much fun as it sounds either, once you've worked out which direction you're meant to be going of course. The mounting and dismounting is just plain clumsy.
This has neither the charm or soul of Ico, is frustrating to play, and overall was a poor gaming experience for me.
In it's defence, it looks the part, the scenery is fantastically rendered but beauty is only skin deep.
2 stars - mainly for the excellent graphics and different gaming approach, but one that did not work for me - on any level. |
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