Transporting
players into a distant mythical land, Shadow of the Colossus follows the
journey of an unnamed lead character on a quest to defeat a series of
mythical beasts known as the Colossus. As the beautifully rendered
prologue unfolds, players learn that the hero's motivations are pure. A
young maiden has been killed unfairly, and he sets her body on a slab in a
mysterious temple set in the middle of a strange and desolate land. While
he sets her down, a booming otherworldly voice informs him that there is a
remote possibility of bringing her back to life if he defeats all 16 of
the guardian beings that roam this twilight world between life and death.
Setting out into this adventure, he rides his black horse through a bleak,
almost otherworldly space as he tries to defeat these enemies. While the
over-arching storyline of a young man battling a series of seemingly
impenetrable foes owes much to classical literature, Shadow of the
Colossus' dreamlike, almost ambiguous setting allows players to project
themselves onto the noble quest. Reaching the end of each battle thus
gives you a strong sense of closure that's less like the ending of a video
game boss encounter and more like the closing of a unique chapter in an
ongoing novel. All 16 Colossus creatures themselves come in different
forms with each seeming to represent a different type of beast or animal.
A tremendous amount of symbolism and myth is invoked during the battles
with the Colossus. This makes the adventure seem like a spiritual journey,
with each level representing another step towards heaven or eternal life,
as represented by hero's hope to revive the dead girl.
In addition, there is a mystical sword
at his side, which shows him the path to set upon when he raises it up in
a lighted area. He can also raise his sword when near a colossus to expose
its' weak areas and use it to plunge into the Colossus, in hopes of
destroying them and unlocking some kind of curse. As the game begins, you
set off down the steps of the castle and find an evocative world. Once
outside the castle walls, you'll find that the expansive environments can
become a bit disconcerting, yet the temptation to explore remains. While
most of the areas are deserted, they are also quite beautiful with
gorgeous viewpoints, massive canyons and valleys, beautiful forests, lakes
and rivers, and many more areas to traverse. While the earlier battles
don't require you to journey very far from the main castle, later Colossus
are located at quite a distance, meaning you'll have to stop and let your
horse drink water or pray at temples to restore your health. Most of the
action occurs in real-time, with extended periods where nothing happens.
In most games, this could be disastrous, but the metaphysical aspects of
Shadow of the Colossus means these moments give you time to soak in your
environment, think about your mission and become one with your horse. By
creating these moments of introspection, Colossus creates a strong sense
of identification with the main character, allowing you to become further
involved in the storyline.
Shadow
of the Colossus has implemented a unique control system almost flawlessly
to create a minimal amount of screen interference with allows you to
immerse yourself in the experience. Few games have successfully
implemented such a system, but with such an immersive, evocative game
world, its lack of menus actually helps put you into the game. You have a
minimal choice of weapons, with either your bow and arrow or sword at your
disposal. Switching between these requires only the press of a button.
Controlling your horse is likewise naturalistic, you make it move faster
by kicking at its sides, and can slow it down or make it stand by pulling
back on the reins. This makes you feel like you are riding an actual
horse, with its natural rhythms and movements giving you a realistic
sensation of riding on its back. By creating a convincing sensation of
horseback riding, it allows you to feel like your character and the horse
are one, with the beast accompanying you on this epic journey. When you
encounter a Colossus, the controls are likewise simple. Climbing onto one
of these beasts can be an epic task, but you can hold on while it shakes
and moves around. This isn't as simple as it seems, since your grip will
loosen over time, making it easier for the Colossus to shake you off. You
will hear a beeping noise when you are about to lose your grip, and can
steady yourself by standing or crouching. In order to help position your
character better while on one of these massive creatures, you can use the
camera system to change the angle, getting a better perspective on the
action. It's difficult to get the hang of these controls at first, and
your first few times getting on will probably be a frustrating chore -
however, with persistence and practice, the game's rhythm will gradually
coalesce, making the task of holding onto the colossus a secondary
objective, allowing you to concentrate your energy on finding and
attacking the beast's weak points.
One of the most important elements that
makes Shadow of the Colossus stand out from other games on the market is
its naturalism, which extends to every aspect of the game. The way your
character appears, your interaction with your horse and finally the
monsters themselves feels incredibly accurate down to the smallest
details. Every element from rock formations, the climbs down narrow paths,
to the way water splashes and responds appears and feels quite rustic.
This helps to create a cohesive, believable world full of mystery and
intrigue. The environments themselves seem to stretch on for miles, and
you can fully explore the world between battles with the Colossus, though
there's plenty to see from point to point even if you decide to play the
game straight through. In keeping with the mystical feel, muted colors and
earth tones predominate, adding to the desolate landscape's intimidating
atmosphere. The developer's previous title, ICO is definitely an influence
on Shadow of the Colossus, with a great deal of nuance and subtlety in
approach. This helps to create an atmospheric experience where the world
itself feels very much alive. While you usually feel quite alone in the
world, you'll see the occasional bird fly by, to further the sense of
being in an actual world, not a static gameplay environment. The game's
use of lighting effects is also superb, with the bleached out
environments, glaring sunlight, and shadows used to give the world a
surreal, otherworldly feeling throughout. The most impressive aspect of
the graphics is the use of scale to create some breathtaking moments that
will leave you in a state of unbelieving awe at first. The massive size of
each Colossus and your character's relative smallness in comparison makes
each battle all the more exhilarating.
Tying
all of these elements together, Shadow's beautiful restrained soundtrack
mixes elements of classical music with traditional eastern sounds to
create one of the most beautiful scores heard in a video game to date. The
music follows the game's pacing as well, and the silence that accompanies
your long journeys is only punctuated by your horse's steps on the ground.
When you face off against one of the boss creatures, the epic score kicks
in - accentuating the battles' epic scope perfectly. The use of foreign
languages and subtitles for dialogue only adds to the game's mystery and
evoke a diametric world that feels simultaneously ancient and mythical,
paradoxically spiritual and dangerous. These elements coexist to create a
nearly flawless balance of differing emotions and feelings that draws the
player into a spellbinding adventure. The battles themselves are perfectly
paced, offering both strategic play in trying to reach the Colossus' weak
points, and brutal action, where you must combat the creatures on a very
real level, while avoiding their massive punishing strikes.
While this might seem like only a series
of boss battles, each Colossus presents its own unique puzzle, which
usually takes several intermediate steps to defeat. You usually need to
climb and attack several different areas of each foe. Add in the fact that
each Colossus you face require a almost completely different strategy to
defeat and you have a game that challenges players on many different
levels. This makes the game increase in challenge, as each Colossus is
larger and more complex than the previous one, posing an ever-greater
challenge. This could be frustrating, but you only need search out the
weak spots and reach them - making each battle feel winnable, even through
you may need multiple attempts to conquer your opponent. While most of
their weak points can be easily located, reaching these and holding on
long enough to attack presents an incredible challenge, especially later
on. From a pure gameplay standpoint, the structure of dividing the game
into 16 massive battles goes against what most modern designs offer, and
while it may seem simple on the surface, each Colossus offers enough
challenge and depth that would encompass an entire level in more
conventional titles. As stated earlier, there are also extended periods of
travel, exploration as you search for the Colossus, and this mixture of
Zen-like moments, and intense action creates one of the most unique gaming
experiences of the current generation.
While
some of the ideas in this game have been seen in previous titles, it
creates something original and fresh thanks to its superb implementation.
Instead of knocking you out with cheap special effects, the game's visuals
are used to create a believable world populated by sixteen different
super-sized monsters, each of which looks remarkably alive and detailed.
Their size and shape creates an immediate sense of mortal danger when they
appear, yet their deliberate movements make them seem almost sympathetic
on some level as well. You have to kill them all to bring back a single
life - something quite deep to ponder while you're stabbing them. There's
no doubt that Shadow of the Colossus is definitely one of the most
brilliantly realized, original titles on the PS2, with an imaginative,
artistic approach that sets it apart from most other titles on the market.
This unique approach to the gameplay allows for plenty of open-ended
exploration marked with some of the most intense, dramatic battles seen in
any game for some time. The dark edges of the storyline permeate the
entire game, creating a bleak yet beautiful experience that keeps you
engaged throughout. While many games have been hailed as innovative or
artistic over the past few years, very few have lived up to their
expectations. Shadow of the Colossus actually exceeds its billing by
immersing players inside one of the most imaginative, evocative, beautiful
and emotional games of the current generation. It easily exceeds the level
of detail and emotions it's predecessor Ico created, and its ambition
impresses by the sheer scope of its worlds and the beauty of the
experience. It's power to move and challenge the player, to mix two
distinctly different halves into a cohesive whole makes it all the more
impressive, making many current titles seem pale and empty in comparison.
-
Michael Palisano
