Shadow of the Colossus Review

Shadow of the Colossus is a rather difficult game to review for a couple very important reasons. First, it's hard to talk about the game without spoiling anything, something I'm going to attempt to avoid doing as much as possible. Secondly, trying to describe exactly what makes Shadow of the Colossus so fantastic is akin to trying to describe why the bodies of work of Picasso, Bach or Beethoven are unquestioned classics; you can do your best, but any of these examples must be experienced in full to truly be understood, and especially appreciated.

What isn't difficult, however, is stating that not only is Shadow of the Colossus an absolute must-play experience, but one of the most important games you'll come across anytime soon. Shadow is a true work of art, the likes of which we've only seen approached by a very, very small number of games. The closest thing that comes to mind is ICO, the studio's spiritual precursor to Shadow.

One thing that Shadow of the Colossus shares with ICO is its sense of solitude, one that overwhelms you with simultaneous feelings of calmness and despair. Whereas most games rely on scattering their environments with living and breathing creatures, intricate structures, various types of foliage and the like to bring their worlds to life, the near-complete lack of any of these in the world of Shadow of the Colossus forces you to essentially paint your own picture of how the world came to be as it is, why it is essentially a wasteland, or even a prison if you will, for the colossi that inhabit said land.

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In this, Shadow excels more so than possibly any title in the history of gaming. No game has done so much with so little, and no game has focused so much of its design and gambled so much of its experience on what essentially comes down to sixteen boss battles, the traveling to them between each fight and very little else.

But even with as simple a setup as this sounds, Shadow of the Colossus is an experience that is not to be missed. Shadow practically redefines the term "cinematic" in videogames, especially the sort where the player is in control during the entirety of the game.

At Whatever the Cost
You begin the game with very little setup. You're seen traveling across the game's exterior world before arriving upon an enclosed wasteland, setting forth within its central castle - one of the game's few man-made interior environments - and placing a clearly deceased girl upon a pedestal. You're then given a voiceover that explains that the land you're in is a cursed one, forbidden for any living creature to enter. But, great power also lies within this land, including the power to restore life to the dead.

You're then given the ominous task to defeat each of the sixteen colossi that roam the land, after which your female companion may or may not actually be brought back to life - don't worry, this isn't a spoiler; you're told this at the outset. You're told that it "may not be impossible" for her to come back, and you're sent on your way. The setup is pretty cool in that you're told that things may not end up exactly as planned and that your loved one may or may not come back to life, giving you doubt as to whether the massive task you're about to set out on is worth it or not. Doubt apparently matters not though, as you're determined to do whatever it takes to bring her back, which helps install an even greater sense of purpose for your actions as the player. You want to bring her back to life not only to complete the game, but to figure out who she is, why she had her life taken from her, and why she's so very important to you.

From the start of the game, you're armed with your sword, a bow, your horse and the clothes on your back. As your sword is said to be the only thing in the world that is capable of taking down the colossi you're after, it's pretty evident from the get-go that your small inventory is all you'll ever need and likely ever have access to throughout the game. The game instills a great "do with what you've got" attitude, and as such rewards you with a greater sense of accomplishment as you never really receive any extraneous help from the game via new items or the like. It's simply you, the colossi and the world around you.

Colossal Battles
As mentioned at the beginning of the review, it's hard to discuss many things that make Shadow of the Colossus great because most of said examples have to do with the various colossi themselves. You've likely seen - and via the demo, possibly beaten - the first colossus in the game. While he's pretty damn cool, he serves only as a very tiny appetizer for what the rest of the game has to offer.

While you'll have your favorites (mine are numbers seven and fifteen, while our Guides guru, Mark Ryan Sallee's, is number thirteen), there's little question that the game gets better and better as a whole as it progresses. Shadow of the Colossus constantly outdoes itself the whole way through. While one fight may make you wonder how things could get any cooler, the very next one will answer that question and turn things up a couple notches. By the time you reach the end of the game, you'll begin watching other people who have just started the game and shake your head, saying, "If you think that's cool, just wait." The torture, though, is not being able to say anything more than that because anything else would ruin what is easily one of the most wondrous, rewarding and constantly wowing adventures you'll experience anywhere.