It is hard to find words to describe this game as even if I listed off words like; immense, beautiful, majestic, vast or phrases like; heart wrenching, life changing, stunningly unique, enchantingly creative I’m afraid none of it comes close to how I feel about this game. Prior to Shadow of the Colossus there were no games that let the world speak for them, that allowed the camera to pan out across the vast spaces of open plains and mountains with no sounds but hooves on the ground and the breathy pants of its rider. No game dared to let its artistic value tell the story because, I imagine, gamers wouldn’t have ‘got it’ and it would have felt barren and lacking. Shadow of the Colossus feels barren, but it is most certainly not lacking.
Gameplay and plot
The storyline of Shadow of the Colossus is curious as there are very few words spoken and nothing is truly explained. You play a young man called Wander who has travelled a long way to a forbidden and sacred land with the intention of resurrecting a young woman called Mono, who he carries with him. After finally finding a temple in the centre of the land he lays her body out on the altar that rests at the end of the temple corridor. Above, an unseen voice speaks, telling Wander to look upon the sixteen idols of the temple and to destroy them by killing the incarnations of them; the Colossi. If he defeats all sixteen colossi then the idols shall fall and Mono’s soul will be returned to her body. As a final warning, Wander is told that he may pay a heavy price by the end of his quest, but Wander does not care. You are instructed to be on your way then, and the game begins.
You must now locate and kill, one by one, the colossi of the land. You’re initially given a vague clue about the particular colossi you’ll be encountering but this information alone won’t be enough to go on. The voice has instructed you that, to find them, you can use your sword by holding it up against the sunlight and following where the beams focus together. The map area is huge and quite often you’ll have to navigate through shadowy canyons or across spiralling cliff faces so it’s not quite as simple as just running in the direction of the beam To help you get around faster you have your one and only companion; Agro. Agro is an immense black war horse who plays a core role in the game as an indispensible ally, he may shield you from danger and gallop fast enough to catch up with some of the more evasive colossi you’ll encounter. There are certain hidden features of riding Agro; dangling off one side of him, standing up on top of his saddle so you can jump to greater heights or causing him to rear up and bolt forward into a full on gallop which extremely useful for quick escapes. Also, you can pat him on the neck to tell him he’s a good horse.
This game is unusual when placed alongside traditional games as it features no other characters other than the ones I’ve already mentioned. There’s nobody to talk to and, other than a few lizards and the odd bird, no other living creatures in the entire game. The content of the game is roughly divided into two aspects; finding each colossi and then working out how to kill it. You can find where the colossus is located in this huge world by standing in the sunlight and holding your sword up. The light will then shine off the sword and, by moving around, you’ll be able to focus the beams into one bright point which is the direction you’ll find the monstrous creature. If you’re in an area that’s bathed entirely in shadow then unfortunately you’ll just have to figure things out for yourself.
Once you’ve found the colossus then you have to work out how to bring them down. Each colossus has its own weaknesses and tends to be based on a type of creature such as a horse or an electric eel. In this sense the game is kind of a puzzle game as figuring out how to kill each colossi is a challenge in and of itself and, generally, they’re not easy to bring down. You’ll generally need to use the environment around you to help defeat them and since each colossus lurks in its own personal lair this can be very interesting since you’ll be using a different method for each creature. To actually kill a colossus you have to first find its weak spots by using your sword in the same way you found him in the first place to locate a type of glowing sigil on its body. There’s usually more than one sigil on each colossus so, once you’ve worked out how to climb onto him, you’ll need to move between the locations; scaling down furry backs or jumping up ledges of its armour. Colossi generally can’t just be walked up to and jumped on though so finding a pathway up will take a bit of thought. Once you’re actually on the colossi it can be very challenging to stay on them as they will do their best to shake you off and this depletes your grip meter. Wander can only cling on for so long so you need to find places to rest and allow the meter to refill itself, if the colossus shakes and throws you about to get you off then your meter will quickly deplete and, if it empties, you’ll be thrown aside like a little paper doll and will have to get back up there again, provided you aren’t stepped on first. No two colossi are alike and you’ll find yourself with a new challenge every time and some situations you find yourself can be, quite literally, breath taking.
To add a new dimension to the game you have the ability to go back and fight colossi that you have already defeated. After killing them you can return to the spot where they fell and find their fossilized and moss covered bodies, by interacting with them from here you can complete additional challenges. By completing enough of them, on either normal or hard difficulty, you can unlock additional things like a different coloured Agro and different weapon types.
Graphics and environment
Depending on which version of the game you’re playing the graphics will vary. The original PS2 game had graphics that were good for the time and age moderately but which don’t do the beautiful environments justice. They can be a little clippy, choppy and blurry in some parts which is a shame as it will naturally reduce the overall impact of the game. Despite this however they are still lovely and, after looking at it long enough, you begin to forget that they’re sub-par compared to more modern graphics. Shadow of the Colossus really does push the abilities of the PS2 console to its very limits though, and the frame rate has suffered a little though it’s still completely playable. The PS3 edition of the game features re-mastered graphics that are wonderfully high definition. The frame rate of the game has also been dramatically improved making it all run a lot smoother and consistently. Beneath the new, glossy exterior still lies the same beautiful game however and both editions stand in equal stead.
The environments of Shadow of the Colossus are breathtakingly majestic and you’re faced from the start with a seemingly endless world that you can explore at your whim. Everything is seamless and there are no loading screens as you transition between desolate desert landscapes and lush green forests dotted with tiny streams. The map is cold and empty, devoid of life aside from the odd bird and the occasional lizard. The main starting area of the land consists of vast open plains with craggy mountains surrounding the region, reminding you that this is not an area usually accessed by the living. Where some parts are bordered with mountains, others are bordered with shorelines that descend into deep, endless oceans as far as the eye can see and, standing atop mountains and looking out into the distance, you can see that this is truly a secluded place. There are plenty of curiosities in the landscape like the ruins of what appear to be man-made structures, long since abandoned, and it’s very difficult to determine what their original purpose would have been. When fighting colossi you will experience the very highs and lows of the land so you do truly get to see absolutely everywhere at some point or another. The game does have a hidden area however and it is one that will require a great deal of climbing and a lot of persistence if you’re to get there.
The colossi themselves are beautifully designed with defined characters and appearances depending on which animal or figure they represent. Whether they are organic or not is difficult to tell and their design reflects the ambiguity of their origin; partly made from rock and grass but also hair, fur and possibly metal. Once they are felled their body remains where you left it; moss covered and fossilized, now a permanent part of the landscape.
Audio and music
A lot of this game is completely silent with only the noises you yourself make by running around, whistling for your horse or grunting as you jump. It’s extremely atmospheric to wander through an empty landscape that is completely silent with no birdsong and barely any wind, whether that atmosphere is that of a dead world or a sacred one is up for interpretation.
The voice acting that is present within the game is very good. It’s all spoken in a pseudo-language so you must rely on subtitles to understand what’s being said but the booming voice in the temple is a very grand, steady and resonating voice that really does sound like some kind of God. Wander can shout and call to Agro and the level of his voice depends on how far away Agro is; he’ll shout if the horse is far and simply say it if Agro is beside him. Wander also has the ability to whistle loudly when Agro is too far out of range to call him, though the whistling is partially intended for calling Agro over from long distances it also serves to grab the attention of the colossi when you’re close by them. The shrill whistle cuts through the silence, or battle music, like a knife and it’s one of the few bits of audio that isn’t music. The rest of the voice acting is down to the grunts and gasps of pain that Wander emits as he traverses the landscape and colossi, so nothing too major and everything is very minimalistic when it comes to sound.
The music of the game is reserved for cutscene and your battles with the colossi and is another matter entirely; it is magnificent. Your first taste of the gentle choir and the harmonious orchestra is at the very beginning of the game as Wander travels to the temple. It’s a beautiful, haunting melody that suits the lonely journey perfectly and then, when he spots the bridge to the temple, it uplifts into something hopeful and optimistic. Later, when you fight a colossus the music rises in pitch and tempo. The battle music is strong and adventurous and really does add to the epic proportions of the battle you’re waging with the enormous creatures but then, when you’ve felled your opponent, the music too slopes into something sombre, sad and weary. The lack of dialogue in the game makes the music extremely important and it never disappoints. Each musical piece is suitable for the situation it arises in and is incredibly emotional. Truly, the music does wonders for this game and it’s an extremely strong companion to the visual backdrop you’re treated to and I think it’s safe to say the game would be incomplete without such a powerful orchestral soundtrack.
Overall
When games are designed to be pieces of art it can either work or it doesn’t, there’s very little in between because they need to have a powerful statement within them to be effective. Shadow of the Colossus most definitely works and not only is it wonderful to look at and to explore but it features engaging gameplay with an emotional storyline that leaves you wanting more. The Ico Team, who developed this game, have made very few games but every single one has been absolutely fantastic. Anybody who has not played this game is missing out on something extraordinarily memorable. Now that this game is available on PS3 it is most definitely going to be a cherished purchase of new gamers everywhere and, for me, it is the pride of my gaming career.
Score – 10/10
