What happens when you have a title that totally alters the way people perceive videogames? When does a game go from being just a game, and transcends to something more; something artistic? Playstation 2’s ICO was one of those titles. Released in 2001, ICO was received with warm appraisal, but it never had the backing of a solid marketing strategy. It established a cult following, but even then, it went on unnoticed by many gamers.
It’s been four years since ICO’s shipping, and after much speculation and requests for a follow-up, the development team has finally delivered with Shadow of the Colossus, previously known as Wanda and the Colossus.
Imagine mysterious, gargantuan creatures roaming the earth like Kain in Kung Fu. Expunge the image in your mind. Now think of a beast the height of a fifty story building, carrying a club 50-yards long. Believe it or not, that is a colossus. Double that size, attach wings and imagine it in the air; there you have another one of the sixteen beings you will encounter in Shadow.
Your task: to take these “animals” down. At your disposal: a magic sword that simply has the power to point you in the right direction during your quest. You may be asking the question “why?” That is one of the great mysteries surrounding this game. It is not certain why you are pitted against these creatures, and much like ICO, your imagination is left to connect the dots. One thing is for certain, a girl whose relationship to you is unknown, can only be revived by defeating all of the colossuses traveling the world.
Get rid of the conventional idea of fighting various peons to get to a colossus battle. It is far too expected from the action/adventure genre, and therefore, not fitting for this development team. No, you will come to blows with nothing but colossuses; absolutely nothing. That’s because the world you wander through to find these beasts is completely devoid of life, other than the various trees and shrubbery.
The world is completely open for you to explore. The development team has dropped areas in the game that serve as nothing more than a place to see. They serve no purpose other than to look beautiful and to let the player soak in the experience and recognize the hard work put into this title.
You travel throughout the world on Agro, your ebony horse. As aforementioned, you use your magic sword to guide you; by raising your sword in the air, the sun will reflect off of your blade and will create a beam of light in the direction of the next colossal clashing.
When you track the beast down, you are tasked with scaling his body, and discovering and attacking his weak spot, which can be found the way you find the beasts.
Shadow of the Colossus is a game everyone who is even remotely interested in games should experience. So if you desire something more than just a videogame, Shadow of the Colossus, which is scheduled to release on October 18, is what you are looking for.
