Shadow of the Colossus: Save a Princess, Slay a Mountain

The newest game from the makers of ICO is finally out. We all loved ICO and now the Shadow of the Colossus is the newest edition of must have games for Playstation 2. Many game developers are in the belief that Playstation 2 is the old school of gaming systems now that the Xbox 360 as well as the Playstation 3 is coming out later this fall/early next year. However, the Sony Computer Entertainment's team has released Shadow of the Colossus as a masterpiece on the Playstation 2.

The game is brilliant. Simply spot on in all aspects. First, we will talk about the graphics. If you thought ICO was beautiful then you will love Shadow of the Colossus. With the expansive landscape, you can investigate with your trusty horse. Yes I said it, your horse. ICO you pulled around a princess, in Shadow of the Colossus you ride your perfectly rendered black stallion. I've seen many of games that completely missed the mark on horse rendering. Whether it be the stumbling aspect of a legs that even Da Vinci struggled with or the over all mannerisms that would not quirlate with a real horse this horse has personality. Not here, Shadow of the Colossus shows how powerful the Playstation 2 really is. Of course, we look for more from the Sony Computer Entertainment's team when the next gen console Playstation 3 arrives early next year.

Game play for Shadow of Colossus is fun, intelligent, and action packed. I enjoyed the many things it had to offer. The only thing I really did not like was the camera. It was fumble and awkward to handle. My suggestion would be to not try to control the camera at all. Usually you can get through the game with the proper camera angles. Just adjust to the game as you play. The basic idea of the game is that you have a princess (that's how all great games start right?) that needs a good waking. How, you ask. It is simple really, you have to go and seek out the different Colossi and kill them. However, how do you slay a mountain? Each Colossus is a puzzle; you have to use your trusty sword to show you where you have to stab/shoot it. Problem being, it is usually on top of the Colossus head. You need to find each Colossi weakness and bring it down enough for you to climb up it. Of course, that is not the end. Otherwise, this game would be so simple. The Colossus will try everything to get you off it once you have achieved getting up on it. This means he will shake the area your at (head, leg, arm, where ever) until you fall off, then it will try to kill you either by stomping on you or whacking you with various objects.

The Shadow of the Colossus is one of those games that you can play for hours on end and not even know time had passed, which is excellent for any game. Shadow of the Colossus is a fun game letting most anyone pick up a controller and play relatively easy. However, Shadow of the Colossus is an intelligent game that will make you think, 'how the heck am I going to bring this mountain down.' Overall, Shadow of the Colossus is smart, brave, aesthetically beautiful, and it has a great story to boot. This is a necessity for any gamer.