Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2587 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2006-02-17
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Review:

In a nutshell:
In a world of identikit sequels and licenses this game stands alone. Cast as the mysterious Wanderer you are charged with destroying sixteen colossi – gigantic and apparently invincible stone monsters. Each colossus has a weak point though and by climbing onto them and exploring them like moving castles you may have a chance to save your sweetheart.

The lowdown:
This game really does look and plays like nothing else, with a game world as large as the colossi which you can only explore via your trusty horse Argo. The graphics are fantastic, both technically and in terms of artistic design, and the melancholy atmosphere utterly unique. The colossi look particularly amazing, as you reach barely to the toe tops of most of them. The method of killing each one is perhaps not quite as varied as it could be and it’s a shame that there’s not anything to do in the overworld except travel to the next colossi, but the overall gaming experience is unparalleled.

Most exciting moment:
Your first sight of a colossus, as you realise the end-of-level boss is the level.

Since you ask:
This game is by the same team behind cult hit ICO, although a connection between the two stories is only evident at the very end of the game…

The bottom line:
One of the most beautiful and original video games ever made.
HARRISON DENT

Manufacturer's Description
As a lone horseback traveller, your destiny is entwined with that of a lifeless young girl who lies on an altar within a vast temple. The girl is helpless, her soul has been lost and there is only one way to retrieve it

Following a voice from the heavens, you embark on a dark and dangerous quest to seek out and slay the enormous wandering monsters that roam this strange world. Only you can defeat these formidable Colossi, and in doing so, only you can bring life to the girl who lies waiting on the altar.

Each beast is immense in size and strength, the team's new and unique motion control system giving an incredible depth of motion density. The 'Organic Collision Deformation' system enables the player to grasp and climb the Colossi with precision, stealth is also essential in navigating these ever changing, moving and dangerous terrains. You must climb these terrifying beasts and strike the deathblow that will bring them crashing to the ground. However, slaying such fearsome opponents is no easy task before these enemies can be toppled, you must first discover how to defeat them. And the challenge does not end there; after you have slain one monster you must begin the demanding task of finding the next&

The monsters in Shadow of the Colossus present the game player with one epic terrain but another is the world they inhabit. With only your trusty horse, Agro, for company, you must explore lonely plains, mountains, lush countrysides, sinister lakes, great caves and ancient ruins. Each Colossi is unique, organically reflecting the environment in which they reside. Each one you track down takes you one step closer to discovering your destiny and the fate of the girl who remains motionless and oblivious throughout.

An intense journey of exploration, puzzle solving and eerie battle, Shadow of the Colossus also includes the distinct, highly-acclaimed graphic style that came to prominence in ICO, making this an absorbing voyage of discovery with some of the most picturesque landscapes and formidable enemies ever to be seen on PlayStation 2.

Customer Reviews

A poetic, lyrical and beautiful game.
Shadow of the Collosus is a original concept for a game, which is quite a rare thing these days. The game has you riding accross a huge landscape on horse back, guided by sunlight reflected off your magical sword. You must find and destroy 16 massive beasts which roam this massive land. Why? To revive a dead girl. And repeat. You follow the same routine for each and every collosi, with no other foes inbetween, which is just as well. If the developers would have tagged on some enemies inbetween the main battles it just would have been an unneccessary diversion and would have fractured the pace of things.
Dont expect the game landscape to be anything like, say, San Andreas for example. It is huge,yes, but your not going to be compelled to explore every nook and cranny of this environment.
It can be a pain to find the collosi too, you are often led to sheer cliff faces or immpassible gorges and get lost in this enormous world which can be a chore to get out of. Your trusty steed is a joy to ride and feels like you are actually riding a horse.
The game really comes alive when you eventually come across one of the various collosi, which range from massive lumbering, hairy trolls, to giant birds and smaller bull sized terrors. You somehow have to mount these beasts, which is where some of the puzzling elements come into the game. For example you might have to scale some ruins and jump onto the collosuses' sholders from above. You then have to grip on for dear life unless you will fall off for sure. The collosi have various weak points dotted around their bodies which wou must stab to kill the collosi. When you see one of these magnificent beasts falling heavily to the geound with bone crunching force, dead, you actually feel sorry for them and you actually question yourself about killing your enemy. How many video games make you feel like that?
There are some slight gripes though, like getting lost in the huge world (the horrifficly bad map doesn't help things) the controlls feel alien at first (but you soon warm to them) and the frame rate makes the game look jumpy from time to time. Oh, and the last collosi (without wanting to reveal too much) is a an absolute nighmare to defeat, with a hugely fiddly section where you have to climb on its hands. Be warned.

Overall, in a market which is dominated by gritty urban tripe like the utter rubbish 50 cent bulletproof, its nice to leave behind the drab, grey, urine soaked, carbord box inhabited alleyways. Its nice to say "save it for another day, homie" and wave good by to modded up sports cars and sweary "adult" cutscenes and a cast of cliched characters who no one even cares about. Dont get me wrong, San Andreas is my all time favorite game, but isnt it nicer, for once, to play a beautiful magestic labour of love? And not some second rate unoriginal GTA clone? I think so.
Graphics 10/10
Audio 8/10
Gameplay 9/10
Lifespan 9/10
Overall 9/10

A Masterpiece
Having had the honour to play this on import I feel overwhelmed to pursuade as many of you as possible to buy this game NOW! I don't understand why it isn't being released til February but i insist that you pre-order. This game is spell-binding from its awe-inspiring presentation, unmatched score and unique gameplay. The story is of a young warrior who is trying to save his lost love. To do so he must find and defeat 16 amazing Colossi with the aid of his horse Argo. To say much more would spoil a game that demands to be experienced firsthand. From the intriguing opening to the heart-wrenching finale this game is AWESOME! One of the great games of our time.

Majestic
Shadow of the colossus is a game like no other. Think of any game you've played and it will not be simlilar to this game. Basically you are a boy/teenager/man i don't really know but anyway. You have a dead girlfriend and to revive her a voice from the heavens tells you you have to slay 16 colossi. And these things are BIG.

Graphics: Stunning. The landscape is awesome. A particular place where i noticed this is when i was riding across a land bridge to find colossus 2. And WOW. The view was stunning! You have to see it becuase I'm not going to tell you what it looks like! The only gripe I have with is that close up the characters can look blocky.

Sound: This is again, brilliant. Its context sensitive. This means that when you wander around looking for the colossus its all silent (adding to the feel that its you alone in isolation) but when you are fighting the colossus its goes all powerful and orchestral. Then finally when the skyscraper sized monster comes crashing down it brings in some sad music.

Gameplay: Although riding around can be tedious (although with the best horse animations ever!) the battles with the colossus are spectacular. I love the feeling of 'how am i supposed to kill that?' and then the huge 'AHAH!'. A word of warning though. The first colossus may seem underwhelming.

Originality: Honestly? Did you read the start of my review?

Learning curve: The controls and dodgy jumping physics can take a bit of getting used to but the game is not too easy or hard.

Lifespan: Quite a long game but not much replay value.

Overall: AWESOME GAME! BUY IT NOW!! That is... if you have some time on your hands...