Retro recall: Shadow of the Colossus – A boy and his horse
Shadow of the Colossus is one of a kind. This is the type of game that shouldn’t have been greenlit, because the premise is just too weird, too “unmarketable”. Fundamentally a boss rush game before boss rush games were cool, Shadow of the Colossus was clearly a game aimed at a very specific group of players. One of very good taste.
And yet, it’s amazing. It was revolutionary and wasn’t cloned in the same way that other hits are. This is a testament to the talent of the developers, who were able to create a game unlike any other. Shadow of the Colossus is videogaming history, and that is why we’re about to get a PS4 remake in 2018, after a first remaster in 2011 for the PS3.
What is it?
It’s incredibly easy to describe Shadow of the Colossus and yet utterly fail at doing it any justice whatsoever. For something that looks so simple on the surface, this is an impressive feat and a game that has rarely been rivalled, let alone surpassed.
In Shadow of the Colossus, you control this mysterious young man named Wander who enters a forbidden and apparently dangerous land. He is tasked with taking down sixteen huge creatures known as colossi, something that should bring a girl named Mono back to life. There is nothing else to do apart from exploring the vast landscapes, locating these colossi and defeating them, one by one, with your trusty sword. There are no side-quests, no characters to talk to, no upgrades whatsoever – it’s only the tale of a man versus sixteen colossi, David and Goliath style.
Only much, much worse.
To take down these creatures, you first must locate its weak point and take advantage of it. Obviously, it’s not as easy as it seems, as most of the time you must climb on the colossi and hang on to dear life, as it tries to shake you off. Some colossi will take you to the skies, while others will go underwater, all of this in a desperate attempt to get rid of you, this tiny ‘flea’.
You will create an emotional attachment to your faithful steed, Agro, and you will often take pity of the poor colossi as the most peaceful of them slowly crumble to its death. It’s a harrowing experience, one that will haunt you for quite some time, especially because… well, read on.
Who made it?
Shadow of the Colossus is the work of Team ICO, a division of Sony. It was responsible for the memorable game Ico, as well as the more recent The Last Guardian. This team is known for its artful approach to gaming, minimal dialogue and for avoiding cluttered environments or stories, opting for worlds and characters that speak for themselves. Fumito Ueda is the lead designer of all the three games, but he departed Team ICO in 2011.
There is absolutely no news on what the studio could be working right now.
What makes it a true classic?
It’s impossible to describe what makes Shadow of the Colossus one of the most remarkable games ever designed. The feeling of loneliness as you explore such a forsaken, yet mesmerizing land is daunting, your first look at a colossus is something that becomes engraved in your mind, and the final showdown is one that could make a big man cry.
The colossi are just beautiful, organic creatures who are mostly peaceful beings minding their own business, until you come barging in and unleashing devastating attacks on their weak points. It’s a shame to see such majestic creatures ceasing to exist, and this could almost be a lesson in life for some of our endangered species.
And this takes me to a point that I must mention, one huge spoiler that makes Shadow of the Colossus even more impressive. In this game, you start by thinking that you are the good guy, the one taking down horrible beasts that have no place in the world. However, the ending proves that it’s not like that at all, and you’ve been slaying peaceful, guiltless colossi for your own intents, without any second thoughts for your actions. It’s an ambiguous ending, somewhat open to interpretation, but it remains very clear that this time you’re not the ‘hero’. Far from it. Spoiler ends
This is a masterpiece. It has to be, as for a game to get a remaster and a remake, it must be truly special. If you have played it before, you probably never forgot about it; but if you’re one of the lucky few who will be playing it for the first time in the new and improved PlayStation 4 revamp, then I envy you – you’re going to experience one of the best games ever with improved visuals, while hopefully retaining the majestic feel from the original.
Trust me, the first time that you see each one of the new colossus is videogaming history by itself.
Platforms: PS2 (original release)
Release date: 2005
Publisher: Sony
Developer: Team ICO
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Me perdí el remaster en ps3 y ahora me perdere el remake de ps4, lastima, es sin duda es uno de los mejores juegos que e jugado
No doubt about it, it's a masterpiece.
Well, that sounds pretty cool, but, unfortunately, I don't own a PS4 :(
You can always find it on PS3. Or PS2 :)
Of course, I'm expecting the PS4 version to offer an improved experience (visuals, controls, frame rate...).
I don't own those either. So if I were to buy a console, it'd be the latest :p
So, PC Master Race then, eh? *high five xD
Kind of. Consoles don't offer enough appeal or freedom for me. But I get they're a good alternative, though for me, they're mostly better than PC on sports games and party games. Though, unfortunately, the latter seem to be few and far between
Well, I've always been a PC guy (before that, I was a ZX Spectrum and Commodore Amiga guy), but work started to throw consoles my way. I like some exclusives, but I can't get around the fact that the PC always has the best of it - graphics, indie gems, all the tools you need for almost every kind of work, and so on.
If someone buys a console because of this Zelda or that The Last of Us, it's fine; However, I wouldn't buy a system for a single game, ever, with so much that the PC has to offer.
Many gamers may differ, but for me the PC is the ultimate games/work combo.
Exactly! I hove no ill will towards people buying consoles for their exclusives, but for me, it's not worth it overall.
But more power to them, let them enjoy their games! I'm more of a jack-of-all-trades, when it comes to tools, and the PC is better in all of these aspects. I can go without one game, my backlog is big enough as it is :)
Shadow of the Colossus really was one of the best games released on the PS2. What I remember being the most impressive about the game was it's shear sense of scale.
Walking up to one of the Colossi was intimidating and overwhelming. And the fact that the only way to defeat each boss was to climb on top of them as they walk around trying to shake you off was exciting!
After the fact a few games used similar mechanics such as the God of War series and Castlevania Lords of Shadow, which were good games in their own right. But they never really lived up to what Shadow of the Colossus did.
This is definitely one of a kind, the design was just brilliant. I'll admit that the controls could be frustrating and some battles were daunting, but what a sense of scale, as you said. What a feeling!
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Really enjoyed this up to one huge spoiler which meant I couldn’t finish reading your review!
I played a little of this on PS Now recently and am looking forward to the PS4 version.
It did make me sad to kill the colossi! I’m glad I’m not alone.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. The spoiler bit pretty much ends where the image begins, so you can read the final part (after the image, starting with "This is a masterpiece."). I'll make a note where the spoiler ends to make it clear.
I really felt like those creatures shouldn't be slain, most of them are just living their lives until we go over there to fight them. But it's this ambiguity that also makes it a great game.
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Watch my COD WW2 https://steemit.com/callofduty/@szr52/an6yevos