Shadow Of The Colossus

A young man must travel across the world to defeat sixteen huge creatures. That's the tagline for Shadow of the Colossus, and its simplicity matches the game's execution. The development team has managed to fit a lot into its limited setup, focusing on detail and perfection rather than lots of mediocrity. Throughout the course of the game, for example, you only have access to two weapons: a sword and bow. You never earn more equipment, you never upgrade them, but none of that is needed. In the action-adventure genre, Shadow leans more towards the latter, until you reach one of those fabled colossi. They make for some of the most compelling and inventive fights in a video game, the next target constantly innovating on the last until you're left staring in awe. To create such an impact, the game has had to cut back on some of the staples of current video games, but that somehow doesn't take away from the experience. There's hardly any dialogue and only a few characters, barely a story other than the thread from one monster to another. By all accounts, that should make it a very dumbed down, emotionless play, but that's just not the case. The strip back of those elements creates a sense of loneliness; a stalwart warrior with just his horse and the open countryside for company. The world around you shines like a work of art, a masterpiece of its time. It doesn't give you much guidance, and you don't need it, because exploring is a reward in itself. Then, suddenly, you'll spy a seemingly insurmountable colossus. The music picks up, the sword comes out, and you're left smiling like an idiot as you try to figure out how the hell you're supposed to fight it.