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"Love it or Hate it" Game...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is one of those games that you either love it or hate it, there's really no middle ground and here's why...

To begin with, the cover of the game is telling you what you'll be facing...colossi, yes, sixteen of them in total, there's no "middle action" so if you are looking for something that's action packed, this might not be a game for you, because the only action you get is when you find a colossus. Here's why people give this game bad reviews, aside for having no middle action, looking for a colossi is sometimes a pain because you are guided by a single line of light which "points" in the direction of the colossi, but actually looking for him requires patient, trial and error will make you wander the vast, yes, QUITE VAST, terrain where all the colossi are. So why did I give it five stars? Well, the game rewards you with finding enormous beasts to fight with, the game is relatively easy at times, you find their weak spots and then try to figure out how to get to it, basic, yes, so why did they make it so easy? Maybe because this is one of those games where they're trying something new out, so they have to make it as basic as possible in order for people to warm up to it, if you're easily aroused to anger, don't play this game, it requires patience and there's really no masses of enemies, just 16 in total, although...the very last colossus is going to take quite a while to take down, or maybe even the other ones if you don't figure out what to do. All in all, rent before you decide to buy a game, it's the safest way to know whether you'll like or hate it. Guiding yourself by other reviews can only go so far, first hand contact with the game is the best way to go around.

Jesus Christ, this is a fantastic game...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: August 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

In the days where people play games to shoot random people and other stuff...It's nice to know there's still art in videogames. I loved this game. My brother heard about it and I rented it soon after. Wow...
Graphics: 10/10 Lovely, LOVELY, BEAUTIFUL! Enough said
Sound: 20/10 Music is so pretty. I love the orchestral going on.
Story: 7/10 The average, "Save the princess" game...
Controls: 8/10 Hard to deal with the horse. Easy when walking
Overall: 9/10 This is a beautiful game but it's upsetting it's so short. I can easily say this game introduced me into full-on puzzle games.
It does have something to do with Ico but no one really knows if it's a prequel, a sequel or anything...

Totally Original

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: November 16, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Yes, it's not a first person shooter, car racing game, and there is no super morphing powers. But this game is completely unique inasmuch as you are to topple GIANTS. The graphics are up to par with ICO, and there is considerably more intense action than ICO. Truth is, each colossus is a puzzle in itself. How will you take it down, how to get on it, how to maneuver, how will you hang on? I've killed 4 so far, and I am very worried about the next. It's a rush, and I believe that there is considerable replay value. The story is straight forward, but I can tell you, you'll be stressed and excited with each one you find to fight.
VERY NICE GAME! A visual feast and totally unlike anything I've ever played.

It's the size that matters........

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: December 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I was really blown away by this game. I thought it would be really boring . However , I was wrong . This game is really awesome, and this is a must buy for anyone who owns a ps2.

Let's start with the storyline . The game begins when a man named Wander comes into a temple , which is located in an isolated land. He enters , and places a dead girl on the altar. You're not told who she is , just that he really wants to save her . Then , he hears some kind of disembodied voice talking to him . It says that in order to bring this girl back to life, he will have to find and destroy 16 colossi that roam the land. Then , the game starts .

now throughout the game , the only enemies you'll encounter are these colossi. I know it sounds boring and repetetive , but hold on . The gameplay is more varied than you know . Each colossus has a different way in which you need to kill him , and the battles are very exciting . the only weapons you will have are a bow and arrow , and a sword (you also dont get to level these up , but again , you shouldn't worry about that). But killing each colossus isn't as simple as walking up to his foot and smacking it with your sword, or just shooting arrows at his body. Each of the colossi is an ENORMOUS monster , and it will have different vital points on it's body that you need to stab with your sword. These vitals are usually located high up on the colossus. You will need to climb up it's body in order to reach these vitals. Believe me , this is A LOT harder than it sounds. You will always need to find a way to climb on the colossus first , and you'll have to do a lot of thinking . This makes this game be a puzzle game in part , which is very fun . Like I mentioned before, these battles are really fun and exciting , and each colossus you beat will be funner than the last . when I was fighting the last colossus , I was thinking, "man , did I actually think the first colossus was cool compared to this ?" You will figh the colossi on land , in water , and even in the air , and every time you get on them , they will thrash about and try to throw you off. This adds a lot to the excitement . You also have a stamina bar , which decreases as you cling to the colossus's body , and if it drains completely , you fall off . that's why there are some points on the colossus where you can rest for a second. It's also very fun to use the bow , even if you cant kill the colossi this way , because you mainly just need to provoke them with it .

Now, another different issue is getting to the various colossi. The land you travel in is also HUGE , and you will need to use your horse to get to the colossi. Now , in order to find out where they are , you have to hold your sword up to the sun . This creates a long beam of light , and you need to go to the place where the light gathers. The environments are huge and expansive in details , and the graphics are also good. The only problem with the graohics is that the framerate gets a bit slow when the action heats up , but it's not enough to ruin this game .

The ending is also great , but I wont spoil it . Let me just say that it's very surprising , and you will be very shocked.
Overall this is a wonderful game , and any ps2 owner should definitely buy it . Just let me say a word of warning : I really recommend that you don't look at any guides or walkthroughs in order to beat this game. It just really ruins everything.

final boss battle

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: January 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

to the little girl below me, the final boss isn't that hard, you just are not very good. it's not fair to bring the games rating down because you can't figure it out!

Payoff? Or MacGuffin?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: December 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

One of legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock's techniques was the MacGuffin, in which an object or plot point would receive so much attention, but then suddenly it wasn't important anymore. Think of the briefcase in "Pulp Fiction", or the identity of George Kaplan in "North By Northwest".

Why in the world do I compare the suspense filmmaker to an artistic, subtle, and unique game like "Shadow of the Colossus"? Because sometimes enduring a seemingly repetitive plot point, or in this case the same fundamental gaming task, is not always worth the big twist.

I'm not here to compare this game to "Ico" (2001). The similarities are there, but regardless of whether or not this story has anything to with that game's tale, it has no bearing on why I like this game.

STORY
---We know only of a horse-rider who is journeying to this forbidden temple with a lifeless woman in his lap. For reasons we soon discover, Wanda (yep, his name is Wanda) can only resurrect this woman by defeating 16 monstrous stone creatures known as the Colossi (the titular foes). Why is he doing this? Is it worth battling 8 hours to find out? More on that later.

GRAPHICS
---The environments and landscapes are beautiful. Even if interaction is minimal, the vast expanse of the land Wanda must travel is a sight to see. Sand brushes as Wanda gallops through, and shadows are ever-present. The graphical acheivement of this game is the Colossus creatues. These stone beasts are monstrous, inventive, intimidating, and spectacular! Someone should get an award just for conceptualizing these creations. Wanda and Agro, his horse, look fine, but they aren't anything we haven't seen before.

SOUND
---There's not much music, but what's here is really good. The music is actually an interesting technique, because after Wanda defeats each Colossus, this tune that blends success and tragedy plays every time. It's not redundant, but actually quite haunting because using this same music is not a cop-out...it's toying with the gamer to give him a sense of unease. I'm not sure if the dialogue that is actually spoken in this game is Japanese, or if it's originally-written for the game. Either way, I'm not disappointed or blown away by it. It's just there...But anyway, the sound quality in this game is soft-spoken and gentle, but very effective.

GAMEPLAY
---Hunting and searching for the 16 Colossi is both boring and exhilerating. You get a sense that you're in for something big, so riding around with nothing to do but view the landscape doesn't seem so bad. The battles with the Colossi are breath-taking. Some of them are pretty straight-forward battles, but there are quite a few brain-teasers. If you complete the game, you'll have your favorites, and encounter a few that you don't really want to fight ever again. What's weird about this is that you are given clues to find the next Colossi, find it, kill it, then are transported back to the forbidden temple, and repeat the process but in different points of a vague map. Sound fun? To me, I had fun with the quest...but others won't agree.

CONTROL
---Here's going to be (or has already been)the problem that polarizes - the controls are not very tight. The camera doesn't always help, because it's semi-automatic. Wanda moves a little stiffly, and the horse-riding isn't as tight as one might want. Climbing and platforming work well enough, but could've been a little better. Now, the last thing you need is a skyscraper-size foe trying to pummel you (or eat, or electricute...whatever) when you can't see or don't feel in control of your bearings. The game plays fine and works well enough so that's it not a broken mess, but Sony's design choices are understandable, but not executed to perfection.

PAYOFF or MACGUFFIN?
---I don't want to give away too many details, so I'll be vague enough for the uninitiated, and try to speak to those who've already beaten the game. The ideas and twists at the end are great, but there's not enough sympathy (or hatred) against anybody to really feel any strong emotional impact. I liked what I saw, and loved the story that they went for. I just think the actual plot could've been given more depth. Here's my only comparison to "Ico"---"Ico" doesn't tackle any moral values. You find an angelic princess and escape together in a lovely tale. "Shadow of the Colossus" is obviously going for a morality edge, but doesn't completely fulfill that goal because not enough sympathy to the characters is built.

OVERALL
---While I enjoyed the game, and still recommend it for its undeniable strengths, you're gonna have to take this game with a grain of salt. It's a good game, and worth checking out. But since replay value is fairly minimal, plus since the experience is almost too unique, "Shadow of the Colossus" is probably best served as a rental.

Just Missed Being Great

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: April 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game was very good. The production values were exceptionally high. However, it falls short of being great. This is mostly due to the inconsistent control response.

Graphics: Graphics were pretty good. Some folks complain about the the frame rate. It does suffer at times, but it doesn't hinder gameplay. Some of the scenes and "set designs" are nothing short of epic.

Sound: Although there is little talking, the made-up language is interesting sounding. Sound effects are great, and score is A-grade movie quality. I believe this where the game shines the most.

Gameplay: This is where this game misses the 5 stars. When the controls respond the way they should they are tight. However, they don't always repond consistently for the same exact moves in the same exact area.

Replay: I heard so much about the replay value of this game; but honesty, it's not there. I beat the game and the ending scenes and story were very good. However, when I went to play hard mode and got to the first colussus, it was just "old hat" and only a little more difficult to beat than the first time around. I couldn't see playing the entire game over again.

All in all, this game has been given very high ratings by critics claiming it to be one the greatest games ever made; but I just don't see it. When I think of games that are truly great, I think of Ninja Gaiden Black, GTA: San Andreas, and Metal Gear Solid: Subsistence. With all of that said, I do still recommend playing this game. It is an enjoyable and unique experience.

Quite an experience...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: November 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is quite a game, very different from any other game I've played. You have to play it to get the feel for why this baby's received so much praise.

The story starts with not much more than a nameless hero who is told by some mysterious voice that if he destroys 16 colossi he might have an opportunity to bring back to life a girl that has passed on - a girl he clearly loved. From then on you simply ride through vast lands looking for these massive beasts, with nothing more than your bow and arrow and your trustworthy sword. Once you locate one, you must strategize to find the monster's weak spot, bring it down, and move on to the next one.

The unique story, the mystery behind our "hero", coupled with the rich, gloomy environment and the breathtaking detail and size of the colossi you must battle, made it very easy for me to become immersed emotionally throughout this quest. I even felt weird ultimately as the game wrapped up, given the sad ending and the overall feeling of loneliness the game gives you as there is no interaction with anything alive other than your horse and the colossi during the game, yet you must sometimes ride for 20 minutes or more through this detailed environment which for reasons unknown is completely deserted.

So you should see that this isn't your typical, quick, slash em' up game. This puppy requires patience, and a lot of it at times, but those that do stick with it should be rewarded by a powerful story and a wonderful gaming experience.

Shadow of the Colossus

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Wow... where to begin? Let me start off by saying It has been awhile since I've played a game that wowed me, and this one did it and then some. This is a great game! Shadow of the Colossus does a wonderful job of pulling its gamer into a world of vast and beautiful landscapes. After a few minutes of playing, you'll forget that you're playing a video game, and you have to love a video game that can do that.

Shadow of the Colossus is all about the enormous monsters you must find and destroy. Sixteen total and these guys are as big as skyscrapers. Not only that, but they are frightening to say the least. Your palms can't help but sweat a little during a battle, and this is due to the intense visuals that fill your screen while playing. These things are huge, and they look awesome. I spent a good hour on the third colossus which sounds horrible, but seriously, I want to go back and fight him again. Why? Play the game and you'll find out.

Quick note: I was hesitant towards purchasing this game because I was under the impression that you had to wonder around a huge world to find a Colossus. Not true. It's extremely easy to find them. You're given a magical sword that will point you in the direction towards a Colossus. So far it's taken an average of five minutes to get to each battlefield.

I remember reading all the Amazon.com reviews and thinking to myself, can this game be that good? Five stars here, five stars there. [...] gave Shadow of the Colossus 9.7 stars; [...], 9.6. I had high standards based off of the majority of reviews written for Shadow of the colossus and in my personal opinion, the game is everything I expected it to be.

If you can, get a hold of Playstation's Underground Jampack Volume 13. The disk has a playable demo of Shadow of the Colossus. I found it used for only five dollars, so if you're not wanting to fork out forty bucks for a game you're not sure about, play the demo disk first.

Take it from a fellow gamer though. This is a great game. I've played Ico and every Zelda game known to man. While third person adventure games wouldn't be my absolute favorite, I still found Shadow of the Colossus to be quite a treat. I Highly recommend this game!

''Possibly one of the greatest games ever made for any system! ''

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I have played my share of action,adventure games.One of the greatest games I believe is "METAL GEAR SOLID".MGS had one of the smartest and clever stories in gaming history.The greatest game possibly made is "GRANDTHEFTAUTO:SAN ANDREAS" In my personal opinion!But just when I thought great games were over with the ps2 system......BAMMM "Shadow of the colouses.Wow what a game to behold..I mean I never knew anything about this game..till my best friend called me over to show me this game in action.I was like 'Iam getting this game right away.First off SOTC grapics are like any Ive seen before in any system.Amazing graphics and the sound thats another story.When I started to play this game...I was pointing my sword out towards the sun ...and a beam of light lead to this mountain I saw from afar.I went to the top of the mountain and I heard the floor rumbling I saw this huge skyscraper tower, giant walking past me.I was like wow who is that?And what is that?Is that GOD!?I can say no more that is all I can tell you about this game.All I can say is if you dont own a ps2 buy it and then buy Shadow of the colouses.If you dont own this milestone of a game an epic..you need to get your ass up and buy it quick you wont regret it!

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