Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus is a breathtaking tale that speaks very little words. A story that is wondrous and magical, without ever really making itself clear. A game that has always been highly regarded as a masterpiece, this 2017 remake of the 2005 game is exactly what this generation of gaming needs. With its stunning environments, it's updated gameplay mechanics and controls, and what I very much consider to be one of the best gaming soundtracks of all times, I'm so excited for PlayStation fans who never got to experience this masterpiece the first time round. Looking more beautiful than ever, Shadow of the Colossus is no longer the frustrating, hand-aching game that I remember it being. Always beautiful, but always incredibly hard to control. This time round the frustration was minimal, and controls much easier than The Last Guardian.

It's so bizarre to say that this game has an incredible story, despite it not really telling you anything. You are dropped into this world as Wander; a boy, with his horse Agro, and you're carrying a girl in a white dress to a platform in a decrepit building. You're told that to save this girl you must defeat this massive, intensely beautiful Colossi, and that's what you're left with. Each Colossi fights with their own intense soundtrack, and intriguing puzzles that make them all challenging on their own ways. Although the core mechanic of "stab the glowing part" is the same, no two Colossi really feel similar. Shadow of the Colossus has its own twists and turns, that all lead me to the ending cutscene in tears; the story itself is deep, and emotional, but doesn't truly reveal itself till the very end, where the thoughts sitting in the back of your mind come to life, and you realise what it is you've been doing all along.

I'm not going to pretend to know much about music; what I do know however is when a soundtrack instills so much fear and anxiety in me, it's doing what it was meant to do, and it does it well. The upgraded visuals and soundtrack makes battles feel so much more daunting; environments are intimidating, there's a haunting loneliness that follows you as you make your way through open, empty landscapes. There's nothing but you, your horse, the occasional bird, and some very quick, occasionally hard to hit lizards running around. I remember the intimidation I felt the first time I ever walked through the open sand on the PlayStation 2; that same hollow feeling remains even with its upgraded visuals.

Shadow of the Colossus isn't without its frustrations; I rode Agro into walls, and nearly off cliff edges constantly; I'd grip my controller so tight as I thought I was going to go flying off a Colossi because sometimes it just seemed like Wander was going let go despite how aggressively I'm holding R2, but these frustrations are nothing compared to what it was like on the PlayStation 2. Compared to The Last Guardian, Shadow of the Colossus is a breeze in how responsive the controls are. Shadow of the Colossus is a quick game to get through, but features a lot in terms of replay value. One play through may set you back maybe 10 hours, but there are so many reasons to go back and experience this beauty over and over again.

Shadow of the Colossus is without a doubt a masterpiece; it has its quirks, but is such a beauty to experience. For gamers that will be experiencing Shadow of the Colossus for the first time, they are lucky that this is the version they'll get to play. With the addition of Photo Mode, the secrets to find in this breathtaking world, and the upgrades to the game overall, Shadow of the Colossus always has been, and always will be a must need to play.

Screenshots courtesy of PlayStation

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