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Shadow of the Colossus | 
 enlarge | From: Sony Computer Entertainment
Category: Video Games
List Price: $19.99
Buy Used: $11.14
You Save: $8.85 (44%)
New (34) Used (30) Collectible (2) from $11.14
Rating:  265 reviews
Sales Rank: 560
Platform: Playstation2
Genre: Adventure Games
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Playstation 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 0.5 x 5.4
MPN: 100730
Model: 74722
UPC: 711719747222
EAN: 0711719747222
ASIN: B0009I6S0O
Release Date: October 18, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Innovative gameplay combines the puzzle and action/adventure genres | | • | Journey across picturesque landscapes and unearth the ferocious beauty of the 16 Colossi | | • | Combat each Colossi with skill and resourcefulness, using your magical weapons | | • | Overcome a variety of terrain challenges placing great emphasis on pure exploration | | • | Travel on horseback across miles of ancient land |
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Product Description
Shadow of the Colossus is a majestic journey through ancient lands. With your trusty horse at your side, you'll explore spacious lands and unearth anicent monsters called Colossus. Armed with your wits, a sword and a bow, use cunning and strategy to topple each of these behemoths.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 260 more reviews...
 A masterpiece of the video game medium November 20, 2008
I've long felt that video games have put in a sad showing as an artistic medium. Yes, there are many great games out there -- games that are dazzling technical triumphs, games that are well-crafted challenges, games that are just plain fun. Ultimately, however, most games feel like ... well, entertainment. Just entertainment, nothing more. They're undone by idiotic storylines, by cliche, by a sense that ultimately they're nothing more than arbitrary hoop-jumping, a way to kill time. Many of the best games, from Super Mario to Katamari, succeeded by embracing their own silliness, and simply being ridiculous and fun. Others try to tell a story, or make a pretense of it, and fail.
This game stands apart.
It is not just that it's stunningly gorgeous and absorbing. Every aspect of game -- the visuals, the cut scenes, the gameplay itself -- fuse seamlessly into a good story well told. The minimalist storytelling achieves a lot with a little; none of the typical ham-handed video game writing here. Instead of padding the game with any pointless creep-killing or pointless side quests to extend the gameplay, they made the game exactly the right length for the narrative. The conclusion is nuanced and ambiguous, and yet immensely satisfying. In short, it is an aesthetic triumph. Like a good novel, finishing it is bittersweet -- it's hard to say goodbye to that world.
Very few games achieve this. (One of the only other examples is this game's much-neglected predecessor, Ico.) I wish that more game companies would pursue this kind of aesthetic perfection. It's hard, I know ... but for something like Shadow, it's worth it.
And yes, by the way, even for all that -- it is fun. Tremendous fun.
Casts a Long Shadow November 17, 2008
Shadow of the Colossus is a masterpiece of gaming. It's truly a remarkable experience. The graphics are beautiful; while the cut-scenes are nothing to marvel at, the in-game graphics are lush and beautiful, particularly the environments. The music is superb. The story is involving and drives you forward. The environment is massive, and load times are non-existent.
But what makes this game is the execution of the main concept; You fight and take down 14 Colossi in the hopes of saving your love, and the fights they represent are brilliant. There's nothing in the game besides the massive world and the 14 Colossi to fight you, and it creates a sense of real tension when you come across a Colossus in the environment. While the first two or three fights aren't all that difficult, subsequent fights with the Colossi become increasingly difficult. This is not a game for people who don't like to think about what they're playing. It's a staggering masterwork worthy of praise and, more importantly, worthy of your time.
Cinematic Beauty October 30, 2008
This game may not have much, but it was beautiful and still entertains me. The graphics are excellent, and the story (once you figure it out) is epic too. If Ico is anything like this, then I can't wait to get it.
I loved it October 21, 2008
The whole time I have played this game I kept saying to myself "I am amazed this is a PS2 game" and usually followed by a "wow". This game is amazing for the generation it came out and hopefully it will be a PS3 sequel someday. I can only hope. Some like this games and others hate it so rent before you buy.
Amazing, if flawed October 19, 2008
I should give this game 5 stars for introducing me to ICO alone. Not that Shadow is worse, but it certainly is different enough in gameplay mechanics - atmosphere, hints at story and artistic direction notwithstanding. In retrospect though, unlike ICO, it left me with wanting more from the game. I didn't miss fighting hordes of other enemies in between, desolation and limited number of massive bosses was part of the appeal. But the problem is that the experience is a bit shallow. The world is massive and lovingly crafted, but there is no reward in exploring it other than aesthetic experience - there are no hidden artifacts that could aid in your quest, no puzzles to solve, and you can't find just any colossus accidentally even if you arrive at their domain - the fights proceed in a fixed sequence. While it is reasonable for the sake of ramping up the difficulty gradually, it is also limiting.
The biggest gripe, if you can call it that, is that while initial press touted colossi as "puzzles", they really aren't much of one. From those descriptions I imagined moving living castles, a massive beast that is as much an architectural maze as it is a foe. But the puzzle component really boils down to finding the spots covered in fur, and clinging to them in search of the weak points to pierce with your sword. The first and last colossus come close, as they are hard to navigate and are disorienting much in a way I imagined, turning the colossus into an obstacle course made up of various castle-like elements, but the rest of them are unfortunately more straightforward.
It is a great game, make no mistake, but I can't help feeling that it could have been that much more. Visually, however, it is a tour de force in much the way ICO is, despite the low resolution and the occasional minor graphical stutter. Since there are plenty of reviews that cover that aspect in great detail there is no need for me to repeat them. If you haven't played this game already, and are looking to catch up on some of the more interesting games of the last few years, definitely don't miss this title.
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