Shadow of the Colossus Greatest Hits - PlayStation 2

Fans of Ico should already have a good idea what they're getting into with Shadow of the Colossus, which was made by the same development team. More beautiful landscapes, atmospheric music, and intriguing puzzles await here, and while not for everyone, those looking for something different and artistic will find it here. The formula has been changed from Ico: instead of dealing with minor enemies and only having one boss fight, Shadow of the Colossus has no minor enemies and sixteen bosses. To defeat each of these enemies, the smallest of which is still many times the main character's size, you must figure out how to maneuver around the area and the colossus itself to reach its weak point(s). Combat, while far from the slow-paced deliberation of a turn-based game, is still more about determining what you need to do and executing it than it is about quick reflexes. Unfortunately, the severely limited number of enemies (there is nothing to fight other than the sixteen colossi) means that the game is over quickly. While it lasts, though, Shadow of the Colossus is a unique experience that is well worth the while of those looking for a change.

yes yes, epic indeed. I dont know where other people got the real names for the characters in this game since I dont remember them being given in the game, but aside from that... Colossi are the bosses you destroy with this game, 16 in all which isnt that many but it will take you many hours to figure out how to destroy them all. Each boss is basically a new puzzle to solve, this is not your regular hack and hack and hack then he is down kinda game. Storyline is pretty bland, bringing back a woman from the dead, but thats just a minor detail, killing these bosses will have you playing it over and over again. Some are actually really fun then there are others that are a pain right from the beginning (especially the last guy, took me about 2 hours to figure it out without getting destroyed). I cant stress enough to watch your grip gauge for it can be your death if not properly utilized. I've fallen off the backs of some huge monsters and had to repeat the process of getting back up which can be tedious. the ending is very strange and I wont spoil it, just be ready for something you would never expect in well..any game you've prolly played. (crush them all if you can!!!)

I don't usually get into the argument of whether or not video games can be considered art because I find that to be a pointless argument. However there is no other way I can describe this game. The music is masterful, especially during the third colossus, which was an incredible experience. The environment feels real and the graphics, even today, are incredible considering the hardware it uses. This game is a satisfying and unique experience from beginning to end. The only downside is lack of real replay value. In about 25 hours you could beat the game twice, once on each difficulty, and probably climb the massive tower in the middle of the game world. But really, the game is only $20 so it's not a problem. You still get your money's worth. I'm really interested in what Last Guardian is going to be like.

Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most unique games I have ever played, currently 2nd on my list of favorites with FFVII being the only game to top this one. You play a man called Wander who journeys to a forbidden land where it is said that an entity resides that can bring back the dead. He travels to this place on his horse called Agro carrying a woman named Mono of great importance to him. Although the story doesn't reveal much about her, Wander is willing to bring her back at what ever costs to himself...as you will find in the opening sequence where he agrees with the entity named Dormin to destroy 16 colossi in exchange for the resurrection of Mono. Colossi are actually the only opposition you will receive in the game as far as opponents go, but I must break it to you these are the most thrilling boss fights you will ever play in a video game (until they make another Shadow of the Colossus that is). I know what you are thinking: "That is a bold statement." And I agree with you, but it is not used incorrectly I assure you. Just playing the very first boss trying to figure out how to drop a monster that makes you look like an ant in comparison was more than enough to get me addicted. Each boss has unique weaknesses and the overwhelming size and detail of these adversaries are amazing...especially considering that this game is running on a PS2. If there were any games that actually pushed this systems hardware to its limits, this was the game. It is lush, beautiful, and completely massive. The environments are some of the best rendered scenery I have seen yet in a game, and you can see for miles in the distance...whether is wide open plains, a forest tucked in between some hills, a lake, or vast desert...absolutely no detail was spared. The only game I have seen that out does it is Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion, which is kind of an unfair comparison cause it is a next-gen game...but at the same time will give you an idea of how truly amazing this game is...especially for its time. You would think that this game was running on a XBOX with how good it looks. The game is simplistic in design in that you start off with a sword and a bow with an unlimited supply of arrows. You have a power bar and a grip meter. The grip meter is used when you scale the beast or the landscape or when you use your bow...you can receive more grip by defeating the colossus or killing these special lizards with silver tails throughout the land, or you can increase health by eating special fruit hidden in special trees in the land. You never once throughout the game receive new weapons, that is atleast until you beat it. Once you do that you can start a continuation game off your saved clear data, once playing this you keep all the power bonuses that you acquired in the previous one, not to mention you can initiate a time trial mode in the temple you start out in by pressing the 'O' button in front of the statues of the colossi. For each two of the time trial colossi you defeat you will unlock a secret item, sounds easy because you know what to do from the previous go through right? Well it is a little more difficult cause you are given a fixed amount of life and grip in addition to the limit on the time which makes for a little bit of a challenge. Once you get bored of that you can play it on hard mode which is unlocked when you first beat the game on normal. This mode is very realistic, one clean hit from these guys and it is game-over...I actually had quite a time with just the first boss on this difficulty...so if you like a challenge it is definitely there. Some of the only downsides I can really think of are the frame rate does drop pretty often, although there is a blur effect the game uses to help offset this and it is only a minor annoyment. The camera will either be your best friend or your worst enemy...you fully control it so if you are good at that type of thing then you should find the camera for the most part pleasing...with minor annoyances here and there. Sometimes the horse will kind of veer off on its own when trying to maneuver around things, but this is due to its AI which actually to me adds to its character...i.e. he will stop when you come up on a cliff or when you are about to run into a tree...stubborn just like a real horse. The only other minor qualm that I have with it is that you can beat this game easily the first time in under 10 hrs, but I feel it makes up for it in replay value. All the minor things that can aggravate you about this game are so insignificant to how great it is you will quickly get over it. All games have their strengths and weaknesses...and this game is no different. If you want to experience a great and refreshing game that is not a rehash of something you have already played then this is the game for you. The artistic value in this game alone is well worth the money for it. I would suggest this game to anyone who likes eye-candy or a fresh and exhilarating experience. You probably forgotten what it is like playing a truly memorable game, I think I had until I played this, but the bosses in this game will make you remember what it was like on the old-school consoles of what a boss fight should be like, and how somehow we have lost that with the transfer to 3D. Truly this game deserves all the distinguishing awards that it won, and you should enjoy this game too.

Shadow of the Colossus offers a very unique style of fighting - very simple, because the only weapons used (until Hard Mode is unlocked) are the sword and bow and arrow; but it takes a great deal of strategy when fighting each colossus, because they all have different speeds, movement patterns, attacks, and weaknesses. Battle strategies involve constantly running with the horse, platforming, dodging and rolling, catching each colossus' attention, tricking a colossus to do something to expose its weakness, and holding on for dear life. The scenery is incredible - visual effects in its own calibre. Presentation is among the best, especially when comparing the size of the main character to each colossus before a battle - it really does feel like all hope is lost. One might even find one's self saying, "Oh $#@%!" every now and then, but a great sense of accomplishment always follows each victory. However, the storyline is rather boring. To sum it all up, the protagonist is trying to defeat all sixteen colossi to revive his dead beloved - that's pretty much it. At times, trying to find the right way of taking down a colossus can be a bit overwhelming, and trying to climb back on a colossus for that one last hit can be tedious. There are some minor framerate problems here and there but nothing that takes away from the gameplay. A few minor gripes can't take away the excitement this game has to offer - it offers A LOT. Shadow of the Colossus has to be one of the best PS2 games out there. I would recommend it to anyone.

Shadow of the Colossus is easily one of the best budget titles for the PS2. If you love boss fights in video games but don't necessarily like the legions of lesser enemies you have to battle to get there then this is the game for you. Consisting only of 16 boss fights with no fighting in between, you take on the role of Wander, a man trying to bring a dead woman back to life by kill 16 colossi that roam the land. The game world sucks you in with it's immersive design, and atmosphere.The controls have some minor problems dealing with the camera. Also the controls while riding on your horse could be slightly more intuitive, otherwise the game handles great. All other controls are relatively easy to learn. Each boss fight is essentially a puzzle in which you must find out what is needed to kill each colossi. Most of the battles are fun, with only a few being frustratingly difficult. The good battle far outweigh the bad though. Really the only bad part about the game is riding on your horse to find the next colossi. Although the game gives you some assistance in finding your next goal, sometimes it can take quite a lot of riding around seemingly aimlessly before you find exactly where you are supposed to go. Overall though it's a game I would highly recommend.

I'm not an avid game player so I need a really good game to hold my attention and keep me interested. I first saw this game on "Reign Over Me". I play it for about an hour to two hours at a time. The game play is exciting and there is just enough of a challenge (to figure out how to reach the next colossus and to figure out how to kill him) to keep me interested and it's not too hard that I get frustrated and end up not playing for a week. You can really tell that this game was created by the Japanese by the graphics and the Japanese dialog. It's not really a big deal because there are sub titles and the dialog isn't really that important. The music is good enough to listen to for hours at a time, but not too overpowering that you have to mute the volume. I am told that there is a game this that this game was based on. I like this game enough that I will check it out.

This is my favorite game on PS2!! It is so cool to even watch a friend play this game because it is like watching a movie. The point of the game is to defeat several GIANT foes, each with a unique puzzle. For example, one of the beasts (which is the size of a 40 story building) you have to get him to crouch down by hiding in a small concealed spot, then jump and grab his beard. Then you must climb up his beard and stab him to death (in his head!) Imagine Grand Theft Auto, medival style, and instead of killing gangsters, you are killing monsters the size of a tall building! SO MUCH FUN!!