Shadow of The Colossus - PlayStation 4

Shadow of the Colossus is technically an open world game, the world is small and picturesque. The basic core concept is to use your sword and bow to kill 16 gigantic monster bosses. But one is not limited to just tracking down and eliminating these beasts, which are platforming puzzles unto themselves, there are plenty of other things one can do while traversing the beautiful landscape. The experience is lush in atmosphere and intrigue (not to mention graphics and audio). I originally played this game on the PS2 but found it very enjoyable to play on the PS4 with the enhanced graphics. This is one of the great games that withstood the test of time and got re-released on the PS3 and PS4 due to its popularity and large fanbase. After encountering, and besting, the first monster in this newly built PS4 remake (just the same way I beat him 13 years ago on my old CRT TV), I was totally hooked. I'm playing on a stock PS4 and the graphics are amazing, the frame rate is buttery smooth, and the main character no longer feels heavy and sluggish, straining against the constraints of old hardware. Give the game a try, it will not disappoint.

The game is good but do not expect much from it. The graphics are beautiful and impressive. But the mechanism of the game remains the same or worse than before. very very frustrating

I’ve played this on the PlayStation 2 and liked it then but I was impressed with the improvements on the PlayStation 4

This game is the exact remake of the original, but with a graphical overhaul and performance upgrades --Here are a list of changes to the game: 1. Graphics. Unlike the PS3 Remaster, this version does not only have graphical up scaling, but also new renders and slight remodels of the environment, characters and colossi. A night-and-day difference; the major change you'll notice in this version as you can now see detailed in the rock formations, strains of grass and individual hairs in the Collossi. The Dynamic lighting effects in this game are amazing and is the best I've seen in any game thus far. There's also reactive foliage and water physics to get you more engrossed into the world 2. Constant Frame Rate. Unlike the choppy inconsistent frame rate of original, this game has smooth frame rate throughout. If you have a PS4 Pro you can play at 60FPS at 1080p (performance mode) or 30FPS at 4K (cinematic mode) Standard PS4 runs at constant 30FPS at 1080p 3. Controls. The core gameplay is the same, but there are some quality of life changes added to make the control more modern (you can also opt for orginial controls for the purists out there). PS4 Touchpad brings up a map Jump is now the X button instead of Triangle Dodge/Roll is the Circle button instead of R1 + Triangle 4. Game now saves automatically. Praying altar no longer serves as manual save terminal in-game and only heals Wander when activated. 5. Photo mode You can pause and take pictures at any time and add filters similar to other first party exclusives like Uncharted and Horizon Zero Dawn 6. Gallery Collection of digital pictures filled with comparison shots and concept art 7. New Game+. This time around you can select different difficulty settings instead of sticking the one you beat the game with. There's also Mirror Mode and Time Trails. 8. Trophy Support You can now earn PSN trophies (when comparing to PS2). Compared to the PS3 version; there's 7 more additional trophies you can collect bringing the total to 38 vs 31. PSN considers them different games so if you own the PS3 version you can stack trophies --What Stayed the Same: -Story. You go to this alter and try to resurrect a fallen princess. You are told in order to do so, you have to defeat 16 Collossi roaming around the land. Then off you go and try to slay 16 of them in a series of boss battles; each of them different in size and ways to take them down. Story isn't that deep at face value, but through gameplay, you'll get a deep moral understanding/emotion investment of the world especally when you reach closer and closer to the end game. -There are some returning issues with the game like how your horse does what it wants at random times and camera issues when in narrow corridors. For those who only play modern games the character controls may feel a bit stiff and clunky at first, but you'll get used to it if you keep at it as there is a learning curve to the character's movement. -Sound is spectacular as always. The colossi roars are more distinct this time around (either that or I have a better headset this time around). Still no English voice acting, just random gibberish coming from characters Overall, best way to experience the Shadow of The Colossus if you haven't played it before, and an excellent revisit with enhanced visuals for those who did.

Shadow of the Colossus was the exemplar of how video games could be treated as art back in 2005. Between the music, visuals, gameplay, and minimalistic yet stunningly deep narrative SotC proved that games were more than mere entertainment. They could make you think and feel; they could move the audience through an interactive media in a way that people had not previously engaged with art. These sentiments are still true today, 13 years after the original was released. Shadow of the Colossus in 2018 is not just an update or HD remaster. This is a ground up re-make that retains the full spirit and experience of the original while giving a modern audience the kind of fluid controls and sharp visuals that we have become used to. This is how re-makes should be handled. This game has been crafted by people who understood what made the original so memorable, and who obviously worked extremely hard to retain that magic. Absolute recommendation. 10/10

I originally played SotC when it first came out on PS2. I was astounded at the animation and the sheer spectacle of the game. The hopeless romantic in me also fell for the idea of “how far would you go for love?” When I see the collossi towering above the wanderer in HD, I find myself revisiting those fond memories and feeling as though the game always looked this way. This is not to diminish the accomplishments of the developers, who have managed to recreate the forbidden land in stunning detail. I was worried that with all of the overhaul the soul of the game would be lost, but the game was made clearly as a labor of love and very little has been altered from the original. The UI has been streamlined, and the controls have been made to me a bit more intuitive by placing the jump button on X rather than Triangle. For old fans like me, there are numerous challenges to chase like time trials and harder ways of taking down each of the mighty collossi. The real joy for me has been sharing this game with my wife and watching her marvel the same way I did all those years ago. If you’re looking for something drastically new, there isn’t much here for die hard fans of the game outside of the few new challenges. However, if you have never played this game before, or you just felt nostalgic and want to share this classic with a loved one, then I highly recommend this game for a unique experience in story telling, gameplay, and boss battles.

If you've never played shadow of the Colossus then this graphics redo should be at the top of your list. The intended purpose of this re release was to enhance the graphics and all around game play for new generations and they deliver with a few extra touches. For instance, I didn't expect an audio upgrade or different voice acting but it was added to this project. Having played the original ps2 version and 3d rerelease on PS3 I have to admit I'm not a fan of this but given that the game isn't dialogue heavy this most definitely isn't a deal breaker. With additional graphics settings this game can be enjoyed to it's full potential on any hdr TV. As far as any other changes to the game go, there really aren't any notable ones but that's good. A classic like this hardly needs a reinterpretation. Though I will say this, I don't believe you can top the initial 3d rerelease on PS3. Granted it was just a ps2 upscaled port the 3 dimensional feel made this game pop but unfortunately the shift from 3d to higher resolution has been decided. But definitely worth checking out if you get the opportunity. Controls seem a bit more clunkier than I remember and our protagonist seems clumsier too but that may be due to the graphics retouch. But for a game that has survived two generational ports I'd expect no less. It isn't bad but worth noting. And that's why I give it 4 stars. This was a tough rating but I stick with it. The price point is right, visually and audibly they seemed to achieve what they set out to do but I can't shake the feeling of having enjoyed myself more on the previous iteration. That said I'm thankful this work of art has survived another generation.

Shadow of the Colossus is considered one of the greatest video games of all time, and a true testament to video games as an art form, and there's a reason for that. The atmosphere, visuals, subtle story, and more cathartic moments truly make this an experience above all else. Bluepoint games, known as the masters or remastered, decided to remake Shadow of the Colossus from the ground up, and what we got is what you see here. The visuals are vastly improved, looking and running beautiful on the Playstation 4 Pro, and the controls have been refined, making for a tight experience that has your character doing what you want them to do (unlike the original version of the game). For only $40, this game is definitely worth going through if you own a Playstation 4, and there's so much more to do outside of the main story for newcomers and old fans alike.