On the Shoulders of Giants

Game: Shadow of the Colossus
System: Playstation 2
Release date: October 18, 2005
Developed by: Team Ico
Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment

In an industry dominated by sequels, long-running franchises, and carbon-copy games, director/designer Fumito Ueda has gained a reputation for creating original games. He is responsible for two of the best Playstation 2 games, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Ico, released in 2001, is an all-time great game, a minimalist masterpiece that eschews glossy graphics and complicated control schemes, focusing instead on atmosphere and mood. Five years later, Ueda and his development company Team Ico put finishing touches on their next project Shadow of the Colossus, a brave new chapter in video game storytelling and expressionism.

Much of the backstory and meaning of Shadow of the Colossus is obscured at the beginning of the game, but the basics are as follows: a young warrior makes a long trek to a forbidden temple where legend holds mystical forces can revive the dead. The young man wishes to reanimate a young woman, but the local deity insists he must destroy sixteen stone idols within the halls of the temple before she can be revived. The statues themselves can only be destroyed by slaying their incarnations throughout the forbidden land: sixteen colossi.


The colossi, which come in many shapes and sizes, are by themselves an incredible achievement for Team Ico. A mixture of organic and architectural parts, the colossi in Shadow of the Colossus are a wonder to behold. No other enemies appear in the game (very little animal life at all can be found in the forbidden land) and so each colossus encounter must be unique and memorable. In a way, Ueda has dealt a powerful blow to the generally accepted idea of a "boss battle."

With a few exceptions each colossus is several stories high, and the young warrior (Wander) must literally scale each one to reach its weak points. At his disposal are his horse Agro and two weapons, a sword and a bow. Scaling each colossus is rarely a simple endeavor; players must use their brainpower to determine how exactly to reach those portions of the monsters to which he can cling.

Although it ends somewhat cryptically, Shadow of the Colossus is an amazing experience. Each encounter with a colossus is a thrilling event, but the smaller, quieter moments are equally as moving. Ueda and Team Ico have created an epic which is simultaneously adrenaline-pumping and emotionally meaningful, a rare feat indeed.

Score: 96/100