Review: Shadow of the Colossus

An atmospheric masterclass of game design

Could Shadow of the Colossus be considered an early example of how video games can be accepted as an art form? An intense attention to detail, supported by a drive for minimalistic design and bolstered by a powerful orchestral score creates a game which isn’t just memorable, but a must play for anyone that loves video games, and a shining example of what video games can provide uniquely as an interactive medium.

Set in a expansive yet empty world, the Shadow of the Colossus has a simple premise – Wander, a young warrior, crosses the bridge to what is only known as the Forbidden Land with the lifeless body of a young woman named Mono. An entity of unknown intent named Dormin greets him, promising he can bring back Mono if you slay the sixteen colossus who roam the land, but will pay a great price for doing so. Together with his horse, Agro, he sets off a journey to slay the colossi and save the lifeless girl.

Character relations and motivations are never given much depth beyond this, instead opting for the player to make those connections in their own minds. Why does Wander want to save Mono so desperately? Was it his fault? What kind of bond do these characters share? It’s undeniable that by the end of the story, I felt invested in Wander and Agro because of the adventure we took together. But your input as the player is essential in creating a connection to this world – you share the struggle of Wander, but can only watch as he takes punishment for his actions helplessly.

The Forbidden Land is beautifully realised as a lonely, atmospheric place, backed up with very impressive draw distance considering its original 2005 release, with framerate issues fixed on the new PlayStation 3 port. Ground quakes and shifts with each step from the colossi, and a dynamic physics engine creates realism in the weight of each movement, with Wander helplessly swinging back and forth on the back of the monsters. Loading times are cleverly disguised, leading to a seamless experience which continually draws you in. This is one of the most beautiful PlayStation 2 titles ever created, and its PlayStation 3 port holds up very well for its generation jump.

It can be said that Shadow of the Colossus thinks about every aspect of its minimalist design intensely. The world is devoid of life outside of the sixteen boss battles – no enemies to fight, no items to find, and no side quests to complete. Because of this black and white approach to the game’s design, polish is at its highest here. Every aspect of the game feels well thought out purposely crafted for a reason. Each monster fought is different from the last and needs different tactics to take down. Everything in this game world has a purpose and reason for being there.

The meat of the gameplay comes down to two parts – travelling on horseback across the fields of the Forbidden Land, and epic battles against the (mostly) gigantic colossus. Fighting these creatures is dramatic and intense, with beautiful building orchestra empowering every moment. But moments riding on Agro are relaxed and fuelled by ambience, wind howling faintly behind the rhythmic sound of his hooves. The juxtaposition provides ample relief between the showdowns, complementing the other fantastically and giving the player to time take in the environment and the progress of the adventure thus far. The sound design here is almost faultless and still packs its punch 11 years on.

The game’s mechanics are introduced through a simple short cliff section where the player learns about the most essential controls before facing off against the first enemy. A circular grip gauge sits above the player’s health bar, which depletes the longer you stay held to a colossus. There’s a great underlying tension in trying to manage your grip gauge while trying to find the perfect moment to attack the enemy. You can opt for reliable, smaller strikes or a large, fully charged impalement, the latter granting great satisfaction with each successful blow.

Each colossus battle plays out like a boss fight, a puzzle which the player needs to solve to reach the weak spot of the enemy. Using the environment, the sword and the bow and arrow, Wander must climb to shining symbols scattered across the giant creature’s bodies and use his blade to damage them. The solution can be as simple as waiting for an opening to knock them down to navigating a platforming structure so you can find your opening to leap onto their bodies. Each colossus is unique in its weaknesses and method of approach, giving great variety to each encounter.

What’s more is that killing a colossus results in what is likely a varying amount of satisfaction from player to player. These creatures feel alive and unique – though overcoming them is a feat in itself, there’s an air of melancholy in your victory. Congratulatory music has a dramatic yet sad note to it, and each victory ends with a seemingly painful transportation back to the shrine. As each statue crumbles with victory and lights of fallen colossus shine in the sky, this abandoned world slowly feels more and more empty. This melancholy follows you throughout the entirety of the journey.

Surprisingly, your visit to the Forbidden Land never feels cut short. The conclusion is well paced, arriving naturally, never seeking to extend its welcome for the sake of padding. The final moments of the game are bittersweet and heartbreaking, and players of Ico can recognise where certain elements which bond these two games together are placed. It’s an undeniably memorable, engaging, yet simple story which is given gravitas thanks to the player and their role in the outcome.

Verdict

Shadow of the Colossus is a game which lets the gameplay tell its story. It has tight, well designed gameplay with a simple concept behind it which is executed fantastically. It’s a surprisingly emotional story with an incredible visual and audio aesthetic to support it. But most importantly, it’s a game which earns it’s reputation as a classic because it embraces the most important part of gaming – the player’s input. Shadow of the Colossus isn’t just a beautiful game, it’s a shining example of how games can use interactivity to craft real and memorable experiences, and a must play for anyone who loves game design or gaming in general.

Review: KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 2.5 ReMIX-

Mastered to perfection

KINGDOM HEARTS II holds a very special place in my heart. As a child, it was probably the game that captured me the most out of my entire Playstation 2 collection. I managed to pick it up one day through random luck when I saw it sitting in a gaming store and my mum had a generous heart. I took it home, sat down and didn’t put it down again until she told me to go to bed hours later. I couldn’t stop playing it. Even when I was sent to school the next day, my mind was constantly waiting for the day to be over so I could sit down and keep playing it. I don’t think any game had quite that effect on me up until then.

Sitting down with its brand new HD remaster, I’m not really surprised to find such a fantastic gem has held up so well. Not only that, but the other secondary game it includes – KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep – is just as enjoyable, well designed and extremely fun to play. Out of these two HD collections available, undoubtedly this is the stronger of the two.

KINGDOM HEARTS II puts you into the shoes as Roxas initially as you see him through to the end of his Summer vacation. Revisiting it was enjoyable after quite some time, however this long tutorial to the game’s mechanics can quickly prove exhausting on multiple playthroughs. After putting his story to rest, you’ll take control of Sora once more, the series’ true protagonist. Alongside Donald and Goofy, you’ll fight the Heartless once more to save the worlds from darkness – and put an end to the new enemy, Organisation XIII.

The gameplay on offer can offer depth to those who seek it, or be a comfortable, stylish button mashing exercise for others. At lower difficulties the game is pretty simple, allowing you to (mostly) breeze past bosses and enemy encounters using melee alone. However, with Proud and Critical, a new level of strategy is offered to players. How to best organise your abilities becomes key and memorising boss patterns is absolutely essential to victory. Even smaller encounters can prove challenging if you’re not on the ball. Mastering all the powers at your disposal is absolutely critical to survival, with magic and drive forms possibly providing the edge you need to overcome opponents.

The presentation is pretty remarkable too. Updated textures and character models lead to a truly pretty game despite its age. Lots of love went into KINGDOM HEARTS II’s remaster with new cutscenes being fully dubbed and lip synced and beautiful new arrangements of the game’s already fantastic OST being included. It can’t be understated how fantastic Yoko Shimomura’s score is here, and it truly shines brightest with the new mixes. A few ugly and blurry textures here and there will show up and remind you that this is a PS2 game, but overall its been brought to the next generation hardware with great success.

Sadly, the amount of love seen in this title doesn’t ultimately reflect in Birth by Sleep. Only three musical tracks receive a remaster here and it looks a lot more rough around the edges. You’ll see plenty more ugly textures around and the camera can be a real pain. This isn’t to say the game isn’t an absolute joy to play however; the musical pieces are still spot on and it arguably contains the strongest gameplay in the KINGDOM HEARTS series to date.

Birth by Sleep introduces the Command Menu which gives players the ability to use special attacks and magic using the triangle button. Building up hits with commands can lead to Command Styles, which are powerful advancements in your strength and combat ability.  It’s extremely satisfying to master, empowers you greatly, and feels slick and stylish to boot.

The weak link for both these titles – and the franchise itself – is its story. Though well presented and filled with strong performances from the voice cast (outside of the rare few, such as Terra), the games usually suffer from painfully written dialogue and extremely confusing plot developments. The overall story quickly becomes a difficult to follow mystery unless you go online and do your research, but even then the more confusing elements can be lost on you. And this is before we even touch the series’ concept of time travel. The real joy to find in the games is seeing the characters visit each Disney world and watching the stories unfold there.

Because of this, it’s no surprise that the third title on the disc is the clear straggler of the bunch. KINGDOM HEARTS Re:Coded is presented purely as cinematic cutscenes with no real interaction outside of menus. The story isn’t very exciting and often is filled with cringeworthy dialogue. Overall the presentation has certainly been stepped up since the 358/2 Days movie, but this doesn’t excuse some issues – such as the glaring omission of adding in choreographed fight scenes for most battles, but leaving out the climatic Roxas vs Sora fight. Thankfully, it’s a completely optional extra to the game with the only real need to go through it being to obtain its trophies.

Despite the few issues, it’s undeniable that KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 2.5 ReMIX- is simply a must buy for anyone looking for a fantastic adventure. Boasting a lovely new coat of paint, a brilliant musical score and top notch presentation – whether you’re a fan of JRPGs, grew up with the series or love a great action game, this title offers an incredible value for money. I’d definitely recommend picking it up whenever you can.