Metareview: Shadow of the Colossus
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Oct 18th 2005 at 11:00AM }
There's no doubt that Shadow of Colossus is a unique title. And we're predicting that the spiritual successor to ICO is going to top a lot of lists for 2005. But the same features that make it great also make it inaccessible. Sony can afford to take a risk, developing a game that entices our emotions, plays on our sense of loneliness, and appeals to the notion that there is space much grander than on our individual existences. That said, anyone within striking distance of a PS2 should give Shadow a look. We're not promising you'll love it, but it's simply too important to ignore.
A glimpse of the critics' takes:
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IGN (97/100): "[An] absolute must-play experience… one of the most important games you'll come across anytime soon. Shadow is a true work of art, the likes of which we've only seen approached by a very, very small number of games."
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Game Informer (88/100): "A truly unique experience that inspires emotions in a way few games can. It has its share of problems, but I love it just the same."
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OPM (90/100): "If you can appreciate artistry in games, if you hanker for an experience that transcends genre, if you want to see what happens when a creative design team is allowed to ignore sales numbers and flavor-of-the-month trends, by all means bring yourself into Shadow's world."
[via Metacritic]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
daver @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I ve never had a PS2 but as soon as I can get my hands on this game I intend to buy one. Today. Screw the 360 for now, the existing generation of games is very far from over especially when you've never played them on the PS2 or Xbox !
I remember buying a Sega Saturn for a small fortune in 1995 when I could have picked up Yoshis Island on the SNES for a fraction of the price and played an entire library of Nintendo's greatest hits ( I never had a SNES ) . I won't make the same mistake twice....
Beware the marketing powers of megacorporations.
funkonaut @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
While you're at it, get Ico. It's a fantastic game.
NewComer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
You know what's sad about this, I'm sure at 99% that shadow of the colossus will, like Ico, sell poorly, even if I hope not from the bottom of my heart.
For those who say that game industry lack innovation, I say, hey man, it's all about money. It's we gamer who decide which games we want to play, because that's simple : we want what we buy. Sadly, gamers(well, the majorityof them) buy sequels and in a huge quantity, so don't expect anything else from the dev teams, easy money is always welcome. So stop acting like an idiot, go buy this game and spread the word, hopefully it'll sell well enough to give hope for innovative games.
Some quotes from reviews of SOTC :
"Adventure of a lifetime" IGN.com 9.7
"SOTC is the true definition of an adventure game" 1up.com 9.5
"If this game falls into fewer hands than ICO, then it will be a travesty for all" Gamespy.com 4.5/5
Steven @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I bought ICO and loved that game. The gameplay is unlike anything else.
I can't wait for this game to come out. PLUS it's not selling for $50, but $40, which is very good for me!
Gamerhound @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
The [url=http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=8124&type=mov]Gametrailer review[/url] shows some of the footage/gamplay from the game. Looks pretty darn amazing.
Sceptre @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Awesome! $40, holy cow, I'll grab that tonight.
ICO is still one my all-time favorite games (and amazingly my girlfriend got into it as much as I did...)
sandro @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I had the pleasure to play the demo of this unbelievable game. I did love ICO and I would recommend this game to anyone. I'll go further and say that this game alone justify the purchase of the PS2. Unfortunately I cant find (so far) a game that justify the purchase of xbox 360.
paralipsis @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Now this is the kind of game that gets me interested. Ico was an incredible experience, and from the looks of it, Shadow doesn't disappoint either. I also agree with #1, why get sucked into the next generation just yet, while there are still gems like this one appearing on current machines. Maybe when I've played and finished this one and Twilight Princess I'll start looking at new hardware.
Gamerhound @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Sorry messed up the URL. It should be http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=8124&type=mov
Eric @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Steven, awesome tip on the price. Thanks :). I'll definitely grab this one. The PS2 appears to have plenty of life left in it (which is good, since Sony has been so dodgy on the PS3's release date thus far).
ymmv @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
You Americans are so lucky! The European release date for Shadow of the Colossus is four months away on Feb 24 2006. It just proves that Sony hates Europe. If you want even more proof, then you should know that the two Katamari Damacy-games weren't even released in PAL territories.
NewComer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
You know what's sad about this, I'm sure at 99% that shadow of the colossus will, like Ico, sell poorly, even if I hope not from the bottom of my heart.
For those who say that game industry lack innovation, I say, hey man, it's all about money. It's we gamer who decide which games we want to play, because that's simple : we want what we buy. Sadly, gamers(well, the majorityof them) buy sequels and in a huge quantity, so don't expect anything else from the dev teams, easy money is always welcome. So stop acting like an idiot, go buy this game and spread the word, hopefully it'll sell well enough to give hope for innovative games.
Some quotes from reviews of SOTC :
"Adventure of a lifetime" IGN.com 9.7
"SOTC is the true definition of an adventure game" 1up.com 9.5
"If this game falls into fewer hands than ICO, then it will be a travesty for all" Gamespy.com 4.5/5
Steven @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Be sure to call around to BestBuy, Circuit City, Hastings, EB Games, GameStop, etc.
Circuit City is selling it today, EB/Gamestop/Hastings are tomorrow, and BB is lagging behind and selling it the 20th (loooosers).
So after work, I'm headed to CC to pick me up a copy.
The1 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Well, I played the game for 20 minutes and I did not like it. The graphics were HORRIBLE. I do not see all the HYPE.
vrf @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
So why would I want a PSP when Sony gets games of this caliber on their "real" console?
Damn this looks awesome.
Trapp @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
>I played the game for 20 minutes and I did not
>like it. The graphics were HORRIBLE.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the voice of the short-attention spanned, parentally-funded, spoiled American brat that the XBox 360 is banking on.
I'm sure the new XBox dashboard will provide you with that pretty, 20 minutes of fun before you turn it off and go back to watching TRL.
Call me a sucker, but I believe the hype. I believe the hype of someone trying to do something fresh and different. But it's okay, I know change can be very scary for the little ones.
Self Conshus @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I sold my ps2 on ebay a few years back and bought an Xbox to replace it, but now I feel like I'm missing out on too many great games. So after I get paid tomorrow, I'm heading straight to Gamestop to pick up another ps2 just for this game.
CTDFalconer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Man oh man, this game is one of the best I've ever played. Buy it! That's all I have to say. Just buy it!
That one guy who liked the game @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
This game was great, holy hell I played it for 8 hours straight. Yes I did get lost in its beautiful and massive world but it was worth it. 16 Colossi are worth it, the differences between each will astound you and frustrate you as you try to find the new weak spots. Buy it or die wondering what it would have been like to play Shadow of the Colossus.