Shadow of the Colossus
Computer gaming industry is one of the biggest industries worldwide. Most games work off a simple formula. Lots of action, some impossibly hot chicks (except Lara Croft.Jolie as Lara was hotter than Lara in games), lots of blood, a badass attitude, guns, different kinds of power-ups etc
Shadow of the Colossus (SOTC) defies this trend. SOTC is to games what The Godfather is to books and The Shawshank Redemption is to movies. One doesnt have to be a movie aficionado to fall in love with the story of Andy Dufresne nor a bibliophile to appreciate the inner turmoil of Don Vito Corleone or Michael Corleone. Similarly, one need not be a gamer to enjoy the experience that is Shadow of the Colossus.
Shadow of the Colossus starts simply. Girl is dead, guy wants her back, a supernatural entity asks him to complete a task and warns him that the results maybe dire for him but the girl would be alive again. And like all love struck guys, the guy goes to complete the task. The only hitch is that the task is to kill 16 colossi that inhabit the land. Sounds like just another game? Worse, it sounds like a game with a mushy love story. It isnt.
First of all, no minions to kill. Colossi are the only enemies to face. The only chick in picture is already dead and she is no Lara Croft. The colossi are mostly stone, so no blood. No guns or power ups, the guy has to kill 16 colossi with a sword, a bow and an unlimited supply of arrows. No elaborate button presses, mini games, side quests or fighting styles. As for the attitude, the guy is out to kill 16 colossi for the sake of his dead love. That qualifies him as stupid and not a badass. SOTC does not measure upto any of the established norms of computer games.
Inspite of that, Shadow of the Colossus is one of the best games on PS2 or on any platform. The environments are hauntingly beautiful with almost no living creatures. The soundtrack oscillates between depressingly melancholic and ultimate jubilation. But the biggest factor (literally) are the colossi.
The term colossus was never so apt in gaming. The colossi are seriously massive beasts of stone with most of them not even fitting in the screen. The first colossus inspires awe followed by the realization that one has to kill 16 of them, armed with a sword which is < 1% of their size and arrows that that look like toothpicks on them, which in turn leads to fear and hopelessness (The music keeps pace with these mood changes). Killing the first 2-3 colossi can be frustrating filled with swearing at the game, the developers, the colossi and God (I sincerely hope my neighbours have soundproof doors or their kids will be scarred for life). After getting a hang of the controls and camera angles, killing each colossus is akin to a roller coaster.
The developers have done things differently. The hero has health regeneration i.e. If he is low on health, he can go to what we refer to as his happy place i.e. somewhere away from the colossus to regain his health. The fact that killing a colossus takes about an hour and usually involves lot of platforming. If the player dies midway, or falls during platforming, he has to do it all again makes the player desperate, the process of killing the colossus brings a rush of adrenaline and the last blow to bring down a colossus brings about a sense of triumph unmatched in any game. Acute desperation, adrenaline rush and triumph. These psychological factors have been exploited to the hilt in the game.
There are some negatives too with awkward camera angles and controls topping the list. The end is too abrupt and story feels stupid but well, the hero was warned about the dire consequences.
These shortcomings do not change the fact that Shadow of the Colossus is a must play game. Initially, you will hate yourself for buying it, you will curse the controls and camera angle but at the end of game, you will realize the environments, music and psychological factors make Shadow of the Colossus one of the games which elevate computer gaming to an art . Sounds like a hyperbole? Just download and listen to the OST.