It starts with a widescreen picture and the images of a bird soaring through the sky. The camera pans around to show the beautiful scenery. Magnified by the ICO touch, it is the true definition of a polygon-perfect title. Seconds after we’ve gazed into the sunlight and discovered that the analog stick can control the camera during this real-time scene, the game focuses on a man determined to change someone’s fate. He couldn’t care less about his own well being. He will travel to the ends of the world, and pay whatever cost is necessary. A woman lost her life prematurely, and without revealing the circumstances to player, you’ll become the man who is so determined to save her.

With shadowy creatures coming up from the ground, our hero draws his sword and prepares to fight. The creatures turn to ash and are blown away, perhaps in defeat, or possibly retreat. They just might be the ones called Dormin, a (single?) being who is said to control the souls of the dead. It would take someone, or something, with that kind of power to bring a woman back from the dead, or at the very least to save her soul.

The Dormin are reluctant at first. They give in when they notice the sword he is carrying – an ancient sword with great power. With that sword a mere mortal would have the power to destroy the idols (statues) glorified in Dormin’s house of worship. You can almost hear them think: “Bring down the idols and only we will be worshiped!” (Dormin refers to itself as “we.”) Dormin warns of the risks and the difficulties ahead, but says that with that sword it may not be impossible to do what is asked. They say that if you seek and destroy the 16 idols they will grant you your wish. And to do that you must destroy the idols’ real form: giant beasts called Colossi. 

The journey that follows just might be the greatest journey taken this generation.

A sword, a horse, and a bow. That sounds like an idea for a new NBC sitcom, but in reality it’s the only things you are given to help you on your quest.

Your horse is a loyal and trusted friend. He’ll be there whenever possible, and will take you through this colossal world much faster than you could on foot. There are some areas that he cannot enter, mainly caves, lakes, and any path that’s hard to reach. What am I saying? Few of them are easy to reach! Each Colossus has a place they call home and you cannot battle them until you find it.

View the map and you’ll be lost. Wander aimlessly and you’ll be wasting time (unless you’re doing it to scope out the gorgeous environments. They’re perfect as far PlayStation 2 technology is concerned). Besides dumb luck there is just one way to find the Colossi: your sword. Raise it and a beam of light will point you in the right direction. From there it’s up to you to interpret the direction and find the exact location.

When you do, it will be waiting. 

Shadow of the Colossus doesn't have minions, lame puzzles, or boring story sequences that adventure games use as filler. Shadow is 100% filler-free. What you've read is what you get: 16 battles developed by the cleverest game makers in the world. It is impossible to talk about this game without revealing secrets. I knew nothing going in so for me every battle was a surprise. If you're the kind of gamer that likes to be surprised leave now and add the game to your collection at once. You won't be disappointed.

Legendary Battles

From beast and bird to sea creatures and walking statues, the Colossi are living, breathing, destructive nightmares. They shake the screen when they walk, and do more than just fill the picture. One tenth of their bodies can do that! You have to take a hundred steps back and adjust the camera to cram these enormous things into one screen.

One of the connections between the Colossi is that they all have a patch of fur. Long, shaggy, and flowing in the air with unparalleled realism, fur is often the only thing you can climb. How do you climb a Colossus whose fur is on the top of its body? The developers were brilliant to create a game that makes you think logically. In every circumstance, during every battle with a Colossus, the answer is always right there in front of you. That's the whole point.

And when you come up with that solution, when you figure out how to destroy these enormous creatures without the aid of silly in-game hints, the feeling is more satisfying than you could possibly imagine. It makes you realize that if all games were developed with this much thought, there wouldn't need to be in-game hints or 100-page strategy guides. Because all we would need to do to overcome our problems is think. 

Jaw on the Floor

Shadow of the Colossus spellbinds with the only thing bigger than the Colossi: the environments. This world is truly the biggest I've ever seen. Bigger than The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time (but not longer). Bigger than Final Fantasy X. Bigger than anything but the biggest MMORPGs.

Technically the camera isn't quite perfect (very close though), but visually you will be stunned. Not kind of stunned or "Oh wow, that's cool" stunned. You will be frozen, the game will not move, and your eyes will start to feel weird as they find it impossible to blink.

Turn the camera lightly and the world around you will blur and demonstrate the same effect that movies use for scene transitions (where the camera spins, giving the appearance of fast movement). It's the most incredible and most unique effect I've seen since ICO was released.

Lighting is another area where Shadow of the Colossus shines. Glowing through windows, sparkling off trees, creating big shadows and lighting the way for invading Colossi – it's some of the most breathtaking effects I've ever seen. Not just in a game, but in movies as well. And keep in mind that, during the brief real-time sequences (all of which may be skipped), you have control of the camera and may tilt it for a better view of the action. The lighting reacts accordingly, glowing brighter and stretching further to create a greater sense of awe. 

A Giant’s Masterpiece

Shadow of the Colossus lives up to the hype twice. First it lived up to ICO’s legacy (Shadow’s developers also created ICO). Second it lived up to the hype of being the game that lived up to ICO’s legacy. Every piece is a work of art; every gameplay mechanic was perfectly polished.

This is not a long game. It is not an excruciatingly hard game. It won’t boggle your mind in the same way ICO did. But you will be taken on a journey so incredible, so unlike anything you’ve experienced before that you will wish it was a real world you could visit.

Gameplay: 9.6
Just you and a giant monster. The battles you’ll have with them will last with you forever. Every challenge is unique and clever. I keep going for specific examples, but if I tell you about the secrets of the (first?) sea creature, or the key to destroying the Colossi that like to fly, it would ruin everything. Let me assure that the developers’ ideas for defeating the Colossi are nothing short of the most brilliant ideas implemented in a boss fight. The Colossi will shake their bodies feverishly to knock you off. When you thwart their attempts, when you’ve got them right where you want them you can’t help but smile.

Graphics: 10
No PlayStation 2 game can compare (except ICO). None. These graphics are the most detailed, the most realistic, and features the largest number of effects next to Metal Gear Solid 2.

Sound: 9
Mesmerizing soundtrack with an epic flare. Mostly dark and brooding, the music changes to a triumphant battle theme during a few of the greatest fights.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Built by hardcore developers for hardcore fans. It’s not as tough as ICO, but you will be seriously challenged and immensely rewarded for the effort.

Concept: 10
Not since ICO has their been an adventure game that made you think. And not since ICO has there been a game that made you think differently. You could have found a Colossus, discovered its weak point and know how to reach it and still have one thing to worry about: how do you keep the Colossus from knocking you off? How do you get from one weak point to the second without falling? Solving these and every other “puzzle” is an exercise of the mind.

Overall: 9.6
An adventure game bred from something different, Shadow of the Colossus is the first game in the genre to make a huge impact since The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time. Groundbreaking camera system, amazing soundtrack, perfect visuals, and controls that are unique but obviously from the developers of ICO. The technology that makes it all come together is baffling. Shadow does things that no other adventure game has done before. It also does what video games rarely do: it makes you think and rewards you for doing so.