Damn... damn...

Some alarming news has made its way onto the Internet. Apparently Shadow of the Colossus is being made into a movie. This is a piece of saddening news for me. Not only because I believe this wondrous game does not lend itself to the medium of film, but also due to the fact that Hollywood is getting the same bunch of incompetent people to manage this project that seem to manage all those bungled game-to-movie attempts. 

I am not going to talk about the particulars of this future bungle, or who will be responsible for the desecration of one of the most artistic games ever made, rather I am going to devote this post to the majesty that is Shadow of the Colossus.

Shadow of the Colossus was made by the creators of ICO, a wondrous game in its own right, and tells the tale of a boy and his princess. Part of the inherent beauty in the game is its simplicity. The plot is subtle and compelling, the graphics are nothing short of breathtaking, and the gameplay is phenomenally fun.

While the boy and his princess plot may seem trite and cliche, I can assure you that this game presents it in a manner that is completely engrossing. The entrance cutscene outlines the final steps of a journey; a boy bringing a seemingly unconscious girl to a temple in the hopes of restoring her health. In this temple he is told that the only way to restore her is to destroy the 16 monsters roaming the lands. 

In a bid to save the girl he loves the boy sets out upon his horse to complete this task. Every time he defeats a monster he is returned to the temple to see the creature's effigy collapse. That is almost the full extent of the story until the end. The unobtrusive yet present approach to storytelling constantly reminds you of why you are playing the game while remaining understated and elegant in its design. There is more to the story that is discovered towards the end however I have no wish to spoil it.

The graphics are gorgeous and the journeying to fight the various creatures is never dull as the natural beauty of your surroundings puts you into a meditative state before battle. Your horse is your constant companion and is present at all times. This mechanic is ingenious as the combination of the horses constant presence and nobody else to share your journey with ensures that an unbreakable bond between the player and the horse is formed. Throughout all of this a symphonic music score plays quietly in the background, rousing up only in times of battle.

The gameplay is fantastic as there are only the titanic creatures that you battle. At the outset of every leg of your journey you wonder what creature you will next encounter and chances are that you will be surprised at its majesty and power every time. This is because the creatures you confront are gigantic representations of oddly formed animals with a Mayan aesthetic, each one different from the last. The game requires you to physically climb these behemoths to be able to target the only point where they may be injured. 

It is impossible to fully describe the intricacies of what occurs further without ruining the game to some extent and so that is all I am going to say regarding the game. I do however strongly urge anybody with a PS2 and a desire to play games that elicit real wonder to give it a chance.