Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) | 
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| From: Sony
Category: Video Games
List Price: £29.99
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Rating:  105 reviews
Platform: Playstation2
Genre: fantasy-action-games
Rating: Parental Guidance
Media: Video Game
Number Of Items: 1
Age: 11 - 18 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.5 x 0.6
UPC: 711719654964
EAN: 0711719653967
ASIN: B000BTGUNG
Release Date: February 17, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: HELLO THIS TITLE IS IN BRAND NEW CONDITION & COMES FULLY BOXED WITH ALL INSTRUCTION MANUALS, THE TITLE WILL BE SHIPPED DIRECT FROM OUR HIGH STREET STORE WHICH HAS BEEN TRADING SINCE 1995. ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR ORDER WITH US WE WILL DESPATCH YOUR ORDER THAT DAY VIA 1ST CLASS ROYAL MAIL POST, YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO RECEIVE THE PACKAGE WITHIN 3 TO 5 WORKING DAYS ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR THE DELIVERY TO BE MUCH QUICKER THAN THAT, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE ROYAL MAIL. MANY THANKS FOR LOOKING AT OUR LISTING AND WE ASSURE YOU EXCELLENT SERVICE IF YOU DECIDE TO ORDER WITH US.
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Amazon.co.uk Review:
In a nutshell:
In a world of identikit sequels and licenses this game stands alone. Cast as the mysterious Wanderer you are charged with destroying sixteen colossi – gigantic and apparently invincible stone monsters. Each colossus has a weak point though and by climbing onto them and exploring them like moving castles you may have a chance to save your sweetheart. The lowdown:
This game really does look and plays like nothing else, with a game world as large as the colossi which you can only explore via your trusty horse Argo. The graphics are fantastic, both technically and in terms of artistic design, and the melancholy atmosphere utterly unique. The colossi look particularly amazing, as you reach barely to the toe tops of most of them. The method of killing each one is perhaps not quite as varied as it could be and it’s a shame that there’s not anything to do in the overworld except travel to the next colossi, but the overall gaming experience is unparalleled. Most exciting moment:
Your first sight of a colossus, as you realise the end-of-level boss is the level. Since you ask:
This game is by the same team behind cult hit ICO, although a connection between the two stories is only evident at the very end of the gamea The bottom line:
One of the most beautiful and original video games ever made.
HARRISON DENT
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| Customer Reviews:
 A Masterpiece November 19, 2005
42 out of 46 found this review helpful
Having had the honour to play this on import I feel overwhelmed to pursuade as many of you as possible to buy this game NOW! I don't understand why it isn't being released til February but i insist that you pre-order. This game is spell-binding from its awe-inspiring presentation, unmatched score and unique gameplay. The story is of a young warrior who is trying to save his lost love. To do so he must find and defeat 16 amazing Colossi with the aid of his horse Argo. To say much more would spoil a game that demands to be experienced firsthand. From the intriguing opening to the heart-wrenching finale this game is AWESOME! One of the great games of our time.
One of the best titles the PS2 has to offer. August 11, 2006
Mr. D. Ansell (East Sussex, England)
22 out of 24 found this review helpful
Shadow of the Colossus is an amazing game, brought to us by the same team who brought us ICO. It deserves to be played by anyone who owns a Playstation 2.
The story is as follows: Wander, the protagonist, (of whom you play) enters a forbidden land to reach a temple, where it is believed a mysterious power can help revive those who have died. Wander, who travels to this distant land on his trusty steed Agro, brings the deceased love of his life (Mono) with him, and upon reaching the temple, places her body on an altar. A disembodied voice emanating from a bright light in the ceiling explains to Wander that in order to revive the girl, he must destroy sixteen creatures, the Colossi, spread across the land. He is warned however, that the consequences of performing such an act may lead to terrible consequences. Wander doesn't care, and sets out to do anything it takes to bring back his beloved from the dead.
While the story is fairly basic, it is unveiled competently during the game via infrequent cut-scenes. I won't spoil anything, but the ending is possibly the longest video game ending I have ever seen. It's somewhat emotional and it's one of those endings that leaves you thinking, which is great.
The gameplay isn't too complex. You only have two weapons: a sword, and a bow. The sword has three main purposes, to lead you to the Colossi arenas (by holding it in the air and heading toward where the beams of light converge), to identify weak spots on the Colossi (again, by holding it in the air) and to deal damage to the Colossi by stabbing their weak points during the battles. The bow isn't used quite as much, and is normally used to attack certain weak points on the Colossi in order for you to progress further. You can move throughout the vast landscape by foot, but for the most part you travel by riding on your horse, Agro - and you may even find yourself getting quite attached to him. During a couple of boss fights, you have to be riding Agro at full speed in order to defeat the Colossi - these battles prove to be exhilarating experiences.
The focus of the game is purely the objective of defeating the sixteen Colossi - there are no other enemies. In most cases, the Colossi are hulking giants, although there are a few smaller Colossi, too. It's not clear whether they are mechanical or biological entities, or perhaps a mixture of both. Every Colossus has fur and the larger ones have platforms attached to their bodies as well; both of these enable you to clamber onto and around the beasts. Every Colossus is unique, and the fights take place in a variety of settings, such as on land, in water, in some ancient ruins, and even in the sky. Colossi are defeated by attacking their weak points, which are usually high up on their bodies. Some bosses are quite easy and don't take long to figure out how to defeat. With others, some lateral thinking is required; often you are required to take advantage of your environment in order to scale the Colossi to attack their weak points.
Graphically, the game is stunning, for the most part. This game squeezes every last drop of power from the PS2, and features some impressive effects such as HDR, Light Bloom, Motion Blur, and a huge Draw Distance. Every single Colossus is a work of art; beautifully animated and most of them are simply, well... colossal - the sense of scale is palpable. A few textures look a little indistinct close up, but that's to be expected with the PS2's age.
The orchestral score is used sparingly - it only plays during the battles and cut-scenes. However, it complements the game very well, and it is especially rousing to be climbing up a flailing Colossus, hanging on for dear life, with the music adding to the sense of urgency. The sound effects are decent enough and serve their purpose well.
There are a few niggles with the game. The two major ones are the dips in frame-rate and the camera angles. While the game looks beautiful, it clearly puts strain on the console. Frame-rate drops are quite noticeable but fortunately don't seem to seriously affect the gameplay. The other major issue is the automatic camera, which occasionally spins in the wrong direction giving you a poor view of the action when fighting a Colossus. While the camera can be rotated manually, it often spins back to a bad position afterwards. It's quite a rare problem however, so it isn't game-breaking.
Lesser issues include the control system and the game's length. While the controls can be picked up within an hour or two of play, they probably could be simpler. This isn't to say they are bad - they just aren't as intuitive as you might hope. Also, the game isn't too long. For most gamers it will probably take only 8-10 hours to complete, perhaps a little more if you like to take your time and explore the game world fully, or struggle to figure out strategies on some of the bosses. To be fair, the game offers some replay value after you complete it. A hard-mode is unlocked, as is a time-attack mode. These modes can be played to unlock items that improve your character on subsequent play-throughs.
Overall, these flaws cannot detract from what is a fantastic gaming experience. It's generally quite unlike any game you've ever played, although it perhaps in some ways resembles the Prince of Persia games, in that you will be spending a lot of time leaping from platforms and hanging from or shimmying around ledges. The boss battles offer a more cerebral challenge than you might otherwise be used to. If you're looking for something a little different, this game is it - and earns my seal of approval.
Majestic April 20, 2006
Game Freak 101
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
Shadow of the colossus is a game like no other. Think of any game you've played and it will not be simlilar to this game. Basically you are a boy/teenager/man i don't really know but anyway. You have a dead girlfriend and to revive her a voice from the heavens tells you you have to slay 16 colossi. And these things are BIG.
Graphics: Stunning. The landscape is awesome. A particular place where i noticed this is when i was riding across a land bridge to find colossus 2. And WOW. The view was stunning! You have to see it becuase I'm not going to tell you what it looks like! The only gripe I have with is that close up the characters can look blocky.
Sound: This is again, brilliant. Its context sensitive. This means that when you wander around looking for the colossus its all silent (adding to the feel that its you alone in isolation) but when you are fighting the colossus its goes all powerful and orchestral. Then finally when the skyscraper sized monster comes crashing down it brings in some sad music.
Gameplay: Although riding around can be tedious (although with the best horse animations ever!) the battles with the colossus are spectacular. I love the feeling of 'how am i supposed to kill that?' and then the huge 'AHAH!'. A word of warning though. The first colossus may seem underwhelming.
Originality: Honestly? Did you read the start of my review?
Learning curve: The controls and dodgy jumping physics can take a bit of getting used to but the game is not too easy or hard.
Lifespan: Quite a long game but not much replay value.
Overall: AWESOME GAME! BUY IT NOW!! That is... if you have some time on your hands...
BIG boss battles January 7, 2006
17 out of 21 found this review helpful
Got this game on import, and it's fantastic! Huge, stunning world to ride around on your horse exploring, but of course the main part of this game are the colossi themselves. To revive a dead girl, you must defeat each of the 16 monsters that roam the land. These things are HUGE! the ground shakes as they walk, any trees etc in their path are ripped aside, and you usually end up climbing on them to stab them in the head. GREAT! Controls are a bit fiddly, but you soon get used to them, music and sounds are good, but the camera angles are sometimes annoying. Excellent game overall though, really recommend it.
I Keep Coming Back September 4, 2006
Don Quixote (Chicago, IL)
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
Before I go into messing my pants on how addicting and incredible this game is, let's go through the flaws.
1) Controls take a little getting used to. I didn't quite figure them out to the point of being comfortable with them until I was forced to with the last Colossus. To aid those in need, here's a tactic: The way to leap from one hanging spot to another. While holding R1, hold the triangle button. While holding triangle, rotate the control stick slowly to find the direction that causes Wander to face outward. I found it difficult to make Wander face outward whenever the camera was in an awkward position, and this helps solve that mess. Originally I assumed you could just tilt the control stick in the direction you want to jump, but when the camera moves into awkward positions that direction doesn't necessarily translate correctly, so you just have to rotate the stick slowly to find what the game considers to be "away from wall." Once you get Wander in position to jump, release triangle, but continue holding R1. If you release R1, Wander will fall straight down instead of jump off. Pretty complicated, eh? That's my biggest gripe. But hey, once I learned how to get around it I proceeded to have immense fun again!
Second problem: camera. As previously stated by other reviewers, the camera will often swerve around into an undesirable position after being user adjusted. This just plain sucks. This is also a problem that occurred most frequently with the last Colossus.
Now on to the goodness! I adore the fact that this game didn't become the hack n' slasher that it could've. It's clear that having sub-enemies in this would ruin the experience. I feel that there's no other way to make this game great than do exactly what the developers did and make this just you and the colossi and nothing else. You journey through an immense, lush, and beautiful environment on horseback trying to find the whereabouts of the next Colossus. This is accomplished by a combination of a clue from Dormin (the disembodied voice), and the aid of light. You can hoist your sword in the air and use the rays of sunlight that bounce off of it to find your way. Where the rays convene is where the Colossi is located. It essentially works like a compass. What this does is make the journey to get to the Colossus much like its own puzzle. There's often large crevasses to find a way over, and bits of platforming mixed in.
Another great thing about this game (and most obvious) are the various Colossi. Often you find yourself employing a combination of platforming and climbing, all in a timely manner, and all on the Colossus itself. It's a thrill to watch Wander being thrashed about while hanging for dear life on a Colossus. All the while your "hang" meter depletes and you start to incorporate the budgeting of how much "hanging ability" you have left before you fall. This creates an awesome sense of urgency as you only have so much time to scale part of a Colossus and find some way to rest atop the Colossus and regain some hanging energy. There's a whole mess of tactics and strategy to employ in successfully slaying a Colossus, and then when it's all done you feel both a sense of accomplishment and a sense of sorrow. Watching such an astounding creature once alive now stumble to the ground or come crashing into the ocean is really sad! Kudos goes out to the animators that designed such convincing death animations!
Alright, I'm done yapping. Go out and play this now and avoid the naysayers! You'll find yourself coming back again and again to relive all of your favorite moments!
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