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By Elias Dounis on October 26th, 2005
Third-person and first-person shooters are dime a dozen these days and it seems like a rare occurrence to come across a truly imaginative and unique adventure game. Gamers like myself often look towards Zelda for their fantasy fix but with Twilight Princess delayed into next year, a game by the name of Shadow of the Colossus has its time to shine and boy does it shine brightly! However, to say that Shadow of the Colossus is in the same league of a Legend of Zelda game would be foolish. The game has many aspects that any gamer should be able to appreciate but flaws in its gameplay keep it from being a title that could’ve been the undisputed game of the year. Many people like to say that Shadow of the Colossus is a piece of art. Well, let me just say that I do appreciate games that focus on story, art, etc... if I didn’t, then my preference of Metal Gear Solid over Splinter Cell would not make any sense, because in all honesty the gameplay in the MGS series pales in comparison to that of Splinter Cell. It’s the story, character development, and cinematic feel of the MGS series that makes it so appealing and I have to say that one of the reasons I enjoyed Shadow of the Colossus so much was due to its presentation. Simply put, Shadow of the Colossus is indeed a work of art. There are times when I cannot find the words to accurately describe how beautiful the game’s world is and not from a technical standpoint
"its music, art direction and cinematic presentation will strike chords within many gamers emotionally"
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either. The architecture featured in the game is similar to what you would expect to see in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies. It’s just an incredible treat for those gamers who love a fantasy setting. Monstrous temples, towering pillars and bridges are found throughout the game and perhaps the most jaw dropping sight in the game is a tall stone bridge that practically divides the massive land in two, looking as if it were immeasurable in length. The entire world of the game is just awe inspiring. Every area featured in the game is drop dead gorgeous, whether it’s forest, hot-spring, desert, or seaside. The overall look of it all, combined with Greek and Roman architecture, is truly a sight to behold. Only a handful of games can cater to the imagination the way Shadow of the Colossus does. From a technical standpoint, Shadow of the Colossus is easily one of the best looking games you’ll ever see on the PlayStation 2. The texture work is impressive, especially on the colossi themselves. You can see the hair on them in great detail and I can’t help but be impressed every time I see this type of detail, especially since the game is indeed on the PS2. Furthermore, the game’s impressive surroundings wouldn’t look so gorgeous if they weren’t in detail. However, we’re reminded that the game is indeed running on an aged platform due to framerate issues and the rough look that plagues nearly all PS2 games (jaggies!). Nevertheless, the only other game currently available on the PS2 that competes against Shadow of the Colossus from a technical standpoint is Metal Gear Solid 3. Page 1 2 3 4 | Next Page --> | 
