Reviews from

in the past


Where it Shines:
Atmosphere - 10/10
Visual Storytelling - 10/10
Music - 10/10

The Good:
I can't say enough good things about this game. Whatever hype you've heard, it lives up to. No other game gives you the feeling and experience this one does. It manages to convey a story to you completely through the gameplay, which is a rare feat. It's sprawling and epic in it's scope, especially for the time it was released, but even by today's standards. It's truly a one of a kind experience.

The Bad:
A lot of people may find the controls frustrating especially if you didn't grow up playing games of this era. Aside from that, it really just sort of throws you in with no tutorial or anything, you just kinda have to play and figure it out. I don't think this is a bad thing, but others might. This game makes it work however.

Summary:
Just play the damn game already. One of the greatest games ever made, greatest stories ever told in a game, and one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. If that's not enough for you, then I don't know what is.

****note on my ratings:
half ⭐: hot trash garbage
⭐: below average, needs work
⭐⭐: average
⭐⭐⭐: pretty good
⭐⭐⭐⭐: excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: all time favourite
half star ratings between those mean it's slightly better or worse than stated in this list.
*

One of the game's flaws is that once you grasp the trick to weaken the bosses, the execution of said trick is hindered by frustrating controls (having played on PS2 and its 5fps during certain fights surely didn’t help). However, this process of successive failures (frustrating as it is) draws upon hidden reserves within you (some fights can last more than 30 minutes), and finally seeing these colossi fall brings immense joy, not far from the sensations one experiences when defeating a challenging boss in From Software games. The battle in the desert was one of the most epic for me. The end cinematic is simply spectacular.
FR :
Un des défauts du jeu et qu’une fois que le comprend le « trick » pour affaiblir les boss, la réalisation « trick » est entravé par une maniabilité frustrante (d’avoir joué sur PS2 et ses 5fps durant certains combats n’a sûrement pas aidé). Pourtant, ce procédé d’échecs successifs (frustrant) puise en vous des ressources cachées (certaines fight peuvent durer + de 30mn) et de voir d’enfin tuer ces colosses vous procura une joie immense, pas loin des sensations que l’on peut ressentir lorsqu’on tue un boss difficile des jeux From Software.
La bataille du désert a été pour moi une des plus épiques.
La cinématique de fin est tout simplement spectaculaire.

Shadow of the Colossus is not a perfect game by any means, but what it managed to do in 2005 is something truly beyond me. This is the most ahead of its time game I've played by a huge margin. This game didn't fear trying new things, and in doing so the team crafted one of the most immersive experiences in gaming IMO.

Truly a technical feat for 2005, with some of the most interesting storytelling I've seen even to this day. Certified classic that everyone should play at one point in their lives.

Ok esse jogo é uma mitada absurda, se pra época era surreal oq conseguiram fazer com esse jogo no Ps2, hoje continua sendo INACREDITÁVEL! Eu fico com agua na boca só de imaginar como seriam os 48 Colossus no jogo final se tivessem usado um hardware muito mais forte. Poderiam ter feito isso no remake do Ps4, mas a Sony é preguiçosa e a Bluepoint é incapaz.

Enfim. jogasso do caralho com só dois problemas:
1. Muito stagger.
As vezes tu toma um dano que joga o Wander no chão que leva uns 7 ou 8 segundos pra deixar ele levantar de novo, e as vezes os colossus ficam por muito tempo te travando dentro de uma animação.
2. O Agro é uma merda.
Po, a cada arena o jogo te surpreende do quão grandioso ele consegue ser, mas tem algumas vezes que tu depende mt do Agro e a movimentação dele faz de tudo pra te foder, mas nunca vão acertar em movimentação de cavalo em vídeo game, então não vou cobrar de SotC isso.

Enfim, todos os colossus são divertidos de enfrentar, seja mt curto ou mt simples, apenas alguns são chatinhos mas mesmo assim acaba compensando no final.

Quero jogar ICO agora.


If you're looking for an example of quality over quantity in a video game developer, it would be hard to find a better one than Team ICO in the 2000s. Praised as the creator of Playstation 2's ICO, the game that gave the team their namesake, they would go on to develop only one more game for the PS2, and it would be over a decade after that until their next game-The Last Guardian-hit the market. But their second title was a titan, both in name and reputation, and is surely the team's most famous and acclaimed work. What began as an online multiplayer game called NICO would eventually develop into the now-iconic single player adventure game Shadow of the Colossus. Consistently hailed as an influential masterpiece and a clear demonstration of the artistic qualities of video games, SOTC is clearly a game that was ahead of its time; perhaps, even just a tad too far ahead.

Sometimes, when players venture back in time to classic games that they're playing for the first time-especially highly influential ones-the good qualities can be lost on them; oftentimes, what was revolutionary then is standard now. In that way, Shadow of the Colossus is a notable exception. Its unique, minimalistic atmosphere and artistic expression is noticeable as a standout not just for its time, but even when compared to contemporary titles. The game's use of lighting and liminal space creates a truly ethereal setting, matching the tones set by the game's narrative. It's rare a game deserves praise for an empty open world, but SOTC manages it very well. It truly feels like you're trespassing in a place you aren't supposed to be, and while the scenery serves more as a quiet respite rather than a setting to be fully explored, it nevertheless adds tremendously to the game's identity in all the best ways.

That is, of course, until you reach your next colossus. And while the game's quiet moments are great, it's most fondly remembered for its battles, and after just one, it isn't hard to understand why. The music swells, the ground shakes, and you find yourself face to face with a gargantuan opponent that is hundreds times your size. It's immediately epic and intimidating, and it always seems to take a few dodges of their massive attacks before you start looking for weak points and formulating a plan of attack. And while these are technically battles, it's more appropriate to call them environmental puzzles; short and sweet challenges which rely on you studying their behavior and trying different approaches. And when it works-and it almost always does-it's an incredible burst of gaming ingenuity and brilliance. There are 16 colossi to defeat here, and while one or two are a bit frustrating, they are by and large designed to near-perfection. And some even go beyond that.

Part of what makes Shadow of the Colossus so impactful is that, for a PS2 game, the game's movement and character animations are second to none. Its movement is incredibly fluid and lifelike-and that pertains to more than just the visuals. The game does an incredible job at making you feel small; you are constantly knocked off balance, and the smallest movements of the colossi feel earthshaking to you. At times, the controls even feel purposely frustrating; it's a feat that only a game as immersive as SOTC can pull off where gameplay is actually improved by intentionally limiting controls. Watching Wander fall to his knees with each colossal step and hold on for dear life as a colossus tries to shake him off only serves to envelop the player in their struggle deeper. Unfortunately, while these unique physics fit the vision for this game perfectly, it's hard to say the same about its graphical fidelity.

This is the PS2, of course, and for many of the impressive reasons people say it feels ahead of its time for a PS2 title, it certainly feels that way from a hardware point of view. Frame rates are often unstable, even while you are just panning the camera; in battle, it can make some fights look like a slideshow. It doesn't help that the camera controls and general playability can often feel a bit janky. The game is not ruined by these issues; it's still an excellent title, of course, but for as much effort as SOTC puts into making an immersive experience, these issues can quickly pull you out of it.

Shadow of the Colossus, regardless, remains a classic and a timeless example of the potential of video games, especially as a means of human expression. Even with its minimalistic story, there's still a sadness during the game's famous ending as the true purpose of your journey is revealed. There's still the awe of encountering each colossi, and there's still a quiet melancholy as you defeat them, and rid the sacred plain of the few signs of life it had. Shadow of the Colossus is an enduring classic that clearly inspired many titles that followed, and perhaps whose only real sin was being born on a console whose hardware could not handle its ambition.

Uma obra de arte em forma de jogo. Terminei quando era criança, não me lembro totalmente de cada colosso em especifico, mas sei que todos possuem suas diferenças. Todos ambientes vazios, áreas sombrias, arenas abandonadas, tudo isso contribui para uma atmosfera absurda de boa. A história não é jogada na nossa cara, você precisa ligar os pontos para entender. Talvez a jogabilidade não atraia a todos, é bem diferente do convencional.

eu provavelmente ja zerei esse jogo mais vezes do que eu vi meu pai

Uma obra-prima. Um dos jogos que fez eu amar o mundo dos jogos.

todo mundo devia zerar isso pelo menos uma vez na vida

oh god i'm remember the horse and now i'm crying and fuck you game

Definition of masterpiece. A game that expands on every possible way as an experience.
From setting the tone and loneliness to being epic / really difficult to process once you understand what's going on.

در اوج سادگی کیفیت و کارکتر سازی و موسیقی . داستان بازی تمام اینا رو پوشش میده . مبارزات نفسگیر با غول های جان سخت . روش های کشتن متفاوت و ...

gosto de infância e só lembro o quanto eu ficava meu deus não tem mais ninguem nessa porra carai jogo solitário

Una historia única e innovadora, un protagonista sencillo y aún así único, un sistema de combate también sencillo/único, el escalado es preciso y dinámico, cada uno de los colosos es una batalla épica y única, los diseños son variados y creativos, la música es intensa, el final es perfecto, sin lugar a dudas una joya del gaming

que jogo foda, cara. um clássico cult com todos os motivos.

Um dos melhores jogos já feitos na história. THE GOAT

Jogo que eu zerei em um dia foi muito divertido matar os colossus é único, também não virou um dos que mais me marcaram porém foi muito bom

Watched a playthrough. Breath-taking game with a really cool story

tinha medo quando era criança do protagonista não dos colossos


a humanidade não merece esse jogo. Encontrem um artista com a sensibilidade de Fumito Ueda no século XXI, porque quando ele parar talvez não haja outro do mesmo calibre

Such a cool game artstyle and concept wise, it played great

That's what kids these days call "Kino"

This review contains spoilers

i played as a kid, but i was too scared to even beat 1 colossus... But i found 3 different ones! (Also, i have watched etire gameplays about this game, i know him pretty well... But i still wanna beat it myself one day!)