It feels a lot like a tech demo or a benchmark tool, without the trappings that you are used to in the game. Even the ones with hands seem unable to pluck you off their shoulder instead, they try to shake you off, which fails thanks to your herculean grip. Almost all of them are slow, ponderous behemoths that are completely incapable of hurting you once you start using them for rock climbing practice. I say this is more like a puzzle game than an adventure game because in general, you are not at risk when fighting a colossus. During some fights, this can get annoying as you might run out of stamina when the colossus has a shred of health left, or because your ‘climbing to a point’ was clumsy (and the climbing controls often feel clumsy) you miss the final strike on a weak point, making you go through the motions to be knocked off as soon as a weak point is destroyed. Ultimately you defeat the enemy, but it might take a few tries as you get used to the climbing system, working out where to go and where you can rest easily or the later colossi recovering from a stun, tossing you off until you stun them again. Finding the right way to solve a problem can take a while, at which point the mysterious voice will offer a hint (these can be turned off if you don’t want them nagging you). Sometimes you need to use the environment to your advantage to even climb on a colossus and you will have to manage your stamina while on the creature, finding a safe place to rest until you can continue the climb.

You can use the magical light of your sword to find the weak points on an enemy before grabbing onto its amazing shaggy pelt and going mountain climbing. This loop repeats for the entire game, with each colossus requiring more effort to beat.Īrmed with a sword and bow, fighting a colossus is more akin to a puzzle than anything else. As you land the final blow a stream of energy (or soul or blood or evil!) hits your character and you wake up at the temple, given your next target by the mysterious voice. After a few strikes, a weak point will disappear, meaning you have to hit all of them to defeat them. As you scale the creature you have to reach the weak points and stab your sword into the lumbering creature. Rock climbing courseĪrmed with a sword and bow, fighting a colossus is more akin to a puzzle than anything else.

This is a game about boss fight after boss fight, punctuated by a lonely journey through a beautiful but empty land. Guided by a shining light from your sword, you make your way to a colossus, a massive lumbering figure. A disembodied voice tells you that if you kill all the colossi, it will grant your wish. In a forbidden land, you are completely alone except for your trusty horse. If you have never played Shadow of the Colossus before, the premise and core of the game is about bringing a maiden back to life at any cost. I tried to go into this with the same mindset I have when watching the original Star Trek: remembering that this was the blueprint for a lot of what has come since and that it was a product of a very different time. Over a decade and two generations late, I can finally tick Shadow of the Colossus off my list of games I should have played a long, long time ago.

Shadow of the colossus ps2 forest