Shadow of the Colossus

8.9 / 10

Release Date

18 October 2005

Platforms

PlayStation 2

Publisher

Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer

Team Ico

01Overview

Shadow of the Colossus is an action-adventure game about a young wanderer named Wander who enters a forbidden land with his horse, Agro, and the body of a girl named Mono. Hoping to restore her life, Wander makes a bargain with a mysterious being called Dormin and agrees to defeat 16 enormous colossi scattered across the region. Players travel through plains, forests, deserts, lakes, and ruins to locate each target, using Wander’s ancient sword to reveal the direction of the next colossus. Each colossus functions as a large-scale combat puzzle. Players must study its movement, find a way onto its body, and climb across fur, armor, or other surfaces to reach glowing weak points. Wander can attack with his sword and bow, while a stamina meter limits how long he can maintain his grip while climbing. There are few conventional enemies or combat encounters between battles, placing most of the focus on exploration and the 16 colossi themselves. Agro provides faster travel across the large landscape and is also required during several encounters.