Shadow of the Colossus
Best Action Games of 2018 So Far
To quote J. Michael Straczynski, “Greatness is never appreciated in youth, called pride in midlife, dismissed in old age, and reconsidered in death.” Team Ico’s magnum opus Shadow of the Colossus was, well, I wouldn’t say it was underappreciated when it was released, but now it has been given a whole new lease on life. While not a fast-paced action game like Bayonetta or Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Colossus manages to make its somewhat slower boss battles (not that there’s any other kind of battle in the game) feel all the more spectacular thanks to the size of the colossi. More importantly, the game seamlessly weaves puzzle-solving into the action because climbing up each colossus’ hairy backs to attack their weak points for massive damage is only half the fun. The other half is figuring how the heck you’re going to get up there without being squashed underfoot and turned into a Wander pancake.
I wouldn’t say that the original Shadow of the Colossus was an ugly game, mostly because it wasn’t, but let’s be real here: graphically speaking, it does not hold up as well as other PlayStation 2 classics. But thanks to Bluepoint Games’ HD remake, Shadow of the Colossus is even more beautiful than ever and perfect for any newcomers who always wanted to play the masterpiece but came in a generation or two late.
