Shadow of the Colossus
The heavyweight champion returns
Sixteen colossi roam the land,
peacefully going about their
business and hurting nobody. Are
you going to let that stand? Of
course not! Your aim in this
ground-up remake of the 2005 PS2
classic is to seek them out and end their lives.
Each colossus forms a living, breathing platform
stage that you navigate by holding R2 to cling onto
their fur and taking each ridge, tuft, and fold as it
comes. They’re still as massive as ever, whether flying,
swimming, or galloping through a massive seamless
environment, but the way in which you tackle them has
been brought in line with modern expectations, with
tighter player and camera controls alleviating the
original’s clunk.
It’s the visuals that impress most about this remake,
though. From your steed’s mane parting in the wind, to
sunlight breaking through thick forest, they elevate
already stunning artistic direction so effectively that
there’s nothing to indicate this was ever a PS2 game. It’s
going to make us cry all over again.