Shadow of the Colossus is one of those games that focuses so much on specific elements that a lot of what’s important is seemingly tossed aside. The venture follows a young warrior who must defeat large creatures known as “colossi” at the behest of unseen gods to resurrect the body of a young maiden he’s brought to their temple. All the while, a group of medieval-esque figures are in hot pursuit, hoping to stop the boy before his actions wreak havoc on the land.

Where Shadow truly succeeds is in its visuals. There are moments throughout this game of pure realism. From the environments to the horse you ride, everything looks exceedingly real to the point that I occasionally had to remind myself I wasn’t watching a film of sorts. The rock formations, the desert sands and the greenery of the world you play in bring a lot to the table and make this one of the most realistic-looking games I’ve ever encountered.

Now, the colossi… Each entity is truly unique and has its own fighting style. This is a great way to keep players on the edge and guessing as to what enemies might do next. They are as unpredictable in their maneuvers as they are in their looks, and while some creatures are easier to defeat than others, all are visually striking, so on a purely graphical level, Shadow is a triumph of the ages.

Nevertheless, I found it hard to care about this game, primarily due to its story – or lack thereof – and lagging character development. None of the main figures are ever introduced by name except for Agro, your horse. In fact, the only other name I came across was that of the main character, Wander, and I only discovered this through post-game research.

The woman Wander struggles to resurrect is never given a clear background. Who is she, exactly? Is she Wander’s wife? His sister? A cousin? Why is Wander so desperate to bring her back? The game ends, but the mystery is never solved. Are the people out to stop Wander his family members, or angry villagers simply looking to put a dent in a young boy’s hopes? Again, we never find out. These characters are never given their due, and thus we feel little to nothing for them.

There are so many unanswered questions in this game, and it’s clear the developers were intent on providing players with a visual treat, which they accomplish in spades, but visuals often work like frosting on a cake. It tantalizes our taste buds and offers substance to what could otherwise be a plain concoction of eggs and flour, but one’s bound to get bored right away without a full-fledged pastry underneath, and Shadow is no exception. Without a story and clearly defined relationships, the visuals can only provide so much intrigue before players start thinking about something else.

The game is not particularly difficult; once the first battle concludes, individuals will get an immediate feel for the controls and how the rest will play out. I spent about ten hours on Shadow before reaching the end and never perished during a fight. I’ve also read many online complaints regarding the controls surrounding Agro, your horse, though I experienced few problems in this area.

Overall, Shadow is a great-looking adventure that feels somewhat empty at its core. The thin plot won’t be enough to keep players interested, nor does the game offer enough of a challenge to warrant future replays. Shadow is an alleged remake of a PS2 title that emerged in 2005, and though I haven’t played the original myself, I can’t help but wonder if there was ever enough material the first time around to warrant what is a no-doubt fetching, yet emotionless, retread.

Score: *** out of ***** (3 out of 5)

Image courtesy of Gearmuke.com