Sometimes, an opportunity to play a classic comes along and becomes too difficult to resist. "Shadow of the Colossus" is widely hailed as one of the greatest games ever made and is seen as a shining example of how video games can be art. Its popularity led to the announcement of a remake at E3 2017 which...honestly did make me scratch my head a bit. Bluepoint Games already remastered the game for the PlayStation 3, why did they do a full remake? Eh, I dunno, it's their thing. Either way, I wasn't sure if I was going to play the game because I couldn't get into "Ico" when I first played that. But thanks to several recommendations, this remake stopped me in my tracks. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to check out what all the hype was and give this beloved title a chance. And damn, do I wish I liked it more.
Don't get it twisted, "Shadow of the Colossus" has some marvelous things going for it. I love the simple, subtle but beautiful storytelling that features a very surprising twist, and I think the game has a beautiful visual design. It's very artful and stunning - made even better by the remade design - and the use of score and sound blends perfectly in the game. The overworld is lush and there are plenty of collectibles for people who enjoy exploration like that, but really, this game is all about the Colossi battles. Seriously, those battles are some of the greatest things I've ever experienced in a game. The sense of scope when fighting the Colossi is incredible, the remake definitely captures the thrill of battling these larger-than-life beings, and the best moments are absolutely heart-pounding.
All that said, though, there are several elements of the game I didn't like that kept existing in the back of my head while I was playing. I know I mentioned that the half of the game where you fight Colossi is some of the best stuff I've ever played, but I will say that the half of the game spent not fighting Colossi is forgettable. While the overworld is lush and pretty to look at, it honestly didn't really excite me, and it just made me want to get to the Colossi fights quicker. Sadly, I also found some of the Colossi to get a bit repetitive near the end, and I thought the controls, be it gripping enemies or riding Argo the horse, were pretty bad and were further compounded by the awkward camera.
Overall, though...everyone has that "masterpiece" game they just can't love as much as everyone else does. I suppose "Shadow of the Colossus" happens to be mine. I can't knock the job Bluepoint did on this remake, as while I never played the original, I'm sure they captured the essence of its amazingly. However, I just wish the base game was something I was more interested in. Half of it is some of the greatest stuff ever, but the other half I could definitely do without. All that said, though, I do recommend giving it a go, if only to try out the Colossi fights for yourself. Because damn, those Colossi fights...
Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"