Fear not. Shadow of the Colossus is a pretty epic title, but I won't run to the computer and bang out a report every time I actually get Agro to run in the direction I want him to—though if you ask me, that's an accomplishment in itself. First impressions are fun to read, though, so I will accommodate the good readers of 61FPS.
It probably won't surprise you when I say the presentation in this game is absolutely gorgeous. I usually give an opening cinematic ten seconds to please me before I mash the Start button, but when I sat back and watched Wander's ponderous but purposeful journey to the Temple, I felt something familiar pull at me. Like I was watching a favourite sequence from a well-loved movie. Various flashes of imagery and sound in this game already remind me of The Neverending Story, a book that never fails to instill me with a sense of solemn adventure despite multiple readings.
Doubtlessly you already know that Shadow of the Colossus features a quiet, calming atmosphere that stands to be butchered by Hollywood, so I'll talk a bit about how it plays. What you need to know: this game is creaming me.
Shadow of the Colossus thrives on its singleness, so there are no menus to shuffle through and no items to sniff out. Most everything you need to hunt the Colossi is available from the very beginning. Wander has the moves standard to a warrior: running, jumping, clinging (very important) and horse-calling. Rolling, aiming, and swinging his sword should be familiar territory for the average 3D Zelda player.
Where Shadow of the Colossus differs from Nintendo's series is you are expected to hone these skills to a needle-sharp point if you're going to stand a chance against the Colossi—and the game isn't about to give you any freebies. I'm only on the first Colossi. I sauntered up to the big bugger thinking he'd be the prerequisite giveaway “tutorial” monster. Next thing I knew, he was wiping me off the bottom of his boulder-sized hoof.
The game doesn't leave you completely blind. Gentle prompts hint at what you need to slay these stone giants, but you won't be easily forgiven if you mess up. Getting smashed by a stone club twenty times the size of a human being hurts about as much as you'd expect it to.
What really caught me off guard was Agro. I'm so used to handling Link's steed, Epona, that I forgot real horses typically don't stop on a dime or make 180 turns as easily as a boy flips a Matchbox car. Like most horses, Agro needs to be coaxed, not controlled. But the bond between Wander and his beast feels more rewarding for it, somehow.
There will be further musings down the road, as this is a muse-worthy game. If I don't get utterly stuck at the first Colossi, mind.
Related Links:
Time For Me To Play Shadow of the Colossus
The Legend of Zelda: Manifest Destiny
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Stupidity