Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus
Sony Computer Entertainment
PlayStation 2
Few things in this world are as satisfying as driving your sword deep into the heart of an ancient, 40-foot-tall beast. Luckily for us, the creators of the 2001 sleeper hit ICO somehow became aware of this and fashioned an action-adventure game teeming with majestic giants for us to slaughter. These earthshaking colossi battles, 16 in all, make up the entirety of the game with each confrontation taking on a different form—be it soaring on the wings of a giant condor or on the scaled back of an electrified sea serpent. In the end, while Shadow’s epic, dream-inspired world remains a must-visit for all, its insidious camera system and somewhat frustrating controls unfortunately keep it from reaching true gaming perfection.