Review by DillonDeveloper: Sony Computer Entertainment
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Packaging: 7/10
Overall, the packaging shows the main concept fo the game well. It shows your main character staring up at a colossi with sword in hand, looking horribly unevenly matched in the process, which is what happens during the majority on the game. No higher rank though because it failed to deliver it with any style at all. An action shot would have been more intriguing, or perhaps something from the character's perspective? Anyway, it's your generic cover with a static image showing who the good and bad guys are.
Graphics:
Well for this section I'm going to divide this into two parts. And you'll know why once I start with my first part which is....
Overworld/Travelling Graphics: 6/10
Now don't get me wrong, the simulated world and the horse does look beautiful in motion, but if you ever decide to get off your horse and just wander around for the hell of it you'll soon discover the price of a "seamless world" as the back of the box so elequently put it. Wander off by yourself, away from your objective for a little bit and you'll more than likely find yourself overwhelmingly lost. This is because the game, other than the main temple and the colossi, has very few landmarks to tell where you are, in addition to your generic water area, desert area, forest area, etc., they are all rather sparse with wildlife aside from the occaisonal fish you see in the water and a the lizards, which you can kill to replenish your health and improve your grip. Although the overworld does have it's flaws I will admit that the game does really shine when you get to....
Colossi Combat Graphics: 9/10
This would have been a perfect score if not for the fact that during some boss battles if you retreat to gain some health the enemies are unseeable in the distance only to pop right up out at you out of the fog, (a la GTA) despite this minor error though, everything else about the colossi battles are beautiful. It's like the game kicks into life whenever you have one of the many epic altercations with theses enemies throughout the game. Graphically at least, when a colossi first bellows angrilly and then moves in it's first throes of reanimation, birds are flying from trees, (in some scenarios) the camera angles are dynamic, and the colossi are animated quite well. With my playing this game on an first gen PS2 I encountered no slowdown and drop in graphic quality at all, and just to test this I also redid a few battles on a new slim PS2 and the battles went just as smoothly.
Graphics Total: 8/10
I know both of these averaged together is 7.5/10 or somehting, but I gave it that extra half point because the battles really are that impressive.
Sound: 5/10
I know this score may seem low because the music in the game is actually quite good and atmospheric. My main beef with the music is it's sparsity, during colossi fights, the game's music becomes tense and gets you ready for an action packed tango with a 80 foot tall monster. In the overworld however... well there is no music, hence the low score. I know that the focal point of the game is the colossi battles and hence everything hinges on them being a fun experience, but honestly I think a little travelling music would have made the journey to the colossi a little more tolerable. Although they probably made the journey part of the game boring and uninteresting on purpose in order to speed you on to your colossi goal, it doesn't mean that it was for the best exactly. Aside from the music though the other sound effects are done well, such as the repeated footsteps of the hero through the many types of terrain you will encounter, and the horse sounded well also.
Gameplay: 7/10
Overall, this game was a blast to play. Controlling your horse Agro is handled easily and weapon controls are simple and quick, which is what they need to be in a game like this. The colossi battles also require a uniqe mix of gameplay types, but most hinge on one trick to get you colossi vulnerable, then you climb and attack, and repeat the process. In one colossi battle any strategy is immeadeatly out the window when it becomes apparent that all you have to do is hang on for dear life, then move, attack, and hope you can hang on again and not get thrown off, thus repeating the tiresome task of getting on the said colossi again (dang electric eel... and flying colossi... I hate them with a passion). However some boss battles are worth it and represent quite a challenge trying to figure out just exactly where to lure the colossi in order to trick him into revealing a way toward that damn weak point.
Storywise the game is okay, your girlfriends in a coma on an altar and these ancient beings are sealed in the colossi and you have to free them by releasing the colossi in order to get your girlfriend concious again, that's pretty much the whole story from there, but these are the same people who made ICO so I was expecting a little bit more... the ending is alright though and once you get through the main story the game really starts to shine in the time attack modes that are unlocked. In the time attaack modes the shallow overworld becomes uninmportant as your all consuming task is to speed through as many colossi battles as you can within the time limit and the game is actually more fun this way, in addition to the fun items that you can unlock by beating every two subsequent colossi, which makes for 18 items if you go through both difficulties of time attack mode.
Fun Factor: 9/10
I wouldn't have put this as a nine personally if this game didn't have a ton of replay value in time attack mode, by not focusing on the story the game becomes really fun and fast paced as you have to struggle to make every hit do the most damage possible in the quickest way. That is not to say that the main game isn't fun, but I wouldn't pick it up and play for about twelve hours straight (well... I would but I'm hardly what you would call a casual gamer). So if your into games that aren't exactly mainstream be sure to give this game a rental at least, altough it really shines after the main quest is over.
The Bottom Line:
This game game is unique and can be alot of fun if you space it out over a few colossi a day (thankfully the save system is inclined for people who want to play this way), and really becomes a blast one you unlock time attack mode. So pick this game up if you want a more intelligent spin on your standard action game.
Overall:
- Packaging: 7/10
- Graphics: 8/10
- Sound: 5/10
- Gameplay: 7/10
- Fun Factor: 9/10
- Overall: 8/10
Pros:
+ fun colossi battles
+ pretty visuals
+ lots of replay value
Cons
- overworld is kinda meh
- colossi battles can get repetitive if you play for awhile
