The 11th Annual Greatest Games Event - The Discussion Thread

[Kantor]

4) Shadow of the Colossus

I've now played this game on three platforms - the original on PS2, the remaster on PS3 and the remake on PS4. As a result I've probably played through the game six or seven times. Even a decade and a half after its original release, there's still nothing quite like it. In many ways, it's a very risky game: you spend large amounts of time just riding your horse through nature with nothing but the sound of the wind and galloping hooves to accompany you. But frankly you need that downtime to cope with the exhilaration of the sixteen boss battles that make up the game. Each colossus is unique and beautifully designed; everyone has their own favourites. The arenas in which you fight them get just as much attention - the ancient ruins, the large lake, the sand cavern - and during these battles you get to hear one of the best soundtracks in gaming history. Very few games ever bring their players to the same emotional heights as striding atop an enormous titan and plunging your sword into their head to slay them, just as your grip gauge is running out and you're about to fall. Running alongside all of this is a subtle narrative thread, hinting at a much deeper backstory that (after the severe disappointment that was The Last Guardian) I now worry will never be realised. SoTC is unique and unforgettable and unquestionably one of the best games ever made.