When I made my list about games that had better moments then movies, one We Got This Covered reader simply put “Shadow of the Colossus. Hello?” in the comments section, and it genuinely made me laugh. While he does have a point, I didn’t put that game on that list because I was saving it for this one. And while many readers had different colossi that they preferred for various reasons, I have to go with the very first colossi. The reason is because I had NEVER felt anything like I felt when I was riding on horseback and suddenly saw that MASSIVE, living breathing creature, back-lit and barely visible, in the distance.
I know I have mentioned scope before, and this was the kind that you could honestly feel. You felt like you had no chance. You felt like a bug trying to sting a grizzly. But then, you began to make some progress, finding the various spots to stab and weaken the mighty beast. And every damn thing about it, at the time to me, was perfection. From the murky tones the game used to imbue hopelessness, to the stunning composition work, Shadow of the Colossus is nothing short of remarkable, and it really is that first colossi that shows us and makes us feel that.
The bleak composition that played when you finally fell the beast was the first indication that you may not be the hero you think you are. And though each beast brought something greater to the table, I will NEVER forgot the first one I killed and the dark road it led me down.