A giant third time round

 
There are many debates about video games. One of them is whether they can be considered a form of art. While the answer is not given here, there is no doubt that Shadow of the Colossus can be called a masterpiece. Everything about it is gripping, from the magnificent settings to the enchanting music, but above all its game mechanics and the intuitive way they are learned. You play Wander, a mysterious young man who carries a woman’s lifeless body into a temple. We know neither who she is, nor what happened to her, nor how the two are linked. Once there, a cavernous voice announces that these lands are forbidden, but that to bring a soul back from the land of the dead, the essence of sixteen spirits must be gathered. Each of them is represented by a colossus roaming the surroundings. Each time, the voice gives a vague clue before you set off in search of the creature in question. To do so, you explore the world on horseback, following the rays of sunlight reflected by your sword. The colossi are the only enemies in the game and each one is a puzzle. To bring them down, you have to study how they move in order to identify their weak points. After the search phase comes the solving phase. Once you have found a way to climb onto these giants, you have to time your moves carefully, between climbing and stopping to catch your breath, or avoiding being thrown off by the creature as it shakes itself. Persisting and not getting discouraged by starting again: there is something rather instructive in that! But it is above all in its context that Shadow of the Colossus draws all its subtlety. Indeed, nothing tells us whether we are on the right path in confronting the colossi. Moreover, they always collapse with a stylistic effect that is more melancholic than triumphant. And what if killing the colossi were not a good thing? What are we prepared to do to save someone, especially someone the player knows nothing about? Perseverance, but also questions of good and evil, are subjects that can quite readily be discussed here with young players. On the other hand, there is one sore point: this 2018 version is in fact a 2nd (!) re-release. Originally released on PlayStation 2 in 2005, it had already had a facelift in 2011 on PS3. Of course, there is a clear graphical improvement, but the pitfalls of the time are still there. Beyond the rather questionable commercial approach (this is the 3rd time that exactly the same game has been offered to us), you will need patience to cope with the camera problems and the lack of fluidity in movement and animations. While Shadow of the Colossus is unanimously praised for its qualities, and we warmly recommend it for explaining to younger players what makes a good game, if you already own an older version, take the opportunity to get your old-model console out again. An excellent way to build an intergenerational bond.
 
 

It is through exploration that you progress towards the next challenge.

To discover the content by watching players stream their games:

https://www.twitch.tv/directory/game/Shadow%20of%20the%20Colossus

Niels Weber is a psychologist-psychotherapist (FSP) specialising in hyperconnectivity
niels.weber@semperludo.com
Find more articles on the website www.semperludo.com