Shadow of the Colossus review roundup: The return of a masterpiece
Talk about déjà vu: many gaming critics are raving about a little game called Shadow of the Colossus today. No, you didn't stumble into a wormhole and find yourself back in 2005, as these critics are posting reviews of the game's highly-anticipated remake. Anyone who has played the original knows to expect a well-crafted game, but does this remake do enough to bring the PS2 classic into the modern era?
In looking at some of these reviews, the answer to that question is clearly "yes." Right now, the game is holding down an impressive 93 out of 100 on Metacritic, which is a score that counts a whopping 65 reviews. In short, it looks like many reviewers are loving this remake.
IGN's Marty Sliva says that Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 is a "stunning return" to the PS2 classic in his 9.7/10 review. "With completely redone art and spectacular lighting, it expertly captures the original's unique beauty, awe-inspiring scope, and absolutely heartbreaking story while simultaneously fixing a handful of imperfections," Sliva writes.
Sliva's comments touch on how little has changed in this jump to PlayStation 4. While this is a ground-up remake that completely overhauls the visuals and makes some quality-of-life changes to things like control scheme, there aren't any major additions to the game itself. This is still the same Shadow of the Colossus you remember from the days when the PS2 reigned supreme, only it looks better than it did all those years ago.
Game Informer's Kyle Hilliard notes that this was the correct course for Bluepoint, which was responsible for remaking Shadow of the Colossus. "While the lack of more significant content additions might be disappointing for some, I appreciate how true this remake remains to the original I adore," Hilliard writes in his 9/10 review. "Bluepoint strikes a good balance, making welcome changes that leave the core experience intact."
Indeed, this isn't a remake for people looking for troves of additional content, but simply those who want to experience Shadow of the Colossus with a new coat of paint. Of course, many people who count Shadow of the Colossus among their favorite games would argue that it doesn't need any extra content (though I'm sure no one would argue against a few extra Colossi), so this remake should hit all of the right notes for existing Colossus fans.
If, on the other hand, you've yet to experience Shadow of the Colossus, it seems that now is as good a time as any to dive in. We're still a week out from the release of Shadow of the Colossus for PS4, so there's still a little bit of time to wait. It'll be here on February 6 and cost $40, giving you a chance to check it out without paying the standard $60 we're accustomed to paying for new games. Head down to the comments section and let us know if you're planning to buy Shadow of the Colossus next week!