WWE has an interesting story on the current batch of consoles. For the Gamecube and Playstation 2, games like WWE Day of Reckoning and WWE Smackdown!, respectively, are downright amazing wrestling titles that offer a flurry of features, solid graphics, and a tuned gameplay element. Meanwhile, THQ, the same company that published the aforementioned titles, has had an extremely rough time putting out a quality title for the good old Xbox. Needless to say, both WWE Raw and WWE Raw 2 were both below average titles that could have used a lot of improvement. THQ, looking for a fresh start, decided to go with WWE Wrestlemania 21 as the name for their new game in hopes of starting anew. Can they start a good franchise this time around?

To be blunt and answer that question quickly for you unlucky WWE fans, no. No, no, and no again. Simply put, WWE Wrestlemania has fixed none of the problems of the two Raw games and, in fact, has even compounded on them, making them much more glaring and therefore much worse. It is truly disappointing to see a company that can put out such quality games of the same type for two other consoles just can’t get it right time and time again. The graphics are shiny and sparkly but not without their problems, the gameplay received a little bit of refinement but still has plenty of bugs, and the overall presentation of the game is just sub par.

Starting with the gameplay, Wrestlemania 21 just seems to get all the basics wrong. The buttons are what you would expect, one button for to strike your opponent, two grapple buttons, and two counter buttons. However, this doesn’t translate well into the game due to how incredibly stupid the other wrestlers are. For instance, you could be playing a tag match and have your opponent pinned to the mat and his partner won’t even run in to help him half the time, and even when he does he gets there too late. At other times, it will seem like the AI has run out of gas, especially when they will just stand there and not do anything at all for seconds. Later, the game will seem like it crashed and the AI is simply looping when they repeat the same actions, usually going for the same move or trying to climb the ropes, over and over and over again even though it never worked in the first place. Really, how can a game be fun to play when it feels like you are playing against some incompetent two year old?

The most frustrating aspect about WWE Wrestlemania 21, like with the previous Raw games, is that the gameplay really could have been fun. The game has plenty of features, different match types, customizations, wrestlers, and moves when wrestling, but all those features and match types don’t help when the game isn’t fun to play in the first place due to things like terrible hit detection (and this game is very, very bad). It is so disappointing to play a game where it is just no fun due to its sloppy, unrefined gameplay when it could have been a solid title with just a little more polishing.

At least the game has a decent career mode if you can actually get past how much of a pain it is to play Wrestlemania 21. You start off by making your own custom wrestler from the ground up (with plenty of nice little customizations thrown in) and then move on to earn cash by wrestling matches to by more moves, entrances, costumes, etc. After that, you can engage in dozens of matches on your way to stardom. The game has a pretty decent storyline, but it offers no ability to change it as it is all pre-scripted. Sure, there are some bugs and nuisances present here as well, but overall the career mode is the most engaging aspect of the game that would have been fun if wrestling the matches would have been tempting in the first place (sad that no kind of “simulate match” feature was available).

Moving on from the gameplay, the game is also presented very unpolished. The menus are ugly and clunky, hard to navigate through. There is nothing more frustrating and more of a turn off then a game that makes you want to snap it in half just because you can’t navigate the menus properly. Once you select what you want to do, the loading times can be downright unbearable at times (this is the Xbox, people!). Within the match, the graphics are actually surprisingly beautiful. Characters are very well designed and animated, the environments are detailed, the special effects are great. But, as with everything else in the game, there are problems. These problems exist in choppy framerates, occasional jagged edges, and animation issues.

Well, at least you’ll get some good online play out of the game, right? Right?! Sorry friends, but WWE Wrestlemania came with another bug: the online play won’t work. That’s right, after trying repeatedly this unlucky reviewer found that the game won’t connect. After checking around, it is obvious that everyone is having the same problem. Disappointing, indeed, and this only compounds on the problems of Wrestlemania 21. The verdict? Avoid this game at all costs.

Real Time Strategy, or RTS games, are unique in every aspect. There is just such a stark contrast between the games that get it wrong and those that get it right. They all use the basic fundamentals, yet it is strange how some games can just hit the right number every time and pull away with flying colors while others get left in the dust. The question is: What category does Act of War: Direct Action fall into?

First off, something that should be mentioned about Act of War is that it uses live action cut-scenes. Strange indeed, and the last games that managed to pull that off were the incredibly popular Command and Conquer games. If nothing else, Act of War deserves kudos for making an attempt at such a rarely trodden road. Thankfully, Act of War actually does a good job with them and the live action cut-scenes really help to bring the story to life and help to enthrall the gamer into the game world.

When said to be unoriginal, it is true in many senses. Primarily, Act of War seems to be a copycat in more than one sense of the popular Command and Conquer games. In addition to using live action cut-scenes similar to the C&C titles, Act of War also uses units that closely resemble those found in Command and Conquer: Generals as well as providing each faction with one superweapon. Oh yeah, and terrorists can go underground and pop up in new places.

In the gameplay theatre, Act of War: Direct Action uses mostly a tried and true basic RTS engine, yet introduces enough new features to make it intriguing. Mainly, Act of War differs from other RTS titles in how the game handles resources. Rather than the most RTS games where you make certain units and they go out and gather different types of materials, Act of War instead allows you to build an oil in order to make money. Additionally, the city itself (where all of your missions are based, within a city) can lend its hand by allowing gamers to place units itself of buildings such as banks and milk it for all its worth, generating an even larger cash flow. The last form of making cash comes in the form of POW’s. You have the option of capturing them and then using them as bait to make more money, which also comes into play when you take the game online because you don’t want anyone else capturing your soldiers.

The visuals in Act of War are really amazing. The live-action cut scenes obviously look pretty darn good, but beyond those the game also shines. The cities are well drawn out and fairly interactive, creating a great and intriguing setting that is sure to draw you in. Units, despite taking plenty of hints from the C&C games, are well designed. The special effects received plenty of attention and this title shines with the best of them.

Just like the visuals, the game also sounds extremely good. The voice-acting is superb, really adding to a solid storyline and helping to draw gamers into an area, the story, where most RTS titles are lacking. The music isn’t overly impressive, but it also doesn’t hurt the ears which is definitely a plus. It can best be described as just solid. The special effects sound as good as they look, really helping to bring the game to life and make you feel as if you are controlling your units in a real battle.

Act of War: Direct Action may not be the most original or innovative RTS game, however it gets enough right to appeal to most RTS fans. It has enough unique features and innovative concepts that most gamers will come to enjoy it sooner or later. Overall, it is a fairly recommended buy to RTS gamers.

Given the crazy success of the original Half-Life (much of it spurred by its innumerous and even more successful mods which were generated by a hyperactive Half-Life 2 modding community), it was never doubted that eventually a sequel to the popular first-person shooter would make its way onto store shelves.

What makes Half-Life 2 truly special stems from its incredibly gripping storyline. Although we won’t go into details here for risk of spoiling anything (trust me, you don’t want it spoiled!), just know that you will be doing plenty of gun-toting once again as the legendary gaming icon Gordan Freeman. The storyline is by far one of the best to have ever occurred on a FPS and it draws gamers in and never lets them go. Of course, such a great storyline wouldn’t be much without some solid gameplay to back it up. Thankfully, Half-Life 2 has just that.

The guns in Half-Life 2 are very solid. Not only were they designed well, but there is a large arsenal of devastating weaponry that can be found throughout the game (and trust me, you’ll need it!). Each weapon has its own advantages and each is good to use against certain kinds of enemies and in certain situations, and learning to master when to use the crowbar, the machine guns, the rifles, the shotguns, the rocket launchers, and the gravity gun are all critically important to survival due to the fact that ammo tends to be limited and the difficulty of the game is not easy, to say the least.

On top of action-packed, intense sequences that will draw gamers close to death multiple times and will force them to use cunning strategy and luck to survive, the game’s enemies also have very advanced AI. This AI will surprise and challenge gamers at every turn. Multiple enemies will use squad tactics and will even attempt to use things such as decoys and other advanced strategy on top of the expected taking cover that has become normal for FPS games.

Interaction with the environment is also good in Half-Life 2. Many of the objects in the environment can be destroyed and pumped full of bullets, and others can be picked up, thrown, used, and be manipulated in other fashion. Some of these are critical to advancing in the game while others were included simply to add more realism and authenticity to the feel of the game.

The visuals in Half-Life 2 are by far some of the best around. Even the Xbox version, which has been scaled down considerably compared to the PC version, was ported quite well and still contains many of the aspects of the visuals that were so dearly appreciated by PC gamers. Water effects, explosions, and other special effects are all spot-on and held to make the game feel more real.

Additionally, character models in the game, ranging from Gordan Freeman to the enemies, are all done excellently. They look and move like real people. They are incredibly detailed and their animations are very fluid. These solid visuals are only backed up by an incredible physics engine which mimics real life movements realistically. It is one of the best physics engine ever seen in a video game.

If you thought the graphics were something to brag about, the sound isn’t far behind by any means. The audio department contains a great musical score, which contributes to the great storyline, and that always matches the situation. Even better, the sound effects are all realistic and solid, making the visuals come to life. The voice acting was also given much care, something that many games overlook.
Overall, Half-Life 2 turns out to be an excellent games that all fans of FPS games should appreciate. It is solid in its fundamentals and has been polished to a great extent, making it a classic and a treasure that all gamers will enjoy.

Movie-based video games are notorious for being bad. Not only do they generally turn out to be poor games, they also tend to be very flamboyant about it and have no shame in advertising how truly poor they are. This is generally due to a few reasons, the first being that the games are almost always unoriginal, basing themselves entirely on an already existing game and simply mixing in the movie’s character into the game, giving it a slightly different look, and setting the story to match the movie. Even worse than mimicking the existing game, they also have the tendency to mimic it very poorly and can be found absent of the essentials that made the other game so good. These factors, combined with poor gameplay fundamentals and dynamics, make for a truly dull game.

Arguably, even worse is the exploitation that occurs of the movie’s license. Bad video games based on a movie really make the movie look bad itself. The licenses are usually poorly implemented and poor representations of their big screen counterparts. All of these things are the results of a rushed product: when the developer tries as quickly as it can to put out the game without actually trying to put any effort in to make the game fun and original.

All of this intro was to introduce you to Aeon Flux, a game that, although not being overly fun or groundbreaking, still manages to use the license well enough and to introduce enough fun, original concepts to actually be a pretty good game. It isn’t amazing by any means, but it is one of the rare movie-based games that looks like it actually tried to make a decent video game.

From the start, gamers will notice Aeon Flux is packed with style. From the graphics to the gameplay, the developers did a good job of trying to match the unique style that was presented by the original TV series. The game looks stylish, and the gameplay, from the combat to the movements, are also very stylish in design. This unique style gives Aeon Flux its own identity in the gaming world.

Keep in mind, however, that Aeon Flux probably isn’t the game for anybody. This is due to some things that could have, and should have, been improved upon. Namely, the controls can tend to be twitchy and unresponsive. Additionally, there is no real targeting system, making combat a pain at times. (combined with a camera that isn’t always welcoming).

Additionally, the game attempts to mimic is TV counterpart entirely in how its structured extremely disorderly. Albeit fun and interesting, the different shows in the series were tied together in so apparent fashion, each new entry into the series was completely unrelated to all of the past entries. The game is the same way, and the story definitely isn’t gripping by any means.

The majority of the gameplay is based around its combat, which on the whole is actually quite fun due to its unique style and gameplay setup. The combat is fast and requires good response times, but it is rewarding to watch all of the different moves that can be executed. Additionally, guns can also be used on top of hand-to-hand combat, and there is quite a good selection of weaponry in the game’s arsenal available to the player.

The other primary gameplay element is the puzzle solving and platformer setup. Although the moves that make up this aspect of the game are pretty good eye candy, they tend to be very simple to execute and don’t require much skill or timing. Despite that, at least they were implemented well and look good.

The animations in the game tend to be pretty fluid and solid, highlighting the game’s good character models. The environments can be a bit sparse and undetailed, but the game moves very quickly so there isn’t much time to sit around and enjoy the scenery anyway. The only real knock on the graphics system comes from its rag-doll physics, which tend to be very poor and unrealistic.

On the whole, Aeon Flux turns out to be a pretty fun, appealing, and original game. It has just enough unique concepts and a unique style that make it different from other games and give it a step up on the usual gaming foray. Indeed, certain aspects of the game should have been given more consideration and care, but the game is still quite good and is an easy recommendation for a rental and possibly even a purchase for gamers who enjoy the game’s setup.

If you liked True Crime:  Streets of L.A. Then get ready for the next installment, True Crime:  New York City.  This second installment features a new character with an attitude and a reason for it!

You play as Marcus Reed.  Marcus is a former criminal that turned to a rogue cop.  Marcus abuses his cop authority to hunt down the person responsible for murdering his mentor.  While doing this, Marcus cleans up the streets of New York City.  Undercover, Marcus gets involved in gangs, murders, crooks, and his past.

True Crime is a free roaming action game that allows you to go about New York City as you please.  You can enter all shops and buildings, travel all streets, ride the subways, and visit various landmarks.  You may follow the actual storyline or take on numerous side missions.  It is quite similar to Grand Theft Auto, but much more engrossing!

You have the option of playing as a good cop or as a bad cop.  The good Marcus arrests the baddies, turns in evidence, and keeps the peace.  The bad Marcus kills everyone, steals and sells the evidence, and extorts shop owners.  Which path will you choose?  As you move through the game, the decisions you make affect how the city changes around you.

Marcus will find himself in trouble many times.  He will often need a weapon.  It’s a good thing that you can use almost anything in your environment as a weapon, such as:  pots, pans, bats, stoves, chairs, and even a dead chicken.  Of course, police weapons are also available.  Not to mention swords, grenade launchers, flame throwers, and your bare fists.  You will also engage in high speed shootouts aboard various vehicles.

True Crime has one of the best musical scores.  The voice acting coincides with it perfectly as well.  The controls are a bit slow, but the highly detailed graphics and the dramatic storyline more than makes up for it.

True Crime:  New York City is available on Gamecube, XBOX, and Playstation 2.  It has an ESRB rating of M for Mature.  This is because it features:  blood, gore, use of drugs, intense violence, strong language, and strong sexual content.  This game is not available for minors to purchase without the help of mommy and daddy.  If you have trouble with the game, there is a strategy guide available. 

If you are a fan of The Prince of Persia saga, you will be pleasantly surprised with the end of the long standing trilogy… The Prince of Persia:  The Two Thrones.  This action game offers a dramatic end with an outstanding climax.  It puts on new spin on previous editions to the saga.

The game starts with the prince returning from the Island of Time to his home in Babylon.  He brings along his lover, Kaileena.  Unfortunately, the prince returns to find the land ravaged by war.  His homeland is against him!  The prince is captured.  Kaileena sacrifices herself to save him by releasing the Sands of Time.  The prince then wanders to change the things that have happened.  He soon learns that past battles have awakened a dark prince who slowly begins to posses him.

The Two Thrones is a bit different than the previous editions to the saga.  This is because you will now play as two different warriors.  The new addition is the dark prince.  Both warriors posses unique skills, abilities, combat styles, weapons, histories, and attitudes. 

While playing as the dark prince, you soon learn that he is very much your alter ego.  His intentions are not like the “good” prince of Persia.  The dark prince loses health constantly.  This means you must look for sand to restore his health.  This is found hidden throughout the environment and on slain enemies. 

The game play consists of free-form fighting.  You always have the option of killing the enemies by whatever means you feel necessary.  Be it by decapitation, stealthy sneak attacks, or hand to hand combat… the decision is entirely up to you.  You have the ability to manipulate time to your advantage with the Sands of Time.  You will often find yourself slowing or rewinding time to give you the advantage over unsuspecting foes.

The musical score is a bit different than the previous editions.  You will not hear any of the “metal music” as before.  In fact, the score is the best of the three editions and it coincides with the game perfectly.  The graphics are also quite breathtaking. 

The combat system is also better than the previous editions.  A new stealth skill has been added so that you must learn to cleverly kill your foes.  Speed kills has also been added to the game.  This is a bit difficult to master, but once you have done so it is quite rewarding.  Throughout the game, you will always have a sense of urgency to beat the Sands of Time!

The Prince of Persia:  The Two Thrones is available on Playstation 2, XBOX, and Gamecube.  The XBOX has the advantage of offering crisper graphics than that of the other two systems.  The ESRB rating is M for Mature.  This is because the game has blood, gore, intense violence, and nudity. 

One has to wonder what has happened to the Tony Hawk series as of late. The series began dying out, so Activision put out it’s Underground game, a refreshing new addition that was fun to play yet featured too many similarities to previous installments. THUG 2 was just more repetition that caused almost endless boredom. However, this negligence is greatly overshadowed by Tony Hawk’s first foray onto the Xbox 360, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland.

The fact that the game can be played in high resolution truly only makes the games flaws, including its terrible graphics and sloppy animations, all the more apparent. Can Activision truly be any more lazy? One would figure that they would at least try to make a solid first appearance on next-gen consoles, however that is not so. Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland, or THAW for short, really should have been thawed out prior to its release, since it will leave gamers feeling nothing but icy resentment towards the game.

The main factor contributing to how bad the game truly is lies in the game’s graphics engine. Similarly to Activision’s other game on the Xbox 360, Gun, THAW looks exactly the same on the Xbox 360 as it does on its current-gen counterparts (noticing a trend here from Activision yet?). How hard can it really be to at least re-work the graphics somewhat to at least make it look like it fits on the Xbox 360? Why did they even release the game at all on next-gen if they wanted to make it look so bad? Questions that will never be answered, of course.

These graphical failures lie in the fact that THAW uses the same exact graphics engine as its Xbox and PS2 counterpart. The same exact graphics engine as its predecessors, THUG and THUG 2. For that matter, the same exact graphics engine that was used in the old Tony Hawk games. Yes, friends, that is why the graphics look so terrible. The graphics engine might as well be from the 90’s. Sure, it has been improved somewhat along the way, but that doesn’t make the game look any better.

The story mode of the game is just as bad as THUG and THUG 2. Basically, you start out as a no name skater and try to build your way to prominence by completing repetitive, lame objectives as you progress. By completing objectives, you can earn points to upgrade your skater, making you more able to pull off better tricks and get better air time. All the is good and all, but the simple fact that the story is so bad makes it unforgiving.

Additionally, this IS a Tony Hawk game. What that means is that the game feels exactly like every other Tony Hawk game that has ever been made. It controls the exact same, feels the exact same, hell, it is the exact same. Granted, there are a few new tricks and touch-ups, but the game just feels too much like the previous installments to actually provide any real enjoyment.

THAW does have an online mode however, and that can be fun for a little while. Up to eight players can compete in the various Tony Hawk modes. The usual modes make their return, including S-K-A-T-E, Tag, and others. These modes are indeed fun, but the fact that nothing of any substantial value was added to the game leaves the player wanting a whole lot more than what was offered.

Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland turns out to be simply a boring game. It bears nothing of any value that is worth mentioning. The game is repetitive and nauseating at times due to how much it feels like all those other games that you poured hundreds upon hundreds of hours in to. Activision should definitely have spent more time on this one, me thinks.

If you love the epic tale of Star Wars then get ready to take part in some of the epic battles from the films in Star Wars Battlefront II.  This is the second installment of the popular action game.

This installment is a bit different than the first of the series.  This is because you can now look at it from the dark side perspective.  You can follow the story of Darth Vadar’s elite 501st legion of stormtroopers, not to mention other stories.  You can see the massive destruction and terror that the dark side caused.  Or, perhaps help out the Rebellion.

Star Wars Battlefront II takes you to new locations that are found in Episode 3.  These locations are both on land and space.  Some locations include:  Utapau, Coruscant, Mustafa, Tantive IV, and the Deathstar!

Each level features open ended missions that were inspired by the 6 Star Wars films.  You may have a mission to assassinate someone, or to destroy an enemy ship.  Each mission allows you to do things as you see fit.  Throughout the levels, expect huge explosions and epic battles.  You will also get to experience some of the classic movie moments.

Some new features of this game are actually some of the most enjoyable.  You can now participate in dog fights aboard various vehicles.  These include X-wings, TIE fighters, Jedi Starfighters and more!  There is also a new dash ability that works out great if you are playing as a Sith or Jedi!

If you get really good at the game, you may have a chance to play as a Jedi, a Sith, or a bounty hunter.  Play as Yoda or Darth Mual and unleash your light saber.  Perhaps even show of some of the powers of the Force…

The musical score is outstanding as to be expected from a Star wars themed game!  The graphics also make you feel as if you are really in the game.  The AI is much more intelligent than that of the first in the Battlefront series.  The storyline is also much more captivating and enduring.  Lastly, the controls are very smooth and responsive.

Star Wars Battlefront II Is available on XBOX, Playstation 2, PSP, and PC.  It has an ESRB rating of T for teen.  This is because it contains violence and mild language. 

If you are looking for the ultimate fighting game, then get ready for Soul Calibur III.  This is the third in the popular Soul Calibur series.  This new version offers 3 new characters, different play modes, and customizable characters!

The story thus far:  An unholy sword was sealed away by the destined one.  However, a mysterious being revives the azure knight, Nightmare.  Soon, the legendary battle of Soul Calibur and Soul Edge moves to the next stage.  Will you have the sword that prevails over all?

Soul Calibur III is very much like its predecessors, except it does have many new concepts.  The original Tales of the Sword mode allows you to follow different characters and see what fate leads them to.  However, there are now 3 new characters to choose from:  Zasalamel, Tira, and Setsuka.  This now makes 25 playable characters!

You may now also create your own character.  You can customize the sex, look, occupation, and weapon of your own unique character.  This character can play through the Chronicles of the Sword mode.

If this wasn’t enough there are various new stages, each as beautiful looking as the last.  This includes a castle in Germany, a clock tower, a shrine in Greece, and many more!

Other modes of Soul Calibur III are the practice mode (where you can train), versus mode (for 2 player fighting), and the museum mode.  The museum mode is where you can view all of the past history of Soul Calibur and anything you may have unlocked.

The game itself has outstanding visual effects.  The character models are highly detailed.  The background music really gets you in the fighting mood!  Best of all, the voice acting is just as funny as the previous editions to the series.

Soul Calibur III is easy enough for beginners to learn.  It has a simple concept, but it is a lot of fun to play,  Each character is unique, yet balanced from one to the next so you don’t have to worry about which one is best to play as.    You must focus on timing and learning combos to succeed.  However, this is easy to master and the controls are quite responsive.

Soul Calibur III is available on Playstation 2.  It has an ESRB rating of T for teen.  This is because it contains violence and suggestive themes.

Innovativeness and ingenuity are two words that many video game developers seem to leave out of their vocabularies when working on games. Most studios stick to time proven methods and concepts that produce near carbon copies of past games. Granted, these game are fun to play, but after a while this age old process of making games ends up making these titles boring and unappealing. For this reason, it is necessary to honor a developer who can step in and successfully develop a game that breaks through these overused boundaries and instead makes for itself a new path for making its game. This is where Shadow of the Colossus enters.

Sony Computer Entertainment has produced what can only be considered one of the most unique and artistic games ever created with Shadow of the Colossus. It is truly amazing that while most developers think all original ideas have already been used up, Sony has found a way to make a game that is unparalleled and unprecedented. But enough of the formalities, let’s discuss why this game is so truly amazing in its own right.

The premise of the game is rather simple: mythical giants, the colossi, roam the earth. Due to the circumstances, which indeed are rather bare in Shadow of the Colossus, the hero of the game, a young man, must proceed to dispatch 16 colossi surrounding a temple where he has brought his dead love. According to the game, this is the only way by which the hero can save his love and bring her back to him. Strangely enough, this is basically all you ever learn of the storyline in the game, but it is really all you ever need to know.

From there the character proceeds out into the barren world to fulfill his task. What he is presented with is one of the most beautiful and artistic worlds ever to present itself in a video game. Shadow of the Colossus offers a beautiful world that has been perfectly designed with beautiful scenery on a massive level. While special effects tend to be bare, the artistry and beautiful environments still make the game a gem in graphical terms.

As far as the gameplay itself, it can indeed be considered rather repetitive. The character never levels up and his inventory is basically unchanging. He embarks on his trusty steed armed only with a simple sword and a bow and arrow, which he’ll keep until the quest is complete. From the temple, the character journeys into the massive, barren world in search of each colossi. One by one, the character must combat and defeat each of the sixteen colossi, return to the temple, and proceed to journey out and dispatch the next one.

There are no enemies in between, and overall, the game is rather empty save for the massive enemies that tower hundreds of feet above the character and shake the earth with each step. The musical score coincides with this perfectly, offering no music in between the battles. The only sounds that accompany the character are the sounds of the wind and of the water, contributing to the barren, empty feeling of the game.

However, empty is not a word that can be used once the battle has begun. From there, the true beauty of the game begins. The musical score, a delightful one, kicks in and motivates the player to defeat the massive creature that is present. The game centers around these colossi battles, since they really are the only things that ever happen in the game, and each one is different and equally as challenging. Each colossi must be defeated in a unique way and each looks and acts differently. Some fly, some plod around on the ground, some are bigger than others, and each attempts to kill the hero in different ways. For this reason, each colossi requires creative thinking to kill it. The battles are incredibly challenging, to say the least, and can be downright frustrating at times as the player tries to figure out how to defeat each colossi.

While this might seem repetitive and boring, this design is actually the true beauty of the game. The game floods players with innovativeness and artistry that can’t be found in any other game. It’s simplicity in design yet the fact that it requires so much thought to defeat each colossi make it one of the most fun and challenging games that has ever been designed and created. Granted, there could have been a few more things thrown in to improve the game in many gamers minds, the fact remains that Shadow of the Colossus is simply one of the most fun and impressive games ever made and ever gamer should try it out.