Shadow of the Colossus: See, I feel like a game this peculiar doesn’t really warrant a traditional review, so instead I will rank the 5 best and worst colossi based upon design, strategy, and whatever else I want. Now, to get started with..
16.) Phalanx/ #13: Very telling for the quality of this game that the worst boss is a 7/10, but Phalanx still falls short compared to its gargantuan competition. Beyond the obvious fact that it, well, literally can’t kill you, his gimmick isn’t anything that hadn’t already been done better in other fights like Dirge and Avion. His design also just feels the most boring out of the colossi, and the monster designs in this game are one of its best attributes. All in all, 13 does the worst job at showcasing the strengths this game has, despite being an all around fine boss
15.) Basaran/ #9: Despite having the my favorite fan name of any colossi (and being based on one my favorite real life animals) , Basaran finds his tortious self in second to last. His gimmick of being tipped over by a water spout is actually pretty clever, if not slightly obvious by how out of place the spouts are in the barren desert. The big issue with the fight is how slow he is, just lumbering around for what feels like an eternity until he gets to the water. And even when he is toppled he is easily the most jank colossus to climb. All of this is really odd to me because no other titan, not even Phalanx, has these issues. Literally every other colossus is perfectly smooth to climb and takes just the right amount of time to beat, but Basaran just has to be different. At least his design is cool
14.) Pelagia/ #12: Definitely number 1 in the odd category, but sadly that’s not the metric of quality here so this bad boy goes in number 14. Design wise I can’t really understand the idea of giving him a set of musical rocks on his head, but you go king I guess. I also can’t say I enjoy how said musical rocks play into the fight, with his gimmick of being moved to a high platform not being nearly as natural as any other. Also, you’re supposed to get up to Pelagia by just swimming behind him without doing anything to stun or distract the beast, and it’s so frustrating because no other colossi is this easily to get on top of, why would I just assume to swim behind him? And Dormin gives easily his worst hint of the game here, like how does saying “sorry you can’t attack him now lmao” help me. For all my complaining, he is a good boss, and taking him down is satisfying, he’s just frustrating
13.5) Actually it’s time for a quick tangent because I just reminded myself of this, is the plural of colossus really colossi? Like is this something the devs just made up or is it proper English, because I‘ve never heard the word colossi in my life
13.) Phaedra/ #4: I really don’t have as much to say on this one, I just don’t really like the strategy to beat him. Making him look for you in a pit then jumping his ass from behind is satisfying, sure, but it has the issue of just feeling like an odd solution when no other colossi gets duped as easily as this one. Maybe he’s just a stupid boy, but that’s no excuse to be a relatively mediocre boss fight. Design is great, and I really like his dangly things, but that’s sadly not enough to save this horsey boy from 13th
12.) Hydrus/ #7: Mid, next
I kinda wanna get some random thoughts on the game out between lists, so here: I really like the voice they gave Dormin, sounds so eerie and cool. Agro (or as I nicknamed him, Booster) is the GOAT, so happy he lived in the end. The music in this game, goodness gracious is it good. And visually for a PS2 game, what an amazing technical showcase for that consoles penultimate year. I also wanted to shout out Colossus 11, Celosia. He just barely missed top 5, and I felt he deserved something because of how interesting his fight is. It felt so much more brutal because it was something roughly your size, so you can see all its little movements as it desperately runs away, backs up in fear, or charges in self defense. And that’s a big thing with Celosia, he shows better then any other colossus just how far Wander is going to save Mono, going out of his way to hunt and kill a creature who is merely defending itself from an invader. Now, back to the list!
5.) Argus/ #15: It was a pretty tough choice between Argus and Gaius, but in the end Argus won me over. I love how towering he is, more than any other colossus at the point you meet him. He also has a really interesting strategy that harkens back to multiple previous colossi. You have to get him to smash specific points like Gaius, stab a weak point to open up his vitals like Valus, and have to lure him with the bow and arrow like Kuromori. He just feels perfect for an end game boss, putting everything you learned throughout your journey to the test before you reach the real big finale
4.) Kuromori/ #8: An almost perfect fight that mixes together spectacle with strategy in an all time awesome boss battle. The build up with you entering this great colosseum really set the mood well for something truly vicious waiting for you. The strategy in this boss is amazing, with you luring him onto the wall being perfectly hinted at though the suggestions of Dormin and the verticality of the colosseum. His design is amazing, that moment when you knock him off the wall is amazing, everything about this guy is just a home run. The only thing they could’ve done better was make it more clear that you couldn’t do anything on the ground, but even that’s a pretty small issue
3.) Dirge/ #10: Some of the most tense moments in the entire game come from Dirge. The first time you get into the ring and you have to think on the fly how to stun this giant thing as it chases just behind you is enthralling. His almost shark like design while under water might be my favorite in the entire game, just a perfect mix of cool and terrifying. His fight is short but sweet not overstaying it’s welcome like SOME colossi I know (looking at you Basaran). I feel like I don’t have much to say here because this boss is just amazing, no complaints
2.) Malus/ #16: What an insane finale this sucker is. This is actually one of the few colossi that I saw before getting to them in game, but I still never would’ve guessed just how big he was. This boss was probably where Team Ico brought in the dark arts and voodoo magic because the idea of this running on a PS2 is insane. And his actual fight is just as jaw dropping as his design, being the only colossus in the game that felt more like an action boss than a puzzle. Nothing feels better then that moment where you just barely cross from barrier to barrier as he throws gargantuan beams of light, and the first time you get to the top of his head and just look at the ground below, god. Easily one of my favorite final bosses, and one I’m sire will stick with me for a loooong time. But theirs still one boss that even better…
1.) Avion/ #5: One of the best examples I’ve ever seen of every strength a game has coming together into one beautiful moment. The way it edges you on to experiment and try new things to get atop the flying giant, the way the game rewards you for your experimentation with a truly transcendent moment when you first get on to his back in sync with music and hold on for dear life, this fight is just perfect. This is the first boss in the game that really requires the players all just to not fall off, with Avion twisting, turning, and thrashing to get you off. The difficulty, strategy, and spectacle mix together to make one of the best moments in any game I’ve ever played, and I would honestly recommend Shadow of the Colossus for this boss alone
So yeah, I kinda like this game. 9/10, real great time
