ENSLAVED: ODYSSEY TO THE WEST

Nowadays it's hard for me to review games after playing The Last Of Us because so many now just seem so lacking, no, no don't be like that! While the game has only furthered my game snobbery there are still many others out there that are remarkable fun and worth looking at. After playing through Enslaved for the third time I was reminded of my love for left field games like these; no franchises, just a really good solid one off story with great gameplay and a heap of fun. Enslaved is a very overlooked game, not took many people know of it or what it is which is a shame considering the quality. The game isn't a perfect 10 but it rates high in the graphics, audio, narrative and gameplay department. When I talked about The Last Of Us earlier this week I noted that Mark Richard Davies had a fair portion of influence over the games development and if you've played both it and Enslaved you'll notice some similarities in terms of the locales and environment. 

Enslaved takes place 150 years into the future on the ravaged planet Earth and follows the epic journey of Monkey and Trip across the countryside. It's important to note at this point that the game is a re-imagining of the ancient Chinese story 'Journey To The West' and is loosely inspired by the books events. In the future the Earth has been savagely torn apart by global war with only a few remaining human colonies and the monstrous mechanical war machines left over from the conflict. After narrowly escaping from a Slaver aircraft the two find themselves forced to work together in order to escape the war torn New York and find salvation from the Slavers in a distant community of Trip's. The overall story is simple but drives the plot well enough to make you want to find out more. The interactions between characters and cut scenes in between gameplay are excellent allowing you to develop and strong bond with the characters. At some times it can come across as a little cliche or wacky but it's a fun little adventure with great reward. 

Something that still stands out for me are the graphics, while not the greatest for a console they are exceptionally pretty. The modified Unreal Engine that the Ninja Theory team uses really does portray a beautiful mix of colours and realistic effects. For a game only two years old it stacks up very well as you would expect, while it can be a little buggy at times it isn't enough to really put you off gameplay. The plant ridden streets add a vast array of colours to what could've been a very bleak brown and grey city scape. The controls for Monkey are about as smooth as you can get with adventure platforming, there were some instances where I couldn't find where to jump to but I think that majority of the time it was to do with the camera positioning, not bad controls. Running and jumping through the environment does have that fun accelerating feel that you'd expect from games like this or Uncharted, so you'll be wanting to push through just to find out what happens next.

Combat is amazingly fun at times with it only getting more enjoyable the more you level up your abilities. Monkey has two primary weapons, his gauntlets and his staff which is capable of shooting high powered blasts or EMP's. The fluency between hand to hand combat and utilising the staff is flawless which allows you to keep the momentum flowing without slowing down. Building combo's and executing finishing moves on Mech's is exceptionally satisfying as you really feel every hit that you make. The AI is relatively clever to running head on into a crowd of enemies and engaging in combat can sometimes result in death; this is good however because it breaks up the mindless hack and slash with strategic combat. Naturally one would think that escorting Trip through the ruined locales as well as protecting yourself could be deemed quite frustrating at times but she's actually quite alright and knows when to duck and hide or provide distractions for you to slip behind enemy lines. In some instances Trip can become a little frustrating but it's all within reason and doesn't slow down the pacing at any points. 

Enslaved: Odyssey To The West is a fantastic little game that executes a very simple but compelling story, it's a great deal of fun and exceptionally beautiful to look at while you play it too! Here's a link to the trailer I hadn't seen before; it's a little corny but kind of cool at the same time. Those interesting should check it out here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FLiDeURhL0

Genre: 3rd person Action Adventure Platformer

Platforms: PS3 & 360

Score: 9 / 10

THE LAST OF US

Is it the game of the year? Yes. Is it the best game I've ever played? Yes. Has it changed my life? Yes. The Last Of Us has revolutionised gaming and will forever go down in history as the greatest game of the PS3 library and the current generation of gaming. This is one of those games that even months after finishing I'll still be feeling the repercussions of my actions. I simply just don't know where to start, there's just so much to talk about! As many of you will know, The Last Of Us was developed by Naughty Dog Studios, the ones who bought such classics as Crash Bandicoot and the Uncharted series. Those who have played an Uncharted game will know just how capable Naughty Dog are of making a blockbuster game and this time round there's no exceptions. Back when Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception came out in 2012 I thought it was impossible to further max out the Playstation's potential but low and behold it was done again! This is a game that takes you on an epic journey both mentally, physically and emotionally and by the end of it you'll be worn out from the remarkable experience. 

The premise for a post apocalyptic world is an interesting one as there's a great deal of content to work with in terms of the present and the past. An interesting fact that I recently discovered was that Mark Richard Davies, the lead designer on Enslaved: Odyssey To The West, another take on the post apocalyptic premise, also helped the team at Naughty Dog develop The Last Of Us. Funnily enough I recently started playing Enslaved again and was curious about how much it reminded me of TLoU in terms of gameplay and art style. Tune in next week for my thoughts on Enslaved; it's a great game. The art style of the game is stunning with so many locales bursting with life and colour, it's great to see the post apocalyptic Earth overrun with plants and wild animals. It is certainly one of the most prettiest games I've ever laid my eyes on in terms of depth in the world, character animations and much more. Every area you explore from Pittsburg to Boston to Salt Lake City all feel real and really immerse you in the lives of both Joel and Ellie.

The story and characters in TLoU are the key to what makes the game to great and i'll endeavour to not spoil any major plot points at all, so here it goes! Twenty years after the 2013 sudden outbreak of the Cordyceps fungus the world is a ravaged place and the population is dwindling with the lack of food and water. The un-infected live in quarantine zones but even still it's unsafe due to the heavy military presence and the rebellious militia group the 'Fireflies'. Outside to safe zones are the infected; mutated beings who were once people but now mindless abominations that seek out prey. The story follows Joel and Ellie who are trekking across the American Wasteland in hope of find a cure to fungus and ultimately stopping the plague for good. This is where my description of the story ends as anything after would simply spoil the experience! Yes, I could keep talking but this is one of those games where every little detail, and every little conversation between characters counts and it's something that you should all experience for yourselves, you'll thank me in the long run.

The graphics themselves in TLoU are absolutely stunning! Uncharted 3 for recollection was utilising 98.6% of the PS3's capability with just under 50Gb of usage, TLoU surprisingly uses roughly the same amount of gigabytes but further maxes out the potential of the PS3 with close to 99.5% usage. I simply didn't think it was possible to further modify the in-house engine Naughty Dog was using but they did. Uncharted 2 & 3 saw a great deal of improvement over the first game with graphics and animation and TLoU they did relatively the same thing but with minor modifications to things like frame rate and rendering in order to add more content. But to be honest I can think of only one moment towards the end where the frame rate was a little slow and no moments at all where there was rendering issues. Sure characters may have been buggy once or twice but i barely even noticed it, I was so immersed in the game and what was going on that I didn't think twice about it. Now I don't believe graphics are everything to a game but my god to help in instances like this!

So we've established everything's solid, but what about the gameplay? Well that's remarkable too! The intuitive inventory management set-up and the ability to create and craft certain things really does add that extra level of complexity to the story. Couples with this and the excellent 3rd Person gameplay mechanics makes TLoU a very amazing experience. Everything for me was spot on; gameplay, story, even the music was beautifully orchestrated and added an additional layer of emotion to the journey of Joel and Ellie. It's the little things that I love the most like the character interactions between Joel and Ellie throughout the game, while small they serve to subtly drive the plot and stimulate the player with interesting plots at the same time. I just love it! Something that I'm currently working on is a Top 10 openings list for games and let me just say that TLoU rates high, very, very high! Even the ending for me was gob-smacking and I still can't get over it. Everyone with a PS3 go out and play this game now, or steal a PS3 from a friend! I'd just like to add that I will not be held responsible for any PS3's that go missing, you can blame Naughty Dog for making too good a game! Have fun and good luck!

Genre: 3rd Person Action Adventure
Platforms: PS3
Score: 10 / 10

CRY OF FEAR

Iv'e said it before and i'll say it again; I love horror as a genre! For those of you who are getting bored of my horror game reviews I'm sorry but if it makes you feel any better there's not too many left for me to talk about. No, that's a lie, sorry! Muahaha! I respect what small developers can do, especially when they bust out with an amazing game like Cry Of Fear. Initially a Half Life 1 mod, Cry Of Fear has seen some additions to the core gameplay mechanics and it's all for the best. Anyone who's played Half Life 1 or 2 for that matter should know what to expect in terms of movement systems, hit detection and all that jazz. Here is a classic example of the Gold Source Engine taken to new heights with fully remodelled environments, characters and enhanced cutscenes. Now obviously the graphics are limited to that of the mod itself so don't expect it to look like current generation games but give it chance, it's actually a very well designed and thought out game. The game itself can be downloaded I do believe or you can always purchase it off Steam for a very appropriate price. The guys at Team Psykskallar have done a stellar job and cemented their place in the modding community as a highly regarded team. The other game that the team has developed is called Afraid Of Monsters and would you guess it's a horror game and much like Cry Of Fear it's again a very well designed and fun experience. But we'll get to that game another day, for now let's get stuck into this one and what makes it tick.

When I talked about F.E.A.R. the other day I said that it's very hard for FPS games to be scary without overpowering the players arsenal or becoming too repetitive. Cry Of Fear thankfully has taken this all on board and managed to make a truly terrifying experience out of a game that could've otherwise been a flop. Eliminating repetition is hard especially in these kinds of game, luckily Cry Of Fear keeps you guessing with new enemies, puzzles and traps progressively being introduced throughout the game. The addition of boss fights was an unexpected one but made the game that extra bit more fun and intense as the fights were exceptionally tough at times. The story following the main protagonist Simon is a confusing one with you gradually piecing together the events of how you got to this twisted city. Simon must traverse the world and discover the truth about why he's there and what's really going on. I don't want to spoil too much because it is a great story and builds itself very well and should be enjoyed by you guys rather than me telling you. The locales you explore can sometimes be linear but more often than not you'll find you need to explore multiple areas and backtrack to complete objectives. The campaign itself isn't terribly long, maybe 8-12 hours depending on if you get stuck on where to go or puzzle solving. Being alone in this vast twisted city with no idea how you got there does add a serious level of tension to the atmosphere, you'll know what I mean when you play it, but it's the constant feeling of dread that defines the game and makes the experience just that little bit more eerie.

A game like this is a great example of building tension. You will encounter many jump scares throughout the game but they only serve to keep you on your toes. Much of the time the scares will just come from the fear built up in your own imagination and that's what this games all about. All elements of the game are balanced seamlessly which makes for a very immersive experience. Games like this I would like to more of! Games like Resident Evil and Doom these days don't take the whole horror genre seriously enough and are giving it a bad name. There's a considerable difference between an FPS horror game and an FPS with horror elements and a lot of games are misleading people in these regards. Especially with games like Resident Evil 6, which I'll get to one day soon, they try to be too much and ultimately end up being a very bland experience. It's great to see smaller developers out shining many big studios these days because it goes to show that it's not all about the companies name and reputation, it's about the content itself and what the gamers want. Now that was a little off topic rant but bare that in mind next time your browsing for a game to play, don't always judge a book by its cover. You guys should all give Cry Of Fear a chance as I'm sure you'll love it and if you don't at least you've seen what other developers are capable of!

Genre: FPS Survival Horror
Platforms: PC
Score: 9 / 10

F.E.A.R. (FIRST ENCOUNTER ASSAULT RECON)

I played this game ages ago around the time it came out and had forgot about it until I picked up a second hand copy recently. F.E.A.R. is an exceptionally fun and simple game that is peppered with horror elements but plays as a First Person Shooter. Now I know what many of you are thinking, how is it possible to have a FPS horror game? Doom 3 was presented with similar questions one year prior back in 2004. Surely a run and gun game just can't be scary, well it depends how it's executed. If I'm going to be brutally honest, Doom 3 and F.E.A.R. just weren't scary for me, sure the atmosphere may have been there in some instances and there were a few jump scares but you can't merit a survival horror game on jump scares alone. Plus if there's one thing I can never get my head around in horror games and most games it's mute protagonists! Doom 3 was a fun game and the incorporation of darkness added a thin veil of horror but ultimately failed and now I only play it for the fun and gunning down demons. F.E.A.R. again works with the darkness element and the paranormal idea and executes it well at times but still doesn't hit that button that I'm looking for. Touching on the mute protagonist aspect again, it frustrates me to no end when your support character is wondering what's going on and you know but can't tell them simply because of your fear of public speaking! This happens more than it should throughout the game and always seems to throw up a barrier between me and the game making me never fully immersed in the world.

Now don't get me wrong, F.E.A.R. is a fun game with some interesting ideas, the gameplay and bullet time mechanic is surprisingly awesome and never gets old. Your player has the super human ability to slow down time briefly allowing you to run and gun down your enemies with a flurry of bullets or grenades if you prefer. Since picking up the shotgun I never use any other gun in the whole game simply because it's the best weapon for bullet time kills. At times I'll shoot so many people that all the blood spray actually inhibits me from seeing what I'm doing! There's a handful of firearms ranging from pistols to machine guns but I'll always come back to old faithful. Most of the game you will spend pursuing you supernatural target Paxton Fettel who using a hive-mind like control has taken control of a small army and is wreaking havoc on the city. As a F.E.A.R. operative it's your job to find and eliminate Fettel and uncover the truth behind any sinister supernatural plots you may stumble across. The transition between the action and the horror elements is perfect, keeping you on your toes at all time because you never know what's going to be round the corner. Generally the scares include you glimpsing something disappearing or the occasional sight of Alma, the mysterious little girl who relentlessly haunts the protagonist. Unfortunately for me these horror set pieces don't come often enough and I would have liked to see more of them throughout the game.

While I commend F.E.A.R. for trying to be a FPS horror game it just doesn't execute as well as it could've been. I read a few notes from the developers who said that they were trying to subtly bring the horror element into the game without too many repetitive jump scares, which is good but they ended up going too light. Much like Doom 3, a game becomes less scary the more you play it and you become used to its mechanics and that's exactly what F.E.A.R. does. The game doesn't keep me guessing but instead makes me just move through area after area with no interest at all. Like I said earlier it's a fun game but what the developers did just isn't enough to really immerse you in the world which is unfortunate given the games potential. Having not played the second or third installment I'd be interested to see how they progressed in gameplay and if they are a little more true to the FPS horror genre. Maybe I just can't get my head around the mute protagonist aspect but it really does let the game down. The other thing that confuses me a little and is clearly summed up in the title of the game; is this assault or recon? The game honestly doesn't know it wants to be at times. There is certainly little to no recon and if push comes to shove I'm always going to choose the assault option because it's more entertaining. When a game loses me a little over half way through simply because it's getting too repetitive I think there's something wrong. The ideas and elements are great but the just need a little fine tuning and you could have a solid horror based shooter. If you're looking for a fun game that offers some interesting ideas and just to pass the time then I'd give F.E.A.R. a go!

Genre: FPS 

Platforms: PC, PS3 & 360

Score: 8.2 / 10

ZELDA 2: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK

I suppose while I've got my head in a Zelda mindset I may as well talk about Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link on the NES; the second installment to the Zelda series and the only other on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Released two years after Legend of Zelda in 1988, Zelda 2 saw the progression of Link's life into a  teenager where following the events of the first game and the destruction of Ganon he soon discovers a sinister plot to revive the Prince of Darkness. The story is a little confusing in terms on continuity but essentially Link has to revive the maiden Zelda (not the Zelda from the first game) who has been in a slumber for years, Zelda's watcher Impa entrusts Link with six gems which when placed in the palaces across Hyrule will open the way to the Great Palace and ultimately the Triforce of Courage. Link will then be able to revive the maiden from her slumber and once again bring peace to Hyrule. Something that i'll touch on again and again throughout this review in the difficulty level and just how hard this game is. Zelda 2 is relentless and will endeavour to kill you at any chance, the game is fun and rewarding but the difficulty can sometimes outweigh the experience at times and can lead to many rage moments. Honestly I still have never finished the game, I've made it up to the final boss on many occasions but have never been able to seal the deal and I've been at it for nearly twenty years! I've played a lot of hard games in my lifetime but this is right up there; it's Dark Souls challenging, maybe even harder.

This time round The Legend of Zelda is presented in the format of a sidescroller with RPG elements. Much like the first Zelda there is an over-world but unlike the first game there are no enemies to fight, instead the over-world just acts as a sort-of map which you traverse. Many people didn't enjoy this aspect as they felt it made the game a little boring at times but it's a great way to make a large world easy to explore. When you stray from the paths in the over-world map you can trigger monster encounters where you jump to the sidescrolling aspect of the game, there is no turn based combat, just monsters to fight. There are many areas of the world which you can't explore immediately, you'll have to complete palaces and find helpful equipment to aid you in your quest before being able to do so. Touching again on the RPG elements, throughout the game you obtain XP from killing monsters and completing palaces which in turn allow you to level up your health, magic or attack skills. This is an interesting element that I have only ever seen in this Zelda and feel it would be a fun addition to the newer instalments. The magic in particular is used for spells which can range from allowing you to jump really high to restoring your life and even turning into a fairy to get through those tight and tricky situations. These interesting ideas coupled with the sidescrolling style of gameplay makes for a really fun adventure and while it is a difficult journey the pay off and reward for your efforts and exploring is always high in the end.

For a sidescrolling game, Zelda 2 is heaps of fun. This is an example of the genre done right with little extras added to make it that extra bit enjoyable. You can discover sword techniques throughout Hyrule which allow you to execute downward thrusts and upward thrusts which implement smoothly into the combat and exploration. The Palaces you complete are scattered throughout Hyrule each with their own enemies and bosses. Something that's always stood out for me are the boss battles, while hard they are exceptionally fun. Sure I've raged many times at the TV but the challenge comes experience and your decisions, it's not all about cheap shots and bad controls like some games. Every boss is different with its own unique combat method and weaknesses which serve to add variety to each palace and always keep you guessing. The hardest boss of all is the final boss, which is terribly fitting for a game like this. Even before you get to the boss of the game you have to access through the mountains to the great Palace which will generally result in a death or two (and remember you only start with 3 lives). Once you navigate the labyrinth that is the Great Palace you need to fight not only the Thunderbird but then Dark Link! It's a marathon, a seriously hard but fun marathon. I love this game to death much like its predecessor but it doesn't get a full 10 just because it is just that hard, maybe I'm just not a good gamer and I strongly urge you all to give it a crack but ultimately I'm always going to choose the original Zelda. Let me know if you beat it because I'd love if it's actually possible or not!

Genre: Action Adventure
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Score: 9.5 / 10

LEGEND OF ZELDA

You all had to know this was coming eventually, how could I not review my most cherished game of all time? The Legend of Zelda was history in the making and defined the action/adventure genre. This game has done more for video games than any other thing I can think of, it revolutionised the Nintendo Entertainment System and will never be forgotten, well as long as I'm around at least. If a game can make me want to get a tattoo then I think it's doing something right! Going back and reviewing a game like this is a little different to my current day reviews. Assessing something as simple as an 8bit NES game is quite unique, sure there's graphics, music and gameplay to judge but it's a NES game so I have to give it a bit of flexibility given the technology that was around in 1986. Needless to say The Legend of Zelda scores 10/10 for me and here's why...

Let's think back to what games were around in 1986, not many I'm sure. I wasn't around then either but I think it's pretty safe to say that in terms of games there was a very limited choice. Sure we had Atari 2600, 5200, Commodore 64 and all those other amazing consoles we all know and love but nothing revolutionised the gaming world quite like the NES did. Since the video games crash of 1983 the industry within the U.S. and across a lot of the world was in a serious slump but then Nintendo release the Famicom (also known as the NES outside of Japan) in Japan that year and changed the world forever. After the huge reception from Japan the console finally debuted in the U.S. in 1985, Europe in 1986 and lastly Australia in 1987. This in turn redeemed the video game industry post 1983 and put gaming back on the map and in our households yet again. 

So getting back to Zelda, here comes this juggernaut of game with all this content and the promise of a story and the ability to 'save' your game progress, we were all blown away by the mere thought of it all. To me at the time being very young, I didn't fully understand just quite how special it was to be able to preserve your progress through a game. Nowadays it's second nature but looking back now it was a pretty cool thing to have. So what do we know about Legend of Zelda? Well it's pretty simple! You are Link, the Hero of Time who sets out on a journey to rescue Princess Zelda from the clutches of Ganon, the Prince of Darkness. Before Ganon could acquire the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda splits it into eight pieces which are scattered in eight dungeons across Hyrule. Link must then reclaim the Triforce, destroy Ganon and rescue the princess. 

The land of Hyrule is vast by 1986 standards with dungeons and collectibles strew across the land. Those who wish to see a full layout of the map check the link below. The game plays in an overhead style with some 3D elements implemented, such as walking behind trees and rocks etc. Within the over-world you'll encounter many monsters and foot soldiers of Ganon as well as helpful people along the way. Throughout the game you will travel to new dungeons and collect new items to help you along the way. Link can always use his sword but he can collect secondary items to use too such as bombs and arrows. While it may seem bland to some viewers now, the design of the over-world was vast with rocky mountains, forests, lakes deserts and beaches. It's amazing to see just how far the industry and the games itself has progress over the years.

The dungeons themselves is where the game truly shines, each dungeon is different with new and interesting enemies and generally bigger in size than the last. The final dungeon, for example Ganon's pictured below is huge and maze like, so remembering where to go and what you've done is a real challenge. Gameplay was smooth with the perfect balance of puzzle and combat. I remember the game being quite challenging back when I was young but given my years of gaming it's a little easier now but still presents itself as a worthy adversary. Zelda 2 though, that is one of the most challenging games ever, but we'll get to that another day! The music is something of a masterpiece and while there are only a few tracks that play throughout the entire game they really do set the seen. the dungeon music, especially Ganon's is exceptionally cool!

Something that was remarkably awesome about this game was the after you finished it for the first time you could play the second run through! Essentially the game was the same but with all the dungeons in different locations with the layout entirely new. Playing for the second time through was almost like playing an entirely new game and was a great way to add that extra bit of content in an interesting a fun way. To this date I've played through many of the Zelda games countless times but nothing quite does it like the original. I suppose being the first game I ever played, it does have that affect on me but I think many people would agree that it's a flawless piece of art. I know many of you don't have a NES or Famicom but there are always emulators to use so give it a go and have some fun, I'm certain you won't be disappointed! 

The Legend of Zelda Hyrule Map: http://ian-albert.com/games/legend_of_zelda_maps/

Genre: Action Adventure

Platforms: Nintendo Entertainment System

Score: 10 / 10

SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS

Wow! Just wow! Shadow of The Colossus is a humble game, it's not Mario, COD or Zelda but it had cemented a place very deserving in my heart. This is one of those games that I'd heard so much about but never bothered to pick up a copy simply because it just slipped me by time and time again but after stumbling across it in a video store I decided now's a better time than any to give it a crack. Needless to say I don't want to return it to the video store tomorrow! Shadow of The Colossus is a truly remarkable game and is unlike any game I've ever played, I'm classing it as action/adventure but only because it's an adventure with a great deal of action but even still I feel it almost deserves its own genre. Honestly I'm ashamed that it has taken me this long to get around to playing this game, it deserves all the praise it gets. Shadow of The Colossus is considered the spiritual successor to Team Ico's cult classic hit Ico. Team Ico is apart of SCEI (Sony Computer Entertainment International) and have cemented their place in history as a legend in game development. In recent years it has also been established that both games are indeed linked and that Shadow of The Colossus is a prequel to Ico in some respects. Considering SoTC came out in late 2005 it's amazing to see back on the PS2 it's amazing to see just how much it maximizes the consoles capability, I for one would love to see a game like this on next generation consoles! 

Now the overall game and concept is simple but it's compelled in a very thrilling manner. You play as Wander who has travelled to a distant forbidden land in order to revive the lost soul of his love, Mono. Wander seeks the Shrine of Worship and encounters the voice of Dormin, Wander requests that Mono's soul be restored but in Dormin's current state he cannot. Dormin explains that in order to restore Mono's life Wander must track down sixteen Colossi across the land destroy them. Dormin goes onto say that completing this task may come at a terrible price, however Wander still insists and sets off to topple the colossal beings. The story unfolds further as you progress but I don't want to spoil any surprises! So as you all by now have surely gathered, SoTC has one simple objective; find and destroy the sixteen Colossi that roam the lands. The gameplay and setting is considerably different to that of other action/adventure games. The over-world is a vast land similar to that of Skyrim with different environments and locales however you don't encounter any other characters or enemies other than the Colossi. Now this may seem weird but it adds impact and makes you feel truly alone in a lost forbidden land. Traversing the world can be done on foot or by your horse Argo, which makes exploration feel like a real effort. Every Colossi has their own domain which you must locate using the guiding light of your sword, given that it only provides you with a rough direction it can make for finding some of the beats quite tough and interesting.

Lastly let's talk about the centrepiece of it all, the Colossi battles! This is where the game really starts to shine with each Colossi battle being more challenging than the last. These beasts come in many forms, all relatively large and some larger than others. Essentially the combat is split into two parts; firstly you must use the light of your sword to find weakness' on the beasts body, simple enough right? You then have to use your head to work out how you're going to get into the Colossus itself, this can be as simple as jumping and grabbing onto some dangling hair, using the environments around you or provoking them to make them open to attacks. The second part of the battle is the combat whereby once you're onboard the beast then be prepared for an intense show. Climbing up these large monsters really does feel like an ordeal, working your way up their arms or legs while they try to shake you off makes for an adrenaline pumping experience. Coupled with this and your stamina bar that slowly drains you'' be well and truly on the edge of your seat. Some Colossi can fly while others are simply gigantic bipeds or quadrupeds but being arming with your trusty sword and bow you should have no trouble taking down these towering beasts. This is one of those games that you just need to play it to appreciate just how unique the experience is, every Colossus will  keep you guessing and work your brain and combat tactics. This is stunning and very pretty game and everyone should play it once in their lifetime!

Genre: Action Adventure
Platforms: PS2, PS3 HD Remake
Score: 9.5 / 10