All on its own, Shadow of the Colossus - surely one the most beautiful and emotionally resonant video games ever made? - makes a sure-fire case for the idea of video games as "art." When movie critic Roger Ebert declared that is was impossible for video games to be considered as such, he clearly had never sat down and played Shadow of the Colossus. Had he done so, he would have no doubt been left eating his own words. The key concept that drives Shadow of the Colossus is both strange and wonderful, as players are tasked with traversing an open-world environment in an attempt to take down huge, mysterious creatures known as "the Colossus." Apart from hero Wander, the Colossi, and Wander's horse, Agro, the world remains empty. As the game progresses, and more and more Colossi fall, you instinctively begin to question your actions - and it's therein that the games ethereal and haunting beauty lies.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
