28 Uncharted 2 -v- 73 Shadow of the Colossus

[Fizzy]

 

[Sean Valjean]

Shadow of the Colossus truly is one of the most beautiful and imaginative games I've had the pleasure of playing. It's among the first games I bring up in the video games as art debate. The geniune emotion felt from slaying these legendary and majestic beast, all in the name of love, is something rarely felt in a game. It's also helps that scaling and killing those things is a thrill in itself. It took a different approach in game design and made it accessible and enjoyable.

Uncharted 2 on the other hand is a great reminder that innovation isn't everything. Sometimes improving upon an established formula works just as well. In this case, it not only improved but blew everyone out of the water and set the bar for the action/adventure genre. It had great action, gorgeous presentation, fantastic voice acting (some of the best I've ever heard in a game) and some incredible set-piece moments. As if the suberb single player campaign wasn't enough, the game also boast a rather robust and criminally underrated multiplayer mode.

All of that together puts the second coming of Nathan Drake at the top of both my action game list and this round. I'd love to see Wander ride into the next round, but his adventure just falls short of the amount of technical refinement and overall excitement his opponent's has.

 

[Loveless]

No matter how good Uncharted is, it isn't doing anything that hasn't been done before.
SotC was a very different experience, a puzzle wrapped around an adventure game with 16 awesome boss fights. You really have to experience the game for that moment when you meet the first guy, it's one of my favourite moments in gaming and youtube doesn't do it justice.

Spoiler

Lastly, the best face/heel switch at the end since Austin/Hart when you get to the end and realise you're the bad guy is a perfect end.

 

[.]

Oh sweet lord this is a hard choice. As for Uncharted 2, There is one word that describes this game. Amazing. I was glued to the storyline until the very end, in which I actually wanted more. The characters are absolutely fantastic, and so are the voice actors! The graphics are phenomenal for a console. The gameplay was also great, but not innovative. For this game however, the gameplay fit perfectly, and so did the 3rd person view of the character. This game is almost perfect in every aspect and really 1-ups from the previous game. It take's what was good in the first game and builds on it to make the gameplay experience a solid one. The characters are compelling and really help in developing the storyline to its best peaks. It presents us with levels that may at first look slow such as where Drake has to carry an injured camera man, and manages to have it keep the pace with the rest of the game as a great quick, heart racing level. The game deserved the game of the year award it got as it shows exactly what all X-Box fan boys are missing out on.

Shadow of the Colossus, on the other hand, the art direction, story, and characters are amazing and I couldn't be happier to see it being ported on the PS3 alongside ICO, another beautiful game. A gaming masterpiece, artfully stitched together for an overall breathe taking experience. The vastness of the land and the fluidity of the camera play this game off just like a movie. Don't expect any filler or half-thought out side quests, because this game has none. The entire focus is on the main story-line. Minimalists be praised for this game is a life-changing experience.

Weighing out both games against one another I have resolved that I'll just have to vote for the SotC though i wish I could vote for both games.

 

[Lee]

Shadow of the Colossus wins.