Sony; 2005
Shadow of the Colossus is a unique adventure / puzzle hybrid, hilariously and erroneously described by the guy who sold it to me as “World of Warcraft but boring.” Unlike traditional adventure games, in which fantasy worlds teem with monsters, the only enemies in Shadow of the Colossus are the titular giants. The gameplay revolves around figuring out exactly how to kill them, and then, you know, killing them. The grand scope, the majestic (and graphically impressive) scenery, and the creative thinking that is required to defeat a small number of very large foes work together in a kind of classic-making synergy.
Even though it’s an older game, and older games generally don’t find a place in the queue right away, I’ve heard such glowing reviews that I couldn’t resist. It’s going into the queue until I free up a little room in the open games list.
Final Fantasy XII: International Zodiac Job System is the ironically-titled Japan-only “international” update to the original version of the PS2 RPG. It features the English voice acting and the widescreen option of the North American version and comes with the bonus DVD that was also packaged with the Collector’s Edition version. New features include the ability to control guest characters, a high-speed option for travel through tedious areas, new items, new gambits, more tolerable treasure chest randomization, and a complete redesign of the licence board.