Shadow of the Colossus darkens

By Tom Bramwell Published 14 July, 2005

I.e. we've got a date for it.

Shadow of the Colossus, the game we've all decided is the spiritual successor to ICO, will be released on PS2 in Japan this October 27th according to Famitsu quoting Sony Japan.

However, reports from the likes of IGN suggest we'll see an English-language release even earlier than that. Sony America had previously suggested the game would launch there in September, and now the date September 20th is being bandied around, which would be terrific news for importers. Sony's European arm quotes a Q1 2006 date.

Retailers across the pond in the US seem to be speculating on an October release too, however, with GameStop in particular pegging it back to October 3rd.

Shadow, which made a pretty decent impression on us at E3 this year, sees a lone hero fighting enormous monsters - the Colossi - that are so large they often have to be scaled like actual platform game levels in order to conquer them.

It also features lots of horseriding, a fantastic score (from what we could make out over the noises of E3, anyway) and visuals filtered in a manner that gives it a soft-edged look - as if little tears were glazing over your eyes with every wiggle of the stick.

We'll bawl ourselves to death with it later this year for your entertainment. Promise.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (29) Latest comment 7 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Eighthours #1 7 years ago

    I see that Europe is going to get shafted again. SCEE are metamorphing into Nintendo circa mid 90s more and more all the time.

  • Derblington #2 7 years ago

    That's shit. Why the hell do we have to ait so bloody long? Localisation my arse, just release it in English!

  • jlaakso #3 7 years ago

    They've been doing localisation work for so long that I really cannot understand why it would be such a big deal these days. It's just a ridiculous couple of pages of a game "manual", most of which is a reprint of the console manual and readily available, anyway.

    If the French of Germans or someone need a version dubbed in their language, fine, but I don't see why we all have to wait.

    Of course, if they're spending the time working on the NTSC/PAL conversion, great. But this isn't the case too often, I take it.

  • Blerk #4 7 years ago

    Next year? Bah. :-(

  • itamae #5 7 years ago

    Next year? Bah. :-(

    It's never too late to, you know, 'tweak' your console.
    /pats modded PS2
    This autumn will be great for gamers!

  • Tweakmonkey #6 7 years ago

    At least it gives me more time to track down a copy of Ico and play it :-)

  • Kiigan #7 7 years ago

    Fuckingfuckingfuck!

  • Talha #8 7 years ago

    It seems that PS2 is becoming the console of choice for publishers with wacky, beautiful, wierd games that push boundaries in all directions. What with MS still licking their fingers on Halo 2 and blowing their own esoteric trumpet regarding online capabilities of XBox 360 (much as that matters to the rest of us) and Nintendo stuck in the eternal Mario vicious circle. Way to go Sony!!!

    Of course, PS2 also happens to be the console of choice, period.

  • tiddles #9 7 years ago

    Of course, PS2 also happens to be the console of choice, period.

    ooh, you're taking your chances with your radical views on a site like this... ;)

  • Tweakmonkey #10 7 years ago

    /hopes this thread doesn't turn into another fanboy-infested troll fest

  • stormcr0wfleet #11 7 years ago

    looking forward to this, but a 6month wait for a uk release is unacceptable. heres an idea, release the game in the UK say a month later and then give all the spanish/french/german etc speakers there game 6 months after that. . thats never gona happen thou is it :-(.

  • kincaide #12 7 years ago

    ok - how do I make my PS 2 Slim play import games....

    /growls at the European release date

  • Thamuhacha #13 7 years ago

    >/hopes this thread doesn't turn into another fanboy-infested troll fest

    In vain I expect.

  • Blerk #14 7 years ago

    /awaits Balor

  • itamae #15 7 years ago

    ok - how do I make my PS 2 Slim play import games....

    Do a forum search. ProfessorLessor had the same question recently, and in my opinion the answers were pretty comprehensive :-)

  • Navi #16 7 years ago

    Or just buy an american PS2. There not that expensive at the moment and no knacking your playstation to do it (or possibly it just because I'm too lazy to chip my playstation, one of the two anyway).

  • groovychainsaw #17 7 years ago

    I agree though, since halo 2, the xbox hasnt had as many good games coming out for it, I'm playing paper mario on the gamecube, world of warcraft on PC and god of war on PS2 at the moment and they're all top banana- i cant see anything coming out soon for the xbox that's that exciting.... i guess theyve stopped now, waiting for the 360?
    (Oh, and I like the xbox and generally its my favourite, but at the moment...)

  • gamesb*tch #18 7 years ago

    GBA is the best platform... Boycott Advance is even better (sticks two fingers up to Ninty's wankological pricing and release schedule and carries on playing Riveira)

  • symmetry #19 7 years ago

    I want every great PS2 game to come out for PSP, then I won't need to buy a PS2.

    Come on Sony, you know it makes sense.

  • Tweakmonkey #20 7 years ago

    Ico was the same, out first for the US... and then the game was tweaked to have some more stuff and more balanced enemies...

    Arghh - there goes my plan to import the US/Japan version!

    /checks ebay

    /cries

  • Blerk #21 7 years ago

    'strue. Euro Ico has more stuff in it. It's definitely the one to have.

  • krudster #22 7 years ago

    There's a great moment in this week's episode of Six Feet Under where the troublesome foster kid gets bought a PS2 and GT4, then later that morning is seen with the entire console in bits on the floor. His explanation? The game 'broke' - i.e. he'd got stuck on it. Lovely.

  • Teeth #23 7 years ago

    I can live with the wait for this game, thanks. Take your time, boys! And girls.

  • gamesb*tch #24 7 years ago

    "I want every great PS2 game to come out for PSP, then I won't need to buy a PS2."

    Seconded... imagine

    Phantom Brave, Disgaea, La Pucelle, ICO, Stella Deus on PSP - that'd make the commute fly by... :pPP droool

  • Galvanizer #25 7 years ago

    Zelda rip-off

    Remember the Desert Colossus in Ocarina of Time???

  • crashVoodoo #26 7 years ago

    if its anything like ico it'll be one of the shining moments of the system.

    i had a ps2 when they first came out ... hardly used it, or bought anything for it but i did get ico when it appeared because i loved the demo and thought the game was ace.

    this kinda makes me wish i'd hung onto the ps2 .. not buying one just to play it tho. can u rent consoles ?

  • el_pollo_diablo #27 7 years ago

    I'm actually happy to wait for this.

    Because I still have a shedload of games to get through and I really must stop buying new ones just for the 'later' pile.

  • UncleLou #28 7 years ago

    Zelda rip-off

    /points at the Nintendo fanboy, laughs

  • Raziel #29 7 years ago

    "'strue. Euro Ico has more stuff in it. It's definitely the one to have."

    Hmmm, good point.... I'll wait...