Shadow of the Colossus vs. God of War III - Critically Compared

Shadow of the Colossus vs. God of War III

Welcome to Critically Compared! In this series, I will compare two products with similar qualities based on what they are known for. Today I’m am comparing God of War III and Shadow of the Colossus. Both games are known for their amazing sense of scale, great platforming, and epic boss fights. SOTC was released on the PS2 in 2005, while GOW 3 came out in 2010 on the PS3.

Do you think SOTC can stand up against a game five years older than it?

Round 1 - Platforming

In Shadow of the Colossus platforming is seamlessly integrated into the boss fights. In order to defeat each Colossus, the player must climb up its body in real-time in order to attack the monster’s weak points. The game features a grip gauge, which adds a sense of urgency to climbing. If your gauge runs out, you’ll fall!

GOW III’s platforming segments usually occur when traversing a level or when completing a puzzle. Although platforming is good and can be completely three dimensional, it is way more fun to climb up the backs of giant monsters.

Winner: SOTC

Round 2 - Combat

God of War’s combat is legendary. There is just some primal appeal to literally ripping your enemies apart. Combos can last long periods of time, and the weapon leveling lets you customize your carnage.

SOTC’s combat is very different. While you can swing your sword normally, most combat takes place on top of a giant beast. While stabbing the Colossi is fun and satisfying, the overall combat system lack God of War’s depth.

Winner: GOW

Round 3 - Exploration

God of War III isn’t the most linear game I’ve ever played. Occasionally there are hidden alcoves filled with chests for you to discover, however, this doesn’t really provide a sense of true exploration.

Shadow of the Colossus, on the other hand, takes place in an open world where exploration is necessary in order to track down all the Colossi. You’ll find yourself becoming familiar with the empty landscape as you kill all the innocent creatures that populate it.

Winner: SOTC

Round 4 - Set Pieces/Arenas

In Shadow of the Colossus, each boss battle takes place in a unique and open arena. There are a variety of arena types, including deserts, caves, lakes, and old ruins. In order to accommodate for the Colossi’s massive size, most arenas are very open and allow for a range of play styles/strategies.

GOW III has incredible level and set piece design. That said, boss battles tend to take place in a not so large arena, making it hard to maneuver around larger bosses (like Hades). In my opinion, a gorgeous set piece/level is worthless if it is hard to work with.

Winner: SOTC

Round 5 - Puzzles

SOTC as a whole is essentially one big puzzle. From tracking down the colossi, to finding their weaknesses and exploiting them, players will be constantly challenged throughout the course of the game. However, many of the Colossi perform the same, and since technically the Colossi themselves are considered bosses, I cannot judge them individually as puzzles too.

God of War III’s well known for its puzzles that are well-incorporated into each level. Puzzles are fun, challenging and engaging. They provide a nice break between ruthless acts of violence.

Winner: GOW

Round 6 - Soundtrack

I am well aware that this category is kind of lame, but both of these games are recognized for their amazing musical scores. SOTC has both a beautiful and thrilling score, that changes based on the level of danger the player is facing.

GOW also has an invigorating soundtrack, full of intense orchestral sounds that fit the tone of the game well. This round was a tough pick, but overall I found SOTC’s soundtrack more memorable. I may even by the entire thing online.

Winner: SOTC

Final Round - Boss Battles

I thought that “Boss Battles” was a fitting category to conclude this article with. There is no doubt that both games offer and are famous for their large scale boss fights.

GOW’s boss fights have the normal archetype for a hack and slash game. But the sense of scale is amazing!! Although many events during boss fights are scripted, tearing your opponents into shreds after each increasingly difficult fight is very satisfying.

SOTC’s boss fights are the definition of epic. Take for example the final fight against the 16th Colossus. Rain, wind, and lightning deteriorate the player’s hope, as he/she makes his/her way up the body of a massive Colossus. Jumping from limb to limb, the player will eventually make it up to the creature’s head, where some well places stabs will bring it to its knees.

I thought this round was going to be a difficult decision, but in the end, the answer was clear.

Winner: SOTC

Results

Shadow of the Colossus - 5 points

God of War 3  - 2

And the Champion is: Shadow of the Colossus!

Note: If you think my results are slightly biased, then you may be right. After all, SOTC is one of my favorite games of all time. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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