 | Album Title: Shadow of the Colossus Original Soundtrack |
| Record Label: King Records | |
| Catalog No.: KICA-1379 | |
| Release Date: December 07, 2005 | |
| Purchase: Buy at CDJapan |
Overview
There is nothing quite as old as the search for love. ‘Tis the drive that motivates many a man and woman to do unimaginable acts. Mayhap even more known than the search for true love is one’s battle for it. Yes, there are countless tales of men and women risking their own heartbeats for another person’s well-being.
Shadow of the Colossus is one of said tales. It tells the story of Wander and his desire to give life back to his loved one. How far would he go for love? Deeply, beyond his wildest expectations. Nary a thing would hinder him, for his heart was strong. And what would accompany him on his journey, besides his mighty will, his blade and arrows? The sounds of the Earth.
Body
Wander’s journeys take him to many places; yet they begin like many others. Some say the beginning is the most important part, as it is when the heart decides on what to do. Our hero’s prologue to an ancient land is the mystical introduction to these accursed lands. Could it be the gods chanting for Wander? Or perhaps against him? The strength of destiny both supports and leads the warrior, bearing bittersweet feelings. Why bittersweet?
No matter how the beginning was, the most important aspect of his quest is the battle against the 16 colossi: 16 behemoths of incomparable power, 16 beasts of immeasurable strength. Are they really Wander’s enemies? What have they done against him? However, none of this is important to him, for his mind is made up: his foes, these fiends, must be defeated. They might be grotesque figures, with powerful rhythms, or as melodious as an opened way through the darkness; maybe, expecting a tense, violent encounter, an anxious Wander will be faced with silence, the near-ambient sound of nature’s calm creations. It is possible that, in awe of the power of a colossal theme, our hero will suffer the most dreadful counterattack—a blow most powerful, with movements at such a fast pace that he himself will not be able to withstand the injuries.
His demise, an unfortunate event, is taken lightly by the gods. Maybe their faith in Wander isn’t as strong as one could be led to believe. Nonetheless, one of those beasts is slain, the battle ends, and the almighty creators weep the saddest fanfare one could ever hear. It is quite funny how life is. Still, in the likely case that our hero survives, he then must face the hardest challenge of all: the final giant, the demise the ritual requires Wander to undergo. With no one by his side, the hero must face wind, rain and the wrath of what could only be defined as a castle-sized entity. Thunder rushes from its palms; the gods chant as always, with mighty undertones of hopelessness.
If descriptions of Wander’s battles seem brief, it is because their thematic similarity is enough that it does not warrant repetition. Even so, my old body apologizes, for the frailest of souls need constant rest. However, when one’s soul goes far too deep into the battlefields, it may never return. It is for that reason one must partake in the beauty of nature’s green hills, with a certain charm and mystique that are beyond words. A sparkling lakeside may be home to a gruesome duel between man and giant, but it is also an echo, or mayhap a continuation, of the enchanting mystery that is nature. The marshlands, the greenish-hued land, conceal secrets unbeknownst to visitors. A closed-off city, once a place where life could grow, is now nothing more than a shadow of its former self, where the winds oftentimes carry sounds that capture the imagination of the few who dare venture into such a time-forsaken shelter. A place of prayer, a sanctuary, is still as holy as it ever could be, with the whispers of the gods giving a celestial feeling to sacred ruins.
Forgive me, for I have digressed. Wander, battle-worn, now stands ready to have his wish fulfilled: his lover’s life back. Mysterious figures, however, will not allow it, as the warrior has entered cursed territories and broken a powerful spell. And when his heart is black as a raven and his body no longer his own, nevermore will he leave those lands. Nevermore will his life be the way it once was. Nevermore.
Those who remain to hear the epilogue of his story will certainly be caught amidst a wave of emotions, judging Wander, his blade and his arrows. Some will be sad, as the ending does not please those who root for love to win; some will be angry, blaming Wander for what he has done. They all, however, will be touched by a tale as simple as a struggle to reclaim love. And when the gods accept the mortal’s wish, he is but a victim of his heart, banished forever to the farthest land one could imagine. The ever-alluring power of nature stops for none. Or perhaps that very nature leads what’s left of Wander and Mono to Paradise, the only haven of those unholy grounds?
Summary
Time is responsible for turning mere tales into legendary accounts. Time is responsible for turning warriors into heroes. Time will treat this tale most kindly, as it will never be able to be forgotten. A story of such love and hope will be forever cherished.
Men have dubbed those lands as ‘forsaken’, ‘accursed’. It seems the life-force of all that is around us disagrees, for that territory could not be any better. Nature was responsible for evoking every feeling possible during this adventure: from the loneliness of windy, winding roads to the anger of huge, thumping beats; from the sadness of a quiet lakeside serenade to the aggressiveness of the roar of the unknown; the happiness of victory, and the disappointment in defeat.
