Gaming Retrospective 2005 finale

And now for the end of the Gaming Retrospective. The time to dish out some silly awards and choose just what was my favorite game of 2005. I guess it is appropriate to have the final segment be posted on the final day of the year. Let's conclude....

Favorite Game of the Year:

To be honest, it isn't easy to pick one game that I enjoyed above all else. All three of the nominees (as well as a few unmentioned titles) were a joy to play, and gave me a lot to think about the nature of game design. If you choose to pick up any three of them I personally believe you will be more than satisfied. Still, if I had to choose just one that stood out the most as a shining example of the medium, it would most definitely be Shadow of the Colossus.
It is said that during E3 2005, Shigeru Miyamoto stood with Shadow's director Fumito Ueda, watching the game in action for a while. Not long after, Miyamoto made his announcement that Zelda: Twilight Princess would be the last traditional entry in the series for quite some time. After finishing the game, I (as well as many others) believe that Shadow had some part in that decision. It is not obvious at first, but SOTC invokes the spirit of the original Legend of Zelda better than even the Zelda sequels. Games like Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time are about the classic Zelda dungeons (with their classic Zelda puzzles), expanding your arsenal of tools, and progressing the story. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing (otherwise OOT wouldn't be my second favorite game), but after Minish Cap and Wind Waker, perhaps the formula is getting a little old. Nintendo can put the same puzzle in every new iteration and say "it doesn't matter; its Zelda and you like it", and we fan(boy?)s will happily nod our heads and play through it.

But Shadow reminded me (and perhaps Miyamoto) that the original Zelda was a completely different beast. Yes, you cleared dungeons, and yes you geared up. But the focus was on something completely different. It was all about exploration, and growing as a character. Link has little to no assistance in his journey, save for clever quips like "dodongo hates fire". You don't know where do go, or where anything is. When you encountered a dungeon, you didn't even know if you had the tools to explore it! The Legend of Zelda is a cold, lonely world, and the player is supposed to feel a little bit scared and overwhelmed. But they are also supposed to feel determined to succeed, no matter what the cost. And so they will explore the land of Hyrule, and slowly but surely they will find new weapons and new strength. They will solve every puzzle and defeat every boss. Finally Hyrule isn't so big and intimidating anymore. Link has climbed the mountain, and now he is master of his domain. And yet even the most diligent players will surely find more secrets to uncover and places to explore.

It is the same in Shadow of the Colossus. Every boss is a dungeon distilled into an intense battle. The world is a multitude of lakes, forests, plains and deserts. And even after all sixteen beasts are slain, there are countless corners to search and new things to uncover.
In the absence of a new 3d Zelda game this year, Shadow was more than a worthy replacement. It has captured the soul of one of the most famous games in history and inspired the master to go back to his shop. It reminded me of the unlimited potential of the videogame medium. And that is the best praise I can possibly give.