Shadow of the Colossus
Fumito Ueda is widely renowned as a master of his craft and design by subtraction, and while that makes the stories in games like Shadow of the Colossus very lean, but amplifies the impact of whatever’s there. The first hours of the game put you on a straight objective of felling these giant Colossi, and there is a distinct sense of discovery as you explore the world and come face to face with the first enemies in the roster. But the final hours start to change things as the main quest that initially seemed righteous start to get depressing with themes of loss and the cost of saving a life start to come into view; and the minimal dialogue and melancholic music set the stage for the player to make their interpretations of all that’s going on.
