Driving story and visually impressive cutscenes aside, the gameplay itself was lacking; the flow is largely linear, predictably alternating navigation/platforming phases with a short, boss battle sequence. The only enemies in the game are the 16 colossi, which steadily grow larger as the player progresses, although the difficulty level required to beat the creatures never seems to disproportionately offset the hero's available skills enough to offer a satisfying challenge. Although the game does succeed in requiring the player to use any new weapons or skills they've acquired to defeat each boss, once the player has figured out the specific strategy to exploit each monster's weakness, the actual fight becomes easy to win without ever dying.
Other features of the design also leave the player wanting, such as the simplistic environments, and other barriers to any sense of believable realism the otherwise visually immersive scenery offers. Wander's health regenerates over time which further decreases the risks to the player, there are no powerups, his horse has unlimited stamina, invisible barriers near cliffs or other hazards further make it impossible to kill yourself, and most of the map areas are redundant, empty space. Aside from an optional, object-hunting sidequest, there's little in the way of filler content, or even other NPC's to talk to, and the game in its entirety offers virtually no replay value.
Although it comprises no more than 6 or 8 hours of gameplay, Colossus' ambient visuals and stirring, dramatic soundtrack are redeeming. The cyclical structure of calm nagivation and action-packed fighting make it a refreshing take on the usually fast-paced action/adventure genre, and the hero does change overtime to reflect the story's progression. The game ends with a thrilling twist, as Wander absorbs the souls of all the colossi he's slain to save the princess, in turn becoming a giant beast himself to fight off the mortals that then turn against him.
