Shadow of the Colossus (Playstation 2, 2005)

Wander is a young man who is willing to do anything to bring his beloved back to life.  His clan let her die, since she had a cursed fate, but he is unwilling to accept that.  He travels to a distant, forbidden land on his horse, Agro, in hopes of finding a way to revive her.  Finding the land, he crosses a gigantic stone bridge into a holy temple, where the spirit Dormin tells Wander that his love will be restored to life if he can slay sixteen colossi, however he may have to pay the price for this.  Determined beyond reason, he sets off with Agro to defeat these ancient giants, equipped with only a sword and bow.
Shadow of the Colossus (2005) masterfully tells an epic story with grand scenery, beautiful music, and amazing battles.  You must hunt down the location of each of the colossi, and then do battle with them.  This is all of the fighting you do. There are no enemies to fight in between battles with colossi.  You ride Agro to each location, with no music, and no enemies.  This would be rather dull if it weren't for the rich visuals and atmosphere in the world of the game.  Every location brings with it a sense of foreboding and loneliness.  The forests are dark and serene, yet unsettling.  Mountain cliffs reveal scenic vistas, overlooking distant areas to explore.  There is a real sense that there is something ethereal about this land.
The colossus fights are worth trekking to as well.  Each battle is unique in the way you have to scale and attack the behemoths.  They are all massive and awe-inspiring, and look as though they really have been slumbering for thousands of years underground, with their dirty fur and bits of plant life clinging to them.  There are a few bipedal colossi, a horse, a bull, a hawk, and some that are indescribable.  Some of them are aggressive and actively seek to kill you, while others are passive, and will only fight back if provoked.  One that sticks out in my mind is a gigantic flying serpent, which does not even try to attack you, even while you are climbing on it stabbing at its vital areas.  When you finally slay it, it feels like it was more an act of murder than a triumph.
Another great thing about these fights is that they play realistically.  The colossi don't follow set programmed patterns, they react to your every move.  For example, the second colossus you fight is a giant bull that emerges from a cliff side cave.  It trudges slowly closer to you, and observes you.  It will not charge, but if you allow it to approach close to you, it will decide to try and stomp on you.  This allows you to fire an arrow at its foot, which will make it fall over, allowing you to climb up its back.  Another great example is the fight with the ogre colossus.  You travel deep into a cave to find an ancient arena.  When you climb down to the floor, a wall breaks open to reveal the colossus.  He chases you to the end, where you hide under some pillars.  He will lean down to swat at you, and this allows you to run out and grab onto his beard.  You must move quickly to his back because he will grab at you, and even once you have reached his forehead, he will shake violently to throw you off.
The most amazing thing about Shadow of the Colossus is how it says so much with so little words.  The sixteen battles are emotionally packed, challenging, and fun.  In between fights, Wander receives visions, some showing the future and some showing the distant past.  It is in these visions that details like the origins of the colossi are revealed, and with such amazing subtlety.  I wish more games would try to put as much subtlety into their designs.  This game is an excellent parable about loss, sacrifice, love, and the distance one man is willing to go to restore it.