Shadow of the Colossus rocks !!

[Vic Viper]

just got the game today, played for about 2 hours and took down 3 colossi. :pimp:

i must say team ICO didnt disappoint, i think theyve created another master piece. what an amazing game, the atmosphere and the scope of this game is truely magnificent. graphics is definately one of the best ive seen on the ps2. as far as the gameplay, fighting those colossi are so much fun, I love how each battle is completely unique. No two battles have been similar.

the only problem ive come across was it takes some time to get use to the controls, specially when controlling your horse. and some people may find the camera can be annoying at times.

anyone else have this game ? if not go buy it now, support team ICO, so they could make more original games like this :shy:

[Berserker]

So it can live up to the hype??
How about the lenght Vic, I heard there were people complaining about it being to short and you took down 3 in 2 hours??
How is the framerate holding up during the clashes with the titans?

[Vic Viper]

So it can live up to the hype??

oh hell yes it did.

How about the lenght Vic, I heard there were people complaining about it being to short and you took down 3 in 2 hours??

It can be as long as you want it to be, if you just go from colossus to colossus, it will be short, but im actually taking a break in fighting those colossi and exploring this massive world.

How is the framerate holding up during the clashes with the titans?

there are times when the framerate drops quite a bit , but who cares, colossi battles freakin' ownz . :P

what are you waiting for man, go buy the game already. :laugh:

..

[Berserker]

It's not out here yet(I think) and I want Resident Evil 4 soooooooooo bad, that I think I'll buy that one first. But I will get it...mark my words :laugh:

[merylsilverburg]

I just finished the game...I love the game, I love the graphics, the battles, the strategy, the music, and the story...but may I say that the ending is one of the worst I've seen in a long time while, at the same time, somewhat pretty good. Let me explain:

What the hell was that ending?! Okay, the good part about the end was that the game explained ICO and why ICO has horns (because the boy in "Colossus" is actually ICO because of the rebirth-with-horns thing) and all that. But oh my God. How tragic was this ending? The guy busts his butt to bring his lover back to life, treks through and battles 16 pretty tough colossuses, then woohoo, dies, and gets reborn. Wow, what a life. You'd think that devil guy, whatever his name was, would allow the boy to live, after all, he did live up to the end of the bargain (kill the colossuses). The ending I would've preferred would've been that the boy comes back to life but has horns on his head (part of the evil stuff he can't get rid of). He and his lover and Agro goes away, then the boy and his lover have a kid who has horns...thus being the ICO we know. NOT the boy becoming ICO, geez.

There you have it. That's my gripe...which is a pretty serious considering how much I loved the game. Such a shame.

[merylsilverburg]

So sorry to double-post, but I wasn't exactly done with my above mini-review, I just had to leave for something. Anyway...

About what Vic said regarding the camera being annoying...that's a major issue right there. I must've fallen at least a zillion times during the final boss battle (and believe me, it's NOT fun climbing up that giant) thanks to the stupid camera angles while trying to jump. I mean, it's not so bad, but when you're already pretty confused and worried to death about your grip meter, it's not fun having to stress about "Ooh, can I make that jump even though the camera decides to swerve right all of a sudden" and more.

Other than the camera and the ending, the game really is fantastic. My favorite battle is the thirteenth one....wow. It was exhilarating and also really fun! My LEAST favorite would have to be fifth or the sixth one (I forget which...the one underwater). Okay, that battle...freaked the bejeesus out of me. I know it's fake...I know it's a game...but holy cow, the visuals were so realistic and the damn water was so murky, seeing that huge thing under there really gave me the heebie-jeebies. I literally froze...I just stood near the shore for about two minutes because I was too scared to continue....and that damn voice comes on and tells me what to do, I know what to do, but it's just too damn scary to do so! Ugh..*shivers*

I am looking forward to doing the extra modes. :)

EDIT: I forgot to mention this funny glitch that occurred in my game one time when I was playing. I somehow got separated from Agro (the horse) one time and I couldn't find him even though I kept whistling and whistling. Finally, in the forest to the southwest, I found him...fallen over in midair. In some battles, when Agro gets attacked, he would fall over like any horse. Well, somehow, Agro fell over but I think he was also leaping from a rock at the same time....so you get a frozen-in-midair-lying-on-his-side-Agro. It's hilarious but disturbing...I've taken pictures, I just have to find the time to upload them. :)

[Berserker]

You already finished it, how long did it take you to finish it Meryl??

[merylsilverburg]

You already finished it, how long did it take you to finish it Meryl??
Let's see...I got it on Friday and I killed 1 colossi that night, then played some more Saturday evening after work...killed about 4 colossi, played on Sunday evening after work, killed 3 colossi (because I had class Monday morning), then on Monday (my day off work), I basically got out of class, went home, sat there like a vegetable and stormed through the game, finishing all of them. :laugh: Some of the colossi were ridiculously easy while others were stupidly difficult. Be warned, the difficulty is not consistent in this game...at least to me. :P

[Beretta55]

I recently got a sizeable sum of money today and Soul Calibur 3 also released. So I went up to gamestop, picked up SC3 and got Shadow of the Colossus as well. I haven't played it yet but my friend who also bought it showed me some of the battles and it was completely awesome, I can't wait to play it. He got up to the third colossi but didn't figure out how to get to his weak point, so he took a suicide dive into the water. XD
But I'll probably play it tonight after I put some time into SC3.

[TtTackler]

I just finished the game...I love the game, I love the graphics, the battles, the strategy, the music, and the story...but may I say that the ending is one of the worst I've seen in a long time while, at the same time, somewhat pretty good. Let me explain:

What the hell was that ending?! Okay, the good part about the end was that the game explained ICO and why ICO has horns (because the boy in "Colossus" is actually ICO because of the rebirth-with-horns thing) and all that. But oh my God. How tragic was this ending? The guy busts his butt to bring his lover back to life, treks through and battles 16 pretty tough colossuses, then woohoo, dies, and gets reborn. Wow, what a life. You'd think that devil guy, whatever his name was, would allow the boy to live, after all, he did live up to the end of the bargain (kill the colossuses). The ending I would've preferred would've been that the boy comes back to life but has horns on his head (part of the evil stuff he can't get rid of). He and his lover and Agro goes away, then the boy and his lover have a kid who has horns...thus being the ICO we know. NOT the boy becoming ICO, geez.

There you have it. That's my gripe...which is a pretty serious considering how much I loved the game. Such a shame.

That's what makes the ending so GREAT. First off...

The developer's say that ICO and SotC are no way related. But they put subtle things that allows the player to make assumptions of how the two games can be connected. I've read interesting theories of how the Queen in ICO is actually Mono [the girl in SotC], how the Wanderer is the first in a line of horn children. A great ending is one that makes people discuss and think of all the possibilities, in my opinion. Which is another reason why I love the Metal Gear Solid series so damn much..

Secondly, the tragic ending is great, I can not recall any other video game with an ending so tragic. It's like straight out of Shakespear, pure genius. And even after all that happens, it ends on such a peaceful note when they find the deer in the secret garden and the birds begin to gather.

They did a magnificant job with the ending, whereas in the beginning of the game it just seemed like an easy excuse to give the player a reason to kill giant things, they make the story much more epic and meaningful in the end to match the grand scale of the battles you just fought.

[merylsilverburg]

That's what makes the ending so GREAT. First off...

The developer's say that ICO and SotC are no way related. But they put subtle things that allows the player to make assumptions of how the two games can be connected. I've read interesting theories of how the Queen in ICO is actually Mono [the girl in SotC], how the Wanderer is the first in a line of horn children. A great ending is one that makes people discuss and think of all the possibilities, in my opinion. Which is another reason why I love the Metal Gear Solid series so damn much..

Secondly, the tragic ending is great, I can not recall any other video game with an ending so tragic. It's like straight out of Shakespear, pure genius. And even after all that happens, it ends on such a peaceful note when they find the deer in the secret garden and the birds begin to gather.

They did a magnificant job with the ending, whereas in the beginning of the game it just seemed like an easy excuse to give the player a reason to kill giant things, they make the story much more epic and meaningful in the end to match the grand scale of the battles you just fought.

Oh, please don't mistaken what I said; I know that

1) the developers purposely say stuff like "ICO and SotC are no way related, etc" but in truth, they are related somewhat. I know this and this isn't what I said was bad about the ending...

2) ...what I did say was bad was the tragic way it ended. And, again, please don't mistaken what I say...I know tragic endings are supposed to be the best sort of endings because, as I once heard before, they stay in your mind/leave an everlasting impression (I mean, geez, why else would they make that ending to Rurouni Kenshin?!). And while I know this, it doesn't mean that I like it or have to like it. I honestly do not like tragic endings depending on the situation. If it were for an actual cause (martyrdrom (sp?)) or something else, then I wouldn't be so, well, sad. But, it's the unjust, unfair, tragic, infuriating endings, such as "SotC", that I cannot stand. I think partially the reason for my preferences or my reason for being this way is because when things become too tragic in my life or too unfair (which is a lot of times) I get very down in the dumps. So, I try to avoid seeing/experiencing such things and games are one way to escape that reality (I suppose). So, when I see such a depressing ending like that, I get incredibly depressed so I mope around really depressed for a couple of days (and this is exactly what happened after "SotC"). I hope I made some sense, please let me know if you're confused.

[TtTackler]

Oh, please don't mistaken what I said; I know that

1) the developers purposely say stuff like "ICO and SotC are no way related, etc" but in truth, they are related somewhat. I know this and this isn't what I said was bad about the ending...

2) ...what I did say was bad was the tragic way it ended. And, again, please don't mistaken what I say...I know tragic endings are supposed to be the best sort of endings because, as I once heard before, they stay in your mind/leave an everlasting impression (I mean, geez, why else would they make that ending to Rurouni Kenshin?!). And while I know this, it doesn't mean that I like it or have to like it. I honestly do not like tragic endings depending on the situation. If it were for an actual cause (martyrdrom (sp?)) or something else, then I wouldn't be so, well, sad. But, it's the unjust, unfair, tragic, infuriating endings, such as "SotC", that I cannot stand. I think partially the reason for my preferences or my reason for being this way is because when things become too tragic in my life or too unfair (which is a lot of times) I get very down in the dumps. So, I try to avoid seeing/experiencing such things and games are one way to escape that reality (I suppose). So, when I see such a depressing ending like that, I get incredibly depressed so I mope around really depressed for a couple of days (and this is exactly what happened after "SotC"). I hope I made some sense, please let me know if you're confused.

Oh, I completely understand where you are coming from. I just love it when something can be moving or powerful enough to make me feel sad or extremely happy, or just plain care about what is happening in any form of media. I just gain much more appreciation out of it, and love when it can have that sort of effect over me even though it isn't exactly 'real life'.

[Qjij_jijQ]

I bought it on the day it came out and finished it about 3 days later...
I really enjoyed it, but as mentionned previously, the camera can really get frustrating at times and I got the impression that the controls didn't respond too well when I needed them the most.

Although the whole idea of beating a bunch of colossi can seem somewhat repetitive, I didn't really get that impression, as each of them had a different strategy. On the other hand, I was somewhat dissapointed with the actual 'look' of some of them... I would've prefered to have 16 REALLY different colossi. There were too many physical similarities between some of them, which took away a bit from the game... at least for me.

I found the ending pretty 'satisfying', but since I haven't played ICO, it's somewhat harder for me to understand what's actually going on :laugh:

I'd give this game a solid 8 / 10

[Vic Viper]

I bought it on the day it came out and finished it about 3 days later...
I really enjoyed it, but as mentionned previously, the camera can really get frustrating at times and I got the impression that the controls didn't respond too well when I needed them the most.

Although the whole idea of beating a bunch of colossi can seem somewhat repetitive, I didn't really get that impression, as each of them had a different strategy. On the other hand, I was somewhat dissapointed with the actual 'look' of some of them... I would've prefered to have 16 REALLY different colossi. There were too many physical similarities between some of them, which took away a bit from the game... at least for me.

I found the ending pretty 'satisfying', but since I haven't played ICO, it's somewhat harder for me to understand what's actually going on :laugh:

I'd give this game a solid 8 / 10


they did have diffent strategy to get to the colossi . just to give you an example, colossus 9 where you have to use the geysey to get to the tutle . everyone have its unique puzzle of figuring out how to get each colossi, saying they're repetitive is just plain incorrect. :shy:

and sorry merly im with Tt on this one, i also thought the ending was amazing. :shy:

[merylsilverburg]

they did have diffent strategy to get to the colossi . just to give you an example, colossus 9 where you have to use the geysey to get to the tutle . everyone have its unique puzzle of figuring out how to get each colossi, saying they're repetitive is just plain incorrect. :shy:[/color]

Yes, that's true, each colossi did have a different strategy to get to their weak spots or to destroy them, but a few of them do look similar to one another along with their movements. The ones that comes to mind are the two bull-like colossi...where they both charge at you and are really quick/fast.

[QUOTE=Vic Viper]and sorry merly im with Tt on this one, i also thought the ending was amazing. :shy:

Hey, it's okay to think what you think, if you thought the ending was amazing, that's cool...I just didn't like it, but that's just my opinion. :)

[Qjij_jijQ]

everyone have its unique puzzle of figuring out how to get each colossi, saying they're repetitive is just plain incorrect.

You didn't read what I said Vic...
Let me quote myself, so you can understand:

Although the whole idea of beating a bunch of colossi can seem somewhat repetitive, I didn't really get that impression, as each of them had a different strategy.

You see?

What I did say, was that I thought some of them had a similar 'look' and that I would've prefered to see a bigger variety of them. That's it...

[Vic Viper]

fair enough, sorry i misunderstod you. :shame:

[Redpyramidhead]

OK, here's my question. In an early preview of the game I read that the only enemies in the game were these Collossi. It is hard for me to imagine a game with only boss-like enemies. Somebody mentioned above that they like to take time in the game to explore the worlds in between the Collossi... that is somewhat comforting to know the worlds are worth exploring, but my quesiton is this: Is this world in fact barren in the final version of the released game or are is it populated with actual creatures and perhaps even non-playable characters to talk to and possibly villages to explore and interact with? The idea of a game with only a main character and his horse and 16 or so Collossi to fight sounds strange to me. If that is the case, I am wondering where the depth is in the gameplay besides the actual battles with these gigantic creatures. I do trust that it is an enjoyable game at any rate based on what I have read, though.


_RED_ stuff

[merylsilverburg]

OK, here's my question. In an early preview of the game I read that the only enemies in the game were these Collossi. It is hard for me to imagine a game with only boss-like enemies.

Well, SCEA was just trying to do something different...I mean, what about "ICO", did you imagine a game where you drag around a helpless chick to be fun at all? Didn't sound like it, did it? But it ended up to be one of the best games for the PS2.

Somebody mentioned above that they like to take time in the game to explore the worlds in between the Collossi... that is somewhat comforting to know the worlds are worth exploring, but my quesiton is this: Is this world in fact barren in the final version of the released game or are is it populated with actual creatures and perhaps even non-playable characters to talk to and possibly villages to explore and interact with?

If you desire a game where it's populated by villages, people, and various wildlife (like an RPG) then this isn't the game for you. I explored every area fully and carefully all over the map; the enviroment isn't exactly "worlds" because it's only 1 massive world that's divided into very different and contrasting areas. For example, to the west, there is a dry desert, then to the southeast, there are beautiful green valleys and fields. The different areas transition beautifully with one another...one minute, you're riding through a dreamy green field then the next minute, you're riding on a rocky plain that's dark and barren. And to answer your question, no, there are no villages, there are no people, but there are some wildlife, like hawks flying in the air while you're riding, doves circling the fields and gathering at the shrine, a turtle at the very south in one of the collosi areas, and geckos scampering around the save shrines (trying eating the ones with the glowing tail ;)). But that's about it. I actually love it this way; sure, it may be dull and boring as hell to some people, but I love the simplicity, the serenity, the mystery, the beauty...you actually feel like you've been transported to some magical and dreamy land in another world...and isn't that how games should make you feel?

The idea of a game with only a main character and his horse and 16 or so Collossi to fight sounds strange to me. If that is the case, I am wondering where the depth is in the gameplay besides the actual battles with these gigantic creatures. I do trust that it is an enjoyable game at any rate based on what I have read, though.


_RED_ stuff

There isn't much depth to the gameplay, since you're right: all you do is ride around and chase after these collossi and kill them. And after you figure out the strategy to getting them, the game becomes a whole lot easier, that's true. But the idea of the game is to be a work of art and to show the beauty of this magical world and this love story and the simplicity. What's wrong with simple games anyway? Unlike an RPG where you're fighting through 150 levels of dungeons and mazes and traps just to get, what, a single gold key? And then you have to take that gold key all the way back to this other area where you have to traverse through mountains and crap and fight a huge monster before you can finally use the key to open a chest and get this magical power-up which you have to find some kind of spell to unlock its powers, oh, but before that, you have to level up to a certain point before you can use the power-up. :peoples: And no, this isn't an "anti-RPG rant" because I do like RPGs, but what I said is the truth, so there's nothing wrong with a simple game like "SotC." And what about "ICO"? SCEA created "ICO" too and that game was also simple and beautiful; sure, if it weren't for the puzzles and the shadow people and the story then there's not much to the game...but so is "SotC." There is strategy/puzzle involvment when fighting against the collossi and there is the odd (and tragically annoying) story about the boy and the girl and the result of them both, but it's still all good. And besides, after you finish the game once, you unlock the Hard mode and the Time Attack (which I'm doing right now) and if you beat the collossi in the Time Attack, you get items and stuff to use in the game.

But, if the idea of a guy and 16 collossi still seems rather dull then I seriously would say to just rent the game and check it out rather than buy it.

[Redpyramidhead]

Yeah, so I played the demo, which lets you play through defeating what must be the first Collossus in the game. I found it to be a unique experience as far as fighting huge boss creatures go. I imagine they get more difficult over time.

It's obviously an insanely expansive world you get to roam in this game, even from the relatively confined area of the demo. The horse is rendered absolutely beautifully and the game seems to boast some of the most unique graphics on the PS2 in general.

So yes, I am sold on the game. If only I had the extra cash. Maybe Santa will be good to me lol.

_RED_ stuff

[Redpyramidhead]

AGGRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! :weep:


_RED_ stuff

[Harry]

Awww... be strong, no time to cry yet!

[Redpyramidhead]

Well, I just beat the game! So here it goes...




I just finished the game...I love the game, I love the graphics, the battles, the strategy, the music, and the story...but may I say that the ending is one of the worst I've seen in a long time while, at the same time, somewhat pretty good. Let me explain:

What the hell was that ending?! Okay, the good part about the end was that the game explained ICO and why ICO has horns (because the boy in "Colossus" is actually ICO because of the rebirth-with-horns thing) and all that. But oh my God. How tragic was this ending? The guy busts his butt to bring his lover back to life, treks through and battles 16 pretty tough colossuses, then woohoo, dies, and gets reborn. Wow, what a life. You'd think that devil guy, whatever his name was, would allow the boy to live, after all, he did live up to the end of the bargain (kill the colossuses). The ending I would've preferred would've been that the boy comes back to life but has horns on his head (part of the evil stuff he can't get rid of). He and his lover and Agro goes away, then the boy and his lover have a kid who has horns...thus being the ICO we know. NOT the boy becoming ICO, geez.

There you have it. That's my gripe...which is a pretty serious considering how much I loved the game. Such a shame.


Sorry I am so late joining this convo, but aside from what TTackler said I wanted to add this:

I also feel that the tragic aspect of the ending was more than made up for... Pay close attention to something the "Priest" character said right after the bridge was destroyed:

EMON: Poor ungodly soul... Now, no man shall ever trespass upon this place again. Should you be alive... If it's even possible to continue to exist
in these sealed lands... one day, perhaps you will make atonement for
what you've done.

That's the KEY right there. The wanderer's soul is still very much intact (which you already know) and now he will have that very chance to make atonement. So all was not lost. By some miracle, his soul has that chance to redeem itself and be saved.

Of course, yeah... I get your point... I mean after all that... he is not just back to square one, but a lot further from his goal than before... perhaps even by generations... as TTackler suggested. And the two lovers that knew eachother in that lifetime, as fate would have it in this game, would not get to be reunited.

But, the important part is, our decieved hero still succeeded.



Oh and Harry...


First, my apologies for not using the spoiler option. I should have realized I was leaving too much of a clue for people to read, but I was too traumatized at the time.

Yes, I was absolutely heartbroken when Agro fell to what I obviously thought at the time to be his demise. I actually shouted "AGGRROOOOOOOO!!!!" when that happened before the words even came out of the wanderer's mouth in the game...LOL. It was really late at night when that happened too and my neighbors were probably thinking "what the hell is he going on about this time?!" That part of the game for me was more depressing for me than the actual ending. I almost had not the will to go on. I kid you not.

Thanks for the encouragement to go on, but I am actually glad I waited until after beating the game to read what you said, because I would have figured it out and wouldn't have shouted again in delight when he miraculously turned out to be ok! Man. What a game. Had me shouting in both agonized sadness and relieved delight! Not to mention my shouts of triumph when defeating each Colossus. *APPLAUSE*




_RED_ stuff