Shadow of the Colossus In-House Review

[Kelegacy]

Shadow of the Colossus Review

by Kelegacy (Kenny Bartlett)

“…in an undisturbed land, protected by a bridge of unimaginable design and a temple of untold fear, a legendary myth of colossal beings exits. Miles of peaceful land plays host to these creatures resembling mountains both in size and in intimidation. As these Colossi roam the unbound land freely and peacefully, it is said that within each Colossus holds a secret to an unimaginable power of bringing the dead back to life…”

And so begins Shadow of the Colossus, the newest game from Fumito Ueda, the visionary behind Ico. The self-styled Ico Team is back with a vengeance; after their relative commercial failure with the critically acclaimed Ico, you would think that something more mainstream and safe would fuel Ueda’s next project. Well, you’d be right…and very wrong.

Shadow of the Colossus begins with the vague hints of a storyline revolving around a nameless young man hoping to bring his beloved back to life by fulfilling a mystical legend. Coming from a distant land, he carries his deceased girl on the back of his horse, Agro, across a massive bridge leading to a mysterious castle. Here he sets the girl on a dais and hears the whispers of a benevolent being, the Dormin, from above. The Dormin tells the young Wanderer that there are 16 Colossi roaming the lands of this secluded realm, and to reanimate his dead love, the Wanderer must destroy these 16 powerful beasts, using his sword and the sun to guide him to each Colossus lair. Needless to say, the story doesn’t really develop much from here on out. You are given the task of slaying the Colossi, and that’s nearly all the story you’ll need. Fumito Ueda has the uncanny ability to give simple frameworks of a story, with minimal dialogue, and yet somehow make you understand exactly what you’re supposed to do and what is going on. In SotC, in regards to story and characters, less is more. That’s not to say the story isn’t amazing, because you later learn, through the same minimalist Ueda storytelling, that this game has an even more intricate plot than Ico’s. Ueda excels at showing—and not telling—which makes him such an effective storyteller.

The game world you explore is massive. There are no restrictions, no areas locked to you from the onset; you can jump on your horse Agro and gallop to anywhere in the land. You’ll see sweeping plains, rocky slopes, seaside cliffs, dazzling waterfalls, hidden lakes, deep ravines, stands of trees, and much more, all with the earthy, washed-out look that Ico displayed. The world is a marvel to behold, and it’s easy to get lost just traveling around on horseback, taking in the sights and environs. You’ll be hard-pressed to find finer, more realistic landscapes than the ones offered in SotC.

The Colossi themselves, the real stars of the game, come in all shapes, sizes, and physical make-up. Some may appear to be golems made from stone or bone, while others look organic, with flesh and fur, or moss and earth. In addition, you’ll see bipedal Colossi, quadrupeds, water-dwellers, flying beasts, and more. Each one is simply amazing, and there is a moment of “Aww, crap,” when you encounter each one for the first time. They are truly staggering, and the sheer scope of their scale compared to the Wanderer has to be seen to be appreciated.

Killing a Colossus is an interesting matter; you will need to use your brain, your environment, and anything else at your disposal to conquer one of these behemoths. It’s never as simple as climbing up the leg and torso of a Colossus and stabbing him in the head; for many Colossi, you must evaluate your situation before even attempting to board a beast. In classic boss battle fashion, you will need to watch attack patterns, contemplate weak spots, your arsenal, and clever ways to bring the monster to its demise. Each Colossus is adorned with various weak spots that shine a pulsing blue when your magic sword gets close enough to them, or shines on them from afar. Figuring out how to actually reach a weak spot takes perseverance and a display of your cognitive prowess, and therein lies much of the fun.

As stated before, the game is simply gorgeous. Motion blur, camera shaking, and other effects bring the earth-shattering movements of the Colossi to life, and makes for dramatic battles and last-second escapes from beneath 10-ton feet. Particle effects are used splendidly as well, sometimes leaving you lost in a sand storm or surrounded by a shower of rock dust and debris. The audio is also well orchestrated, and it could be argued that SotC sports the best soundtrack of the year. The sense of adventure and tension during the Colossi battles is stunning. Goosebumps will flare up, shocked curse words will emanate from your lips, and your adrenaline will flow like sweet liquor throughout your brain. This game is grand on so many levels.

The only two things hurting the game are control and camera issues. The player is never given enough freedom over the camera to make perfect jumps or to look around his game world—at least not without some hassle—and this makes Colossi battles sometimes troublesome. This reviewer personally swore on a few occasions while trying to climb up the backside of a Colossus, or jump from one body part to another, only to fall hundreds of feet to his death or taking a severe hit to his health bar because of a horrible camera angle. Still, the game tries its best to adjust to the action onscreen, so it’s never something to make you shut the game off in disgust.

The other gripe is with the controls themselves. Since you’ll be doing a lot of climbing in the game, this can be troublesome. The R1 button is used to latch onto fur, moss, or cliffs, and you must keep this button depressed to continue clinging. To jump while clinging, say, to another Colossi limb or cliff handhold, you must press the jump button, aim the control stick in the area’s direction, and release, all while continuing to hold the R1 button. This, coupled with the sometimes irksome camera angles, can infuriate. Additionally, sometimes you’ll need to shoot your bow while riding atop Agro at full speed, which means turning the camera, aiming the bow and keeping the bowstring pulled back, and keeping Agro at a full gallop. Sometimes the amount of buttons you keep depressed is staggering. Also, the game never gives you much of an in-game tutorial (besides the brief maneuver-learning trip to the first Colossus) so you’ll need to read your manual to learn most actions; and though you can get by without most of them, the ones you aren’t taught in-game are some of the more rewarding. Some aren’t even mentioned in the manual, such as Agro’s movements and quick ways to increase speed or mount time, so you’ll have to figure them out for yourself. However, Agro maneuvers like a charm, and gives the player a real sense of riding a massive steed. He behaves, controls, and moves much like a real horse, rivaling Link’s own Epona for gaming’s top equine billing.

Overall, Shadow of the Colossus is an amazing feat in the videogame medium. The art direction is breathtaking: the enormous, open-ended gameworld is lush and vibrant, and true to life; the fearsome, yet beautiful, Colossi are a wondrous sight to behold and engage in battle; you’ll see grand, fantastical architecture of lost cities, castles, shrines, and bridges and traverse through each of them during your quest to bring your love back to life. Simply riding Agro through the sweeping countryside may imbue players with a sense of awe, and the battles with the Colossi themselves will leave you sweating, racking your brain, and screaming out loud in glee. This game exudes emotion and players will be swept up in the torrent. The gameplay is top-notch and SotC may very well be the most rewarding game you will play this year. It will be a travesty if this game becomes overlooked like its unfortunate predecessor; games like this are rarities in a gaming industry full of clichés, sequels, and tired franchises. All gamers owe it to themselves to give Shadow of the Colossus a spin. There are a few quirks in the controls and camera, but they are mere freckles on an otherwise pristine visage. You are undoubtedly looking at a Game of the Year candidate with Shadow of the Colossus.


The Good: One of the best looking PS2 games, period; Colossi battles are action-filled and full of tension; the gameplay is ultimately extremely rewarding.

The Bad: A little on the short side, around 10 hours; the game eventually ends.

The Ugly: Unintuitive camera; sometimes frustrating controls.

http://www.evilavatar.com/images/icons/e4_5.jpg
Score: 4.5 out of 5

[fitbabits]

So wait, I don't get it - did you even like the game? I couldn't actually read the review due to the copious amounts of seminal fluid that it's drencehd in! :rolleyes:

In all seriousness, though, that's a great review - one of the best ones on here so far. I look forward to your next review, Kelegacy.

The controls and camera are irksome (nice choice of words). While the graphics and artwork is oftentimes breathtaking, I feel the PS2 hardware hampered the vision of the Ico Team. Can you imagine something of this scope on the PS3?

[Twigz'N'Berries]

Take it with a grain of salt. I saw the game and came away a lot less impressed than Kelegacy. The colors looked muted, the effects were not overly impressive but the gameplay looked interesting. I could have played it for free, but wasn't compelled to go over and reach for the controller.
However, I was in line for CoD2 (360) at the time which had a much better setup with HD widescreens and surround sound. Colossus was on a 25-27 incher w/no surround sound.
I think that all of the hype about Ico may give this game a boost in sales and in ratings.

[Kelegacy]

So wait, I don't get it - did you even like the game? I couldn't actually read the review due to the copious amounts of seminal fluid that it's drencehd in! :rolleyes:

In all seriousness, though, that's a great review - one of the best ones on here so far. I look forward to your next review, Kelegacy.

The controls and camera are irksome (nice choice of words). While the graphics and artwork is oftentimes breathtaking, I feel the PS2 hardware hampered the vision of the Ico Team. Can you imagine something of this scope on the PS3?

Thanks fitbabits...I think. Think of this game as a fine painting...it truly is a work of art. If you think a game could never outdo Ico in terms of aesthetics, gameplay, and pure blissful charm, you'd be wrong. The controls and camera were sometimes a pain, but overall they were nearly trivial; the game's controls only occasionally were a burden, and for the most part everything worked flawlessly.

This isn't Ninja Gaiden, Burnout, or Doom. This is a game all of its own, with entirely different charms and style. Because I was limited to space (which might be a good thing because that would have led to gushing) I couldn't delve into too much more detail about the game, but this is basically the gist everyone needs to know. Think of this as an Oscar-calibur movie while other popular games, though fun and still amazing in their own right, are nothing more than summer blockbusters. Not to say SotC doesnt have blockbuster potential, but it has much more...something deeper, which makes it something truly special.

[Wyrm]

And this makes me wish I had my ps2 with me. Great review. I absolutely must play this game.

[Malovech]

What is it with console games and bad camera angles. I personally love games like God of War, the Warriors, Ultimate Spiderman - but wtf developers! The year is 2005, fix the camera behind our avatar's head and be done with it!

[Dracula-X]

Nice review, Kel. I've not had a chance yet to pick this up, and only played the demo. Can't wait to get me hands on it.

[atomic_burrito]

Did anyone catch the short review on Penny Arcade? They mentioned the fact that the story doesn't really qualify the reason you are slaugthering seemingly innocent, peaceful creatures. Seemed like a valid point to me, but then again I get too caught up in developed stories in games...

[Kelegacy]

Did anyone catch the short review on Penny Arcade? They mentioned the fact that the story doesn't really qualify the reason you are slaugthering seemingly innocent, peaceful creatures. Seemed like a valid point to me, but then again I get too caught up in developed stories in games...

See, I didn't understand Tycho's statement. The game ties up most story threads and the end does justify the means for the Wanderer. I don't want to ruin the story for anyone so I'm not going to say much more than is presented to you at the onset: The Dormin himself says from the very beginning that to win the power to bring the dead back to life, you must destroy all 16. The Wanderer is far from rational, and will do anything to save his girl. So he does it. Yes, you feel somewhat bad for destroying such innocent creatures, but you get over it quickly, because some of the later Colossi are aggressive, mean things.

You could describe them as wild animals, almost. They keep to themselves, but they'll fight if they have to.

[atomic_burrito]

But maybe that was the point. The end does justify the means for the Wanderer, but not for the "world" of the game at large. Can't say, haven't played it yet, but was just curious if the moral outcome of the wanderers actions were addressed.

Seems like it would be a really cool addition if not.

[thecrazyd]

But maybe that was the point. The end does justify the means for the Wanderer, but not for the "world" of the game at large. Can't say, haven't played it yet, but was just curious if the moral outcome of the wanderers actions were addressed.

Seems like it would be a really cool addition if not.
The moral ramifications are discussed. I refuse to say how though, because, well, that is the ending.

[atomic_burrito]

Cool, thanks for the good review. Sounds like something worth checking out.

[ChypeFlux]

This game is definitely cool and has amazing potential....but is seriously hampered by the not-quite-sufficient power of the PS2.

The framerate is often unnacceptably poor, which during an intense battle, is a serious flaw IMO. When coupled with the poor camera and shoddy controls, brings this game down the the point where I'd recommend it as a rental. Beat the first couple of guys, then move onto something else.

That's not to say the later colossi aren't amazing... but I didn't feel it (overall) lived up to the hype. This game wants some next-gen luvin'.

Of course, this is only my opinion.

[Worldcrafter]

I've only taken down 4 so far, and all of them have come accross as large creatures just defending themselves from an annoying mosquito. I do feel bad after crawling up to their heads and stabbing them, but the thrill of getting there is awesome. When you're running beneath a colossus, the ground rips open, your character gets tossed about, and dirt flies through the air.

It's hard to tell if you character is a hero, or an agent of evil, blindly following orders to kill these giants. The ambiguity of your character's morals when playing the game makes it hard to tell if you should be happy or sad when you fell a colossus. The moral ambiguity in certainly an interesting addition to gaming. Usually the characters you face are clearly good, or clearly bad, but here you don't know, and yet you kill them anyway, and, I suspect, find out at the end who the real enemy was.

All in all, I'm enjoying the game quite a bit, in the same way I enjoyed ICO. It's an amazing fantasy land to explore, and in this case, destroy.

[Mason]

I beat SotC yesterday, and...wow. Persevere, the ending is worth it.

I honestly didn't feel the camera or controls were problematic at all. In fact, I felt the control scheme was quite innovative.

And few people mention how well the game implements tripping, getting knocked down, and all of the other indignities associated with being a biped. The Wanderer's animations whenever he jumps and half-stumbles on the landing, looses his footing, or gets whipped about while hanging onto a Colossus for dear life really add a lot to the feel of being a simple human against ridiculous odds. This is something it shares with ICO but is absent most everywhere else in gaming, the careful attention to human clumsiness (even when you're controlling a preternaturally agile human) that makes him a far more real character than all of those double-jumping, combo-executing human-shaped things in other games.

Tycho's spent two posts complaining about SotC without giving much of a reason why, something about how they did an amazing job with a really amazing idea, but the idea was still better than the job they did (honestly, did you believe the PS2 was capable of these visuals?), so we need to shit all over the game. Ridiculous. Ignore him on this one. Nothing would make me happier to see a few rough spots in SotC cleaned up, and on a more powerful platform instead of a PS2 that's screaming at the upper limits of its potential, but to let those things stand in the way of enjoying a really remarkable game is just pedantic.

[Mason]

The colors looked muted.

The colors are supposed to be muted. Both ICO and SotC go for a desaturated look.

[Cupelix]

The gist I got from Tycho's posts was more that his frustrations with the game's controls and camera tended to outweigh his satisfaction gained from progressing in the game. I got the impression that he was of the opinion that the game is pretty straight forward, and so there's very little excuse for not working out something as basic as the camera system and controls. I haven't played the game myself, but I can understand where he's coming from, and I generally agree with his opinions on gaming. I'm waiting for this to hit bargain bins before picking it up.

[mister_slim]

Nice review. I think it was a little too vanilla-ish, but maybe I just want more Kelegacy flava.

I really don't understand why so many developers will spend so much time and money on graphics but animate their characters so poorly it destroys their realism.

I'll hopefully be able to play the SotC full version pretty soon, but I think I'll have to remap the controls a bit, as I did with the demo.

[Kelegacy]

Nice review. I think it was a little too vanilla-ish, but maybe I just want more Kelegacy flava.

I really don't understand why so many developers will spend so much time and money on graphics but animate their characters so poorly it destroys their realism.

I'll hopefully be able to play the SotC full version pretty soon, but I think I'll have to remap the controls a bit, as I did with the demo.

Had to play it safe because I wanted people to understand just how special this game was. Using too much language and flair might have damaged my message.

Oh, and I thought the animation was great, especially Agro's, the horse, and the Colossi moved in life-like fashion. I never played the demo, so I have nothing to compare it to. Also, I too remapped a few of the buttons, like Jump (using Triangle as default was too much trouble). Luckily the game lets you remap any button to your liking.

And Cupelix: once you play the game and see how crazy it is when you are being tossed around worse than a guy in a rodeo, clinging to tufts of fur with your pint-sized hands, you'll see why making the camera perfect would be a huge undertaking. The game camera is constantly battling to show all the action on screen, and it does a great job for the most part; the problems are noteworthy, but not wholly damaging, as Mason pointed out earlier.

[Spigot]

Agro is by far the most realistic ingame mount I've ever 'ridden'.

I had friends over the other day to check out the game and they commented that if the Colossi were smashing villages or eating babies, they wouldn't feel so bad taking them down. As it is, you are wandering into areas where these giants are just hanging out, doing their thing and slaughtering them.

I will agree that some of the later ones make you WANT to kill them, but you have to think of them like animals. You wander into their turf and they want you out. Most of the time even the most agressive colossi will walk away if you leave the area. The Wanderer is the invader in this case.

I haven't finished it yet but I did wonder if anyone else caught the Ico reference at the beginning of the game. I got a real chuckle when the shadow creatures first appeared. I've wondered if The Wanderer is Ico and the girl is Yorda, but I'm pretty sure I'm wrong. It's somewhat feasible though...

[Spigot]

By the way, does anyone know if a soundtrack for SotC is available? I'd even settle for the opening theme. It's one of the nicest pieces of opening music for a game... ever...

[Kelegacy]

Hey Spigot. Agro is easily my favorite "character" in the game. I wanted to go even more in depth with him, but I didn't. Did you know that you could make him rear up on hind legs by hitting back and the gallop button (where you kick his sides) at the same time? I love that, and the acceleration is even faster than urging him on with your legs from a stopped position. I don't think that is in the manual, or maybe it is. The same button combo can be pressed to grind him to a running halt, as well.

And yes, the ending is fabulous. The story really picks up when the game is about over, which is sort of weird. But it made for a satisfying resolution, and the ending scenes are at least a half hour long or so.

You are about near my favorite Colossus, I think. I can't remember which number he is but he's around there. Oh, and people who attempt this game should try not to use a strategy guide, at least not until completely stumped. If you use your brain and try to work things out, you will usually succeed. Sometimes it takes time to evaluate the situation (I think it took me over a half hour on the 3rd Colossus before I slapped my forehead in stupidity, finally realizing the solution was right in front of me) but if you use some basic cognitive applications, you'll find that solutions to each Colossus is both rational and very creative.

[Mason]

Other Agro tricks: Mounting him can be tricky by just using the triangle button. I found early that you could also mount him by jumping at his saddle and holding R1 to grab it and climb on. You can pat Agro by standing next to him and pressing circle when your hands are empty.

Also, if you're in battle and Agro isn't around, holding X will make you whistle at the colossus. A good way to get its attention without having to line up arrows.

I really reject the entire camera/control bitching. Between the right analog stick and L1 I never had any debilitating camera trouble. And I get a feeling that a lot of the complaints about controls are prefaced on frustration over the times when a colossus is shaking you and you can't do much other than hold on. But the standard platforming controls are pretty normal, with only R1-holding and ledge-jumping at all unique. And even those are easy to adapt to in a few minutes. I just can't imagine playing the game for 11 hours and still finding these tricky mechanics.

There are a few points that I was annoyed by, but these were primarily colossus weak-points (or rather pseudo-weak points, since they were used for behavior triggers and not damage) that didn't have the blue glow. So if you're stuck on one of the big guys, try fiddling with hitting unmarked soft spots before you look up the solution. 90% of the time that'll be the tricky bit.

[Kelegacy]

Other Agro tricks: Mounting him can be tricky by just using the triangle button. I found early that you could also mount him by jumping at his saddle and holding R1 to grab it and climb on. You can pat Agro by standing next to him and pressing circle when your hands are empty.

Also, if you're in battle and Agro isn't around, holding X will make you whistle at the colossus. A good way to get its attention without having to line up arrows.

I really reject the entire camera/control bitching. Between the right analog stick and L1 I never had any debilitating camera trouble. And I get a feeling that a lot of the complaints about controls are prefaced on frustration over the times when a colossus is shaking you and you can't do much other than hold on. But the standard platforming controls are pretty normal, with only R1-holding and ledge-jumping at all unique. And even those are easy to adapt to in a few minutes. I just can't imagine playing the game for 11 hours and still finding these tricky mechanics.

There are a few points that I was annoyed by, but these were primarily colossus weak-points (or rather pseudo-weak points, since they were used for behavior triggers and not damage) that didn't have the blue glow. So if you're stuck on one of the big guys, try fiddling with hitting unmarked soft spots before you look up the solution. 90% of the time that'll be the tricky bit.

The only time I truly was angry with the controls was the last Colossus. I fell a very long ways and was pissed to have to climb all over again. However, for the sake of the review, I thought it would be wise to mention some of the "weaker" aspects of the game, even though they didn't totally detract from my experience at all. But then again, I overlooked the framerate, which was never a problem for me at all.

I didn't know you could pat Agro. I did know you could mount him by jumping at him and pressing R1, and then while you are climbing on you could make him do that rear-back and dash trick, or just keep hammering on the "mush, mush" button and he'll just take off, making for some great scenes of you climbing on as he's speeding off. Another funny thing happened when Agro was walking daintily across a narrow rock bridge and I just couldnt stand it anymore, so I dismounted and ran across. Eventually he made it to me, but by that time I realized I had taken a wrong turn and had to head back, leaving slow Agro behind because I could make better time on foot until he got back across the bridge. I kept calling and calling Agro as I ran across the countryside, but he never came and I began to worry because I had a LONG way to go to the next colossus and it would take me a half hour to reach it on foot. Well, eventually I saw a tiny black dot along the horizon, and it was moving: Agro. I waited atop a high bluff as I watched him come speeding up to me, gradually becoming less of as dot and more of a equine figure. It was a sight to behold, and it was then, as Agro slid to a tired halt in front of me, that I realized I had a loyal partner who would traverse the ends of the world for me. The emotional bond with Agro suddenly became solidified. I never feel that way about games, but Ico and SotC are two rare gems that actually invoke feelings of care and "pseudo-love" for on-screen characters. That's an impressive accomplishment.

I don't remember which number colossus it was (the one with the gasbags) but using Agro in that battle reminded me of old western flicks: a horse running along side a train at breakneck speeds, as some now-dead actor tries to time a jump from the horse onto the speeding locomotive. That was my favorite battle, and it will stay will me for a VERY long time. This game is filled with those sort of Oh My God This Is So Fucking Cool moments.

[thecrazyd]

I don't remember which number colossus it was (the one with the gasbags) but using Agro in that battle reminded me of old western flicks: a horse running along side a train at breakneck speeds, as some now-dead actor tries to time a jump from the horse onto the speeding locomotive. That was my favorite battle, and it will stay will me for a VERY long time. This game is filled with those sort of Oh My God This Is So Fucking Cool moments.
FUCK YEAH. That fight was fucking boss. I would say it is probably the greatest boss fight of all time.

[Spigot]

You've stood on Agro, right? Or gone side-saddle? Hold down R1 and then press up or to the sides and you'll either slide along the side of Agro or stand on the saddle. I just figured out how to do that tonight. Very cool stuff.

I've had a few of those moments when you wander off and leave Agro alone only to find that he's made his own way down to you. Very nice.

As for the camera/control whining, yeah. I agree with Mason. I've had a few times where it's gotten annoying but by the end of the first boss you should have everything straight. Jumping and climbing are second nature now. As for when you're actually on the colossus and it's trying to fling you off, etc. I find the camera perfect. It's usually only an issue when you're right underneath one (grr).

I've got the strategy guide but all I read was the initial 'Basic Controls' page. I've had a few colossi that have stumped me (the sandworm one comes to mind) but I just turned the game off, wandered away and by the next time I tried the game I'd figure it out on the first try.

It's a very old-school feeling. I remember a lot of games, especially adventure games or very tricky platformers, where you'd get completely stumped and have to walk away from the problem only to be able to get past that spot on the first try when refreshed.

Anyway, I'm still happy to hear that the ending is worth it. I have enjoyed each and every battle with the colossi and definately feel that this is a game I'll play through a few more times, which I don't tend to do. I just need to take the time to finish it once :P

[Kelegacy]

You've stood on Agro, right? Or gone side-saddle? Hold down R1 and then press up or to the sides and you'll either slide along the side of Agro or stand on the saddle. I just figured out how to do that tonight. Very cool stuff.

I've had a few of those moments when you wander off and leave Agro alone only to find that he's made his own way down to you. Very nice.

As for the camera/control whining, yeah. I agree with Mason. I've had a few times where it's gotten annoying but by the end of the first boss you should have everything straight. Jumping and climbing are second nature now. As for when you're actually on the colossus and it's trying to fling you off, etc. I find the camera perfect. It's usually only an issue when you're right underneath one (grr).

I've got the strategy guide but all I read was the initial 'Basic Controls' page. I've had a few colossi that have stumped me (the sandworm one comes to mind) but I just turned the game off, wandered away and by the next time I tried the game I'd figure it out on the first try.

It's a very old-school feeling. I remember a lot of games, especially adventure games or very tricky platformers, where you'd get completely stumped and have to walk away from the problem only to be able to get past that spot on the first try when refreshed.

Anyway, I'm still happy to hear that the ending is worth it. I have enjoyed each and every battle with the colossi and definately feel that this is a game I'll play through a few more times, which I don't tend to do. I just need to take the time to finish it once :P

Sandworm pissed me for a while. Fortunately, you can regain health pretty easily by standing in one spot and just crouching (it speeds recovery). I had a vague idea about how to beat him, the answer was right in front of my face, but once again it's so easy to overlook the obvious.

[bobbler]

I don't mean to be some rabid fanboy, but you're a horrible person and a bad gamer if you don't buy this game!

I want to have Ueda's babies !

[Goronmon]

My favorite moment of the game was during the boss (forget the number) where you fight in these ruins and the colossus is breaking down the smaller walls as he chases you. At one point I was hanging on to his head, and just as I went to let go, he flung his head back. My guy went flying almost straight up into the air, and pretty damn high as well. Somehow as I came down I managed to catch the edge of the colossus' shoulder as he spun around. I had to pause the game I was so pumped after that happened, haha...

[KDups]

Just beat it tonight, totally amazing. I also don't agree with the camera and control complaints. By the end of the 1st boss battle I was almost completely adjusted to jumping and hanging on. BTW hanging on is so damn satisfying, the visual feedback is just spot on. Great animation in this game.

And the only time I had a complaint about the framerate was while climbing the last guy. Other than that, no issues.

Games like these are truly special, and make me remember why I'm so attached to this medium. Too bad we'll have to wait another 3-4 years for Ueda's next, but hopefully he'll stick to the same universe and come through once again.

[Terraton]

Just beat it tonight, totally amazing. I also don't agree with the camera and control complaints. By the end of the 1st boss battle I was almost completely adjusted to jumping and hanging on. BTW hanging on is so damn satisfying, the visual feedback is just spot on. Great animation in this game.

And the only time I had a complaint about the framerate was while climbing the last guy. Other than that, no issues.


I'd have to agree the graphics are totally sick, and as for the framerate I think it's just cause i have a dirty lens. Overall tho, great game.

Had to share this, it's a skit based on SotC.

http://www.heavy.com/browserling.php?vchid=3

[Spigot]

I don't remember which number colossus it was (the one with the gasbags) but using Agro in that battle reminded me of old western flicks: a horse running along side a train at breakneck speeds, as some now-dead actor tries to time a jump from the horse onto the speeding locomotive. That was my favorite battle, and it will stay will me for a VERY long time. This game is filled with those sort of Oh My God This Is So Fucking Cool moments.

I just finished that fight and I have to agree that it was exactly as you described it. The best thing was that you had to angle your approach just right or it would outrun you and you'd end up face down in the sand. I really enjoyed the first water colossus and the bird colossus as well, though that one with the smashing walls was pretty sweet.

Of course, I think that my favourite thus far (I still have 3 to go) was the Knight. I just loved the design on that one. The second colossus was the first one that I felt bad for killing though.

The two which have annoyed me was the Old Faithful Colossus (it took forever to get him positioned JUST RIGHT) and the one I call the Head Dentist. I was going insane killing the dentist. I knew what to do, but it was the first one that I was somewhat annoyed with the camera for. Getting onto him in the first place just wasn't happening with me. I'd keep jumping and just missing his lip and land in the water. It was still a great battle but I didn't like how annoying it was to get onto him to start with.

And don't get me started on how slow The Wanderer swims. Grumble grumble...

[Mason]

I think you swim faster underwater (R1), but it is kind of hard to tell.

I'll agree that the final boss needed some tweaking, on multiple levels. Camera was only part of it. But on the other hand seeing him finally go down was damn satisfying. He'd gotten a lucky toss on me when I'd gotten him down to an invisibly thin slice of health, so grimly making my way back to the top was a pretty homicidally-minded affair.

Old Faithful gave Agro a work out, that's for sure. But he wasn't too hard once you got the initial knock-overs, so it felt fair for them to be picky on how well he was aligned with the geyser.

The Remote Controlled colossus wasn't hard to get on if you used the little ledges over the water. I kept missing his belly though, so that one took a while. Dormin's comment could've been more helpful, too. You'd hope he'd have a bit more to contribute on a few of the fights.

[Kelegacy]

I just finished that fight and I have to agree that it was exactly as you described it. The best thing was that you had to angle your approach just right or it would outrun you and you'd end up face down in the sand. I really enjoyed the first water colossus and the bird colossus as well, though that one with the smashing walls was pretty sweet.

Of course, I think that my favourite thus far (I still have 3 to go) was the Knight. I just loved the design on that one. The second colossus was the first one that I felt bad for killing though.

The two which have annoyed me was the Old Faithful Colossus (it took forever to get him positioned JUST RIGHT) and the one I call the Head Dentist. I was going insane killing the dentist. I knew what to do, but it was the first one that I was somewhat annoyed with the camera for. Getting onto him in the first place just wasn't happening with me. I'd keep jumping and just missing his lip and land in the water. It was still a great battle but I didn't like how annoying it was to get onto him to start with.

And don't get me started on how slow The Wanderer swims. Grumble grumble...

The Head Dentist (great term) was the one I hated the most. I too knew what to do but I always missed his lips as well. I was always in the water after timing the jump wrong. Well, I guess I hated the last boss a bit more, but that one was so unlike the others that I have to appreciate the epic struggle it took to reach him.

Old Faithful (another great term, you should just go through and name them all for us) was great because it was the first colossus that you got to really use Agro with. The first few you had to leave Agro behind while you climbed to the colossus's lair. The ones where Agro is a requirement are my favorite. I always felt bad when he fell down though, when the chaos threw him to the ground. Mason described it perfectly: the game uses staggering and tripping to its advantage, and shows the troubles with bipedal movement, whereas to us, everyday life belies these innate problems because we are so used to them and rarely experience events where balance is an issue. But a colossus is creating an earthquake with his feet, or moving as you are running across his shoulders, you have to appreciate the fine balance that bipedals must exert in order to move as they do. Especially when you are tumbling all over the place, desperate for a handhold.

[Kelegacy]

I think you swim faster underwater (R1), but it is kind of hard to tell.

I'll agree that the final boss needed some tweaking, on multiple levels. Camera was only part of it. But on the other hand seeing him finally go down was damn satisfying. He'd gotten a lucky toss on me when I'd gotten him down to an invisibly thin slice of health, so grimly making my way back to the top was a pretty homicidally-minded affair.

Old Faithful gave Agro a work out, that's for sure. But he wasn't too hard once you got the initial knock-overs, so it felt fair for them to be picky on how well he was aligned with the geyser.

The Remote Controlled colossus wasn't hard to get on if you used the little ledges over the water. I kept missing his belly though, so that one took a while. Dormin's comment could've been more helpful, too. You'd hope he'd have a bit more to contribute on a few of the fights.

Yes, you swim a little faster underwater with R1.

I didn't really enjoy Dormin's hints; I felt like I was cheating when he gave me advice and suddenly I knew what to do. Some of his comments were very vague, so I wasn't bothered by those. But with the first fast dog-boss, the one in the ravine with the four flame pedestals around, he freaking told me to use the fire to my advantage. I wanted to experiment around a bit more, but he basically told me what to do. I didn't like that, and a few others he bothered me with, too, like the horse boss with dangling things from his ears...he gave me too clear of a hint, even though I was certain the underground passages would be needed. He was like a mini strategy guide--which I don't like--though I could have used his help on a couple of them, like the Sandworm...but I'm glad he didn't help much, because once I figured them out, I was happy I used my own brainpower instead of relying on his.

[mister_slim]

Oh, and I thought the animation was great, especially Agro's, the horse, and the Colossi moved in life-like fashion. I never played the demo, so I have nothing to compare it to. Also, I too remapped a few of the buttons, like Jump (using Triangle as default was too much trouble). Luckily the game lets you remap any button to your liking.
Oops. I wasn't criticizing the SotC animation. It added so much life and reality to the Demo and Ico that I don't understand why I still have to put up with ugly crap in other games. I think Sands of Time spoiled me, actually.

[Spigot]

...You should just go through and name them all for us...


I'll do this once I finish the game. I can't remember exactly which one is which but after I beat the game I'll haul out ye olde strategy guide so I can remember the order of the colossi. I have dubbed a couple of them the Bulldog colossi. There's two of them so far (I just finished fighting the 14th one) so I doubt you'll have a problem guessing which they are.

...The game uses staggering and tripping to its advantage, and shows the troubles with bipedal movement...

I was going to comment on this earlier. Much like Ico, half of the immersion in the environment is due to your character actually reacting to his surroundings like an actual person. This is really apparent on the way to the third colossus. There's a part on the way up the ramp to his pedestal where the stone blocks are a little uneven. If you catch the part just right you'll cause The Wanderer to trip and stumble. It's little touches like that which bring the world to life. That and the way you'll lie stunned if you're hit hard enough. You don't just take a hit and bounce right back in this game.

Anyway, I'm off to try to finish this masterpiece tonight. If I have to go and sit through the 8 hour wedding tomorrow (don't ask) with the final colossus hanging over my head, I'll go insane.

[Kelegacy]

I'll do this once I finish the game. I can't remember exactly which one is which but after I beat the game I'll haul out ye olde strategy guide so I can remember the order of the colossi. I have dubbed a couple of them the Bulldog colossi. There's two of them so far (I just finished fighting the 14th one) so I doubt you'll have a problem guessing which they are.



I was going to comment on this earlier. Much like Ico, half of the immersion in the environment is due to your character actually reacting to his surroundings like an actual person. This is really apparent on the way to the third colossus. There's a part on the way up the ramp to his pedestal where the stone blocks are a little uneven. If you catch the part just right you'll cause The Wanderer to trip and stumble. It's little touches like that which bring the world to life. That and the way you'll lie stunned if you're hit hard enough. You don't just take a hit and bounce right back in this game.

Anyway, I'm off to try to finish this masterpiece tonight. If I have to go and sit through the 8 hour wedding tomorrow (don't ask) with the final colossus hanging over my head, I'll go insane.

Good luck with it. And I hope you enjoy the ending...most of us who've completed it sure have...

And don't associate the "bipedal observations" with me. It was Mason who pointed these out, though we all noticed them during the game. I really did like being knocked silly and seemingly out cold at times. It gives the game a better semblance of realism, and with Agro falling down with you on occasion, it's even more noticeable.

[TrackZero]

Having gone through this thread I've now got no choice left but to actually buy a PS2 just for this game.

Goddamnit.

[thecrazyd]

Having gone through this thread I've now got no choice left but to actually buy a PS2 just for this game.

Goddamnit.
Get Ico and Katamari Damacy while you are at it. And Gitaroo Man, if you can find it.

[mister_slim]

Having gone through this thread I've now got no choice left but to actually buy a PS2 just for this game.

Goddamnit.
You poor man (cue sympathetic tears).

[TrackZero]

You poor man (cue sympathetic tears).

Well I thought since the PS2 is essentially "over" I had managed to escape the need to own the system.

Ah well, at least I'm not starving to death in some 3rd world nation.

[TrackZero]

Get Ico and Katamari Damacy while you are at it. And Gitaroo Man, if you can find it.

Yeah, ICO and Katamari are on my list, as well as Zone of Enders 2. I'm sure I'll have to back and find all the "gem" games I need to pick up. Gah.

[Kelegacy]

Yeah, ICO and Katamari are on my list, as well as Zone of Enders 2. I'm sure I'll have to back and find all the "gem" games I need to pick up. Gah.

The Ratchet and Clank games...you can't forget about those.

If you need help deciding which games to grab, start up a thread and we'll all chime in. This fall may be the last full one before the PS3, but you'll still be able to (hopefully) play most of the PS2 games on the PS3, so there isn't a huge issue there.

[Spigot]

Get Ico and Katamari Damacy while you are at it. And Gitaroo Man, if you can find it.

Finally, another person who enjoyed Gitaroo Man! Woo!

I'd also recommend Frequency and Amplitude if you enjoy music games. If you don't, blame Crazy D!

Since we're pimping other games, I'd highly recommend the Sly Cooper series as well. Fantastic games. And ZOE 2 is great. Oh... and I'd pick up Disaster Report if you want a very different take on survival horror (I guess you'd call Disaster Report a survival game, minus the horror). And don't forget MGS3.

I have friends who are in the same situation as you. They just picked up a PS2 and are going through game stores (and my library) and finding the best of this generation. I did the same thing with the PS1 around the time that the PS2 came out. Print up a few of the Top 100 Games for The PS2 lists and see which ones grab your attention and set forth on your quest. Half the fun is tracking down the rare games.

Oh, did I forget to mention Rez? Get Rez if you can find a copy. Just don't hold your breath on that. My friends are trying not to go the EBay route on Rez if possible, but at this point in the game, fat chance.

[Spigot]

Well, I fell asleep fighting the 15th colossus (not the game's fault... I just had been up since 5:30am). Looks like I'll have to go through my cousin's 18 hour boring wedding with the thought of not having beaten the game hanging over my head like the sword of Damocles wielded by a lumbering monstrosity of moss and stone.

I'd go back and work on the game some more right now but I'll be even more of a mess today (tomorrow?). At least I'm off work on Sunday and Monday so I'll probably have it finished by either Saturday night or Sunday at the latest. Sigh.

[TrackZero]

Oh, did I forget to mention Rez? Get Rez if you can find a copy. Just don't hold your breath on that. My friends are trying not to go the EBay route on Rez if possible, but at this point in the game, fat chance.

I'm an eBay whore, so I'll probably walk down that road for some games. Though I just re-collected a SNES and all the best games a few months ago, and regretted the amount I ended up spending. ;)

Edit: BTW, you have NO idea how hard it's getting to find a SNES that's not brown with cigarette stains.

Edit Edit: Looking at the prices out there, it's far cheaper to get the Import for Rez.

Not sure on EA policy regarding modding....so I won't comment further on my solution. ;)

[Spigot]

Hey, if you have a spare copy of Chrono Trigger for the SNES, let me know :) I'll take it off your hands, cheap.

It's too bad most of the Microplays have gone out of business around Toronto (at least in the burbs). They were great for used games. The prices were much more reasonable than EB's crazy used game prices. Ah well. Keep looking!

[Edit.] And if you're having trouble finding an SNES without cigarette stains, try finding one with controllers that don't have teeth marks. I swear people use them as pacifiers for infants.

I'm not one to talk though. My kid keeps wandering into my room and pulling one of the controllers for a legacy system (they're all on one entertainment unit) and either jams it in his mouth or wanders around the house trying to control things with it. Lately he's fixated on the N64 controller. But I digress....

[TrackZero]

Hey, if you have a spare copy of Chrono Trigger for the SNES, let me know :) I'll take it off your hands, cheap.

It's too bad most of the Microplays have gone out of business around Toronto (at least in the burbs). They were great for used games. The prices were much more reasonable than EB's crazy used game prices. Ah well. Keep looking!

[Edit.] And if you're having trouble finding an SNES without cigarette stains, try finding one with controllers that don't have teeth marks. I swear people use them as pacifiers for infants.

I'm not one to talk though. My kid keeps wandering into my room and pulling one of the controllers for a legacy system (they're all on one entertainment unit) and either jams it in his mouth or wanders around the house trying to control things with it. Lately he's fixated on the N64 controller. But I digress....

Actually Chrono Trigger is the last game I need to go get.

Yeah, Microplay was great. What ever happened to them, they just went under?

Luckily there's still some independent stores around the city that sell pre-owned games.

Geez, I really hijacked this thread. Time to start a new one.....

[Spigot]

I know there are a few Microplays left out in the burbs, but they are few and far between. I think the whole chain is suffering at the inevitable expansion of EB across our great nation.

Good luck on Rez. My friends were thinking of going the import way. Nothing wrong with modding as long as it's for imports!

[Back on topic]
I'm stuck on the second last Colossus. I think I know what to do, but thus far he's stymied my attempts to get onto him. I'll have to try again now that I am, well, AWAKE. Stupid sleep deprivation.

[danhoo]

I'd love to play Gitaroo man, but it seems to be about as rare/expensive as Rez these days. Grr.

[thecrazyd]

I'd love to play Gitaroo man, but it seems to be about as rare/expensive as Rez these days. Grr.
I lucked into finding it at an EB for 40 bucks.

[bobbler]

I lucked into finding it at an EB for 40 bucks.

It costs 40 everywhere... all first party Sony games have been 40 for a long time. You're getting ripped off if you have to pay more than 40 + tax.

[thecrazyd]

The only thing is, it is next to impossible to find in stores, and can cost you 80 bucks on ebay.

[bobbler]

The only thing is, it is next to impossible to find in stores, and can cost you 80 bucks on ebay.

Bah, I guess I didn't really read what you were responding to, I assumed you were talking about SotC given the nature of the thread. SotC is 40 everywhere and rather easy to find. Sorry.

[Kelegacy]

Bah, I guess I didn't really read what you were responding to, I assumed you were talking about SotC given the nature of the thread. SotC is 40 everywhere and rather easy to find. Sorry.
Yeah, pay attention, fuckstick. Jesus.

[mister_slim]

Looking at bobbler's title, I wonder if Kelegacy will end up appearing in every subscriber title.

[Kelegacy]

I hope not. A Kelegacy fan club would be a very dreary place.

EDIT: Aye papi, now you've gotten into the mix. !Dios mio!

[Spigot]

Just finished Shadow Of The Colossus. Fantastic game with a very surprising yet satisfying ending. The fact that it clocks in at approximately a half an hour doesn't hurt either. It's nice to finally have a game that has a good ending after so many disappointments of late.

Everything you guys said about the finale of the game struck true. It didn't move me to tears (only the Final Fantasy games seem to be able to do that) but it was still great. Of course, I still have questions, but c'est la vie.

I agree with you about the final Colossus, Kelegacy. I had a few really annoying fights with the camera before I finally figured out exactly what to do. The 15th boss was similar. Knew what to do, just couldn't pull it off. Ah well. Now that I know the tricks to each colossus I'll definately have an easier time on my next playthrough.