Shadow of the Colossus

[spagmasterswift]

Erm... HELLOOO?? MCFLY????

OUCH! - Right, I'm off on my quest to find this game before my health meter is completely depleted o_O

[nero1001]

Picked up my PAL copy today,. I didn`t sleep well I was that excited.

What a great game this is, fantastic. I`m a little worried though as I`ve played for less than two hours and I`ve killed 6 colossi already, I just don`t want it to be over too quickly. So far I`ve had no difficulty finding them either. Early days yet though I know.

I know this has been touched upon before but I really do feel a little sad when the big fella`s go down. I know it`s only a game but I suppose the game grabs you like that, like a movie does.

I love the box, will have to look after it though or it`ll start freying round the corners. I am a bit pissed off about the sticker that`s on the front though. I peeled about 1 mm off and it looked like it`d rip and leave half of it behind so I`ve left the bastard on so as not to ruin it.

I`m going to make a bacon butty now to cheer me up a bit after killing the big guys..... then I`m gonna kill some more!

This game is awsome, if you don`t have it yet why not?

[Stuart Smith]

I got this today as well, only played it for a little bit, but, well, wow. It is generally breath-taking when you first ride out of the castle and then when you first start climbing the first Colossus.

I do entirely see where the technical quibbles have come from, and it would have been interesting to see this done on a more powerful console, but nevertheless, it certainly starts out amazingly well.

[stroppa]

Jason and the Argonauts

spot on. I was just thinking this the other day when I was at work, replaying the game in my head, and for some reason my mind switched to those scenes in Jason and the Argonauts when they are fighting Telos( I think that's the big guys name).

[Dezm0nd]

Awesome game this, just taken down number 3. I love the sense it gives you when you're climbing them, feels like a proper struggle. Took a little while to work out how to do mr #3 but it's very satifying to suss them out.

[NekoFever]

I know this has been touched upon before but I really do feel a little sad when the big fella`s go down. I know it`s only a game but I suppose the game grabs you like that, like a movie does.

I agree with you there and you're definitely supposed to feel that way. Some of them don't even attack you which means you're effectively murdering these one-of-a-kind creatures for the selfish end of bringing one girl back to life. I really enjoyed that interesting moral angle.

The names must have been around for a while because if you look the GameSpot guide names them all as well. That's been around since it came out in the US.

[Ostrog]

spot on. I was just thinking this the other day when I was at work, replaying the game in my head, and for some reason my mind switched to those scenes in Jason and the Argonauts when they are fighting Telos( I think that's the big guys name).

That's it exactly - one of the colossi (not saying which one ) turns his head to look down at you just like Talos does in the film. I love that scene. I remember watching it as a wee 'un and bing a bit creeped out by it. Many of the colossi in the game have that same quality. It's just great.
There are many games that pit you against giant monsters, but very few actually succeed in making you feel incredibly small in their presence. SotC does though, and does it well.

[Akira]

Hey concept,did you ever go through it on hard? thought you were waiting for your new tv before embarking once more.

Oh man,i seriously need to start playing this again.That intro,gets me every time!

[nero1001]

Just killed my 9th colossi, I don`t want to but I`m gonna leave it now until tomorrow.

Get a bit pissed off with the camera sometimes but other than that I love this game, I`ll be sorry when it`s over

[Wools]

That's always the sense I get from the game - as though the landscape is silently aware of your actions.

You know what, that's a brillant description of the landscape and it's feeling.

I've never obsessed so much over a games atmosphere and visuals before this. It's strange a game that's technically old and showing it's limitations has become, in my eyes, one of the best looking and atmospheric I've ever seen

That's good design for you!

[Concept]

Hey concept,did you ever go through it on hard? thought you were waiting for your new tv before embarking once more.

Oh man,i seriously need to start playing this again.That intro,gets me every time!

Yeah, I played it on Hard a few weeks ago and thought the increased difficulty was actually fair and balanced (in a similar way to how recent Capcom games aren't generally a walk over, but finely tuned) - the extra stab points on the colossi generally makes it feel as though you're taking giants down (as opposed to bosses), particularly due to the fact they take longer to nail. I've gone through every mode in the game apart from Time Attack Hard, which I deliberately left so I'd have something new to do in the PAL version. Looking forward to it.

You know what, that's a brillant description of the landscape and it's feeling.

I've never obsessed so much over a games atmosphere and visuals before this. It's strange a game that's technically old and showing it's limitations has become, in my eyes, one of the best looking and atmospheric I've ever seen

That's good design for you!

I'll tell you what else is good design... the lower part of the map (white/blue washed out skies, grassy cliff faces) - from an atmospheric and art design viewpoint, I don't think I've ever experienced anything as resonant or as powerful. The whole vibe of the location just hits you smack in the face.

Just completed the PAL version during a huge stint playing the game from start to finish. Revisiting the game after a few weeks left a bigger impression than when I compulsively played it when it came out in the US. Not that I haven't thought highly of the game previously (I gave it a nine after all)... I'd say re-evaluating Colossus, that it's up there with ICO - a ten out of ten - albeit for different reasons.

[Concept]

Oh yeah... also, I may be going mad, but I noticed several things tightened up for the PAL release. They're extremely small tweaks and probably not very noticeable on first glance, but the ones I have picked up on are as follows.

1) Most obviously (and as mentioned), the type font has been changed when characters speak.
2) The slight clipping on Dormin's ceiling hole (where it speaks to you in the temple) has been removed.
3) I believe in the forest to the north east of the temple, the trees have been re-arranged in it to make it slightly easier to navigate.
4) The landscape pop-up during the fall of colossi 13 (the desert dragon) - represented in a cutscene - seems to have been taken care of. On top of this, the lack of an underwater filter after killing colossi 7 (the sea beast) has been sorted out.
5) The ending's (no this isn't a spoiler) score has been slightly re-arranged so the musical pieces lead better into each other. Also (and this is a slight spoiler)

->Open Spoiler<-

the eagle which flies away at the end used to jump slightly as the game loaded in the transference of a stormy sky to a clear night sky. This no longer seems to happen in the PAL version.

[nero1001]

Had a little break from SotC but have had a go this morning and this game just gets better and better. I`ve had some really cool battles and have just defeated colossi number 12 which is one of my faves, he is huuuuuuuge. I felt really sad when this fella died!

Other than the dodgy camera there is only on other grievence I can think of about this great game. It`s with the actual traveling to the colossus. It`s a case of ride the horse, come to a wall, jump over the wall, walk 6 feet and you are there at the colossus.

It would`ve been really cool if you rode on the horse to say the bottom of a cliff that you then need to climb to meet the colossus at the top. I think what I`m saying is I`d love for there to be more "Ico like" climbing sections. The sections in Ico where you climb soooo high really build up the tension. The wind howling and knowing that one false move and it`s curtains. I just don`t any sence of achievement when I find a colossus as it`s all too easy. A 300 foot climb and then a boss battle? Now you`re talking!

[Synthesthesia]

Good to see they made some improvements. Is the glitch where you can jump diagonally and not lose any of your grip meter still in? I'm re-doing this on hard mode, just done the 3rd colossi with 2 hours on the clock. Much better in hard mode, battles feel more epic because of the increased amount of weak points. I'm currently re-playing Ico for the first time in 5 years..and the similarities are uncanny.

[Synthesthesia]

I've just spent nearly half an hour at the place where you fight the 5th colossus, trying to find the 4th. lmao. I felt totally stupid when i realised...but it gave me some time to take in the ancient looking architecture that makes up the place, beautiful. Takes a bit long to swin between each part though.