Shadow of the Colossus is amazing
- Thread starter rawd
- Start date
+1.
The battle against Avion is the best moment of the game; the music is just amazing.
I'm playing it for the first time too (thank you Plus), and yeah, it's awesome.
It really kicked off the whole "Uncharted climbing" thing, didn't it? Only I haven't seen a game yet that's done it better. That you have to hold a button to grab things, and continue to hold it to continue to hold on to ledges/colossai is great. It means you never grab something by accident, and you can't just hang indefinitely, but it never feels overly automated like in Uncharted or Assassin's Creed (III especially). It takes some effort and thought, and thus makes the player feel more involved.
All in all, I'm impressed with how much you can do with so few buttons.
It really kicked off the whole "Uncharted climbing" thing, didn't it? Only I haven't seen a game yet that's done it better. That you have to hold a button to grab things, and continue to hold it to continue to hold on to ledges/colossai is great. It means you never grab something by accident, and you can't just hang indefinitely, but it never feels overly automated like in Uncharted or Assassin's Creed (III especially). It takes some effort and thought, and thus makes the player feel more involved.
All in all, I'm impressed with how much you can do with so few buttons.
Dr. Buni
Member
One of my favorite games and the best PS2 game by a mile. I love everything about it. The bosses, the music, the atmosphere, the bosses, the music, the feeling of loneliness, the bosses... Team Ico is awesome. I really wish there were more "boss games" like this :| Well, there are some similar (in some ways) like the Souls series, Monster Hunter, Soul Sacrifice... But nothing exactly like Shadow of the Colossus. I want a sequel :/ Pls gimme a sequel.
One of the best games I've ever played. There really aren't any other games like it that I can think of. I've thought about it often, and I'm rather disappointed that it never really caught on.
Also, damn.
Also, damn.
Magicpaint
Member
While I do prefer ICO (I think the base game is more to my taste), this game is really something special. Just from the intro you know you're in for a treat. The frame rate and controls did hinder some of that, but the game has an incredible sense of scale -- even with the light exploration you feel a great sense of progression as you move to the next colossus. The final one was kinda frustrating but damn if it wasn't one of the most epic things I ever saw in a videogame. And the ending, well...poignant.
I need to get the HD collection soon and relive the experience with a better framerate.
I need to get the HD collection soon and relive the experience with a better framerate.
I had no problems with the controls of SOTC and I am in the same boat as OP, only played the remasted version a year ago or so. Amazing game btw.
True Underdog
Member
That makes sense. I was replaying it on the PS3 and asked myself how I ever completed it back in high school.
It's difficult but not unbeatable. One of my top 10 games of all time.
Dr. Buni
Member
I think Dirge was the most annoying. Having to shoot arrows on its eye while riding Agro AND being chased by it was a pain in the ass. All of the other bosses were awesome though. Actually, Dirge was awesome, only a bit annoying.
Funny, I couldn't get into Ico. I found it extremely boring and it didn't have awesome bosses and music (I played SotC first).
xenorevlis
Member
Discovering I could launch Ico from Vita remote play was a surprise, prompting me to test this game. I spent the next hour playing Shadow of the Colossus in my bed 
RobFox64tm
Member
I played through the HD version's of both this and Ico a couple years ago, and while I did enjoy the ambiance, story, and overall presentation in these games, I felt the gameplay left a lot to be desired. Not a lot of meat on the bone there, in my opinion, so they aren't really games I've been dying to play through a second time.
No, I played the HD version on PS3. I found the horse controls annoying, the bow absolutely awful, and I wasn't too keen on climbing either. It just wasn't made for me I guess.
At first, I thought it was going to be boring.
Riding on the horse, ok fine.... goal - revive the damsel, sure... using my sword to find my first giant, alright....
then, holy crap I'm supposed to climb these guys?! Queue the music ramping up as soon as you start climbing... Sweaty palms, sat up in my chair! Lets do this
Have a Nice Day
Member
CitizenCope
Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOJbhU4mYk4
This music! =O
Just behind Halo 2's "Heavy Price Paid" as my all time video game music.
This music! =O
Just behind Halo 2's "Heavy Price Paid" as my all time video game music.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
It really didn't.
Rogue_Ledr
Banned
This thread made me remember Last Guardian.
Shame on you OP!
Now I have to go cry.
Shame on you OP!
Now I have to go cry.
SkoomaSuckinSwit
Member
Played ICO a decade ago, and just last night finished it again with the HD version.
Still a wonderful game. The design of the castle is genius to me,
Have never played SotC, and that's up next for me.
Hoping the HD controls don't ruin the game for me, like some people think.
Still a wonderful game. The design of the castle is genius to me,
Have never played SotC, and that's up next for me.
Hoping the HD controls don't ruin the game for me, like some people think.
TimeEffect
Member
The music and memories still haunt me.
And suddenly, those TLG jokes that once made you chuckle now hurt your heart :'(
And suddenly, those TLG jokes that once made you chuckle now hurt your heart :'(
Acquiescence
Member
Still a masterpiece. That sombre tone and atmosphere though, it's suffocating at times. Easily one of the most depressing games I've encountered.
Both Ico and Shadow of The Colossus are incredible games but I love Ico more. I don't know why but Ico's abandoned castle setting and atmosphere resonated with me more.
Also, can't stress just how incredible the sound design of both of these game. From music to the ambient sounds. They just nailed it.
Also, can't stress just how incredible the sound design of both of these game. From music to the ambient sounds. They just nailed it.
Aside from the genius boss design and the feel of discovery when exploring the world, the best thing about the game was probably the animation. It came out at a time where I didn't think it was possible for a character to dynamically grab onto something while falling and have it look natural. The game is full of stuff like that.
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
An all time favourite of mine. Simple, elegant and very powerful.
I'm of the opposite opinion, I reckon Ico has aged terribly while SOTC is still awesome. I agree the controls could've been much better but they are manageable.
I just really wish that everyone loved this game as much as I do. Reading negative impressions from people who are just trying the game for the first time now makes my heart ache. Usually I can accept differing opinions, but I just can't with SotC. It should be everyone's all-time favorite.
Doctor_Thomas
Member
There's two games that I consider as close to perfect as video games will ever come.
One is Super Mario World.
This is the other.
Sublime.
One is Super Mario World.
This is the other.
Sublime.
UnlovedJew
Member
I was actually thinking about making a thread on this game after having played it for the first time this summer in the HD collection. Absolutely astonishing game. It was hard for me to put it into words, but in terms of a comparison, it is what I've always wanted from the Zelda franchise since those games became 3D. The atmosphere alone just sells it to me. There has to be some reason I cannot stand traversal in games like Fallout but absolutely just want to run across the great expanse of land with my horse in SoTC.
Closet thing to it is probably ICO but that's more in terms of tone than approach.
SOTC is pretty unique and as close to a masterpiece as gaming has delivered. The combination of setting, music, gameplay and tone is phenomenal.
ICO is just as good too - IMHO - but it is different particularly in terms of gameplay.
Journey for me evoked similar sensations although it's more linear.
SOTC is pretty unique and as close to a masterpiece as gaming has delivered. The combination of setting, music, gameplay and tone is phenomenal.
ICO is just as good too - IMHO - but it is different particularly in terms of gameplay.
Journey for me evoked similar sensations although it's more linear.
Dr. Buni
Member
Stratostar
Member
Amazing game for its time. Still fun to play today.
Aztechnology
Member
If your a playstation + subscriber right now in the U.S at least, both SOTC and Ico are free. I think they are HD versions as well. I have a huge backlog, but i think I can find time to fit these two in. I mean I haven't played them in a few years.
Baroquemantic
Member
SotC is my all time favorite game. I still go back and play the PS2 version every so often. I can't get enough of the game; between both normal and hard modes, I've beaten it like 12 times, plus completed all the time trials. I finally bought the HD version of it and Ico last night, so I'll be playing even more now.
wapplew
Member
I'm with you here. Every time someone say the control is bad, I think they play it wrong or spoil by modern "auto snap platforming".
The control is perfect, the game only make sense with those control, Ueda design it that way. The grab, the horse riding, every mechanism is specifically design that way.
You just have to let it click, when it click, you'll love it.
Killroyskbg
Member
The highlight of the PS2 era in my opinion. How can a game without enemies still make you love the path of getting to the next boss?
And that music....
And that music....
That's how I got them, through PS+.
Dedicating these last few weeks to them before PS4 launch. Definitely make time its worth it
PooBone
Member
I think it was number 14, one of the smaller ones. And the last one was a tad annoying til I figured it out.
And OP: Yes, game is fantastic. Definitely play ICO as well if you haven't.
Funky Functionality
Member
I get that. Ico is basically one long escort puzzle peppered with light action sequences, and SoTC has, what, two or three things to actually do in the overworld? Collect fruit, collect lizard tails, find the next boss. They're very simple games. SoTC tried to incentivize prolonged play (time attack, special items, etc.), but those do very little to carry the experience any further than the initial play-through, so it's arguable they're frivolous.
That said, through their story, music, and visuals, Ico and SoTC manage to operate on an emotional level yet to be reached by my experiences with any other games. Journey came close, but I felt more heart in the struggles of Ico and Wander than in the nameless, faceless figures of Journey. Now that I'm thinking about it, Journey's final snowy ascent seems heavily influenced by Ico's final moments. Good stuff, but that's neither here nor there.
But that's the big thing for me--the heart these games have. THE FEELS, MAN. I think the OP will find SoTC a hard game to match.
Also, the controls in SoTC are perfect for the game and I'd argue that anyone saying otherwise didn't spend enough time with it or carried in too many expectations from other games. Agro's controls are just fine as well--you merely have to suggest where you'd like him to go and he handles the rest, like a real goddamned horse. Best video game horse ever.
MemoryHumanity
Member
Play ICO right fucking now. It's incredible. Better than SotC. #truthfacts