Shadow of the Colossus

[Steven the Lich]

http://www.us.playstation.com/PS2/Games/Shadow_of_the_Colossus/OGS/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXj9PSTpzNk&feature=related
A young man travels to a far off land with a maiden whose soul has passed on, in hopes that he can find a legendary being that can restore upon his companions body her soul. With only the help of his horse, and a mysterious sword of light (as well as a bow and arrows), he sets out on a task to defeat the giants of the land, no matter the cost he faces...

This is truly a game among games. While it seems to be solely combat, it requires you to have an open mind. It may seem simple at first, but the Colossi get tougher and tougher as you go along. You have to use your mind and your surroundings effectively, or you will fail.

There are 16 colossi, scattered throughout a beautiful environment. Finding them is half the battle, though it is lucky we have the sword to thank for that. The powers of the sword can reveal unto you the direction where the colossus lies, and reveals to you their weakpoints. You must reach their weakpoints and kill them there, though it can be considerably tricky to reach them, as those Colossi aren't going to let you slay them without a fight.

I recommend this game to those who love Prince of Persia, and to those who like a good challenge. This is truly a game for the books, I tell you.

[Icewalker]

Eh, I disagree. Got it, played halfway through it, got bored.

The colossus fights themselves are quite entertaining, but the travel to find them sucks. I got stuck in the middle and was unable to find the next one using both the sword and a guide that said where to go. They shouldn't be so hard to find.

I may pick it up again sometime and finish it. The actual fights themselves are excellent, but the travel sucks, and there is no plot.


Also, the little colossus in the arena was so confusing that I had to end up looking up how to beat it. Way too unique way to get people to come up with it themselves.

[TheOtherMC]

Eh, I disagree. Got it, played halfway through it, got bored.

The colossus fights themselves are quite entertaining, but the travel to find them sucks. I got stuck in the middle and was unable to find the next one using both the sword and a guide that said where to go. They shouldn't be so hard to find.

I may pick it up again sometime and finish it. The actual fights themselves are excellent, but the travel sucks, and there is no plot.


Also, the little colossus in the arena was so confusing that I had to end up looking up how to beat it. Way too unique way to get people to come up with it themselves.

Arena...arena...arena...just to clarify would you by chance mean the Bull/Lion or the Lizard?

[deathbyhokie]

Arena...arena...arena...just to clarify would you by chance mean the Bull/Lion or the Lizard?

Probably the guy with the beard. I only figured out how to kill him by sheer luck.

[TheOtherMC]

Probably the guy with the beard. I only figured out how to kill him by sheer luck.

Well I can understand confusing it with an arena (more of an aquaduct actually....) but cant see calling that behemoth "Tiny" XD

[Paragon Badger]

Eh, I disagree. Got it, played halfway through it, got bored.

The colossus fights themselves are quite entertaining, but the travel to find them sucks. I got stuck in the middle and was unable to find the next one using both the sword and a guide that said where to go. They shouldn't be so hard to find.

I may pick it up again sometime and finish it. The actual fights themselves are excellent, but the travel sucks, and there is no plot.


Also, the little colossus in the arena was so confusing that I had to end up looking up how to beat it. Way too unique way to get people to come up with it themselves.

*cough* (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/924364/41817)

Although, I can forgive you if you only got half-way through, you missed alot at the end. :smallbiggrin:

[Icewalker]

Ah, I was unaware there was a real plot ending. To the extent of my knowledge the plot was 'There is a guy, and his unconscious girlfriend, and you have to go kill a bunch of colossi to make a higher power happy.'

When I say the arena, I mean the one you make climb up the walls then shoot in the feet.

I actually found my way into the aquaduct area you are mentioning, but in search of a colossus other than the one there...didn't reach that one, although the area looked interesting.

[Corlindale]

I really loved the game, one of the best and most innovative PS2 titles in my opinion.

Regarding exploration, I think - and a lot of reviews also stated - that it is very much a matter of taste. I quite enjoyed exploring the world, especially taking in the sublimely well created mood of loneliness and desolation. I think it was quite a brave decision to actually go with an almost completely unpopulated world(has that ever been done before?), but I think it fits extremely well in the context, and forms a nice contrast and great build-up to the intense battles.

I don't think any of the colossi were terribly hard to find - some of them was of course more confusing and took a bit longer than others, but with the aid of the sword and the map I was never completely lost. But I can see why it is a lot more frustrating for players who regard travel as a tedious part of the game to be skipped as fast as possible.

I don't really get the criticism of #8 in the arena. Its weak spots were clearly visible once exposed (can't at the moment recall whether the arena was light enough to also reveal them with the sword), and the surrounding terrain suggested the way to expose them. I had much more trouble with some of the others, though there aren't any I would label as impossible to figure out, and only a few that aren't quite logical.

[JabberwockySupafly]

*Sings*

Talkin' 'bout hey now, hey now Ico (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ico) Ico (http://www.us.playstation.com/PS2/Games/ICO/OGS/) all day!

Sorry, couldn't resist. I loved Shadow of the Colossus, but the first game made by the same team, Ico, was also positively brilliant. I recently found a copy of this super-rare game from the game store I work at. I have it hidden in our stock room so I can pick it up on pay day :D I figure, I already own Shadow, and my copy of Ico got stolen ages ago, so I need a new one!

[Ryuuk]

I loved this game. The music and fights were epic and even if it didn't have much dialog, the game hits you really hard on an emotional level at the end game. I'll agree that it's not a game for everyone's tastes though, and after your first play through, you won't enjoy it as much since you already know how to beat each of the colossi.

[Icewalker]

The arena one? The only weak point it showed was on the bottom of it's stomach, if I recall correctly (which I might not...it might have had them on it's hands also). But leaving the arena and climbing upward, running away, then shooting it in the feet was rather unintuitive.

It's not that I thought the travel was boring, but on a few of them I couldn't find my way to the boss, and that sucked.

[Steven the Lich]

I'm not having trouble with fighting them, and I for one marvel at the landscape terrain. It can be tough finding the giants, but its easy enough.
Icewalker, it wasn't an unconcious girl, it was a dead one. And it was a boy who was questing to kill 16 colossal monsters that outweign him by tons individually, all for the sake to restore unto one her soul and life. That alone is pretty eventful, and has awesome plot, and is even romantic to a big degree (Though not playing through the game entirely, I can assume that it is a love bond that drives him)
I understand this game is in fact a prequel to ICO, and I desire to play it as well.

There are some fights that are extremely easy to find out how to kill them, but others are a bit more complicated than that, requiring thought and a attentative mind. (Around the bull/lion one, I totally didn't notice the stick that dropped for me to use to get the flame, and got left in the dark).

[Premsyl]

I love this game, and will sing it's praises thusly.

First off, if you want to impress your friends than this is a good game for it. "Watch me leap from my horse onto this giant flying snake, and kill it with this tiny sword." is just one excellent example. :smallbiggrin:

The setting was very good, and I felt absorbed in it. A huge land, set off away from civilization, as a sanctuary and a prison for these massive creatures, and the force they protected. I felt this great sense of loneliness playing the game. Like the protagonist was the only person for hundreds of miles, and didn't belong there anyway. I won't argue that some of the bosses were hard to find, though. Although I only really had a hard time with one of them, and it was basically hidden in plain sight.

Most of the battles are tons of fun, while I will agree with you that some of them can be rather unintuitive. Making leaps from limb to body, and climbing up to the head, while the colossus tries to shake you off is all very exciting, and it's more fun in hard mode.

Finally the ending can only be described as epic, and is lead up to ever so nicely by the subtle-at-first changes in the appearance of your main character.

I'm hoping I get a chance to slay more colossi. Maybe on a next gen system, hmm? :smallsmile:

[Jothki]

Best climbing simulator ever, and I'm not being sarcastic. Despite the giant stone enemies and disembodied god, it's easily one of the most realistic-feeling games I've ever played. Everything feels so right, from stumbling after a long jump to desperately clinging on while being swung around.

Also, you can trip on turtles if you get the positioning exactly right.

[Pyro]

I remember seeing this once on Xplay. It looked cool, but I don't have any consoles. Ahhhh maybe one day I'll play all the exclusive releases...one day...

[SilentNight]

I'm actually picking the game back up now and trying my hand at hard mode. While I'll agree that sometimes the travel was confusing (#11 inparticular:smallfurious: ) Some were in positively beautiful areas. Namely the area outside #8's arena, the whole journey to #12, and #14. the travel also hepled to instill the above mentioned feeling of despair and hopelessness which, in my opinion, was one of the best parts of the game.

[Ziggy's_Roady]

I enjoyed the game. But it wasen't perfect..or...well..too good...

My biggest gripe (I beat the game) was the fecking dragon collosi in the aqau-duct..that too a lot of time...

[SilentNight]

I enjoyed the game. But it wasen't perfect..or...well..too good...

My biggest gripe (I beat the game) was the fecking dragon collosi in the aqau-duct..that too a lot of time...

Do you mean #7 with its electric horns?

[Shraik]

In my opnion the second to last one is the hardest. First get it to hit the thing to knock it upward to get onto the ledge then get it to dome some crazy stuff.... It was so Irratating, even with a guide.

Otherwise, this game is amazing. Alot of the Colossi are hard to defeat, and take alot of time to learn, but its really a fun game. A game worth picking up with AMAZING cinema effects. The Game look so appealing my dad wanted to pick it up and play, and he's never played a video game that I know off.

[Paragon Badger]

The second to last was rather difficult.

If there's even one saying I could say that perfectly sums up SotC:

Less is more.

[Theork]

Shadow of the collosus had good graphics, a good story line, a great ending and some sweet gameplay.

It's one of those dream games where you have a hero and have to slide down the banister, swing off the Chandelier and engage in some derring-do sword fights with 200ft monsters. :smallbiggrin:

Was I the only person not to notice the differences happening to my character as I got more 'spirits'?
I only notcied when it was practically too late...
As I say, great ending.

[SilentNight]

The second to last was pretty hard but not the hardest. Numbers 7 the eel and 11 the boar were incredibly infuriating if not that hard.

[Atheleon Thren]

Was I the only one who didn't get the ending? You turn into a baby with horns and get raised by your former girlfriend? ???????????????:smallconfused:

[Premsyl]

The game is a prequel to the game Ico in which you play that character, I believe.

[Paragon Badger]

stuff

Spoiler tags, man. :P

To awnser your question...

The main character(Wander) is reincarnated with a little of Dormin's essence... hence the horns. Wander starts the line of horned boys seen in Ico.

Possibly. The game is subject to interpretation, but that seems to be the best guess.

[Khanderas]

Spoiler tags, man. :P

To awnser your question...

The main character(Wander) is reincarnated with a little of Dormin's essence... hence the horns. Wander starts the line of horned boys seen in Ico.

Possibly. The game is subject to interpretation, but that seems to be the best guess.
Eff me. I thought the whole game was a sequel, the boy being hornless because the queen in ICO broke them both in the final fight. The same fight that got the girl (or some other girl) killed and the whole ressurrection theme in Colossus.
But hey, the girl in colossus, might be the queen in ICO, knowing the immortal essences of the colossi are absorbed into the multitude of horned boys and needs them to rejuvenate herself.