Why is Shadow of Colossus held in such high regard?

[Da_Schwartz]

I thought it was odd in a good way. Like some EPIC Horse riding simulation. Just galloping through the open plains, ruuning into the occasional gecko, following the sunlight until..*brake screech* Holy hell!! Im gonna go climb that thing and stab it here..here..and up there. That was awesome. I hope my gf is okay. maybe there's more of them wandering around. Speaking of looking for more...where the hell is everybody?!? Seemed like almost a giant beta or engine test for something truly incredible. It's was the visuals, music and overall style that made that game. Either you dig it or you don't.

 

[Chrissyluky]

i think ill pick it up and try it out ive been meaning to for a long time but i think ill do it now

 

[blunted]

SOTC is an objectively awesome game. This is a fact.

 

[Monshroud]

I have to say I am really happy with how so many of you have responded. Seeing how some other threads have gone I was 1/2 expecting to just be flamed on.

Well, that's the point. You are supposed to feel like you are a tresspasser in a forbidden land. Completely alone with only your bow, your sword, your steed, and your wits to find and take down these massive enemies. What this game does very well, and that most games seem to ignore, is making you feel how the character is feeling. Wanderer feels like he is all alone in this strange world, killing innocent creatures for something he doesn't even know he will get in the end. I'm not sure about you, but the feeling of dread that I was dealing with something evil and that I didn't fully understand gripped me the whole game, and only got worse and time went on. with the deteriorating appearance of wanderer and the ...

See, I didn't feel alone. I felt lost and confused. I didn't know what I was doing, who I was doing it for, or why it was important or relevant. I didn't feel dread for killing the colossus. To be honest I didn't know what to think or feel because it is never said what they are. Are they evil? Are they just the mystical power I need to restore the woman? Maybe that's the problem for me, there is no context.

You're supposed to fill in those blanks for yourself, but really it is unimportant to the game's overall message. The game is about learning to let go. All throughout the game, you are trained to find something on the colossus, and hold on to that R1 button for dear life, to not let go, no matter what happened. Wanderer can't let go you see, that's why he's there. He cannot move on from this girl's death, whoever she is. The end is supposed to be the resolution to that. You are desperately trying to reach mono, even with the winds pulling you back. You see some stairs there, and you do what the game has trained you to do since your adventure began, to find something to hold on to, and not let go. You hang on for a while, but then you realize something. There is no point. You can't hold on forever, and even if you could you can't advance from that point. You're just stopping yourself from moving on. So, in a moment of clarity, you, and wanderer too, learn to do something neither of you could do until that point. You let go. You let yourself fall, and are hence reborn as a new person.

I just want to start off saying this is probably some of the most insightful commentary I have ever read in a forum.

I'm not sure I agree with your sentiments though. I can absolutely see the theme's of 'not letting go'. I also agree the game has taught and instilled in you to not let go, then at the end it's the opposite, you have to let go, stop fighting, move on.. The question is why now? You are 'forced' (there is no other option besides stop playing) to keep pushing forward with no reason or idea why, then at the last minute they switch the rules for no known reason. Why now? Like I said originally I am assuming that Wander loves Mono, but I don't know that for sure. I don't know why there are people trying to stop me from doing this.

its held in high regard because of the different gameplay, it was completely origional when it came out (as far as i know) and people gave it good reviews because you actually had to think to take down a collosus instead of the mindless shooting that is in most games. its also got a quite good story to it, instead of just save the girl by killing things.

I agree that the puzzles around the destruction of the colossus were great. I don't understand your comment about the story? What is the story? The whole game revolves around you killing colossus to save the girl.

also the colossuses are made to be human, and it makes you feel more emotional towards them (in some peoples point of view) and this helps the game to be more realistic, and you can get into it more easily

I am not sure if I follow you here. The Colossus seemed more animal like in nature, rather than human. I think I get what you mean though, they tried to give each Colossus some personality or emotion.

The landscape being devoid of life was done on purpose. The desolation adds to the atmosphere. That would be ruined if there had been smaller enemies along the way.

I wasn't wanting or expecting more enemies to fight. The game was out about 2 years when I finally played it, I knew it was pretty much just the Colossus. I thought that was a novel idea. Not having to go through hordes of enemies to get to the end-of-level boss. After a while for me the travelling around just became somewhat bland and repetitive.

 

[MetaKnight19]

ive never played SOTC, is it really that good

 

[scnj]

The landscape being devoid of life was done on purpose. The desolation adds to the atmosphere. That would be ruined if there had been smaller enemies along the way.

I wasn't wanting or expecting more enemies to fight. The game was out about 2 years when I finally played it, I knew it was pretty much just the Colossus. I thought that was a novel idea. Not having to go through hordes of enemies to get to the end-of-level boss. After a while for me the travelling around just became somewhat bland and repetitive.

That's fair enough, I can understand why something like that wouldn't be for everyone. I really got lost in the atmosphere and ambience of the game, and since I was playing it when it first came out, the landscape looked stunning at the time.

 

[ilion]

the game is Zen. its all about the travel and single mindedness. sacrifice.

 

[KAPTAINmORGANnWo4life]

It was a little artsy-fartsy for me, but the Colossi were a decent challenge. The lack of a personality in the characters (the PC and the Omnipotent voice) kinda soured me on it.

 

[Monshroud]

That's fair enough, I can understand why something like that wouldn't be for everyone. I really got lost in the atmosphere and ambience of the game, and since I was playing it when it first came out, the landscape looked stunning at the time.

That's a fair argument. When I got around to playing this I was a big PC gamer and the 360 was out and so maybe the visuals weren't as jaw-dropping to myself by that time.

I am almost wondering if this is one of those game that if you didn't play it at the time it's a different experience. Almost how I defend Half-Life and Half-Life 2. There are plenty of folk who don't understand what all the excitement is about, and like many people here have said, this was (and I think still is) an original concept in (lack of) storytelling and gameplay.

 

[SlasherX]

I completely agree with you this game was boring in my opinion i really dont see why ppl say its so good i mean the colossi where fun to kill and all but besides that it kind of sucked. The story was stupid the controls wheren't bad, and the game was monotonous all in all it wasnt so great and i know im going to get flamed for say this

 

[Ace of Spades]

I completely agree with you this game was boring in my opinion i really dont see why ppl say its so goos i mean killing the colossi where fun to kill and all but besides that it kind of sucked

If you strip away killing colossi, then you're left with nothing else. Of course it would suck. Killing colossi is what makes it good.

 

[scnj]

ive never played SOTC, is it really that good

The only way you can know this is to find a copy and play for yourself. I'd say that it is really that good, whereas others will say it's boring and crap.

 

[Monshroud]

ive never played SOTC, is it really that good

To be honest, I would tell you to play it and make that decision for yourself. I definately think it is worth playing, I can not say what you will take away from the game. It is certainly something original.

 

[Rathy]

It was good because it was a great form of silent story telling to me. Its an open landscape left to the players imagination, and really you only get the story of the game at the very end, where what felt like the noble quest to save the girl suddenly doesn't look quite as good as it used to.

 

[DN83]

You kill one hundred foot creatures.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Different demands in games. I loved the game cause it was artsy (is that a proper adjective). It was beautifully designed, the boss battles were the most intuitive ones ever in my opinion, and the ending sits on my list over awesome endings. From a first glance, it just seems like a classic 'save the princess' story. But only 10% of the story is showed, and the rest 90% only come in the massive ending, leaving me satisfied and drooling so much I can feel my legs floating from the chair. I loved the game to death, and the only criticism is the short length. It's longer than most games I encounter, but it could have been longer. But I guess it's about not overstaying it's welcome. Can't wait until The Last Guardian.

 

[KingPiccolOwned]

The landscape being devoid of life was done on purpose. The desolation adds to the atmosphere. That would be ruined if there had been smaller enemies along the way.

That, and enemies of that size take up a shitload of processing power. Well they did in the day anyways.

Personally I liked it because it was a unique take on the action adventure genre, that no one else has tried to replicate since.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's weird how people ask a community of strangers why they themselves don't like a certain game.

 

[Grampy_bone]

MINIMALISM! Also the protagonist is named Wander.

Shadow of the Colossus shows us that gaming doesn't need to have story and cutscenes to be an effective medium for expressing ideas, not to mention having a blast battling the biggest monsters in any videogame ever. Plus the music rocks.

So I guess it isn't for everyone, if you absolutely need structure and guidance at all times in your games then I could see how you wouldn't like it.

 

[jboking]

The scenery is nice, but is mostly devoid of life. There are few and far-between creatures, no NPC's, and there is no sort of interaction between your character and anyone else until the ending.

Well, that's the point. You are supposed to feel like you are a tresspasser in a forbidden land. Completely alone with only your bow, your sword, your steed, and your wits to find and take down these massive enemies. What this game does very well, and that most games seem to ignore, is making you feel how the character is feeling. Wanderer feels like he is all alone in this strange world, killing innocent creatures for something he doesn't even know he will get in the end. I'm not sure about you, but the feeling of dread that I was dealing with something evil and that I didn't fully understand gripped me the whole game, and only got worse and time went on. with the deteriorating appearance of wanderer and the

Spoiler

"Death" of your horse

You don't have any reason to give a crap about the characters. It's pretty obvious that your character (who is nameless) loves the dead or comatose Mono (or Momo?), but is this a true love thing, is it one sided, are you just a creepy stalker trying to bring Mono back to life for selfish purposes, is she the key to peace? The game never says. Now it can be fun to leave certain things open to interpretation, but why couldn't the developer give us some idea of why the heck we care about saving this woman? I mean we are going through a lot of trouble here for her, why are we doing this again?

You're supposed to fill in those blanks for yourself, but really it is unimportant to the game's overall message. The game is about learning to let go. All throughout the game, you are trained to find something on the colossus, and hold on to that R1 button for dear life, to not let go, no matter what happened. Wanderer can't let go you see, that's why he's there. He cannot move on from this girl's death, whoever she is. The end is supposed to be the resolution to that. You are desperately trying to reach mono, even with the winds pulling you back. You see some stairs there, and you do what the game has trained you to do since your adventure began, to find something to hold on to, and not let go. You hang on for a while, but then you realize something. There is no point. You can't hold on forever, and even if you could you can't advance from that point. You're just stopping yourself from moving on. So, in a moment of clarity, you, and wanderer too, learn to do something neither of you could do until that point. You let go. You let yourself fall, and are hence reborn as a new person.

The Evil bunny seemed to sum up why I liked the game, but I also liked how I didn't know for sure if the Colossus's were evil. I was just supposed to kill them. They could very well be important to the world, they could be guardians for entire civilizations and I'm killing them to try and save one girl. It made me question if I was doing what I should be. If I was in the right.