Ok guys, I need to tell you about a very, very special game. I have been intregued by Shadow of the Colossus for quite some time, and finally got some hands on time, as well as hours of observations.

...You're not going to hear this much from me, so cherish this moment: Shadow of the Colossus is the most beautiful console game I've ever seen, and is on par, artistically and playability, with some of the better PC games.

This game has the most minute attention to detail that I've ever seen. If you walk your character to a hill and have him stand, his feet and legs shift and adjust to the slope of the terrain, no floating feet. There are beautiful trees that sway in the wind, and they bear fruit. You can shoot the fruit down for a health pick-me-up. You can explore anywhere you want, literally. This is one of the few games I've played where it's just pure fun to simply walk around, climb trees, swim in the lake, kick leaves around in the forest, , stand on a cliff overlooking a enormous chasm, explore the entire world and see the sights. the game is just.. beautiful. The music is equally appaling. The song that plays during the intro cinema is great. If you have a PS2 demo disk with the game on it, check out that video with the song, The Wandering Warrior, it's an amazing peice. The horse the main character rides is poetry in motion. The hair of it's mane flows depending on the inertia of it's movement, it's hoofs pounding the flat earth, or slowing and stumbling in the hilly, rough terrain or on stairs. Screeching to a stop at the edge of a cliff, or jumping off of a smaller ledge, sometimes hurting itself on the landing. The animation is so fluid and perfect. The characters are obviously animated by hand, not motion captured. This shows in the quality. The horse looks gorgeous, and completely convincing. It's one of the greatest acheivements in modern gaming animation. The animation of the main character is equally impressive, as he holds onto his sword with his right hand while running and with his left hand holds onto the sheath (sp?) to keep it steady. His animation of struggling on uneven and/or shifting surfaces are unbelieveable, as he balances on one foot trying to equal out, or tumbling if he's pushed too far. He clings on to literal life as he clutches the fur of a colossus as it thrashes about.

And the colossus, the real star of the show. These things redefine boss battles. They are massive, and ingenious. The fights last many minutes, and feel like a true accomplishment. Each colossus is completely unique, and presents itself with an amazing challenge. These behemoth monsters are crafted beautifully. You feel like the task at hand is an impossible one, due to the scale of it all. Sometimes when you actually defeat the monsters, you feel sorry for taking down the beast.

The game is stunning. It must be seen by anyone who calls themselves a gamer. It's a milestone in art direction, scale, and innovation of video games. It's by the same team that did Ico, and I hear that Ico has much the same type of high detail in the game. Has anyone played Ico? I think I remember Bitebug saying something about it. I'd like to know if the game is just as beautifully stunning. Either way, check this game out you guys. It's revolutionary, and one unforgettable experience.

Sounds like another great game that will go underappreceated.

sounds very nice
it's only a console game?

Answers:
Yes and yes.

Yes, it will go underappreciated. The fact that you fight 16 colossus and that's it will turn a lot of players away at box value. Plus, who cares about art direction when you have rainbow six 4, madden, or GTA?

Yes, it's console only. PS2 specific. Which is why my enjoyment and appreciation of it goes so unusual.

What a bummer!

Ive been thinking about getting it, but the task of fighting 16 gigantic bosses sounds daunting to the point of not being fun anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by Thunderpants1:
Ive been thinking about getting it, but the task of fighting 16 gigantic bosses sounds daunting to the point of not being fun anymore.

I think the following quote, allthough not typically applicable, fits this bill perfectly:

watch your mouth!

To the point of not being fun anymore? Hardly, although I must admit it was my exact feelings at first. They will challenge you each and every time, and the scope of it all is just so epic, you get pumped up for it. It's worth checking out. Buy online to save some cash, steal it from a friend, I don't care how, you just have to play this game!

Well, Ill consider it, then.

Lynx-O, you are my hero, because I too am absolutely in love with this game. I will reserve any judgement on "favorite game status" until I've finished it, but...I can not possibly see why it wouldn't be by the end. It is beautiful, it is innovative, it is gorgeous, it is heart-wrenching, it is stunning, it is everything I have ever wanted in a game, ever. I am very serious when I say that. The gameplay is brilliant and fun and exhilarating, but nothing beats just wandering around the landscape and exploring the absolutely HUGE world. I mean, people talk about Morrowind and MMORPG's with their huge worlds, but this beats them all, in my opinion. Every corner of this vast, completely open land is absolutely beautiful, every part of it.

And there are hidden secrets and unlockables, from what I've heard, but that's also done in the best way possible - they really are secret. They're so secret that you wouldn't even imagine they'd be in there in the first place. But if you look hard enough, you will find some amazing stuff.

What I am dying for right now is the ending, which many many people have told me is the greatest game ending as far as they can remember.

Oh my gosh...everyone here must buy this game. EVERYONE. And if you don't have a PS2, go out and buy one just for the purpose of playing this game, that's what I did. And I don't regret it for the tiniest instant.

EDIT - Lynx-O, are you having the same problem that I'm having, that you just can't put your love for this game in words? I just read my post and it falls so incredibly short of what I really think about this game...I just can't describe it. It's impossible. All I can say is...

BUY

THIS

GAME!!!

I really, really, want this game (along with ICO, which was made by the same people). Only problem is, I don't have a PS2 (Gamecube for me). I would go out and buy/rent it and play it on my PC through an emulator, but I don't have a PC gamepad. Stupid PS2 exlusivity, why can't more multiplatform games come out on Gamecube!?

I would love to have Ico and SotC in my possession, but it would torture me to have to wait two weeks to play it at my dad's for just two days. This game is my kind of game, I know it. But I'll have to do with the umpteenth Legend of Zelda(which I REALLY don't mind )

Ive never played ICO. Ive heard its good, though.

quote:

Originally posted by sjvan0:
I really, really, want this game (along with ICO, which was made by the same people). Only problem is, I don't have a PS2 (Gamecube for me).

Buy a PS2 then. I'm dead serious. I have been (and still am) a DIE-HARD Nintendo fanboy. I've owned only Nintendo consoles up until now, and I still have no interest whatsoever in either the PS3 or Xbox360 - only Revolution for me. But I am telling you, go buy a used, old-sytle (not thinline) PS2 for about $100 at Game Crazy, and it will be worth your while. That is exactly what I did, and like I said, I do not regret it for an instant.

And now I can also play Ico and Katamari Damacy, so at least I won't have bought it for just one game.

quote:

Originally posted by SausageMan23:
Buy a PS2 then. I'm dead serious. I have been (and still am) a DIE-HARD Nintendo fanboy. I've owned only Nintendo consoles up until now, and I still have no interest whatsoever in either the PS3 or Xbox360 - only Revolution for me. But I am telling you, go buy a used, old-sytle (not thinline) PS2 for about $100 at Game Crazy, and it will be worth your while. That is exactly what I did, and like I said, I do not regret it for an instant.

And now I can also play Ico and Katamari Damacy, so at least I won't have bought it for just one game.

It's not that I don't want a PS2, I do, and for many more games besides ICO and SotC, it's just that I have literally no money, and I play othe rgames too much to do enough chores to get pocket money. the only reason I could get a Gamecube was because the store that had it was getting rid of all it's gamecube stuff and was selling them for $50 AUS (about $35 US)

Hm, I'll check this one out. I hope if I get it, I won't suck at it. Because for some reason, I am terrible on a PS2 but play alright on an Xbox. I haven't figured out why... o_O

That's an accurate depiction of how I feel about this game as well, Sausageman. I felt this topic would let me get a little of it out of my system, the the game's beauty cannot be expressed in words.

Play this game somehow guys, let me know what you think when you do. (if you must, go to your local EB and play it on a demo PS2. Not sure if this is the case in Europe, but there are demo spots in America.)

I'll be sure to visit the local gameshop when this game is released here, then at least I'll be able to play it.

*bumpage*

Just beat the game. The ending easily exceeded all my expectations. And the replay value is incredibly deep, too. There's a LOT of stuff you can do with multiple playthroughs.

Buy this game.

Ah yes, I hear nothing but good things about this one, and I've had my eye out for it ever since it appeared on the cover of Edge about a year ago. It's too bad we have to wait 'til Febuary before this comes to 'Blighty, although I have considered getting an NTSC PS2 for some time on Ebay, so I can play Ico (is it true that it's being re-published) and one or two other plums that I've either missed or haven't made it over the pond.

BTW Lynx, would you recommend me picking up Half-life 2 for Xbox? My PC didn't have enough coal to keep up when it was first released, yet when I hear people talk, it sounds more and more like I've missed something special...

quote:

Originally posted by Prof_Plum:
Ah yes, I hear nothing but good things about this one, and I've had my eye out for it ever since it appeared on the cover of Edge about a year ago. It's too bad we have to wait 'til Febuary before this comes to 'Blighty, although I have considered getting an NTSC PS2 for some time on Ebay, so I can play Ico (is it true that it's being re-published) and one or two other plums that I've either missed or haven't made it over the pond.

BTW Lynx, would you recommend me picking up Half-life 2 for Xbox? My PC didn't have enough coal to keep up when it was first released, yet when I hear people talk, it sounds more and more like I've missed something special...

linky To me it looks like you should buy this game not matter what, it's a great game. I haven't played it(I will sometime), but the original was phenomenal.

I also heard the rumor about the re-release of ICO, that would be grand.