Gaming Backlog: Shadow of the Colossus

[COLOR="Yellow"]Everyone should be ready to start so I don't see a reason to postpone this any longer. We're starting with Shadow of the Colossus so i encourage everyone to play along, even if you haven't already posted in the other thread.

For the members who already agreed to participate: Like i said before, there is no time limit to finishing the game so even playing a couple of hours a week is fine and I'm sure we'll all be done by the end of the year. But this thread is meant for discussion so we should post regularly to get our brains churning.

Also: There will most definitely be spoilers in this thread, but only for this particular game. So let's not forget to mark spoilers for all the other members who aren't as far as some of us.

That's it for now. I'll probably get started either tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Have fun everyonee![/COLOR]

Conveniently this thread opens up right after the other main console game I was playing is finished. K, then.

I bought the game today (along with MGS: The Essential Collection). Now I just need a PS2! I'll be getting it in two weeks, so it looks like I'll be starting a little late. It doesn't really matter though.

Enjoy it, guys. I'll be catching up soon.

Need to go find a used copy.

I found one for $9.99. Pretty sweet. Gonna start tonight or sometime tomorrow.

Assuming Fate's devilish cables set up in our entertainment center works, I should be starting the game tonight. I likely won't look at this thread until I finish the game, though.

[COLOR="Yellow"]Continuous feedback is part of the fun. I know you don't want anything spoiled, that's why I mentioned that any kind of spoilers should be marked keeping in mind that other members may not have gotten as far. We'll still have a more in depth discussion once we're all finished but a play by play impression of the game as we're playing is what i had envisioned.

I'm gonna be a little busy at home tonight, but I'll definitely start tomorrow.[/COLOR]

In a game like this spoiler markers should be easy. JUST BEAT THE SIXTH COLOSSUS WORKING ON THE SEVENTH, etc.

I'll likely relate stories of when I first played the game as I come to each section, since it's still fresh in my mind.

Finally, after postponing for a little too long I started playing today. 3 years ago when I first played the game I was fascinated by the premise of slaying larger than life enemies. And because of that I overlooked story that was being told at the same time, which I intend to pay close attention to this time around. There are only a few cutscenes from what I can remember and even less dialogue, so the story is very much left up for interpretation.

Spoilers (obviously)

The main characters arrives on horse, carrying a dead woman into what seems like a deserted location. I have no idea who the girl he's carrying is since the last time I played I didn't pay much attention to what was being said; it could be his girlfriend or his sister (my best bet is girlfriend). What is obvious though, is that this girl is very important to Wander, or at least was before she died.

Once inside the temple where he lays her down, a voice starts talking to Wander. It's revealed through the brief conversation that the girl was sacrificed (for what, I don't know), and Wander is willing to do whatever it takes to bring her back to life. The voice (what was it's name?) explains that the only way for him to do that is to defeat the colossi that inhabit the desolated terrain. And thus the adventure begins.

I only got as far as the first 2 colossi. There isn't much to say about them since i remember them quite well. Although, the first really refreshed my memory and I remembered how inmense these things really are. They are just beautiful to look at and it distracts you from trying to avoid them and figuring out how to defeat them.

More as I get further ahead.

I'll be talking about the Colossi in order, so if you want to avoid spoilers only read up to the Colossus you have last defeated. I won't talk about the overall plot until the very end.

I did not bother with Time Attack mode when playing this game originally and now I wish I had, since it gives you new weapons and items. I don't want to do Time Attack now and then replay the game since that would ruin the point of whatever nostalgia this has managed to collect since I last played. OH WELL. I'll just make sure I do them this time. One bonus I get is that, because it's my second playthrough, I get to keep all of the extra grip and life I got from my last game. Oh, yeah, since it's never formally introduced in the game, I'll warn all you first-time players, LOOK FOR FRUITS IN TREES AND BLACK, WHITE-TAILED LIZARDS BY SAVE SHRINES. You shoot either down with your arrows (Lizards you will have to shoot twice, one to stun and again to kill) and you can eat them to increase your health (fruits) and your grip (lizards). You won't see very much of this stuff in the beginning so you don't have to worry about it, but soon you'll start passing some spots for potential power-ups.

The First Colossus
Official Name: Valus - The Minotaur
Linko's Name: The Proboscis Colossus

After beating the game, I looked on some guides on GameFAQ's, and while most just called each Colossus by the number they're ordered, some had actual names for them, and since they match up between guides I guess they're the official ones. However, playing it through the first time myself, I had no idea what their names were supposed to be and made up some for myself. I'll list them as I go. The name for this Colossus, of course, comes from the Proboscis monkey. I guess it is supposed to be a minotaur, looking at it in retrospect, but since lots of Colossi are hooved, that aspect didn't stand out to me - the nose did.

Anyway, I remember awkwardly learning the controls while attempting to face this boss. It's too bad there weren't more just raw climbing areas in the game like the cliff you have to pull yourself up, it was kind of fun. Anyway, it was a perfect first boss, extremely easy, just kind of a way to show the player what you're supposed to do.

The Second Colossus
Official Name: Quadratus - Taurus Major
Linko's Name: The Raging Bull Colossus

I figured out what it was supposed to be this time, of course.

This guy was the perfect second boss, one that's not terribly hard, but it definitely says, "Hey, no more ****ing around, we're throwing you waist-deep in this ****." I remember that before I figured out what I was supposed to do, I tried toying with some strategies running around the Colossus on Agro, and when I dismounted him, it greatly bothered me that Agro kept following me closely while I weaved underfoot of the Colossus. I didn't want him (her?) to get hurt! But yeah he's invincible so np. Once I found the secret, I had been thoroughly impressed. So many games just blatantly tell you what to do, it was nice to have one that required thought and creativity to play.

The Third Colossus
Official Name: Gaius - Earth Knight
Linko's Name: The Slab Sword Colossus or The Kachina Colossus

The first name obviously comes from how the Colossus's sword is just a giant slab of rock. The second is how I found that his head resembled that of a Hopi Kachina doll.

The perfect third boss: everything was even harder than the first two, really steeping you into the experience of the whole game. He was much farther away than the first two, introducing the concept of real travel to you, and I think I got a little lost on the way. I also had trouble making the backwards jump onto the disk, since I hadn't quite mastered "Backwards is backwards on the control stick no matter which way the camera is facing." As for the Colossus itself, sheesh, now I was really getting ****ed. He was HUGE, he was COOL, and it took me forever trying to figure out what to do. I got real sick of hearing Dormin's hint over and over, and all along it was so simple. Finally, as I ran across the metal disk in the middle, it occurred to me to try using it and that ended up working! He was also the most fun Colossus to climb so far - I don't remember how I did it originally, but just leaping from his arm to his belly to get that weak point is always a thrill.

The Fourth Colossus
Official Name: Phaedra - Equus Prime
Linko's Name: The Earth Horse Colossus

I think I might've thought "giraffe" when I first saw it, but I got the theme.

This boss was where I discovered the real joy of this game, which is feeling like a *** ****ed genius when you figure out the secret to mounting and defeating the Colossus. I believe it was a good long time before I got the idea to do it, but it wasn't that hard to figure out that you need to use conspicuous underground tunnels somehow, and when I emerged from the other end seeing him looking down the other hole with his *** sticking out, I felt a real rush of, "Hahaha, **** yeah, got you now mother****er."

Played all this yesterday. The replayability is surprisingly good when I already know all the answers, but I suppose that's just the cinematic experience of it. I'm about to play some more.

So, is it just me and Paul playing, then? Lol.

The Fifth Colossus
Official Name: Avion - Delta Phoenix
Linko's Name: The Stone Hawk (aka RAWK HAWK) Colossus

Figuring out how to get on top of this one seemed like a real mystery, but once I happened to be standing in one of the right spots while frustratedly firing arrows at it, I just about ****ed myself as it tried to collide with me. I thought to jump and press the grip button just in time. It was one of the most thrilling battles so far, flying at ridiculous speeds over the water as I tried to struggle my way across the beast. The name comes from how perplexed I was that, despite being seemingly made mostly out of stone, this Colossus could fly.

Because the weak points of this colossus only become visible if you are either crawling directly over them or reveal them with a beam of light, it was here that I came under the false impression that some weak points would not appear at all unless you used a beam of light to uncover them. But of course, if you already know where the weakpoints are, you can just go right to them and they'll show up once you're there.

The Sixth Colossus
Official Name: Barba - The Goliath
Linko's Name: The Bearded Hermit Colossus

I was sort of intimidated right off the bat with this colossus when Dormin talked about its "lust for destruction," and he wasn't kidding. It was crazy running around underfoot this violent, raging fellow. However, it was easy enough to figure out how to mount him, and something as humorous as running out and snatching him from his beard made him immediately more lovable.

Before going to fight this colossus, I had some fun running around to some corners of the world I had not previously visited - what started out as, "hey, is that a fruit tree in the horizon?" turned into a trek across plains, beaches, mountains and bridges that was a lot of fun and very relaxing. I started wandering around the C6 area and made it all the way up to B4 before I recognized that I was entering the arena of a future Colossus and decided to turn back. There was a slope around the cliffs of B5 that lead me down to the coast, the area of which made me think of the ending to Ico, though I doubt it's supposed to be a real reference to it. I'd never been on the edge of the whole area before, but as it turns out, there area heavy waves that sweep you back to shore - except on the very edge of the bank, where they neglected to put them. I had fun swimming out to the edge of the clipping plain, but when I tried to swim sideways, I suddenly hit the part of the water with the waves and was forced violently back to shore. It was pretty hilarious.

I got some great extra fruit and lizards out of it and it was a lot of fun. Maybe you first-timers are too charged up to get to the next Colossus, which I understand, but if you ever feel like it, either in this play-through or your next, don't be afraid to do a little wandering.

Now to continue the tradition I've started: to play the game, and not comment on that play session until I sit down for my next one.

I'll start now that I finished PoP. Had to get that outta the way first.

Are you really going to do this for every single one, Linko?

I played this fairly recently. I like how every fight feels like you're the one inciting violence. It was too easy for my taste, but I figure a sense of great triumph after killing each one probably wasn't what they were going for anyway.

Not criticising, just figured it was a lot of effort!

I've only managed to play once. My schedule is insane. Pre-production means I need to play certain games for reference when I'm off work, which conflicts with my Fallout 3 addiction (which has gotten better since I reached level 20. Capping the level without allowing the Player to fully develop all of his skills if they so choose was a stupid, stupid, stupid move. I can understand the reason, and it was still the wrong choice.), this project, and other games I'd like to finish and start playing.

Anyway, my thoughts on the first playthrough, which ended just after killing the first colossus:

The introductory cutscene was taking longer than I had anticipated, partly because I felt they were showing too much of nothing at the start. It sets the mood for this otherworldly, desolate, fantastic location, much like in Ico, but I kept wishing the game would get on with it. I did like the fact that the game could be played in a widescreen TV without stretching the image.

It seemed like my character pulled the girl from out of his pocket, as I hadn't noticed her before he arrived at the temple. The premise seemed simple enough. Kill each colossus, which are a representation of these superbeings, if you want the mysterious voices to bring the girl back to life. My character seemed determined to do so, no questions asked. Ok, then.

Player movement is one of the unique aspects of this game. Like Grand Theft Auto IV, the character has a noteworthy mechanic of moving about the level. Pushing the analog stick is not exactly 1:1 with how the character reacts. He won't stop moving immediately after you stop pushing, so I need to be mindful of that. I've learned to appreciate the purpose of initially cumbersome player movement before, so it's all good.

After getting on the horse and galloping towards the open fields, I immediately noticed the odd, imperfect camera. There was definitely a lot of time spent on it, because it was obviously made for battling the colossi first, so regular navigation becomes a little problematic when used there. However, it does position itself at a decent angle when platforming, so I can get by.

The best moment by far was when I first witnessed the colossus. The reason there's nothing else in the world but the colossi goes beyond story: I can't imagine making multiple colossi animate that well, look that good, and still make other characters. But anyway, I couldn't control my smile as I was walking around the colossus as it looked back at me like a man looks at a cockroach. It is truly an epic feeling.

One thing that many SotC fans talk about is how the game makes them feel bad, or re-think why they're killing these enormous beings that have done nothing to them.

To that I say, f[color=yellowgreen]uck that!

I didn't attack the colossus first. I was just walking around, minding my own business, and the big monster comes to me and hurts me. THAT BASTARD. I had done nothing to him! Since he is huge, and I'm little, and he hurt me unprovoked, well... that's a bully, and bullies deserve a lesson, so I had no qualms about killing this one. If all of them attack me unprokoved, then I'll enjoy ending their bullish, barbarian lives. It's all for the girl, and they deserve it for attacking me, so why not?

We'll have to see...

As far as the actual act of killing the colossus, it was indeed epic. It was a little too easy to execute, however, even if I struggled to climb all the way up to his head. I figure he could just slap me away if he felt I was on top of his head, hurting his exposed weak point, his Achilles heel, his metaphorical heart. I mean, it took a while to kill him, and he didn't bother to grab me and throw me away. I guess they are stupid, too. Yes, that's another reason to kill them.[/color]

I noticed how you never paid any attention to your grip gauge when you were playing. That'll bite you on bigger ones. Also, when you play in the future, you will feel like a villain in some cases and you will get frustrated on climbing a mega Colossus that you stupidly fell off of (because not all can be grabbed as easily as the first one). I also noticed you were reluctant to climb the Colossus-- very different from how I played, because every single one that I ran into I went head on with.

Note on the camera: In open fields there tends to be no path that Agro follows, but in smaller places the camera automatically redirects itself (as does Agro) and gives it a real cinematic feel. There's almost no reason to shift the camera about unless you want to look around at a bunch of empty space. And since Agro follows pathways at key locations, there's no reason to lead him except for difficult directions.

As for the scenes, the only ones I remember are the ones at the beginning and the end. You really never find out anything beyond hints and references.

It is easily in my top 5 games of all time.

[quote=Big Boss;912711][FONT=trebuchet ms][COLOR=yellowgreen]
To that I say, f[COLOR=yellowgreen]u[/COLOR]ck that!

I didn't attack the colossus first. I was just walking around, minding my own business, and the big monster comes to me and hurts me. THAT BASTARD. I had done nothing to him! Since he is huge, and I'm little, and he hurt me unprovoked, well... that's a bully, and bullies deserve a lesson, so I had no qualms about killing this one. If all of them attack me unprokoved, then I'll enjoy ending their bullish, barbarian lives. It's all for the girl, and they deserve it for attacking me, so why not?[/COLOR][/FONT]

They'll attack you on site, granted. But you're the one seeking them out with the intent to kill them. If you run away from them they won't follow you, they act like animals defending their territory. Once you get to grips with the game it will start to feel like you're slaughtering them like animals too.

Yeah, regardless of their nature they really are in an isolated world and they harm nobody. The game really illustrates how self-serving people tend to be. It sticks with me to this day.

There's one other aspect that makes slaying that very first colossus even more of a regretful experience. Which is that it really [COLOR="Yellow"]fu[COLOR="Yellow"]c[/COLOR]king[/COLOR] adorable. It looks like a giant teddy bear - that may be trying to step on you, yes, but adorable nonetheless.

My turn.

I started playing about five days ago, and I'm now on the ninth colossus. My first impression was that it was difficult, but I quickly realized that it was probably due to it being my first PS2 game, and that the controls were a little different from what I'm used to. Being used to Zelda, controlling Agro seemed very unintuitive at first. It took me a long time to climb up to the first colossus and took me even longer to beat him. It was astonishing seeing the colossus for the first time, and it made me feel like a tiny little guy. It felt like a great accomplishment finally stabbing that fu[b]cker in the head. After this, I explored and played around with the camera a little bit. The graphics are beautiful, and I love the way the camera is controlled. As I galloped through the fields I'd keep on changing perspectives resulting in such a cinematic feel. I got used to the controls and to Agro's movement, and before I knew it was ripping through the fields, shining my sword, and defeating a bunch of those colossi. I am surprised with its originality and its simplicity. The fact that you only have two weapons and a horse, and there is only colossi to worry about is nice. It's also nice that there's no heart containers, rupees, or a dozen of items to worry about. I also want to mention that it seems fairly accessible. My sister was getting into the game and I even handed her the controller a couple of times (she beat the fifth colossus; what an epic battle!).[/b]

Oh, rats, I forgot all about this. I guess I'm more than halfway through the game already, though. I'll return to play soon.

Got a chance to play some more and got a little further in:

The third colossus was one of my favorites ever since I first encountered him. Of all the one's you'd seen, this was the biggest and gave you a real sense of how big these colossi can get, it is really, really big (that's what she said). Couple that with his human characteristics and a big ****ing sword he can swing and still hit you from what seems like an unreachable distance. I still remembered what the strategy was to get up to his weak spot so the fight was over in no time. There's still nothing going on as far as story wise, so, moving on.

The fourth colossus was then and still is the most boring of all the colossi in the game, it looks like a big skelatol horse. I felt that there wasn't anything special about it other than the way you climb up to it (but even that wasn't too spectacular). After the last you colossus my expectations grew so I definitely expected a lot more.

I'm not sure if this was normal but on my way to the fourth colossus, I run across some of the fruit trees that increase your maximum health. I know they're scattered across the landscape but the strange thing was how many fruit trees i found in the same spot. There were probably about 5 or 6 fruit trees right next to each other and my increased so much in such a short amount of time that I thought it was a little too convenient for them to all be in the same spot, I thought something must be wrong, but oh well. There were also a **** load of lizards surrounding the trees, I think I killed 10 of them, alll within eye distance.

Back to the task at hand: Colossus number 5 was awesome, although it was kind of a pain to get up to it. More than the previous others, this one really gives you that sense of the colossus that living there, minding its own business until you decide to confront it and start shooting arrows at it, like a bully. Once you do manage to get on top of it, the battle that ensues on the sky as you're trying to hang on for dear life is epic.

You guys done yet? I'm ready for the MGS3 thread.

I'm not done yet, but I agree with playing MGS3 after. I'm playing through MGS2 right now.

I finally beat it, and I loved it. The ending was absolutely beautiful and completely unpredictable. How is everyone else doing? Anyone else done?