Opinions about this game

[AnettKA89]

I tried to play this game on the PS3 recently. I really tried it. I honestly wanted to enjoy it. But I couldn't.

I beat 3 colossi back in 2014. I wanted to beat the 4th today. But I gave up. I couldn't enjoy this game in 2014 and I couldn't enjoy it in 2015 as well... So in the end I decided to delete this game from my ps3 an hour ago.

The camera was the worst I've ever experienced. The horse....I thought at least the horse would be my friend in this game. But no. Of course it was not.

The world. It was empty. I was riding my bad AI horse in an empty world searching for colossi to climb and to kill by using the hard-to-control camera and the R1 button all the time. 

 

I don't know what to say. I'm so disappointed. I thought this game would be fun to play. 

Why is it so popular nowadays? Why was this so popular back then? I don't get it.

 

Please don't get me wrong, I have got a different taste in games probably, and that must be the problem in my case. To be honest, when I've seen a couple of gameplay screenshots back in 2014 I thought this game would be similar to Legend of Zelda. So all in all, I don't want to underrate this game, I know that many people still like it. But...I wonder why? What is so good about it?

And the gamers who enjoyed Shadow of the Colossus: what part of the game did they enjoy?

[Condemned09]

What i love about the game is the music mostly and fighting those colossus are epic fights, back when the game release on ps2 i thought the game is garbage since you don't fight any monster but when i first play shadow of colossus it was a whole new gaming experience, i never brought the ps3.edition but i have it on ps2 to this day its one of my favorite video games of all time

[Humonic]

All I heard was 2hard4me.

git gud. 

 

I'm playing, it's honestly a decent game once you get used to it and know what you're doing. 

But then again it might just not be to your taste and there's nothing wrong with that. 

 

I think most people like it because they find it to be sad, beautiful and mysterious all at the same time.

It's a bit of an enigma and it's fun for some at the same time, so it's easy to see why it's liked. 

 

You didn't like it though, at least you gave it a shot though eh?

[AnettKA89]

I think I should have spent more time with the controls...ah i don't know. I might give this game another chance in the future. Thank you for replying!

[SkyesUnholy]

Although the world is empty, it gives you the opportunity to appreciate the scenery more and just relax on your way to your next battle The game doesn't force you to rush, so you can take your time getting used to the controls ^-^

[IrishNexus]

This game is top.

[douchebro]

game was unique with captivating battles unlike anything I've played back in its days. every colossus was a puzzle of its own, figuring out how to make your way to the top of every colossus was quite the experience.

 

might as well mention how brilliant the music in this game is... 

[Remilia Scarlet]

I loved the atmosphere and battles against the colossi. It was a different experience compared to what most companies offer up. Since you did not enjoy this one, I suggest ICO. It's a brilliant game with challenging puzzles, better controls and an air of mystery to it

[theJJ88]

Really loved this game back on PS2, as I did ICO too. So HD Collection was a must buy for me. One of those games that I like to return to once in a while. Maybe I should get back to them both later this year and aim for platinums.

 

Seriously, for me SotC is one of the best games of all time. I love epic boss fights and it's all there is to it (with feeling of exploration of ancient, isolated, mysterious world). Controls take a while to get used to, but after that you're ready to face speed trials and amaze yourself by how previously so mighty giants fall by your skills. Trial and error gets you there. Also, I really liked companionship with Agro. Together, just two of us, we could take on any challenge. I didn't have any problems with AI, that was just how Agro was and who am I to badmouth my only friend (I never had problems with Yorda from ICO either, though some jerks blame her too). And music and art style of game are praised for a good reason. Once you get into game, it will be a fun ride on the Colossi.

[Precise--Rhythm]

The controls are janky no doubt, but you get used to them. The one bad thing about this game is how random it is: you can recreate the same conditions five different times and get five different results. For instance, if you are hanging on a colossi in the 'sweet spot' sometimes Wander can just lose his footing randomly, making you lose valuable seconds. It's infuriating, especially in Hard Time Attack, where the stakes are high.

[HardXDXtraga]

 (I never had problems with Yorda from ICO either, though some jerks blame her too).

Try beating the game in under 2 hours, you'll see who the jerk is

 

 

 I have got a different taste in games probably

Yeah, probably, lucky you there are so many games out there you'll actually like, I thought it was fantastic and the empty world didn't bother me at all, it's how it's supposed to be.

Don't like it play something else, no need to play something you don't like, you'll just hate it more

[DaivRules]

I first played it on the PS2 and thought it looked amazing for the hardware it was released on. I have the PS3 version in my backlog since I never finished the PS2 version. I can see when you don't have context for it's release and what to compare it to, it's not the same, but unfortunately, explaining *any* prior gen video game in context is like explaining the Quadratic equation to someone who hasn't learned geometry yet. (Negative B plus or minus the square root of b squared minus four times A times C all over 2 times A.)

[Vergilex]

Guess I'm the second odd ball here who doesn't really like ICO/Shadow of the Colossus.

 

Unfortunately, I never got to "fully" play either on PS2 (lost those and other games to a fire years ago), so I eventually gave the HD bundle a try (didn't hurt it had a nice price). I guess I lack some form of empathy, the titles' magic just didn't work on me. About ICO: I was expecting a lengthier experience, and Yorda's A.I. is truly awful for most who try to complete the game in under 2 hours (heck, I ended up convincing my girlfriend to play with me, just to save me some frustration, my controller probably built a hidden shrine for me somewhere, for such thoughtful decision); Yorda really liked those shadows, she always ran to them (habit shared in both releases, as far as I've seen). Lost count of the times she attempted to get all smoochy with walls. Needless to say, I didn't really feel all that compelled to save her by the end of the game.

 

As for Shadow of the Colossus, I was hoping for something better. It's not a piece of crap to me, but I think it has done a bunch of things wrong:

 

- "Hunting the Colossi" = on paper+previews+Internet it sounded fun, what I've got from the game, instead, is it picking for me the order in which I should fight my enemies. I wasn't amused with such choice, what point is there in giving me a great land to explore, if you don't allow me to screw up a bit? For me the overall experience could have been better by giving the player more freedom in choosing who he/she should face (and perhaps be on the ass end of an ass-kicking, as a consequence).

 

- "Crappy collectibles' tracking" = The indicators for those lizards/fruits on the map died on me way too often; say, I've come to learn at my expense that around an area there might be more than one stamina lizard wandering, yet the icon took a vacation as soon as I collected a single one. Same goes for those fruits. Maybe I've suffered some kind of glitch.

 

- "Plot" = I kinda figured how it was going to end a bit too soon, probably the flaw isn't within the game, but with me, the journey still lost much of its 'engaging-factor'.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Vergilex

[Thoazol]

Only real issue I had with SotC was the camera being generally not very co-operative to the point that I was cursing at the camera moreoften than the colossi. I get that it's trying to keep Wander in shot and that it's a big deal in anything that involves platforming, but for example with the colossi trying to shake you off the camera seems all too happy to shake along the colossi so you can see where Wander is flailing at any given time, even when the whole ordeal lasts about 2-3 seconds in total.

[TigressLion]

THis game is almost ALWAYS paired up with ICO. I could not enjoy ICO for the life of me, I ended up deleting it within an hour, so by bias of the dislike for the first game through proxy I can't bring myself to play Shadow of the COlossus

[Hemiak]

I really wish the camera wouldn't auto-"correct". I tilted it upwards so I could see where I was going, I don't want the dang thing to tilt back down towards the monster's foot very time I let go.

Playing with the controls helps a lot too. I immediately set x to be the jump button because... X IS the jump button. I also set R2 to be the horse/action button. Holding down any face button while trying to use the camera while still moving is a serious pain in the hand after a while.

People love it because it's so different than almost any other game. Barely any story, you can pretty much go anywhere you want to explore. And they do t hold your hand figuring out the bosses. He'll, they don't even tell you how to attack really. It's the atmosphere and the subtlety that really makes it great.

Other than the control flaws which are easy to remap, the only thing I would change is to fight the Colossi in any order you choose. I accidentally ended up in a den for a later Colossus and just ran around for 10 minutes before I figured out that it wasn't going to trigger.

[Gotakibono]

I guess the main point you have to bear in mind that is it was released back in 2005, and was completely unlike anything else at the time. It was a brave attempt at crafting a different type of game, and  even in the ten years since its original release, it's still one of the most understated, atmospheric games I've ever played. 

 

It's not for everyone. You're given very little story, very little direction and no real interaction outside of the bosses. However, on the other hand, you're given a beautifully mysterious world, an ambiguous setting that leaves a lot open to your own interpretation, and a soundtrack that just swells at all the right times. Some people just don't connect with it at all, and that's fine - I'm not going to lament anyone for not liking something that I love. However, for the people who do connect with it on an emotional level, they'll understand completely why so many people adore the game, even after a decade. 

Edited October 22, 2015 by Gotakibono

[ihadalifeb4this]

I still think that all HD titles are missed opportunity. From what I had chance to see not a single game had any gameplay  improvement, or added any sort of new content. 

[lettmon]

When I started getting into the PS2 in 2011, I chose Shadow of the Colossus as one of my first games. I had only played on PC with keyboard and mouse and playing with a controller took some getting used to. I was shocked at how bad the controls were and the camera, I was constantly fighting the camera instead of the colossi. As years passed I gave this game new tries and always got a little further than before but always ragequit. Then I decided to watch a Let's play instead but after that I still wanted to play it myself. I decided to stop fighting the camera, just let it pan wherever it wants, and since I already knew how to kill each colossi, it was a breeze. Then I played again and again for trophies. I can't say I really like this game, I would rate it with 7/10. I added a few tracks to my game music collection, so that's that. But I absolutely could not stand Ico when I tried it, the combat was so annoying, just flailing the stick at the monsters in hope to hit them, maybe in 2001 it was acceptable.

[Fish613]

On 5/15/2015 at 6:14 PM, naeneko said:

 

I don't know what to say. I'm so disappointed. I thought this game would be fun to play. 

Why is it so popular nowadays? Why was this so popular back then? I don't get it.

 

 But...I wonder why? What is so good about it?

And the gamers who enjoyed Shadow of the Colossus: what part of the game did they enjoy?

You have to remember that back when this game came out, the scale was unbelievably amazing. Nothing like this had ever been done before to this scale and done so well. Fighting those giant monsters and taking them down was very satisfying. Even by today's standards, SOTC does a great job at the whole 'fighting giants' thing better than a lot of other games that put giant enemies in them.

 

For me, Gameplay is first and foremost when it comes to games. And that's the worst part about SOTC..... getting used to the controls took patience. But like any other game, you eventually get used to them and it comes as second nature. The difference with SOTC is that it takes A LOT of patience to get used to the controls, and that turns a lot of people off and they quit.

 

The other important things for me personally in video games (and the parts I enjoyed most with SOTC) are Combat, Characters, Music, Presentation, and Story. All of which SOTC gets 10/10 EASILY. Especially the music. And also, all of which the gamer does not get to experience when they quit after playing for an hour because of the controls lol. The combat is so unique and different, even compared to most games today. That's what sets this game apart from others. Meanwhile, I'd give Gameplay/Controls a 3/10 at most lol.

 

I think what happens with people who try to play this game now (without ever playing it back in 2005-2006) is that they expect more out of it (content wise). People play games like GTA, COD, Fortnite, etc etc and they expect lots of things in a game, but SOTC is not that and has never tried or advertised itself to be.

 

The world is suppose to be empty/desolate. That's done on purpose to add to the atmosphere and presentation.

 

I don't know if i would use the word "fun" when it comes to playing SOTC. I'd more use the word "epic". You using the word "fun" kind of proves my point about the hype people build this game up to be (who haven't played it back in the mid 2000s). It's a very satisfying, emotional, epic game to play.

 

People have to have patience to enjoy a game like this. I find that most people who dislike it mostly complain about the controls. And al though, yes that's #1 most important, it's the ONLY bad thing about this game, imo. And even then, you get used to the controls.

 

People who hate the game because of the controls, have a legit complaint and I can understand that. But if anyone dislikes the game for any other reason..... then the game just simply isn't for them .

 

 

[Killbomb]

1 hour ago, Fish613 said:

I don't know if i would use the word "fun" when it comes to playing SOTC. I'd more use the word "epic". You using the word "fun" kind of proves my point about the hype people build this game up to be (who haven't played it back in the mid 2000s). It's a very satisfying, emotional, epic game to play.

 

People have to have patience to enjoy a game like this. I find that most people who dislike it mostly complain about the controls. And al though, yes that's #1 most important, it's the ONLY bad thing about this game, imo. And even then, you get used to the controls.

 

People who hate the game because of the controls, have a legit complaint and I can understand that. But if anyone dislikes the game for any other reason..... then the game just simply isn't for them .

 

 

 

Honestly if a game can't be described as fun then it belongs in the bin as far as I'm concerned no matter what other qualities it has. I've given SoTC two chances...once on PS2 and again with the remaster on PS4. The game is just not fun to me as battling the colossi is a tedious chore. The controls and camera are shit and I just wasn't having a good time.

 

Then you have the traversal through a nearly empty world to get from boss to boss. Therein lies the biggest problem of the game to me...the goddamn horse. I get that in real life horses don't always go where you want them to but I don't want that kind of realism in my video games.

Edited September 11, 2019 by Killbomb

[DoluckyStar]

What I love about this game is that mysticism. Game set in ancient times, and the hero must explore places, that are even more ancient. The atmosphere and the isolation. The constatnt feeling, that you are the only human being there. I think only early Tomb Raiders can get close in that matter.

 

Then, there is the horse... The annoying beast, that turns whenever she wants in full gallop... In rage I think I already wasted hundred arrows on her =D.

 

Controls doesn't bother me. The same the World's emptiness. The music is top, and especially the one from intro. I beat it in 2006 for the first time on PS2, and it was a blast for me. Now, I'm trying to platinum it, and I'm enjoying this gem again. A game not for everyone for sure.

[AlphaCohen]

The PS2 and PS4 versions are far superior to this one, for certain. Hard Time Attack is extremely grueling, but this platinum is going to be worth it.

[cometowner]

Played the game in a generation and every time its awesome experience, i love this game so much 

[abhinandhan22]

Masterpiece. Never played it till the PS4 version and it lived up to every ounce of hype that I had heard over the years. Really hoping Bluepoint nails the demon souls remake as well