As a first-timer how has your experience been with Shadow of the Colossus?

[ain_sr]

I had just heard of great things about this game but was unknown to its content until now.

For me it was a much needed game to refresh the fatigue of today's games that are filled up to the brim with content and grandeur.

I feel a sense of tranquility in the minimalist but 'colossal' scope of the game.

 

I am playing it in parts about two colossus per day and have done till colossi 7.  It gave me one of the most nightmarish video game stage in the form of Colossus 7.

Spoiler

Dark water+Electric Eel monster is the stuff of my nightmares!

 

EDIT: Completed the game on normal, loved this game very much. Even though the twist was predictable but the journey till then was amazing for me. I would put this game on the same level as Journey(PS3). Minimalist game with maximum art and a heart.

 

How was your experience? Did you find anything horrifying?

Edited March 18, 2020 by ain_sr
Updated

[Ghost_of_Ziggy]

Just started it, looks very nice, the art direction remind me a little of Twilight Princess mixed with Final Fantasy. 

[danceswithsloths]

My scariest portion of the game is also Colossus 7. I have Thalassophobia (fear of deep water) which made that battle downright terrifying for me the first few times.

[ain_sr]

1 hour ago, danceswithsloths said:

My scariest portion of the game is also Colossus 7. I have Thalassophobia (fear of deep water) which made that battle downright terrifying for me the first few times.

 That must be terrifying for you mate.

[JunPei_TGB]

Sadly i wasn’t the first-timer because i used to play this game way far back then (like ten years ago) during the PS2 era.. haha.. yup, this was a PS2 game afterall..

then again, the graphic improvement does surprisingly amazing compare to some others titles remastered from PS2 (like god of war), at least SoC doesn’t simply just copy paste the whole game without upgrading the CG and background (yeah Gow is a rip-off).

it was good during that time because it has something to compare with what the Monster Hunter from PS2 gen lack to deliver during that time (extremely huge monster, sky battle, underwater battle, and the thrilling for climbing and holding), which is probably what the great things about the game, well at least for me.

[JEDLander]

Made it to colossus 7 but then just got kinda bored. Haven't played since. Graphically and conceptually the game is great, I just didn't enjoy playing it

[annabellaburns]

Beat the first boss then I didn't know where the second one is so it became boring really fast and closed the game. One of those boring games that don't tell you anything. Had to figure out everything when fighting the first boss and it took a few minutes. Probably won't plat it. I don't get the hype it gets. Maybe when it was on PS2 it was impressive but now it's meh

[holozelba]

First-timer here and eventually I got the platinum, this game is so good ?

[ain_sr]

On 3/14/2020 at 3:36 AM, JunPei_TGB said:

Sadly i wasn’t the first-timer because i used to play this game way far back then (like ten years ago) during the PS2 era.. haha.. yup, this was a PS2 game afterall..

then again, the graphic improvement does surprisingly amazing compare to some others titles remastered from PS2 (like god of war), at least SoC doesn’t simply just copy paste the whole game without upgrading the CG and background (yeah Gow is a rip-off).

it was good during that time because it has something to compare with what the Monster Hunter from PS2 gen lack to deliver during that time (extremely huge monster, sky battle, underwater battle, and the thrilling for climbing and holding), which is probably what the great things about the game, well at least for me.

I believe you are confusing remaster with remake. GoW was remastered ports of the ps2 whereas SoC is a remake, which has been built from scratch( at least graphically). Whereas remaster mainly consists of texture quality and framerate improvement.

To Simplyfy it: Remaster= MP3 songs to FLACC

                        Remake = Original song to orchestral /dubstep version

[EcoShifter]

Was fairly enjoyable the first time, though I did encounter multiple issues during my first and especially later playthroughs: the camera (mostly when climbing different colossi, especially #3 and other bipedal ones, but of course some environmental things also because of the factual inability of the camera to phase through solid surfaces), A.I. (bosses and horse; the former in which they wouldn't perform the actions they're suppose to—C15 is known for this by sometimes just standing in place and not swinging its melee weapon for the player to proceed—and situations in which they'd shake notably longer than usual, seemingly endlessly; and the latter is such a common complaint already that I won't even go into detail), controls/physics/collision (I've actually been forgetting exactly how they went as I've moved onto other games since, but this isn't a rare complaint either), and the infamous save erase bug. It was also disappointing finding out that the game doesn't truly expand its world-building passed its (short amount of) cutscenes, making at least half of exploring redundant and worthless, which I find as a fairly big fault in a game that chooses the open-world format.

 

Given this is a trophy website, I also have to mention the trophy list is pretty terrible, with multiple trophies, not just one or two, being designed to intentionally have you go out of your way to do unfavorable and tedious tasks.

 

 

[CitrusKey88]

It was a new experience, I’m currently playing it but already did the Hard Mode Time Attack were there was some challenging moments and still have many things to do. Really happy they put this gem on PS+

[SnizelPS]

This remake was the 1st time I've ever played this game.

Loved the music and the jaw-dropping graphics.

I know this might be controversial, but I actually thought the controls were awesome and they really fit this game.

It makes you feel more vulnerable and it only emphasizes how much of a scrawny tiny twig Wander is compared to these giants.

I think that if it would've controlled, let's say like AC games, it would've felt way too automatic and easy.

Also loved the challenge of time attacks and hard difficulty.

I will say that upgrading stamina to max can be a huge pain.

 

Edited March 16, 2020 by SnizelPS

[MALpractice311]

On 3/13/2020 at 6:12 PM, JEDLander said:

Made it to colossus 7 but then just got kinda bored. Haven't played since. Graphically and conceptually the game is great, I just didn't enjoy playing it

 

I had mostly the same experience.  Artistically, I understand the appeal, but I was done after Colossus 4 because I found the "locate the weak point and hit it three times" gameplay incredibly basic and boring.

[DungeonMI6]

Not a player of PS2 or PS3 version of the game here, so the freebie from PS plus is my very first experience.

 

At first, it's a fucking nightmare piece of shit. No clear guide, shitty controls, SHITTY HORSE etc. However, after reading the guide and playing it six times (and still not platinum yet), I found this quite intriguing (the puzzles!), beautiful, and actually "enjoyable", although the controls and THE HORSE are still fucking nightmare. Despite the change in opinion after the horrid first encounter, I must say, without the beautiful scenery and puzzles, the gameplay and story are somewhat dull in my opinion. The story is similar to Gravity Rush as in I won't miss it if I skip the cutscene (and they both came from the same developer, no surprise). But yeah, after all, enough to keep me playing six times! 

Edited March 17, 2020 by DungeonMI6
Making it clearer

[cometowner]

I am 39 years old and I played in PS2 so much. I also played the remaster version and got the platinum. Planning for remake platinum after uncharted remaster series.

[rabatopotatoe]

On 3/14/2020 at 8:09 AM, annabellaburns said:

Beat the first boss then I didn't know where the second one is so it became boring really fast and closed the game. One of those boring games that don't tell you anything. Had to figure out everything when fighting the first boss and it took a few minutes. Probably won't plat it. I don't get the hype it gets. Maybe when it was on PS2 it was impressive but now it's meh

Hold up your sword in the light and it will point to the next colossus

[EcoShifter]

49 minutes ago, DungeonMI6 said:

Not a player of PS2 or PS3 version of the game here, so the freebie from PS plus is my very first experience.

 

At first, it's a fucking nightmare piece of shit. No clear guide, shitty controls, SHITTY HORSE etc. However, after reading the guide and playing it six times (and still not platinum yet), I found this quite intriguing (the puzzles!), beautiful, and actually "enjoyable", although the controls and THE HORSE are still fucking nightmare. Despite the change in opinion after the horrid first encounter, I must say, without the beautiful scenery and puzzles, the gameplay and story are somewhat dull in my opinion. The story is similar to Gravity Rush as in I won't miss it if I skip the cutscene (and they both came from the same developer, no surprise). But yeah, after all, enough to keep me playing six times! 

 

That's a complete false equivalence. (As for the same developer, they have multiple different teams. Even if it was the same team, it'd never be the exact same team, as some designers leave and new ones are hired. Don't know why you're saying "no surprise"; GR has way more going for it than SotC. They're not very comparable, they just share minor aspects, like the MC not speaking English and the game being made by the same overall developers.)

Edited March 17, 2020 by EcoShifter

[Gommes_]

It amazes me how many people bitch about that they do not know what to do in that game, since it doesn't tell you but ehm, IT DOES TELL YOU!

It says to hold your sword up and follow the light. The rest is exploration guys! I thought since Dark Souls players know that holding your hand is not a must in games (and older players know that anyway).

[ain_sr]

11 hours ago, Gommes_ said:

It amazes me how many people bitch about that they do not know what to do in that game, since it doesn't tell you but ehm, IT DOES TELL YOU!

It says to hold your sword up and follow the light. The rest is exploration guys! I thought since Dark Souls players know that holding your hand is not a must in games (and older players know that anyway).

I agree. That's how games involve you, by letting you explore, finding your own ways just like life  ! That's why it felt fresh when I did not have a white-painted/coloured ledge to know where to go or was bombarded with objectives and hundred icons on map. Shadow of Colossus is a much needed game to make breathing room from highly dense games. Not saying they are bad but sometimes one needs a good salad instead of steak(or the like)!

[unkind_hermit4]

I'm really liking Shadow of the Colossus as someone who never got around to it before. I'm usually not a fan of games that focus exclusively on combat, but this one is different as you don't fight the colossi as much as discover how to beat them; they're unique puzzles. I also like that the minimalist aesthetic and the absence of filler. 

 

What's stopping me from going for the platinum are the controls, which I find incredibly frustrating. Aggro feels unresponsive, the sensitivity is inconsistent,  the camera sucks, and the fact that some colossi can stun-lock you because it takes forever for the protagonist to get up (looking at you, colossus 11) almost made me rage-quite.

Edited March 20, 2020 by JacobRaymond9780
clarified, added more details

[annabellaburns]

On 17/03/2020 at 6:15 PM, Gommes_ said:

It amazes me how many people bitch about that they do not know what to do in that game, since it doesn't tell you but ehm, IT DOES TELL YOU!

It says to hold your sword up and follow the light. The rest is exploration guys! I thought since Dark Souls players know that holding your hand is not a must in games (and older players know that anyway).

I did and nothing happened and beyond that one single explanation nothing popped up, so it's just bad design. Closed the game after about 30 minutes of running around.

On 17/03/2020 at 8:01 AM, DungeonMI6 said:

Not a player of PS2 or PS3 version of the game here, so the freebie from PS plus is my very first experience.

 

At first, it's a fucking nightmare piece of shit. No clear guide, shitty controls, SHITTY HORSE etc. However, after reading the guide and playing it six times (and still not platinum yet), I found this quite intriguing (the puzzles!), beautiful, and actually "enjoyable", although the controls and THE HORSE are still fucking nightmare. Despite the change in opinion after the horrid first encounter, I must say, without the beautiful scenery and puzzles, the gameplay and story are somewhat dull in my opinion. The story is similar to Gravity Rush as in I won't miss it if I skip the cutscene (and they both came from the same developer, no surprise). But yeah, after all, enough to keep me playing six times! 

Yeah, game looks great but the controls are awful.

[Gommes_]

 

19 minutes ago, annabellaburns said:

I did and nothing happened and beyond that one single explanation nothing popped up, so it's just bad design. Closed the game after about 30 minutes of running around.

Yeah, game looks great but the controls are awful.

 

As soon as you step out of the temple it tells you and it's bad design, cause nothing else popped up? Do players today really need packed maps like in Ubisoft games and tutorials like in Ni No Kuni 2 which never stop? Just out of curiosity, is Dark Souls bad design for you too? I mean this series tells you nothing at all.

[Roundtoad]

This game is beautifully haunting, in a way that makes you feel so helpless and isolated from everything else. Imagine being plopped in a desolate world, unable to understand anything around you, with no sense of direction or guidance - as the player you get to empathize with Wander, the feeling of being trully alone, and the only thing that can help him resurrect Mono, is you.

 

The controls on the other hand, aren't as beautiful.

 

 

[ImStylinOnYaBro]

I hate this game. It bored me to hell and I dislike every moment on it.

[drfk168]

The infamous bad controls and camera, as well as that damn horse, lived up to their reputation as being terrible. I finished the game, but it's definitely one of those games I regret investing any time in (those goddamn low trophy completion percentages ? ). My mind was blown that so many people consider this massively overrated game such a classic.