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aparra's Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
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| [January 14, 2008 01:28:55 AM]
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GAMEPLAY
Today I finished up to the seventh colossus, and have still been amazed by the character design and implementation. I have now fought a flying monstor that carried me through the soaring skies, and an underwater electric eel that brought me down to try and drown me. Each colossus I fight has a very distinct strategy to it.
One thing that is starting to allow me to appreciate this game more is my growing sympathy for each colossus. As you are climbing to the top of each enemy, they begin to cry and moan, begging for you to get off. And although I can not understand their language, there is a sad tone to their voice that cries "What did I do to you?"
DESIGN
Overall the design is fantastic, but not without its flaws. The design of each colossus and the overall puzzle element of the entire game make for a great combination of action/adventure/problem solving.
I was not too fond of the level design for this game, as really, there is just one big world with little zones in which to fight each colossus. To me, it seems like the travel from the main castle to each colossus is simply a filler, and doesn't even necessarily need to be there. Second, the map is a complete waste, as it is completely blurry and extremely confusing.
The biggest challenge of this game is discovering how exactly to take down each colossus. Most of the time, I found myself waiting for the clue from the outside voice, which triggers if you wait 10 minutes or so without attempting to take down the enemy. I found this annoying, as the clues only slightly helped, and should just be given at the beginning of the fight.
When trying to categorize the design of this game, it is very difficult. It could be argued to be a puzzle game, in that each colossus is a puzzle in itself on how to destroy it. Many would call it an adventure game, catching glimpses of similarity to the Zelda franchise. Others might call it an action game, as it can become fast paced at times, especially when you are on top of the colossus holding on for dear life. It is this combination of elements that truly helps this game succeed.
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| [January 12, 2008 03:22:02 PM]
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SUMMARY
I had rented Shadow of the Colossus around the time it came out. I distinctly remember not enjoying this game, even after all of the hype it had received. After seeing it on the list of classic games for the Playstation 2, I figured I owed the game another try.
Shadow of the Colossus begins by introducing an unnamed character who had apparently lost someone close to him. Although there is not much background story given, the objective is extremely clear. Destroy all colossi to save the girl. Colossi are best described as giants. In fact, the game cover has a clever statement about the primary objective, "Some mountains are scaled, others are slain."
GAMEPLAY
After playing through this game a second time, not remembering the specific reasons why I did not like this game, the primary annoyances become clear. The camera angle is extremely frusterating. Using the right joystick, one can manually control the camera. However, because this usually ends up not keeping the character as the primary focus on the screen, I tend to get confused. Also, considering the gigantic size of each colossus, keeping it and the player on screen can be extremely difficult.
I also got very frusterated with the horse. The sensitivity of the controller made it extremely hard to ride it in a straight line, and my housemates joked that it seemed like I was riding a drunk horse.
I do like the idea that the main character is anonymous. A game like this is already slow paced, as each colossus can take more than half an hour each, so by not dumbing the player with another mindless story, the game makers let us create our own story and reason as to why the player must defeat each colossus.
Each colossus must be scaled through elaborate jumps and climbs. However, when the colossus you are scaling realizes it has a tiny character climbing on top it, it will shake and rattle to try and get you off. If it does, the climb back can be extremely annoying and repetitive. My housemates were standing by, watching my every move. Although the scale of each battle is quite epic, and exciting enough to keep bystanders watching, the reality of falling off and starting all over were enough to make them stop caring.
The boss fights in Shadow of the Colossus, while long, are extremely rewarding. Picture an ant climbing to the top of a human, and finding a way to take them down. After finding the weak point and destroying a colossus, a large sense of accomplishment overwhelmed me.
I have finished now 5 colossus and look forward to taking down some more.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 12th, 2008 at 15:34:31.
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aparra's Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Friday 11 January, 2008
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