Shadow of the Colossus (fairly large image in here)

Finished all the SPOILER: time attack mode stuff earlier today, got all the items, it’s really cool to shoot exploding arrows at things, like the lizards. I’ve only got 5 more colossi left now before I finish the game for a second time, this time I’ll try and kill all those others when I’m the colossi just to see what happens, it’s much easier with the items, and I just maxxed out my arm and health, I’ve been killing certain colossi in 1 hit. After this I’m gonna try “hard mode”, with a brown horse.

End spoilers.

Great game, I’ve been playing it 3 days straight now.

am I the only one who thinks http://giantology.typepad.com/ is a viral ad capaign for this game? all those movies featuring the supposed “giants” look have crappy CGI inserted, and all the giants’ bodies look like the colossi.

Wow. I already know this’ll be a game that I’ll pick up and play for years to come (like Ico and others before it). It’s supremely rare for me to experience “jaw-dropping” moments in video games these days (only Burnout 3, in recent memory) but this one did it with just about every battle. I really had no idea what I was getting into, as you just can’t justify this game with words alone, but just after defeating the first of the colossi I knew how special this one would be. Truly one of the greats.

Now on to time attack! (By the way, praying next to a fallen colossus in an in-progress game gives you the option to enter “classic mode”. I noticed this when I went the wrong way to get to the final guy and came accross the first felled beast, but didn’t try the mode).

Milkyway: ditto on RE4 (another of my all-time favs now, but possibly tied with this one for '05).

Anybody know how to SPOILER: climb the temple that you begin in? I can get pretty far up, but I don’t know what the first resting place is. The place with the tree or the stone porch like area. It’s driving me crazy. I’ll probably just forget it for now and beat the game on hard mode, and all the time attacks on hard mode, because I just found out that you get even more weapons and items after doing that.

End Spoiler.

I agree bobblemonkey, only RE4, Colossus, and Burnout3/Revenge have given me the gamers’ rush recently, and yeah, I’d probably tie it with RE4 also.

I bought a PS2 just to play this game, and I’m only through the first Colossus, but in my estimation, it was money well-spent. I love how open-ended everything is…I spent the first 5 minutes after my first glimpse of the Colossus hiding behind a rock, hoping he wouldn’t see me while I cooked up a battle plan. Brilliant stuff. Also, everything I’ve heard indicates that the battles get better and better as you go, and given the level of satisfaction I got out of the first battle…I’m completely sold on this game.

Only had time to tinker for a few minutes, but that’s enough to cement the idea that the game is beautiful…

…And the first Colossus stepped on me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Straceski …And the first Colossus stepped on me.

Get used to it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobblemonkey Get used to it.

This actually only just happened to me recently on hard mode, I died instantly, didn’t know that was possible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milkyway This actually only just happened to me recently on hard mode, I died instantly, didn’t know that was possible.

Ouch. Although getting hit with the 3rd Colossus’s club and having my health go down by only a 3rd doesn’t seem very believable.
Roommate: “That didn’t kill you? That’s it, I can’t watch this game if they’re not gonna make it realistic.”
Me: “Yeah, whoever heard of getting hit by a giant’s club and surviving in real life?”

Just beat itHard Mode in 6:32:27, man I didn’t even realize I was going that fast.

Spoiler: I failed again to stop the men at the end of the game, I think I killed one this time though. It’s really hard since it just throws you in there and doesn’t tell you the controls and you move so slow an all. I guess someone better/luckier than me at the game will have to tell me some time what happens if you stop them, or the best way to stop them, or if it’s even possible.

End Spoiler.

Now on to beating all the colossi again in Hard Mode Time Attack, to get all the other weapons and items, like a new sword and spear, then its on to climbing the temple to defeat the 17th colossi.

Holy shit. Just went up against number 5.
SPOILERS BELOW
Fucking frustrating, but when you can actually hang on, it honestly feels like I’m flying. Pretty scary watching him swoop down on me after I’ve got his attention with an arrow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth Chocula Just beat it, and I must say with black text to cover spoilers Holy fuck, is this is a prequel to ICO?! I’d play through this again but I need to return it to the video store tommorow

That thought crossed my mind too, and I was hoping it might be discussed once more people have played/beaten it.
ONLY REALLY A SPOILER IF YOU’VE BEEN SPOILED BY THE OTHER SPOILERS: Personally, I’m not convinced they’re anything more than tangentially related, but it is interesting to surmise that it might be.

steeef: Wait’ll you get to #13 (probably my personal fav).

I’m gonna say, yeah it is.

Spoiler: Hard Mode Time Attack can kiss my ass, I can’t even beat the first colossus. I have beat the game 4 times, once on hard mode, which only took me 6:32:27 (or something), and now I can’t even beat the first colossus. Anybody want to tell me how Ico ends since I’ll never play it again?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth Chocula Best ending ever then. Now to move my gaming to Stubbs the Zombie and conquer that as well. But right now, this is up there with RE4 for best game of the year.

STUBBS is *nowhere* near as good as this. I’d have told you to play them in the opposite order.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth Chocula I really can’t find Ico anywhere…[and i’m too suspicious of Ebay]

*shrug* Depends on who you buy from. Generally if they have a good rating and a ton of feedback, they’re safe. I’ve bought a few DVDs and a rare PS2 game (Shadow Hearts) off eBay over the past few months, and I haven’t had a problem. Just make sure they specify that the copy is new, if possible.

The fight with the 11th one is one of the most incredible experiences I ever had while playing a game. The way they managed to have him change from a fierce beast trying to crush you to a kind of scared kitten when you start waving the torch in front of him is just unbelievable. The developer’s position of having you doubt that you’re doing the right thing by killing these graceful and majestic creatures really reaches its pinnacle here. The scared look on the colossus was so believable, his fear of flames so palatable and his feebles attempts to swipe at me so very…touching that I really felt sorry when I had to send him tumbling down the cliff.

This game is unbelievable.

Really tempted to buy this game but concerned that each fight is over 45 minutes long. Is that the case? I rarely have that kinda time anymore…

How is the save feature on this game?

Quote:

Originally Posted by neaux Really tempted to buy this game but concerned that each fight is over 45 minutes long. Is that the case? I rarely have that kinda time anymore… How is the save feature on this game?

I’ve only fought 5 of the 16, but so far it’s taken me about 20-30 minutes play time for each one. Usually 2 or 3 tries to figure out how to go about taking the fucker down, then finally having a good run.

Save feature’s fine. You’re asked to save after each colossus battle, and there are plenty of shrines scattered about the landscape for on-the-go saving.

Game of the Year. Bar none.

Okay, maybe it’s too early to say but it’s amazing how you can take such a simple concept and give it some nice emotional depth. I like how the story is beautifully understated like Ico, and figuring out how to take down the colossi is just so damn fun.

Favorite colossus? Number fourteen. Nice use of platforming.

Just beat it. SPOILERS Hell yes it’s a prequel to Ico. A lot of the events in that ending explain and/or hint to stuff I was wondering about in that game. That said, given that the horned baby isn’t Ico himself (Ico was born in his village, remember?), and that this game now begs a shitload of story questions, I don’t think it’s the ONLY prequel we’ll be seeing. Least i sure hope it isn’t. END SPOILERS

Either way, awesome game (and we’re talking the Eddie Izzard “original meaning of awesome” here), one of the most satisfying finales I’ve ever experienced, and it’s candidate number three for me in my internal Game of the Year competition (God of War and RE4 being the other two)

MORE SPOILERSAlso, up until he shows up at the ending, Argo falling off that cliff broke my damn heart. END SPOILERS