Shadow of the Colossus and You

[Discoalucard]

I almost wrote a Cranky Gamer's article on this. No, really! I got like 80% of the way through before I sat down with the game again and came to terms with it. I admire it, even if it gets annoying and should've been on a system that's not the PS2. I guess I can post it later if anyone's curious - I got used to the crappy frame rate and shifty controls, although the puzzle solving element on a few of those is beyond retarded.

Anyway, whenever anyone anywhere talks about Shadow of the Colossus, they mention how "sad" it is when you kill a Colossus and watch the "peaceful" creature slump over dead.

I was pretty happy to see each fucker go down. I cheered. Goddamned bastard, that's what you get for throwing me off RIGHT when I had you down to next-to-no-health and my grip meter ARGH ran out and I fell down and spent the next five minutes trying to get back up there TAKE THAT YOU SMUG HAIRY ASSHOLE.

I guess, you might say, I kinda missed the point.

I mean, you play Super Mario Bros, do you really stop and think about whether killing Goombas is "sad"? I mean, look at the eyes of that thing. It might be a walking mushroom but it's obviously evil. Plus if you don't kill it, it will kill you. Plus it's an obstacle in the way of saving the chick. Same deal with SotC. The only reason why it might be emotional AT ALL is because SotC's soundtrack is fucking fantastic. I think I've had more fun listening to it than playing the game.

So...um...anyone else like this game? It seems to have quite the following. Maybe let's talk about other games that tried to elicit your emotions and either succeeded or just totally failed in the most laughable of manners.

[Malroth]

Yeah, I have a feeling one journalist wrote about how you don't know if the colossuses (colossi?) are good and evil and everyone else jumped on the bandwagon.

Go ahead! Write a cranky article! You know you wanna!

[kal]

I think the main issue with the *Colossus being good* is that for some of them, you provoke them by attacking them first, it's a slight deviation I know but it's enough to raise an entire debate apparently.

Though the characters end goal proves he's a complete jerk, slaughtering 16 decentish giant things so he can wish a dead chick back to life, he could end world hunger or make everyone happy but no he gets hot over the dead girl.

[Neo Rasa]

Planescape: Torment is to me the most emotionally successful game ever made. It's a fantastic accomplishment because ALL of it is accomplished through text. The writing is flawless, and the layers on which almost all of the game's dialogue are connected is a sight to behold. Everyone should play it. You can buy it new for like $5.

[Brand]

I cried during that one part in breath of fire where you see the two childhood friends back together. ;_;

[Gilder]

Probably the funniest thing about Shadow of the Colossus is that several Nintendo fansites called it the "most Nintendo like game on a non-Nintendo system."

www.n-sider.com/newsview.php?type=story&storyid=1470

The most emotional I got in any game was Ocarina of Time's ending, but I think it was partly due to the fact that I was depressed that the game was over. Pretty powerful ending nevertheless.

[AfroRyan]

I'm a fan, personally...but I'm a big fan of methodical trial and error type stuff. Still, I'm really just wowed by the graphics, music, and concept. You're right that it would have been MUCH better on a different console (PS2 is teh suck), but what are ya gonna do? I'm not really sure why you had trouble with the controls though, I didn't really have any trouble...but then again, I played all the way through ICO thinking the same thing, and most people hate its controls too. Personally, I don't think it's "worthy" of insults. Sure, you could call it overhyped...but we're talking about PS2 here, what else can the PS2 fanboys talk about? Other than DMC3, of course...Which reminds me...I would be MORE than willing to right a cranky gamer article on the PS2. Most overhyped POS in the market.

[Malroth]

Actually, I've been tempted to write a cranky article on Minish Cap. Most recycled Zelda EVER.

On topic: I still haven't played Shadow yet, but considering how all the magazines parrot the exact same information (dramatic! sad!), I get the impression they were paid off to say such things.

[Protodude]

Although I didn't feel any sadness for killing the colossi, the game has a definite "grim" look to it, such as the Gray's and the light feeling the graphics have (Ico had this too). The only time I was sad was when.....(spoilers)






Argo fell off that cliff. I thought he died!






But anyway, Ico was a better game overall, mainly because it was simpler and the emotions you feel while playing it are better incorporated into the gameplay.

EDIT:By the way, I also have the soundtrack on my computer. If somebody wants it, just email me or IM me or something. Also, the Argo thing I mentioned kind of sticks out, but eh, who gives a shit?

[Deleted]

brand said:

I cried during that one part in breath of fire where you see the two childhood friends back together. ;_;

This is off-topic, but were you talking about Rei and Teepo from Breath of Fire III (the game with one of the moodiest soundtrack)? ;D

[Brand]

mp83 said:

brand said:

I cried during that one part in breath of fire where you see the two childhood friends back together. ;_;

This is off-topic, but were you talking about Rei and Teepo from Breath of Fire III (the game with one of the moodiest soundtrack)? ;D

No I'm talking the original Breath of fire. It was the whole part with the toc or something. It's been years since I played it.

[Discoalucard]

malroth said:

Actually, I've been tempted to write a cranky article on Minish Cap. Most recycled Zelda EVER.

On topic: I still haven't played Shadow yet, but considering how all the magazines parrot the exact same information (dramatic! sad!), I get the impression they were paid off to say such things.

I hear a lot of Zelda fans feel that way about Minish Cap. I'm not a huge fan to begin with, so I never noticed anything offensive about it.

Anyway, it's definitely worth trying. I think it definitely got caught on the same bandwagon of games like Rez and Katamari, where it's underground and artsy and I think got overpraised. People like to talk about artsy stuff a lot because it makes them feel smart (I am 100% guilty of this too.) From one standpoint, it's completely fantastic. From another, it's a pain in the ass. Taken altgoether, it's definitely not bad though.

Actually, if you can find some speedruns out there, I think you can probably experience the best of the game without feeling the worst of it.

[shido]

Minish Cap is a great game, the best 2D Zelda after LTTP in my opinion. The addition of the areas like dungeons (like the swamp and the cloud areas) is awesome. The shrink ability and the new items are very nice too. Sure, its far from being truly original, but in the very small genre of adveture games like Zelda you dont have to make big improvements to set it apart from the others

[Malroth]

Meh, I thought the shrinking system was really lame. Oh look! The only monsters I can fight are slugs and skull-shaped lady bugs!

Meh, it's a far cry from traveling into an alternate world, changing the seasons, or altering time.

[Neo Rasa]

shido said:

Minish Cap is a great game, the best 2D Zelda after LTTP in my opinion. The addition of the areas like dungeons

!!!