Shadow of the Colossus' controls are an exercise in art

Destructoid's Joseph -Orcist- Leray writes:

"The 'videogames as art' movement is a funny thing. Artsy wooks like myself love to wax philosophic about the potential that games have in terms of narration or eliciting meaningful, emotional player responses. We laud innovative game designers for forcing us to make morally ambiguous choices about ourselves and the characters around us. Unfortunately for us in the post-post-pre-metamodern crowd, games as a medium fall short in one crucial, yet easily overlooked, way: They only go half of the distance.

What I mean to say is that while lots of the elements of the game are designed and featured in artistically and culturally relevant ways, a huge part of games is left out of the artistic amalgam: the controls. The controller is the fundamental aspect of videogames as a medium, yet developers and fans alike seem to totally overlook it. Unless the control schema is laughably bad or unnecessarily confusing, it gets nary a mention."

[sonarus]

that is honestly the best way to describe shadow of collosus. Personally i found the game a little too easy but everything about that game just screams art. Its a shame for them not to consider a sequel. Dosent even have to be a sequel could just be a remake. Same open world but maybe larger this time with more standard enemies in between saving the collosus for last. I know i would buy the exact same game again

[resistive77]

shadow of collosus is the best game. I wish I can play it on ps3 with co-op mode support 8 players :)

[sonarus]

if they made the game with bigger enemies and where you needed like 3-4 ppl to bring down some enemies that would be crazy. A sequel for shadow of colossus is quite necessary. The ps2 just didn't do that game justice. It needs to shine again on a next gen console

[EZCheez]

Some games are meant to be experienced alone, and this is on the top of the list of those games.

Adding coop to any Shadow of the Colossus game would seriously make me question getting it.

[Regret]

I really don't like where gaming is going. Co-op sh1t, multiplayer... I want freaking single player! One-time playtrough that I'll remember whole life.

[sonarus]

yea single player is nice but multiplayer is the future. Nice to play with friends (unless you don't have none). Playing shadow of collosus sp would be nice but adding mp as well especially coop would be even better. They could even do some sort of battle where it would be 5 vs 1. Essentially 5 ppl vs 1 collosus. That would be funny lol but i doubt they could get that to work well cus it would be extremely hard balancing it.

[EZCheez]

The entire premise of the game was doing it ALONE. The main character (you) had to do it all on his own, and it the made the game that much more personal and really added to the atmosphere. You were cut off from everything else and all you had was yourself and the horse.

I know multiplayer is the "future" for some games, but it will never work for some franchises, and this game above all should be held sacred enough not to be smeared with multiplayer.

[Regret]

I just can't imagine story with 2 or more characters in SotC. Nor I can imagine playing game without story.

[NO_PUDding]

I completely agree. Co-op is an awful idea, aswell as multiplayer. I know it won't happen, so I don't mind.

ANyone who suggests co-op or multiplayer for Shadow of the Colossus or ICO, they ahve completely missed the point of them game.

And I agree Regret and EZCheez, I know multiplayer isn't the future, it's a deviation of original games, and a completely acceptable and entertaining one, but it's not ever an epic story. And SotC is exactly that. I had to call someone out on reviewing Uncharted a 7.0* the otehr day becuase of lack of multiplayer. There are so mnay moments in single player games that make you gasp like you do, when you see an amazing view in real life. And SotC did that so well.

[sonarus]

like it or not a good multiplayer game makes any game more fun. Yea the mood of shadow of the colossus is supposed to be lonely and all that but thats why it is optional. Like most multiplayer games its just something you do when you are done with the single player to extend the game a little longer. i still think if done right multiplayer could be a good idea. But i really could care less if mp is added unless it takes away from the greatness of the sp. I do understand coop can compromise the sp design that is why resistance is splitting it up.
I think i am going to play some sotc tonight. Just remembered the boss in the sand that was like a sand worm and chased you and the horse and you had to while riding shoot arrows in its eyes. I thought that was the best boss. That or the one you had to hop on its wings. The boss that was scared of fire was pretty nice too

[No FanS Land]

Shadow of the colossus needs a sequel, with more stuff though because I found the game a bit empty. Personnaly, this game is innovative, I don't remember another game where monsters were actually the entire dungeon. This game is beautiful from start to finish.

[eagle21]

I love this game, actually it got me BACK into videogames and sold me a ps2 in the process.

[Kain81]

its a Legendary Tale, that everyone must see.

[LosT---SouL]

dont push it

[EZCheez]

And I did notice that about Agro. The less you actually tried to control him, the easier it was to control him. It sounds weird, but you'd have to play it to understand.

I also noticed the tie-in with holding R1. Some of the last bosses felt like you had to hang there forever before you could make a move, and when you did get a chance to strike you had to make every second count.

Also, I find it really strange that this game, which I hardly understood at all, rises above so many other great games that I did understand.

I think I might go buy this game again.

[eagle21]

Sony will eventually put Shadow of The Colossus and ICO (which I have yet to play and want to BAD!!!) on PSN. If they could do something cool with HOME that would seriously rock!

edit: And I mean black label cases too!...lol

[Rice]

I really like that flying boss in the desert and the really tall one i think it was the 3rd one...

[EZCheez]

One of the things this game did better than any other was creating a sense of scale. And the biggest colossi usually were the most rewarding to fight.

I actually hated the bull colossi. They were the least fun to fight.

[Rice]

yea that one was annoying and same with the second boss, the horse one...

[NO_PUDding]

o be honest I liked the bull one, that was scared of fire, that was awesome, but my favoruites have to be, the first flying one (third) and the penultimate one in the huge ruin.

For these reasons.

The bird was incredibly exhileratign to be riding, with those amazing particle efefcts whiskign by, and havign trouble holding on, it was superb.

And the penultimate one, becuase leavign Agro behidn, knowing you were really comign to an end of your huge journey, and walkign through the pillars into the ruin that just dwarf you,a nd then havign to walk right throguh the huge hall of ruins till you get to the edge, where the Colossi heaves itself up.

For me, infront of Morrowind, these were the most iconic moments in gaming.

[mazirjones]

This game has allowed me to keep faith in Sony's third console during the time when the whole world was seemingly on it's case. Shadow of the Colossus and all games done in this manner are part of Sony's legacy, and will hopefully be remembered long after videogames are no longer relevant. They go way above and beyond the ridiculously trite dialogue and boring textures that exist in all these games trying to mimic hollywood (gears of war, halo, uncharted) and instead pave their own path. It truly takes a lot of skill to create a game like Ico, for example, with minimum dialogue, and still have it say (nay, SCREAM!)it's point across...

[NO_PUDding]

I agree, and i expect "ICO 3" to be better marketed as it won't be swimming in a pool of Playstation exclusives already. And once the industry catches hold of it (they already have Assassins Creed was one examples and one of Spielberg's EA games is trying to imitate it) they will develop this concept created by Fumito Ueda and his team.

Honestly, this was the innovation in gaming that IS the Citizen Cane of gaming.

[psnDevistator356]

see shadow of collosus in next gen graphics!!! Thats going to be awesome.

[BoneMagnus]

but stabbing the monsters really felt like I was stabbing into firm fleshy muscle. It really made it feel that I was causing "massive damage" to the creature. (Sorry for the joke - couldn't resist!)

I can't believe I almost passed this game up - and bought it because I happened across it on sale at Target for $14.99 about 18 months ago.

I'll be there day one for the sequel.

[Harry190]

that most people that tried this soft
really learnt what it was to be a true gamer.
not just the fun and quick frills,it actually
raised the bar,videogames are an art form.shadow
of the colossus is only a fraction of what can be
achieved and what we should wish for.it elicits
only feelings of joy and wonder.art it is,art.

[arakouftaian]

N Its A Exclusivefor My Beautifull PS3 I Will buy it On Day One... i Hope they add online and send like other 7 loser againg me 2 find a colossus and who ever kill it firt or do more damage win that will be a Great Thing ... The Best But if is the same thing but diferent bosses mores of them i still will buy it on day one... and please let me rescue her this time...

[arakouftaian]

it deserve it , if u havent play it jet dont waste ur time do it... im goign 2 play it back from my old copy.

[TwissT]

Shadow of the Colossus is not a game... its a work of art.

[NO_PUDding]

Amen to that.

I would even go as far as to say, despiet them beign relatively different style games SotC is the artier out of the two Team ICO games.

Only becuase of it's artistic direction, not that ICO didn't have an equally artstic direction, it just wasn't executed as nicely.

And the horse being an unspoken friend, and not human, no facial emotions.... That is relatively powerful as far as a game goes.

[kingme71]

I just finished this game for the first time 2 weeks ago so it is pretty fresh in my mind (now playing ICO). My kids loved to sit and watch me fight the Colossi and still talk about it.

One very minor point that really struck me in the game was how Wander called out for Agro. If he was nearby it was a quiet, passive call for him. If he was far off, he would yell out to him. If you were in the midst of a battle, he would yell for him in almost a panic. I thought that really added alot of depth to the game and it was a very minor addition. It was a bunch of these types of additions that helped create an overall great experience... and yes I agree with this article about the controls :)

[Mr Tretton]

ICO rules.

Shadow rules.

Playstation rules.

[j-seb]

hey guys... new to this site, but had to add my feelings on this game! Sotc is in my opinion the BEST PS2 game, purely because there is no other game like it on any other system (not including ICO). The vastness and emptiness of the land, the size of the colossi, (you climb up one's beard for crying out loud!) coupled with the fact that its just you and your trusty horse in this giant map, create a sense of scale and loneliness that are unparalleled.

While i enjoy multiplayer games as much as the next guy, this along with uncharted are examples of games that don't need it at all. Like a good book or movie, you come back to these games time and again just to play through it and enjoy the atmosphere, gameplay and story. The control scheme is fantastic (holding onto R1 for dear life as the beast writhes and sways, flinging your character around, is intense!) and the soundtrack really immerses you as a player. Its epic.

Favorite boss fights are the flying one(3rd one) and the desert flying one ( I always try to stand on my horse and shoot arrows to bring it down, just cause it looks so damn cool).

To kingme71 above, i know what you mean. My little cousins watched me playing this and were so engrossed that they wouldn't go have dinner, till i kicked them out. Truly a game that appeals to all ages (even if they're just watching) and the best case for video games as an art form.

[Regret]

I guess I'm the only one whos best colossi is the one underwater. With electric shots... :)

[NO_PUDding]

So true, my mum came in and watched me play, as she shouted for me to be careful about Agro, and Wander. Mainly Agro.

[eyeDEVOUR]

best game ever

[SSCOOLCHEA]

but i have never played it , but i will pick it up tomorrow when i pick up mlb the show..thoses were good comments there ..wow..game talk

[VigorousApathy]

IGN named God of War the greatest Playstation 2 game of all time. Cause they know that the guy from God of War could have finished Shadow of the Colossus in about 50 button presses.

Yep, truly God of War has changed the face of gaming. Now anytime you're in a game and you see the signal to press a button and then you press it and the game keeps going you'll think "Hey that's the control scheme from the best PS2 game ever made. I really feel like one of those Greek Gods who were so detached from reality that they had no idea what it felt like to be human."

[kingme71]

Yeah, circle, square, square, circle, left stick, triangle, triangle, X. The feeling of "being" Kratos was never so..... confusing :)

I have grown to hate QTE's. I would put them in the top 10 worst game innovations.

I think GOW was great for other reasons but QTE's was not one of them.

[j-seb]

The thing about God of War and Sotc is that the controls for each are brilliant, but not necessarily good for each other. There is no way a player could manually pull of the elaborate and brutal takedowns of Kratos AND control the camera at the same time without timed button attacks, it would be too difficult. Similarly, giving Wander the ability to scale the colossi rapidly, flip over its head and gouge its eyes out, would detract from the character's own ability ( he's just a desperate kid, out of his depth, who can't really handle a sword).

Both games are excellent, but i feel that God of War is more evolutionary than revolutionary, not that its any less of an achievement. No other game to date has come close to GOW's perfection of quick time button presses or the cinematic in-game camera and I am eagerly anticipating the psp prequel and ps3 sequel to see how the story ends. On the other hand, as much as i loved Sotc, I hope Team ICO's next project will follow their tradition and be something completely different, as revolutionary as ICO and Sotc and just as unique.

Also, God of war is another game that doesn't need multiplayer.

[sleepbox]

I say SotC's controls are an exercise in frustration

[Scottama]

1st... There IS a sequel, though it may be more like SotC was to Ico, than Sotc2 would be to Sotc.

Also, why would you want to remake such a BRILLIANT game?

[n00dl3s]

Okay I agree that SotC was an AMAZING game. However, I think the author reads into it a bit too much. This reminds me of that Portal article where they compared the portals to vaginas and said that Portal had this gigantic underlying message of women's empowerment. I mean it was a great game with a lot of amazing things in it, but to say that HOLDING R1 instead of just tapping it is anything more than intelligent control mapping is not only a stretch, it's borderline ridiculous. Same with attritbuting the crappy horse controls to a desire to develop an emotional link with the horse.

I'm just saying that maybe this guy is just trying too hard to see Orson Wells-like symbolism.