Shadow Of The Colossus was Unfinished and Better Because Of It

Technically, Team Ico did complete Shadow Of The Colossus. It shipped in 2005. You could put the disc in a PS2 and and experience what would become one of the most iconic adventures in gaming. But a much more sprawling vision for its world and the colossi that would inhabit it was never realized. Shadow Of The Colossus was broken, unpolished, and incomplete, and the upcoming remake shouldn’t try to fix that.

[UCForce]

Calling shadow of the colossus on PS2 was broken ? Ok, what ? First off, Shadow of Colossus wasn't broken on PS2, I think you talk about the control which you need to get use to. Second, the game on PS2 wasn't unpolished. And Finally, it was a complete game. The upcoming remake want to make the game play better and looks more modernized.

[naruga]

basically was not unfinished but on puspose some of its visual elements were held back in order to create the wanted by the creator artistic feeling and atmosphere (smhting like fog in Silent Hill 1) and also some others graphic elements were beefed up...

Kotaku is clueless and just cannot express, as unliterate they are, why the game retains these elements and translates them as unpolish, broken etcetc (WTF Kotaku -hellish third perspective cameras??? one of its main key elements that create the intense action feeling was its masterfull camera movement )

Sony in my opinion doesnt try to modernize or improve the game but tries to do justice to this masterpiece and its creator as SOtC didnt have the recognition it deserved (and sales ..however neither now will have the sales but at least will be introduced and be reckoned to newer gamers

[Knushwood Butt]

Illiterate

[DarXyde]

I think the HD collection is the best way to experience it. Let's not pretend the original on PS2 didn't have a lot of frame rate issues. It is a fantastic experience no matter where you play it, but I would say that the frame rate was the only unpolished aspect. Otherwise, it set a pretty incredible graphical standard for a PS2 game. It pushed the hardware pretty darn hard all around. But to suggest nothing about it was unpolished, I must disagree.

[GottaBjimmyb]

Eh, I thought the original was broken. Terrible framerate, lots of glitches. Super excited to play this game redone and hopefully without those issues. No clue why the author wants those things to remain an issue.

Also, don't in any way think the game was "unfinished" on PS2.

[TWB]

I havent read the article because its Loltaku, but based on the comments here it sounds like the closest thing they got right was the headline here. Shadow of the Colossus was fairly unfinished, much more so than Ico and TLG. Still, they had polished the game in every possible way they could and how little glitches and bugs it had considering the amount of tech behind the game was pretty admirable.

The game was so well polished that even probably some of the cut content was up to the main game standards minus the issues that caused them to be cut.

It was kind of due to the unfinished content and some left over stuff that contributed to the magical feeling of the game. Even datamining and rediscovering the cut content felt like you were doing/witnessing some grand archeological excavation.

Unfinished still isnt exactly the correct term for this, because for your average player there isnt really anything that would give out that impression.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Imagine it "finished"

[GamePeace]

Masterpiece. It really deserves the remake. One can like both versions, the somewhat washed out original (meant in a good way) and the more detailed remake.

[GordyNYC]

making a bonus mode with the additional Colossi (monkey, spider, phoenix) that were removed for technical reasons would make the remaster a must own

[GamePeace]

That would be too good to be true, but they had to work closely with the original minds behind it in order to achieve that. It probably won't happen, because the original makers are focused on other stuff right now. Ueda said that he would like to make a more open game like Shadow of the Colossus, but it will probably take a good amount of time until we get a glimpse of his new project. I hope that his new game will top SotC.

[jznrpg]

Shut up Kotaku

[senorfartcushion]

Unfinished?

No it wasn't. They scrapped the other Colossi. They did not just cut the project off at the legs.

[il-JumperMT]

they scapped other Colossi due to technical limitations

[senorfartcushion]

And because the team felt like they weren't needed and it took the fun out of the game.

[Goldby]

If shadow of the colossus is incomplete and broken what the fuck do you call the games coming out now that are relying on updates to finish the game. Or the ones rushed to hit a certain deadline

[Darkwatchman]

The idea that the game was unfinished is ridiculous. Every single game that had EVER released to the public has mechanics or levels or enemy types or ideas that did not make it to the final product.

That could be due to any number of reasons. Technical reasons; maybe it was not possible on the hardware as was the case with shadow of the colossus. Maybe it would take too much time and the team couldn't justify incorporating it. Maybe it didn't fit together cohesively with every other aspect of the game. Maybe the game's vision changes through development and with that changed visions comes a removal of early work that just doesn't fit the new direction for the title. Maybe the team couldn't figure out a way to make the thing work properly and it was too much of a hassle and slowed down development. Maybe they had a set story and the story didn't allow for this thing to happen in this place and they wanted proper context for everything no matter how cool the place or thing was if isolated.

Every game is technically unfinished. No game ever gets released 100% the way a developer originally intended or wanted. That's the reality of business and of game development. So many factors could influence the trajectory of a game's final build.

[TheOttomatic91]

Kotaku................all that needs to be said.

[Swiftfox]

If Ueda isn't much involved I really wish they wouldn't make changes. I don't want the controls touched and I don't want stuff added or shifted or changed. It was all elements even as they appeared, even the limitations they faced which made the game a masterpiece. You can't just say the Mona Lisa would look much better if she smiled more. You'll ruin everything even if you have the best intentions.

[RommyReigns]

It was fully complete and what a masterpiece it was. Kotaku if you want to see 'unfinished' look no further than Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5

[QUIMICOMORTAL]

I do wish they add extra content on the game...like not the other 32 colossi, but another 4? sure! extra xut sceenes? please!

[medman]

I'm hungry.

[Knushwood Butt]

Colossal hunger.