June Modern Community Playthrough - Shadow of the Colossus

[Fleach]

I agree with Slackur 100%.

The game was a beautiful experience and I feel enriched having played it.

My interpretation of the game's content is: Wander, in a fit of reckless, selfish desire, stole the sacred sword and took the girl's body with him to Dormin's temple in an attempt to revive her. What he didn't know was that Dormin would be reawakened/reincarnated by Wander's actions. The Colossi weren't exactly gods, but they were more like giants which contained or guarded segments of Dormin.

Dormin is a variation of mythical and fokloric gods that will grant any wish at a price. In this cash the price was that the seal which prevented Dormin's return would be broken.

I have a theory that other characters before Wander tried to accomplish similar goals. What leads me to think this is the sense of utter ruin conveyed by the setting. There are various locations that are destroyed like the arena for the tortoise Colossus and the two temple dogs (the one which is afraid of fire and the one which forces you to climb to columns). In the universe of SotC Wander was the only character determined and strong enough to complete Dormin's trials.

Quick observation on the shadowy figures: We all know that with the fall of each Colossus another figure stood over Wander, but I also saw an additional dove around the girl every time a Colossus was defeated. Did anyone see that too?

Did anyone notice that Wander looked less human as the game progressed? He started to get black lines running down his face and he grew horns.

[singlebanana]

I disagree with the controls and camera being "clunky." I had no problems with navigating or getting crossed up as I played. This is just something you come to expect every time you play a 2D game that goes for a 3D effect, nothing new here. Honestly, I have more trouble  and get more frustrated with games like Mario 64 when it comes to the camera. And unlike N64 platformers, I never had foreground settings obstructing my view. I don't know how much some of you used the L1 or other camera adjustments, but for me, once I got into my groove with them, they were instinctive and I had no issues. I should say that I played it on the PS2, so no idea if this made a difference or not.

Was the story cliche? Maybe just a bit. I think that even though you don't get a lot of backstory, you know that what you are doing is wrong in some sense and I believe this is on purpose. Sure, we know that some thing sort of tragic is going to happen in the end, but we are left to wonder what that might be and that's what keeps us playing. Not knowing the relationship between the hero/anti-hero and the girl is a great touch to this game, since it causes to you make these assumptions and question what things you would fight for and what reasons you might have to defy utilitarianism. It's not so much of game you play to get some pretty package with a bow all wrapped up ending, it is a philosophical game that causes you to evaluate things in your own life that are important to you and worth fighting for no matter what the cost.

With that said, I agree that the monster form and wind tunnel at the end don't serve any real purpose in gameplay other than to forward the story. However, these moments being as interactive as they are seek to continue to make you feel a part of the game, even though your actions are futile; and maybe that's the point.

All in all, I don't think you could ask for a more BADASS game than this. Stalking down and defeating giant colossi with merely a sword and bow is such an awesome concept. I agree with Bil, there's a reason that people are lamenting the continual absence of The Last Guardian and now I can see why. SotC is such a beautiful game on so many levels.    

[techwizard]

i don't agree with the controls being clunky either, for the most part they were really fluid except the occasional problem with getting onto the horse. that was a minor issue though. the camera wasn't "bad" but it was frustrating at times. in a game that's so vast, not being able to zoom out manually with the camera was somewhat disappointing, as the auto zoom rarely happened when i would have liked to use it. L1 is only useful if you're far from the colossus, anywhere close up and it just disorients me with the amount it's whipping around to try following the colossus' head. i found at a distance alternating between L1 and L2 to see the colossus and then where i'm going really helped though. i also didn't like that you had to "hold" the camera control in place to keep looking at something, otherwise it just slides back down to the default view. mainly i'm talking about looking up or down. i always prefer systems that let you look in any direction without it moving on it's own and then using a button to reset the camera to default, like L3 or something.

overall though i totally agree with how beautiful this game is and i really like how open to philosophical interpretation it is. when i say i think the story is cliche and predictable i'm entirely talking about the plot as it played out, and that has little to do with how you interpret it in this game. i think if there was no dialogue (someone said there wasn't but i'm not sure why because there is it's just not english) and a better end sequence then it could have been more open to interpretation in terms of plot. as it is, i really just interpret the actions of the character in terms of why you're fighting these things and what could it be a metaphor for in life, things like that.

i agree with the badass comment

[h1ghw1nd]

I finally beat this just now. I can't believe no one mentioned Agro falling I thought the ending was really good, especially with my boy coming back and walking all the way around the castle haha.

I guess I gotta play Ico now huh?

[singlebanana]

I guess I gotta play Ico now huh?

I would wait a few months if I were you

[Fleach]

If you wait, Highwind, you'll be able to play it with fellow RFGents.

Since I'm really excited for this game I'll leak the info. Ico for September Playthrough!

[img width=400 height=171]http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110903063641/mythbusters/images/4/4a/Confirmed.png[/img]

[singlebanana]

Yep. We thought since we were doing the sequel to Suikoden in September, we would match these titles up again and do Ico, which was released before Shadow of the Colossus, but storywise, it is the sequel.

[singlebanana]

I finally beat this just now. I can't believe no one mentioned Agro falling I thought the ending was really good, especially with my boy coming back and walking all the way around the castle haha.

My son would have been traumatized by this event had he been in the room at the time. I thought bringing the horse back was kind of weak. I know that sounds cruel, but of all the things Wander sacrifices in an attempt to revive Mono, this should have also been another and a moment of reflection as to if what he is doing is the right thing. That and the gimpy horse was kind of odd. Just my my thoughts.

[Fleach]

You're an anti-equine!

[img width=295 height=295]http://shirta.com/media/catalog/product/cache/2/small_image/295x295/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/o/no-horse-d75835701.png[/img]

[singlebanana]

You can't trust 'em man.

[MaterialHandlerMike]

That was my problem with the ending. The wanderer guy selfishly, ignores all warnings, kills 16 benevolent creatures as sacrifice to bring his lady love back, which he succeeds, at the cost of his own life and even worse, a gimp horse. Doubled by the fact, I have my own cat at home with a broken leg, seeing Agro come back at the end touched a nerve and really made me angry about everything I did and what it was all for. Sure he saved his lady but at what cost? My prediction is that, because she is stranded in this foreign land, with no seeming means of escape, she eventually has to kill and eat Agro for sustenance. That poor horse was the biggest hero of the game and did not deserve his fate. 

[Fleach]

How do you know that Wander knew the stakes when he went to revive Mono? He was just told to slay the Colossi so he probably thought, "OK, Dormin is just testing me to see if I'm worthy of his magical revival powers."

Also, Phalanx had a baby and it flew Mono and the horned boy infant out of the forbidden lands. That's my facetious theory.

[singlebanana]

I think you have to put yourself in Wander's shoes and determine the gravity of the relationship between he and Mono. What I mean is that the lack of knowledge we had that lead up to these events forces us to create our own relationship between the two. I think that the game does this in an attempt to make you, the gamer, reflect on your life and what things you would fight for at all costs to save (i.e. What if that was your partner/child/etc. up on that altar?). Sure some of us have a utilitarian view from an outsiders perspective and may think what he is doing is careless, but if you were actually in a similar situation with your personal attachment, really, what would you do?

I agree with Floyd in that though Wander may have an inkling of knowledge as to what he is doing is bad, he does not know for sure, and perhaps even thinks he is sacrificing himself to save her, and not knowing it is at the expense of others.

Hmmmmm.............does this choice remind you of any other games we have played where others hated a not so utilitarian ending?? I'm looking your way "The Last of Us."

[Crabmaster2000]

That was my problem with the ending. The wanderer guy selfishly, ignores all warnings, kills 16 benevolent creatures as sacrifice to bring his lady love back, which he succeeds, at the cost of his own life and even worse, a gimp horse. Doubled by the fact, I have my own cat at home with a broken leg, seeing Agro come back at the end touched a nerve and really made me angry about everything I did and what it was all for. Sure he saved his lady but at what cost? My prediction is that, because she is stranded in this foreign land, with no seeming means of escape, she eventually has to kill and eat Agro for sustenance. That poor horse was the biggest hero of the game and did not deserve his fate.  

I felt bad about taking down some of the Colossi, but even I wouldn't go so far as to describe them as "benevolent".

[Fleach]

A lot of games, and films, like to ask "what would you do to save the one you love?" The Last of Us, and Heavy Rain are two great examples of games that use that question to spur on the plot. SotC doesn't ask you that question, instead it takes place after the decision to save your loved one has been made and asks "Can you live with the consequences?"