Topic: Shadow of the Colossus

I picked this up a while ago and want to go back to it, it's in my backlog as it is said to be one of Miyazaki's inspirations for becoming a game designer, and ,besides Berserk I couldn't really come across any other strong gaming inspirations for his work, although, according to the rumors, this influence will only be apparent in Elden Ring. (Climable bosses and whatnot) Is this a good game and worth playing through to the end? Or will I find it disappointing? I liked what I played but had some trouble with the mechanics as 'grip' didn't seem to work in some instances and I couldn't find any information online to help. Does it simply mean that you can only 'grip' the Colossi in certain places, not every patch of fur works? Cause in some instances, I was pressing R2 as I was landing on hair and I was just falling off, that made me give up on the game.

@Draco_V_Ecliptic I might be the wrong person to reply because I’m probably not very objective about Shadow of the Colossus , as I deem it one of the greatest video games of all time. I fully realize though, that the game will not resonate with everyone, yet it’s a game I feel everyone should experience. The artistry and depth of the message is what draws me in, as well as the absolute uniqueness of the game and the gameplay.

The Colossi are bosses to battle, yes, but you have to think of each of them more like a unique puzzle, with a specific approach that will need to be taken to defeat it.

The control scheme and finer points of traversal and grabbing and climbing are definitely a bit of a chore and take some getting used to, but the PS4 remake is a lot better than the earlier versions in this regard. But the lack of your ability to grab the “fur” of the Colossus was probably either an isolated glitch or perhaps poorly timed button pressing, because for the most part you should hold onto any area with fur, so long as you hold down the R1 button and that you have enough stamina to keep your hold. Some of the Colossi really shake you hard and you’ll fall from time to time despite trying to hold on tight, but once you get the hang of it (no pun intended) the control scheme should work out fine for you. But some people just never get accustomed to it, I hear.
If you play The Last Guardian you’ll notice that apparently Team Ico responded to these kind of complaints on grabbing and holding onto the large creatures because in that game The Boy holds onto Trico more automatically and grip is much more “sticky” and locks onto Trico probably too tightly, in my opinion. I liked having control over when I’m grabbing and holding on and when I just need to slide off.

Also, on the subject, do be aware that Agro is supposed to be a little unruly and not control perfectly like most video game horses do, such as the robotic way that Roach handles in W3, turning and stopping perfectly like a car would. Agro is a character in her own right with her own AI, so like a real horse, you need to guide her but don’t expect to do so with exactness.

I hope you do make it through the game, as I think it’s brilliant. Something about it just speaks to my soul. But I know from your other posts that you value a lot of action in your games, so this is definitely a little out of your comfort zone. It’s a game that is very contemplative during the large stretches riding through the open and sterile environment.

I completed the game for the first time late last year, and I have to say I was disappointed overall. The game always threatened to be this epic and emotional adventure, but I ended up frustrated with too many of the games mechanics. I understand the intention behind stuff like Agro feeling unruly and therefore like a real horse, but it just didn't translate to me enjoying the game. The climbing especially was incredibly frustrating to me, and just far too often Wander just didn't do what I was telling him to do.

That said, it was still a good game, and considering its influence on the gaming industry I would definitely give it a go! I still really enjoyed some of the colossus fights, and I loved nearly every journey to each colossus through this beautiful and ancient world, before stumbling upon this huge beast that you had to take down. I just found the actual fights to be more frustrating than enjoyable. I'd still give it a solid 7/10, but I just didn't think it was the masterpiece everyone said it was. I fully admit though that this is a very personal preference thing though, and the game really resonates with a lot of people! I just unfortunately wasn't one of them