The Game that gave you Nothing | Shadow of the Colossus Retrospective
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- Опубликовано: 18 июн 2024
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00:00 What is Shadow of the Colossus
04:59 The Story
11:32 Environmental Storytelling
15:13 Our Supporting Cast
19:32 The Colossi Aren’t That Important
22:28 The Combat
28:46 Replayability
35:03 Conclusion
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Игры
I almost choked on my lunch when you came out with the "If you're a historian, maybe you think they were roommates" burn. I was not prepared for that level of savagery.
The thing about aggro is. You are not controlling him the way you do horses in other video games. In most games when you climb on a mount you essentially become the mount. Your character may animate as if they're riding but it's aesthetic.
Aggro is his own entity. You are guiding him but he can actually steer himself well enough.
My favorite fight is with the underground Colossus simply because I like riding aggro so much lol. When you ride aggro one tap makes him walk, one makes him trot and the final makes him gallop. He CANNOT gallop while making a sharp turn so if you want to travel quickly you line him up tap three times and just let him run. This mimics real horse back riding quite well because unless your riding a quarter horse trained to turn on a dime at full tilt a horse would prefer not to turn at 40mph lol
So yeah aggro doesn't control well for a video game horse but he does control well as an actual horse.
Edit: I also wanted to add that constantly tapping the "go faster" button while riding aggro is sort of self defeating because it snaps him from the trot to the gallop animation constantly. It's hard to explain but you actually get places faster by spurring him sparingly and just making him gallop on straight shots.
Agreed! I like when video game horses are responsive, but I really do want them to "think for themselves" in areas where my input is going to be detrimental. It feels a lot more real. I LOVE games that make me start clucking my tongue at my in game horse like an idiot.
In RDR2 for example, with most of the horses I know that if I run them quickly into a dense forest and let go of the thumbstick, my horse will pick its own way through the trees. If I try to guide them, I'm just going to get us slammed into one.
Yep. Best way to ride Agro is to point him in the right direction and let him go.
Aggro was so much more than a horse in that game. Most games might present a horse as an option to use as transportation, but in SotC they went ahead and gave you a real, actual horse who also just so happened to be a great listener. Or rather, maybe he was just more there out of obligation if he understood his rider had been driven toward making decisions by the concentrated form of insanity visible behind Wanderer's eyes. (Is it just Wander? Can't remember...) Hell, maybe Aggro adopted Wander's single-minded determination as his own. I think that's part of what makes there being such little explanation awesome is getting to insert your own ideas into certain aspects. But yeah, aggro is great, and with awesome riding controls where it felt like controlling a guy who's riding a horse rather than just getting direct control over Aggro. Aggro can't be shackled by the conventions of game design, he's gotta be free!
Or you could just hold the run button, triangle or X depending on version/controls. You don’t have to constantly tap it, the tutorial only explain how to start a run and it took me a few colossi to realise that but yeah you can continuously run by pressing the run button instead of tapping it.
@@minecraftgravityguy I'm gonna boil that comment down to it's essentials, because I agree:
You can simple hold the Gallop button and Aggro will never stop galloping.
If you do that, he works just like any other videogame horse...
Soo... @Steel Bear
Maybe make sure your statement is accurate before you actually state it...
In your defense, the game doesn't really tell you to hold down the gallop button for infinite galloping, but it is possible to figure out or just...google it if it annoys you that much.
Am I the only one who never thought Dormin was Evil? Like, they never do anything wrong? In the beginning, they say, "hey, if you do this, it's not going to end well for you," and wander literally says, "don't care, doesn't matter. " They keep their promise and bring Mono back, and even save Wander before they die.
Exactly. I'd always thought that Dormin didn't have to resurrect Mono but they did it anyway
Yeah the tribe leader sound way more evil than Dormin. He most likely decided by his own accord that Mono should be sacrificed because he wanted to change destiny, instead of being a better person he coose to take a seemingly innocent life for the sake of preventing an assuned “cursed future”. Well in the end he made that future by his own hands in his attenpts to run away from it. Dormin tells you to “kill” the sealed parts of himself so you can’t even say they are evil because at the end the shadows that supposedly represent those sealed parts converge into Dormin again and it is still weak and too slow to fight off the humans and ends up Sealed again instantly after. It really is amazing how they made a demonic figure be reasonable and grey instead of inherently evil and/or antagonistic.
You know I didn't really originally think about it, but I did think to myself that the way they attack Dormin did seem kind of antagonistic since if I remember correctly Dormin just mostly kind of stands there when the people begin their attack. Actually, I think it could've been really interesting if Dormin was shown to be without a doubt a benevolent or just misunderstood being, but hunted and imprisoned by those we are lead to believe were in the right.
They could've ended with Dormin basically reincarnating as the horned baby at the end, which I've always assumed to be the kid with the horns from Ico, which I'm pretty sure was the name of the boy himself. I sadly haven't played Ico. Anyway, while I do really love the idea of the guardians being the protectors of the world and the living seals to imprison Dormin, I think if they went in the opposite direction it would've likely been just as interesting to me.
My favorite description of this game is by Yatzee from Zero punctuation: it's like riding bike through a beautiful peaceful mountain trail and every few miles the bike turns into a bear.
In my experience, especially in the remake,, Aggro only fights your control if you try to fight her, so if you think she's annoying to control, then you're going to loath The Last Guardian since Trico's AI is basically that of a giant cat with hearing problems
I’m cracking up cause this is so specifically accurate😂
Just wanted to leave you a friendly reminder that you're doing a great job!
Levi thank you so much :D You are so kind
Damn, we really do need more friendly reminders in the world. Most places in the U.S. have never been exposed to the concept so they would probably treat it as a jump-scare and enter critical fight-or-flight mode.
Shadow of the Colossus is such a masterpiece. I love that Wander is just a normal guy, completely enthralled by love that he was willing to sacrifice everything for his desires to undo Mono's death. The irony being that her death was to prevent something horrible but instead was the first step in the vision. Even showing how undamaged her body is, like she willingly allowed it to happen. This could've been a PS2 limitation but given everything in the game was done with intent it doesn't seem that way. Similar to how the designers designed all the Colossi in personal prisons that they cannot get out of.
And you're right, you have to piece the story together through the environment and character actions that kept this game alive like the Souls. Like how Dormin is protrayed as "evil" but nothing in the environment highlights this. Instead, it's the opposite. A civilization apparently sprouted from Dormin, a new religion came into being, and they sealed Dormin most likely. Yea, Domin looks evil, horns and all, but Team Ico played with that idea in Ico where the protagonist was seen as a omen because of his horns but turned out to be a good kid. This is not to say this God was perfect If Dormin was truly 100% evil why do the pray stones heal Wander or why are there huge constructions showcasing people living lives in this land for centuries? Yea Dormin needs Wander alive but none of the area seems like it was ravaged, even the castle where Dormin lives looks quite pristine.
For me, what made Shadow of the Colossus such as great game is that it wasn't like everything released in its time. You weren't a hero, the enemies were individualized, and it was so original. The unknown world of the Forbidden Land and piecing everything together while connecting it to Ico was jarring.
Great video as always.
Harbinger thank as always for watching my videos 😍 I never made that connection about Dormin! You make very good points about their potential innocence (or non-evil nature at the very least)
(Spoilers) The way this entire game serves as a test for that final scene ; Whether or not holding your grip or letting go is the right way to go about the inevitability of the situation. Both actions symbolizing numerous dynamic emotions from each and every player that enters the world shooting trees for fruit. Just game design way ahead of its time! Great vid as always!!!
Couldn't agree more Cookie Poo
Spoiler for the ending of this game:
Something that stuck with me about Dormin was how ambiguous their true nature was. After Wander goes around and frees them, they possess your body seemingly out of necessity because of the masked men, (they explicitly say they are just borrowing your body) have you fight against said masked men and inevitably gets sealed away but they still hold their end of the bargain. They revive Mono and Wander is reborn as a baby with horns also probably due to Dormin. I like to think Dormin was never evil, they were a god of death and shadow but not malevolent yet still feared and so sealed away. It's one of those things where we'll never know for certain but is still fun to think about and another reason why I like this game so much
I think when discussing Dormin its imoprtant to remember that it was made by japanese devs, having a god or diety be strictly good or evil is a quite modern judeo christian theme, if you look at other stuff like hindu or greek/roman pantheons there is way more ambiguity. Gods are not made for mortals to understand, gods to what they do and mortals are just along for the ride
I think the simplest way to say it is that Dormin isn't an _evil_ god, he's an _enemy_ god to Emon's people. It's pretty clear the civilisation in the valley loved him dearly, given you have to walk past a line of statues which are presumably aspects of Dormin just to get into the valley at all. It's also worth noting he never once lies to Wander and is in the process of explaining what the cost of their association will be when Wander cuts him off with "I don't care."
I miss this game. I almost forgot about it. I don’t care how lifeless and dead the eyes of the colossi look, it killed me when they would moan or grunt as they got hurt or died 😢
"If you're a historian, you may see them as roommates"
I spat out my water-
I still think it’s heartwarming that the devs put in an actual easter egg to reward players who went on that legendary easter egg hunt by adding collectables at all the coordinates the community discovered in the legendary secrets thread a decade ago
I saw Wander as an acolyte who saw the brutality of her ritual sacrifice and wanted to give back to her what was unfairly taken. His single minded pursuit of what was right regardless of the cost.
THIS IS my favorite game of all time. As a Brazillian kid, I had no access to game's magazines and games back then didn't had translation like they do today(games are the number one reason why I'm able to understand the English language), I literally saw the cover of this in the back of the shelves and bought it because it looked cool, I had no idea of the game's reputation. I will never forget the feeling when I saw the first Colossus and realized what the game was about, it was the game that made fall in love with this medium. Great video as always :)
You are officially one of my absolute favorites for game reviews. I love the combination between humor and genuine dissection of games and characters. Would love to see a collab between you and Ragnarox. Your guys voices together would be incredible 😍
Aww thank you Cathrine! I've never heard of Ragnarox but I'll have to check out their content sometime! Thanks so much for sharing such an amazing sentiment with me
The interesting thing about SotC is that the main narrative is simple and intuitive; boy loves girl (platonic, romantic, filial, doesn't matter) is single minded and brave, the traditional hero; ends up sacrificing himself to save her, the end.
The interesting and more complex stuff is all in the background and is only there for people who will look for it, it's tangential to what is essentially, a fairy tale being played on screen.
Whereas the souls series (and it's off shoots) usually have far more up front confusion and complexity when it comes to narrative and the terminology. While it's interesting to learn about lore through item descriptions etc it also makes relating to your protagonist a bit more iffy. You have to really dive deep to come to an equivalent understanding of the world your avatar is living in and their potential motivations, particularly if you pick certain backgrounds that delve into religions, areas or factions.
Don't get me wrong, I love the story telling of From but it just goes to show that a simple core narrative can benefit a sense of wonder
Very true! It's a game you can enjoy on face value and still have a fantastic experience, and then dig deeper for an entirely different experience 😁
This game is one of those that are more legend than reality for me, because I’ve never had it accessible to me for lack of a console- it’s so cool to see another creator making a video on this
My pleasure Book Book! :D
I'm so happy we have a new video, I've found you through the Rachel Foster game review. You mix comedic commentary with blunt honesty in your reviews. Much respect! 💕
Roquii that means so much, thank you 😍
yup she's amazing.
I think Shadow of the Colossus was the first game that made me realize games were legitimate art as a kid and not just fun products/toys.
Very valid! And in a way I think it was the same for me :D
I never experienced this game back in the day, my first playthrough was the PS4 remake. I actually really enjoyed the downtime in between collosi where you get to take in the sights and do a bit of exploring looking for some wee bastard lizards to pelt with arrows.
Ah, this one's such a precious downer. One of a tiny group of games I never even discuss with anyone, so intimate is the feeling it instates.
Before Shadow of the Colossus came out the first time, I was in high-school (Secondary for non-Americans) and my best friend showed me the Playstation Magazine Demo Disk. We were blown away by the horse's mane, it was beyond anything we'd ever seen in games before. I know it seems silly now, but back then hair physics just weren't a thing. I still replay it every now and again.
A game that is heavily based on Shadow of the Colossus structure-wise is a little pixelated indie game called Titan Souls.
The premise is that both you and the bosses you fight die on one hit, and the gameplay is a test of skill to see who can kill the other first.
It looks really nice and the boss designs are pretty cool and varied.
SotC has always been somewhat of an enigma for me. I only watched it, never managing to sit down and play it for myself, however I've been in love with it ever since that first viewing. It strongly reminded me of LoZ: Twilight Princess, one of the best games to ever grace the gaming scene (no, I will not argue over facts, ty). The scene, the atmosphere, the silent protagonist, the unspoken resolve and bravery, along with loyalty and love are amazingly portrayed without ever needing a word. Its subtlety is true beauty in means of storytelling and it's something many try and many fail at, however this game succeeds with flying colors. A true masterpiece that deserves the everlasting love and adoration it's getting.
Ramble over, thank you for making yet another gem. Watching your videos is like getting an early Xmas present every time. Keep up the great work!
This brings back memories of me hunting lizards for hours trying to increase my stamina. Only to still fail at climbing the Colossus swearing and then coming back next week to do it again.
PS. Don't worry about ever forgetting our names on a video just keep on making your great content.
I was so bad at hunting the lizards! Like I tilt so bad with them :')
My sister named her first car after that horse. It really lived up to the name with how badly it handled.
to be fair I haven't played SotC, but from what I've heard the most similar game I have played is Rime. The actual gameplay is different (Rime has no combat), but as in SotC the player must traverse the ruins of a once great civilisation that tell you very little. You can uncover some of the history but most of it is left entirely up to interpretation, and it's entirely possible to play the whole game without finding any pieces of the puzzle. It's a very lonely and very beautiful experience that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys puzzle platformers.
I've been recommended a lot of your videos and decided to take a look. Really liking things so far and I appreciate it so much when creators include accesibilty like clear CC / subtitles when possible, it makes everything better for someone like myself.
Hey no worries! They're fun to make 😁 sorry that the older videos have worse subs, bizarrely it takes practice to do them well
I fucking remember the hunt for the San Andreas Sasquatch just as I remember the hunt for the "secret Colossus" in this game when I was a kid.
This was before I had consistent access to the internet so I learned everything from 2nd or 3rd hand sources about things in video games I didn't already find. I remember spend real life HOURS trying to climb to the top of the tower to get into the secret garden, I remember just riding around to places you weren't required to go to in this game just to find out there fuck all there but it was pretty. It's pretty nostalgic to be reminded of the....strange ole days.
I'm so glad I found your channel. Your commentary is always so funny and clever but still well-written and insightful. Plus I'm also an achievement hunter (but on Steam not PS) so it's cool to watch someone with a similar mindset. Keep it up!!
Aww thank you Liqs!! Always a pleasure to meet a fellow trophy/achievement hunter :D What's your proudest?
@@MertKayKay Probably either Divinity 2 (that honor mode achievement...) or Dead Cells! Both very hard games on the highest difficulties so it's super satisfying to complete them. What about you? I don't think I've heard you mention it before.
@@itsliqs ooo Divinity has a solid trophy list, well done! And for me it'll be Crash 4. That game looks cute but it's the hardest one I've ever done
One of my favorite games. I can't explain how this made me feel the first time playing. That music still gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it. If you think about it, it is a walking simulator with boss fights at the end of the walking sections. The thrill and anticipation of the next boss is something other games just can't get right, or never even attempt.
I also like to think of The Wanderer as an extension of yourself. This is a game you are most likely going to sit around and play by yourself. You get absorbed in the experience, much like Wanderer gets absorbed in his quest.
Yes, it's janky and frustrating sometimes, but this was early PS2 era gaming. I imagine if this game had climbing mechanics comparable to something like, say Horizon or Assassin's Creed, the challenge would mostly be gone. You are supposed to feel like you are fighting against momentum. I would liken it to tank controls in those early Resident Evil games.
With all of that said, I put this in my top 10 AT LEAST.
I also need to play The Last Guardian, as it has been installed on my PS4 (and now PS5) since 2017.
Your videos are great. I will continue to watch and support your channel because the content is great. Your commentaries always get me through my work days.
Jerry it's always such a pleasure to see you in my comment section and it is an HONOUR sir to know that I get you through those work days. Here's to many more! Thank you :D
'Clanging around the back of a wedding car, wishing for the days you were a vessel for diet coke or Heinz beans' sounds like a beautiful analogy for a jaded adult looking back on their youth. :p
So glad you covered environmental storytelling, one of my favourite parts of the game. Found myself just nodding along to everything you were saying :)
ADAM! :D
Been watching quite a few of your videos recently, some of the best long form review content I’ve found on RUclips. Keep up the amazing work, you’ve made a subscriber out of me.
Thank you so much 🥰
The first video I see of you. Hilarious and thoughtful. Subbed
I really like your videos, I save them for Sunday afternoon when work starts to really drag to give me a reason to finish my shift
Ada I'm so happy to hear it! :D
Please keep making videos. Think your content is an absolute treat.
Anything for you Spud Man 😍
I'm one of those weirdos that will never stop playing this game. To me the game is perfect, a masterpiece and I loved listening to your lovey/hatey retrospective. Great job
For games that are like this one I believe there's one called "Praey for the gods"
While I was interested in the game like shado of the colossus, ico, and the last guardian, I never felt interested enough to play them.
However I was interested enough to watch walkthroughs of them. When I watched shadow of the colossus when it came out I watched a walk through that had no commentary and I did notice the character was darkening and getting dirtier and I thought I saw the horns but the player never zoomed in.
It wasn't until I searched up a video of the heros transformation that someone had made, showing his slow transformation close up with each colossus killed.
Ico was interesting cause to me I couldn't help but feel that was wander reborn, alot of people have had that theory though but I don't think it's ever been confirmed.
The last guardian was actually cute with treeko in it I believe that's what the creatures name was. And my heart broke somewhat watching the ending but I got happy again when I say the last scene.
Personally I feel there's missed opportunity to turn these 3 games into a show.
The first game, have him reminisce on his time with her, get us invested. Show us him finding how this area turned to the way it is. How the colossus came to be. Give us some inside into his thoughts every time that piece of the demon enters him like his thoughts on the fight, what he felt.
As for Ico since there was more story to it in its cutscenes maybe put more emotion into it.
The last guardian was already kinda heartbreaking but, maybe give it a better ending like having the people live side by side with the adorable beasties.
Great video as always, I always love to hear your opinions cause you always go indepth and I respect that!
A MertKayKay video about Shadow of the Colossus? In this moody gray rainy morning? Let me grab my coffee! 🖤
I hope you like it!! :D
i love your analyses so much!!! always cool to watch. i feel like i learn new ways of thinking about video games from your vids. they get me thinking in ways i never would've otherwise. and also your sense of humor has definitely made me snort and/or cackle aloud multiple times. (apologies to my neighbor's cat, hope i didn't startle her too much xD )
also, thanks a ton for the subtitles. i know they probably take a long time to make, and i -- and i'm guessing a lot of other people -- really appreciate them.
Thank you so much! 😭 You motivate me to do more videos
And no worries on the captions, they take a while but they're kind of chill and easy 😁
I feel like the whole unrelated narrator moment was a shot at SpecOps: The Line, which has its forced moments, but I wouldn't say Walker's mental state being one of them
I remember getting in so much trouble playing this game. My best friend and I stayed up super late just so we could wait until her dad went to bed so we could play it on their big screen CRT TV which was definitely not the type of screen that you were allowed to play video games on because it damages it. But I'm sorry the colossi demand to be seen on that screen and I make no apologies Mr Williamson!
Thank you for adding CC! Amazing video, as always!!
No worries Dominique, thank you for watching!
Ironically the fights that I had with Agro where the most tense. The phylanx and turtle that shot laser beams where intense. I think a lot of that is due to the soundtrack which is just incredible.
Dirge also, even had its personal OST and was the most aggresive and imo the most challenging in order to do the mechanic.
Amazing video! You just resparked my love for this game! The magic of this game has never left me ever since i played it as a kid. I still get sad at the ending because of how beautiful it is. The same goes for Ico. There's a channel called Nomad Colossus that still makes videos on his discoveries about the game to this day! From missing areas to lost footage that has things that aren't present in the current game.
Thanks so much for watching Venom! :D What a classic game - and I remember Nomad, they were absolutely awesome in the early days of RUclips
SotC alongside Breath of the Wild inspired Praey for the Gods. They took the monument bosses from SotC and plopped them into an open world with all kinds of BotW inspired mechanics that actually got stuff to do in it. And there is a story to discover too. They took the boss rush and made it a survival game in the time between and during the travel to the next thing to kill
Wow, amazing review Sunshine! Been a while since i watched a vid, but you're still doing fantastic! Heck, you're even sponsored now! I am nothing but proud with how it's going! Hope you're doing well!
Also MAN, Seffy's looking real WIDE, quite the adorable chunky fellow
:D Thank you! And Seffy says thanks too!!
Great video as always and a great cameo from Le sef 😍. Keep it up mert!
Thank you Birch!! :D
SotC is definitely one of my favourite games, I own all 3 versions, and back when the PS2 version came out not only was it a rare "Day 1" purchase for me, but I literally spent hundreds of hours exploring the game world and, like you, scouring the internet for any theories, discussions, etc.
But I 100% agree with everything you've said in this (excellent) video.
Agro was a pain in the ass to control, and once you've unlocked everything it sort of saps any point or purpose behind playing the game except to explore the world.
Despite being such a huge fan, I've not bothered to Platinum either the PS3 or PS4 versions, because I largely find the time trials/unlocks to be tedious...I'm there to explore the world and for the experience, not to challenge myself.
I have, however, recently been tempted to look for all the coins in the PS4 version...
A great RUclipsr covering a great game. What more could we ask for!
Aww thank you Iggy! :D
This video game absolutely shaped me and my sense of creativity.
Fun story : when I studied Concept Art, we had a project that required us to design a character, a boss, and an arena as if we were in charge to make a DLC for our favorite game. (So obviously I chose Shadow of the Colossus for my work)
I remember vividly the days I spent analysing the art style and why this game felt so compelling to me and, fun fact : the colossi are their environment, down to the detail. Not only are their armors composed of pieces of the ruins around them, some also have clues as to how to defeat them. For exemple, the bull looking one you have to scare with fire have red triangles on its armor to symbolise flames !
Anyway ! This game is awesome even if the camera have a personal vendetta against the player sometimes !
Really cool video as always !
Another game that absolutely nails environmental storytelling is Unpacking, one of my absolute favourite games of the last few years. The entire story is told with no dialogue and barely any words, and yet this is someone you know intimately by the end and look forward to seeing what happens next.
17:37 OH my God, they were ✨️R O O M M A T E S✨️
Excellent video as always, Kay!
Thank you lovely Shanty :D
[TL;DR - Being a huge fan of "Ico", I interpreted the situation in SotC as Mono's sacrifice being inhumane, Dormin being an entity that was wrongfully imprisoned/possibly corrupted by humans, Emon & co. being cruel authority figures who ought not to be trusted, and the ending as a bittersweet victory over unjust forces.]
Pretty sure I'm in the minority here, but, while I love "Shadow Of The Colossus", it's not in my top 10; whereas "Ico" is my second favorite game of all time. I can't even count the number of times I replayed it before SotC was even announced. I felt no real emotional connection to Wanda, but boy did I feel a STRONG connection to Ico and Yorda. Largely because of my experience with that first game, I immediately saw Wanda and Mono's relationship as something that must be protected at all costs, so I was very emotionally connected to the quest itself, and I was pretty-much on Dormin's side the whole time. Based on what happens in "Ico"s story, as soon as Wanda said "She was sacrificed because she had a cursed fate." I went "Oh! Well, screw whatever society did that to her. Disembodied voice, I'M WITH YOU!"
I was almost done with the game before I noticed the corruption of Wanda's body, but even then, I was just as single-minded as he was. "Hey, if I need to become a demon to resurrect my love, then so be it. Not like I have any reason to trust flesh'n'blood people over spirits." I hated Emon & crew on sight, and relished the chance to kill them. The darkness aesthetic notwithstanding, I never truly saw Dormin as something that was bad; merely as something that was. An entity beyond human understanding that humans had, nevertheless, meddled with/crossed. From the very beginning, I saw Emon and his cronies as corrupt religious officials who sacrificed an innocent girl, and Dormin as an entity that had been wrongfully imprisoned - possibly even corrupted - by those who very-well may have been the same people that destroyed the land in the first place. Therefore, if the game had ended with Wanda - an army of shadow demons in tow - slaughtering the group that came after him, I would've thought "This is what ya' get. I just happened to be the one that became the instrument of your destruction, but this result was inevitable."
SPOILER
The actual ending I saw as tragic but hopeful, with Wanda, in death, still claiming victory over Emon's injustice. Mono awakening was one of two times I shed a tear. (The other being Agro's "death". I had an easier time with - and thus more affection for - the horse than you did.😁) Reincarnated horned baby Wanda made my "Ico"-fan self squeal with joy and immediately start crafting theories. And aside from all the other emotions I felt, there was this sense of satisfaction that basically amounted to "TAKE THAT, SOCIETY! You haven't won yet!" 😆
SPOILER OVER
I don't know how I would have felt had I not played and loved "Ico" first, but in any story, I'm usually against authority figures who advocate human sacrifices. Even if it turns out the sacrifice is indeed keeping evil at bay, I'm usually one to say "If this is the requirement, screw it! Bring on the evil! I'll punch it!"
[By the way, I call him Wanda, because when I was following any breadcrumbs of "Ico"s potential sequel in the IGN forums, the first announcement when it had started development came with the title "Wanda and the Colossus". 😉]
New MertKayKay video let’s gooo
*Laughs in went around to collect all the fruit and blue tailed lizards I could possibly find in the game before facing the collosi.*
I'd argue all three Ueda games are pure Masterpieces and everyone should play them. Even the most obvious issues found with each game, whether it be unconventional controls or the wonky camera, nothing takes away from the overall experience that sticks with you and leaves a lasting impression, making everything well worth the effort. I really feel like people shouldn't sleep on any of his games, The Last Guardian included. That one, I will never forget, and I think way more people should play it.
I'd like to add that I never once experienced a crash during the PS2 original or PS3 remaster so that seems very odd that it happened to your playthrough of it. It's unfortunate but I'm glad it didn't detract too much from your overall experience. Technical issues are a bitch to deal with when they happen. 😅
There is an indie game that makes use of the SotC formula and it's pretty awesome. It's called Praey for the Gods. It's not a game without flaws, but I loved it.
If you never saw Jacob Geller's video "The Decade-Long Quest for Shadow of the Colossus' Last Secret", please go watch it. i think you'd really like it, and it explains the collectibles
Frankly when it comes to SotC's mechanics I just adore the weird climbing and grappling on these enormous beasts. Something Monster Hunter would shamelessly steal x years before/later.
My joking aside, it's a really unique mechanic that I wish more games attempted. Not many try to do the giant boss battle where the boss IS the arena. But, I personally find it really cool and fun. It really gives a level of scale and awe to see someone so small taking on something so huge.
I also think it's really interesting how the architecture is designed, it makes me just wanna sit there and watch someone go over it and make theories and guesses of the civilisation based on the designs and other such things like that.
Also side note, our cats look the exact same. Like. Same patterns and everything, very cute!
What's your cat called? 😍😍 And are they a Burmese or a Ragdoll? Sef is a Ragdoll but she's frequently assumed a Burmese or an especially shaggy Siamese haha
Also thank you very much for the comment 🥰
@@MertKayKay His name is Kit-Kat and he's a Ragdoll as well! :>
Sef looks like she's a bit of a cheeky girl based on your little annotation of her playing with the cords ahahah
And no problem! :>
Shadow of the colossus has been my favorite game since i could understand what a videogame was, since it literally came out when i was 2. Id watch my older brother play it on our ps2 for hours on end memorizing every little detail without ever touching the controller, i was obsessed with the lore and cut content, probably one of my first special interests. In a way its a shame that ive always known everything about it, what i wouldnt give to be able to experience it for the first time again. I replay it from time to time again, each time taking more time to explore the forbidden lands and finding landmarks that i didnt know or was part of some cut colossus' area. Ill never get tired of it lmao
back again to say that while I still haven't played SotC, I have played and adored The Pathless. I don't know if The Pathless was directly inspired by SotC but they are similar in that you are thrust into an enormous, empty open world where you must battle enormous evil creatures alongside your animal companion, except The Pathless is structured around the bow and arrow mechanic and actually has lore and puzzles placed throughout the open world which I really enjoyed. It's also shorter and easier than SotC and I can see experienced gamers being a little underwhelmed, but I found the battles incredibly intense, and some of the secrets were so well hidden I didn't even know they were in the game until I checked a guide. And you can cuddle the eagle! I highly recommend it
It's always so funny for me that we all more or less got tilted by the camera angles but the game was so easy after you solved the puzzle that I feel it was almost justified. Also, the camera didn't affect the solvability (I hope that's a word) of the puzzles so even more so.
Also, Aggro best partner ever.
Get in. Will fall asleep to this tonight. Always excited when you put something up!
Thank you Josh! 🥰 Sleep tight haha
I just wanted to say I love your content :) you sense of humour is great and the way you dissect games is really entertaining to me (especially since I'm in school to go into the industry 👀)
Thank you so much for what you do 💜
Also, thank you for the typed up captions - extremely helpful as someone with a hearing loss
Hey Mia! Thanks so much :D I hope you make great things in the industry, what are you going in to do specifically?
And no worries on the subtitles
@@MertKayKay game design and production! We're currently going through the process of a variety of game jams to get used to making games. I don't know which area I want to specialise in, but that's why I'm in education for it :)
Love your content since I found your video on dishonored ❤️ couldn't help but laugh when you cut from gameplay and I looked at the screen and saw your shirt lol amazing
Haha thank you Captain Chris!!
I grew up with this game on the ps2. Borrowed the disc from my uncle when I was pretty young, maybe about 9? Didn’t have reliable internet access nor was I old enough to really get into online discourse and early fandom stuff so I had to figure this all out for myself. I remembered being so stumped on Cenobia and Celosia & giving them silly names because I didn’t know their official ones. 😂
Was really surprised to see they remastered it when I finally got a ps4 a few months ago. Still playing to this day :)
The "roommates" line slew me. Perfect delivery.^^
You might want to check out thatgamecompany's 2012 game Journey. It's a platformer sans combat and any form of dialogue, but with great atmospheric storytelling. It's a short but lovely experience that is probably best enjoyed as a little snack between longer, more intense games. (I'm not sure how active the servers are at this point, but if anyone's still around it's also got a beautiful form of optional co-op.)
Shadow of the Colossus bonus fact: Mono's value in the overall narrative is perhaps made clear by the fact "mono" is also the Japanese word for "thing".
Hello I love your cat so much, such an elegant precious bean! Also your videos make me feel better after a bad day at work, so thank you
Aww thank you!! Her name is Seffy 😁 she is 3
@@MertKayKay Awwww Seffy is such a cute name omg
I am yet to play Shadow of the Colossus (partially because I don't even own a PS4), but I promise to return once I complete it in the next ten years! Regardless, I hope you're doing well! I really enjoyed your Overwatch 5 minute review, it was succinct, snappy and with all your usual wit and charm. I'll look forward to your Blair Witch review :)
Hooman you are a star 🌟 thank you for everything, it's a pleasure to know you like my content 😁
"TILT-BASED HORSE SIMULATOR"
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for being the game reviewer that you are... loool! I never even played this game & was tuned in the whole time (except I had to go back a few minutes after realizing I've zoned out, just staring at Seffy 😍)
I'm so late to respond here but thank you so much 😍
@@MertKayKay But I LOVE that you reply! I've been on ur notif gang since Rachel Foster, so I watch ALL ur uploads now 😊
(....but, you know--in a super chill & casual way)
@@spitkitten Anything for the notif gang B) I'm really glad you like my stuff
This game is a work of art, practically flawess and one of the best games ever, top 10 for sure. I will never forget going throught it for the first time.
It really is just such a fantastic self contained game and story. I'm glad they never did a sequel, imo it never needed one
6:57 I have never pressed the like button so fast
- this comment nearly got me killed in Final Fantasy XIV and it was worth it
This game blew my mind back in the day. The only other game that made me feel anything similar was a single boss fight in Darksiders 2 when you fight the guardian.
Another great video. There's definitely a lot more to the game than I thought.
Thank you so much Aeonix 😍
Sometimes there’s games where you can only play them ONCE. Like how there’s books you can only really read ONCE to get all you need from them. Spec Ops, the Line…Bioshock…Shadow of the Collossus…these all fall along that line. The gameplay and the twists of the game make it so you can truly only enjoy the games once, MAYBE twice if there’s another ending or so you wanted to get but that’s a stretch.
Bioshock I agree but I've played through shadow yearly since the remaster hit the PS4. The beauty of the landscape and the lonelyness of the collosi draws me back every time. I played the first time for the story and everyone since for the raw vibe.
(This is a bit of a ramble)
My eldest brother recommended this to me sometime last year and didnt say much other than its "open world" and its "very pretty".
When i started playing i ignored the light and where it pointed me, i just wanted to explore the map. After coming across this beautiful but empty forest, i noticed that there is no wildlife (other than birds and lizards) and no people.
I continued on until eventually finding a desert and some buried structures, after finding these locations, i had my fill of exploration and so i turned back to the spawn point.
When i made it back, I started make my up towards the light and climbed up the cliff only to come across this beautiful, peaceful looking giant minding its own business. I killed the giant feeling a bit bad, but didnt think too much about it. But with each beautiful creature i killed, the more and more i thought about how im basically causing the extinction of an entire species. And, man, was that a shitty feeling.
8/10 very depressing and frustrating. Would recommend.
another brilliant upload !
Thank you Anna!! You are the best!
During the “the first playthrough is the best” segment I was coming here to comment that I would love an Outer Wilds video right as you name dropped it 😂
Apparently it's one of the most brilliant singular experiences in gaming 😍
@@MertKayKay it really is, the feelings of joy and discovery through exploration is so satisfying.
The characters are also adorable and the themes hit hard.
It’s a surprisingly deep game that shows there can be a certain beauty in nihilism.
It’s the only video game that has inspired me to get a tattoo.
I hope you get a chance to play it ❤️
Your shirt caught me off guard especially when I misread it as "Miles" and was gawking at how you'd even consider loving such a terrible system of measurement. Then again you guys drive on the left side of the road so you win some and lose some. And that kitty is so adorable and fluffy!
Now onto my actual two cents and 3 francs change:
I played the PS2 for a long time growing up and the fact I was confined to it due to multiple circumstances in life before going onto the next generation of consoles, eventually, I came to appreciate older games with not so good graphics compared to our current year the year of the lord 2022. Yet looking at this game screams "not bad graphics ya dingus". I wish I played it as a kid because I'd be blown away by the big rock monsters, it'd be like playing god of war or that power rangers game trying to figure out how to defeat the big version of the villain (never figured it out lol). I remember hearing that this game was the peak of ps2 performance, pushed it to the very limit and it made people look at the possibilities for future generations of consoles because if that's the PS2 pushed to the limit then what would the ps3's lowest level and how would it look like when she too is pushed to the limit. Ultimately my ps2 needs a new controller because my sis wanted to turn it into a wireless ps4 controller (and you can imagine how that went.) add to that a new TV cord. My ps3 is long dead and I gave my ps4 to my cousin for his birthday meaning all I have is emulators and those too are tricky (ffs Silent Hill 3 work already!) soooo I'll just appreciate the game from a distance like those beautiful towers you see in the game yet can't learn what they were for.
P.S: The big baddy's name is Dorman? Doorman? I heard it as dormant and thought to myself "Dude's name is dormant and he didn't think it's suspicious? That's some Lovecraft stuff".
I LOVE YOUR SHIRT OML
THANK YOU
After all this time and never got into shadow of the colossus despite hearing all of the good things about the game and now that I finally got around to playing it I can now see why shadow of the colossus is considered a classic 😄
I recall complaining about the horse through my first playthrough. Made me want to rip my hair out. After some practice though... it's actually not terrible? I handed the PS4 remaster of this game to a friend to stream and he really didn't want to be told how to play. My only advice was that the horse can mostly steer himself and your input is a slightly delayed suggestion. Trying to hard steer the horse leads to endless frustration. But even with that, they didn't need to make is spook so easily. Jumping onto the flying serpent was such a pain.
I only just realized, but the blanket she's wrapped in in the beginning, is the same pattern type for Ico's poncho.
Boss gauntlet is an appropriate way of describing it. This is quite a new perspective.
Shadow of the Colossus is my *favorite* game. Unfortunately I was a baby when it came out so I never played the original, but I *did* play the remake around when it came out, and boy do I have fun stories!
I never struggled with Agro except for one time, when I was trying to get to Malus and I needed her to cross the bridge. I did the whole run up and everything, but she didn't jump across the gap and instead got kinda wedged in a corner. I thought I could just hop off and call her back to the bottom of the staircase. So I hopped off... and got flung off the cliff. And I forgot to save at the nearby temple so I had to run back from the Shrine of Worship, which was agony.
Once while fighting Celosia (the small colossus who's afraid of fire) I managed to get a plant, which meant no matter how hard she shook, I didn't move and inch. It was really exciting! Another time I one-shot her. Still no clue how that happened.
While fighting Argus (the second to last colossus) one time, he broke completely. I don't know exactly what happened, but he just started idling. I think his eyes even went black, as though he was inactive. He eventually fixed himself but it really startled me ngl.
My biggest issue with the game is honestly the ending. Obviously ending spoilers so don't read this paragraph to those of you who haven't played, but I was always upset that you could never kill Emon for no reason. No matter how many times I punched him or breathed fire on him, he and his guys would just get back up. I'd get it if there was an explicit reason, like he had a talisman or something that protected him, but it was always annoying.
And if you're curious about the beta colossi, there's currently two projects which feature them! I'm currently following Beyond the Forbidden Lands since it recently dropped a demo. I'm really excited to see the beta colossi in action! Honestly I just want more of this game lol.
"If you weren't too busy having fun" -- the eternal trophy hunter
Can't escape them
Another game that does storytelling like Demon Souls that came out in the same year was Brutal Legend. There was hidden statues hidden throughout the world that you could access to give you little chapters of the lore. At first it all seems like world building, but by the time you get to the last one, it actually reveals the reason why your character is the fulfillment of a the same prophecy you were being told about during the entire game lol Still my favorite game of all time, mostly cus it also had RTS mechanics that everyone unfortunately hated lol
Hope you had a great weekend
You too Ren!!
Thank you, interesting discussion
I guess I'm part of that "SOME" fanbase that have played the game over 1000 times (literally) & I'm not done yet. You would think there isn't anything new to find or discover after that much time, but as you can see from my videos & those of others like Nomad Colossus etc, it would be unwise to believe that. Even after 17 years, S.O.T.C. continues to inspire & fascinate, while still holding secrets & mysteries waiting for the most avid fans to uncover. Nice discussion. :)
Nomad Colossus was my absolute inspo as a kid, I remember they would do these up-close examinations of all the colossi, it was really cool! And hanging off all the eagles as they fly around. Glad to know you're also keeping the fire alive :D
SPOILERS: I don’t think Dormin is actually evil. There isn’t anything to indicate that they are, aside from Emon’s desire to keep them sealed. But we aren’t meant to fully trust him either as it’s implied he was the one who sacrificed Mono.
Dormin tells Wander at the very start that if he chooses to embark on this quest he will pay a heavy price. They explicitly warn him and Wander does it anyway. When they do ultimately possess Wander, they claim that they are “borrowing” his body. Whether or not this means they intend to relinquish control at some point is ambiguous (as are most things), but it’s an interesting word choice. But the big thing is that in spite of everything they keep up their end of the bargain. They aren’t fooling Wander or lying to him; at the end of the game they revive Mono, even though they have zero reason to hold up their deal. They honor their agreement even as their being sucked into the vortex with Wander.
I love Fumito Ueda’s style of storytelling. I love how many ways there are to read such a simple minimalistic story. Even Dormin’s nature - which seems self evident at first - can be argued.
10/10 video 10/10 shirt
My top 1 favorite game of all time hands down. As a young teen the early "open world" was very exciting to explore and a game built entirely around it's boss battles/puzzles this game was like absolutely nothing else at the time.
Sadly unable to replay it now but had a chance to back in 2017 and the game was still a masterpiece bias aside. If you've never played it and have the opportunity I cannot recommend it enough
One of the games that absolutely consumed me when it released being covered by the most amazing content creator= Perfection 🥰
Something I did love about it, that emptiness is definitely a turn off to some, but it always had me composing its own history in my head. Something beautiful about desolate landscape that gives you just enough of a sense of history to haunt you into telling yourself stories about what may have been. Just my opinion, but that made me really enjoy the game even more.
Dead ass I replayed this like a month ago and it inspired me to make like five ocs for no reason
As someone who have never played any PlayStation game I owe my knowledge of them to you and Caddicarus.
This is a huge compliment, thank you :D
14:47 The blood type thing is because Japanese people often treat blood types the same way we treat zodiac signs, believing they effect your personality. Apparently you can be denied a job because of your blood type.