Shadow of the Colossus - The Demo and The Review

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Farny

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Finally, we get to play the Shadow of the Colossus demo in this month's OPM. My disc came in piss poor condition, and after some rubbing alcohol and 4 failed startups, I got the demo to play the whole way through.

The game is remarkably empty, and it might be a turnoff, because, other than the 16 Colossi, there isn't anything else to do. It's pretty obvious that the game looks amazing. Even though the demo's framerate staggered and there was a lot of pop-in and disappearing structures, it still looks outstanding. The opening scene was pretty, and you can tell from the demo that the game's story, like ICO's, will be quiet, with little dialogue. I was surprised that the OPM Reviewer said the game would last 25 hours or so, 5 times what ICO normally took.

On to the demo, there was a hell of a lot of land to explore, but the game kept on freezing on me, so it wasn't until after I fought the Colossus that I went back and played through to explore. The framerate, as I said, was crappy, but it's a demo, and maybe not a very well put together demo. The platforming worked well enough, and the grip meter is a cool system. The horse-riding was cool; I found it fun, but pretty hard to get used to. Fighting the Colossus was great, but I figured that if all them were that simple, I don't know how long the game oculd really last; the battle lasted all of 2 minutes or so.

Climbing up the thing is sweet, and stabbing it is simple, and climbing up the thing takes a bit of skill and timing.

Based on the review and demo, I don't know if I'll pick it up when it comes out right away, unless I get a deal. The emptiness of the game can be a real turnoff. I don't know if I want to spend $40 on some thing I'll get bored of, but I will have it eventually. Let's hope it's good.

Sorry for the wall of text, but, seriously, Discuss.
 
This game is only worth $10 for me.

The controls are jerky and bad - even on the horse. Fighting a colossus isn't that hard and once you know it's weak spots it takes only a few minutes to kill. And finding it's weak spots isn't hard either.

The game will take a long time because of all the useless area you have to traverse to find one of the monsters. It's like they couldn't think of anything substantial to add to the gameplay so they added a huge map to make you waste time between battles - the only thing to do in the game.

This is more of an interactive movie, and a boring one at that.
 
Scrubking, if you think the controls are "jerky and bad," you must really have hated Ico. IMO these are very much improved. And yeah, this does look somewhat disappointing, but in the same way PoP Warrior Within was. PoP WW was an excellent game worth playing, but missing some of the magic of the original. I'm thinking the same will be true with SotC.
 
i think this is the same demo that was being shown own showroom floors at different expos. I think the emptiness actaully will add more to the game, and the collosus fights will get harder (since the demo one is probably the easyest boss). I can see how 25 hours will be needed for the game... I don't think the demo gives a good enough idea of how the whole of the game will work out.
 
They go out and say that ICO >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shadow, and if you hated Ico, which I loved, you'll probably hate this more.

If I can switch the credit on Nascar 06, which I'm going to preorder, then I'll put $30 on Katamari and $20 on this, and pay the remaining $20 on the release. That wouldn't be too bad.
 
[quote name='Farny']They go out and say that ICO >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shadow, and if you hated Ico, which I loved, you'll probably hate this more.

If I can switch the credit on Nascar 06, which I'm going to preorder, then I'll put $30 on Katamari and $20 on this, and pay the remaining $20 on the release. That wouldn't be too bad.[/QUOTE]

i was stuck on what to switch my preorder to, so the guy at eb let me buy something already out...i bought hulk ud...they said it was my money and i could do whatever i wanted with it
 
I think I'm going to hold off on the demo and just play it fresh when it comes out.
 
I did play the demo (it gave me a progressive scan option--rare for a demo) and I thought it looks cool but the gameplay seems limited.

So, all you do is fight the Colossi? There must be other adventure elements.

Glad to see Sony go $40 on this one (unlike God of War).

I won't buy it at launch . . . mostly because I buy few (close to none) games at launch unless I can get them at huge discount. But I'll pay $15 for it (like Ico).

I have such a backlog that I won't have trouble waiting for the price drop.

Heck, I just ordered Killzone (already have a penny guide for it).
 
I really looked forward to this....the demo was eh. I really wanted to enjoy this, but it was pretty boring. ICO kills this game. I don't know what they could have added to the final version since the demo seems to be pretty much what the game will be like minus the other Colossi.
 
[quote name='lurknomore']I really looked forward to this....the demo was eh. I really wanted to enjoy this, but it was pretty boring. ICO kills this game. I don't know what they could have added to the final version since the demo seems to be pretty much what the game will be like minus the other Colossi.[/QUOTE]


lol, every interview has said over and over "you search for and fight the colossi, gameplay revolves around this." I don't get what everyone was expecting...online multiplayer? dual wielding? j.k. ;-)

I'd wager that they'll include some environmental puzzles on the way to various colossi. If not, then the other colossi are a lot more complex than the one in the demo.
 
[quote name='Oktoberfest']When you say "empty" do you mean there's like nothing to do between each colossus?[/QUOTE]

yup.

This is the gameplay in a nutshell:
Shine sword in light to find the nearest colossus - travel for a long time in a barren, empty land till you get to the colossus - fight and kill colossus - repeat

Seriously, couldn't they have added some puzzles or adventure elements beside the colossi??

Here are some quotes from OPM

"on the one hand you've got this staggeringly beautiful world to explore to your heart's content... and on the other hand there's nothing in it (well excpet for a a few birds, some lizards, a horse and 16 enormous beasts). Aside from Colossus hunting there is literally nothing else to do in the game..."

"...You're free to spend as much time as you want hunting down beautiful seaside vistas, desolate desert wastelands, or intriguing ruins that are there for absolutely no reason..."

"... ICO is, in my estimation, a notably superior experience."
 
[quote name='Oktoberfest']When you say "empty" do you mean there's like nothing to do between each colossus?[/QUOTE]

yup.

This is the gameplay in a nutshell:
Shine sword in light to find the nearest colossus - travel for a long time in a barren, empty land till you get to the colossus - fight and kill colossus - repeat

Seriously, couldn't they have added some puzzles or adventure elements beside the colossi??

Here are some quotes from OPM

"on the one hand you've got this staggeringly beautiful world to explore to your heart's content... and on the other hand there's nothing in it (well except for a few birds, some lizards, a horse and 16 enormous beasts). Aside from Colossus hunting there is literally nothing else to do in the game..."

"...You're free to spend as much time as you want hunting down beautiful seaside vistas, desolate desert wastelands, or intriguing ruins that are there for absolutely no reason..."

"... ICO is, in my estimation, a notably superior experience."
 
I just got my OPM yesterday, so maybe it'll get to newsstands in a little bit.

They go on saying that really, the only 2 things there are to the actual game (besides exploring) is finding out how to kill the Colossus, and then proceedin to kill it. And honestly, though they say it's hard to figure out it's weakness, I really doubt that it'd be that hard.

Oh, and the element of exploring, you know, could be ruined by invisible walls and unclimable surfaces. If exploring is going to be a main part of your empty game, make sure there's as little of the things that will ruin that aspect as possible.
 
Oh, and someone let me know what progressive scan is, by the way. It doesn't work on my TV, which sucks, as I thought an HDTV'd be able to do whatever it is. Could I get some specifics? I'll try it on my father's TV.
 
[quote name='Farny']Oh, and someone let me know what progressive scan is, by the way. It doesn't work on my TV, which sucks, as I thought an HDTV'd be able to do whatever it is. Could I get some specifics? I'll try it on my father's TV.[/QUOTE]

You need component cables.. to get progressive scan to work. Otherwise it doens't do jack sh*t.

I personally thought it was interesting though true, the colossus was easy. But take into note two things:
1. It's a fucking a demo, not the final game, so you can't assume sh*t.
2. OPM did find the game worthy of a 4.5, which is a great score considering that this is a sequel and the reviewer was even quoted to having said that the first one was much better before giving it the 4.5.
 
I love the emptiness--it creates this beautiful world. As for the controls and framerate, the reviewer (Joe Rybicki) said they were drastically improved for the real game (this was the E3 demo). Also the colossus is supposed to be the easiest and shortest one, most colossi battles are half hour to an hour long.
 
Yes, I read somewhere that there WILL be environmental puzzles that must be solved in order to get to some of the Colossi, and also that some of the harder ones might take 45 minutes or so to climb.

This demo is undoubtedly the first chapter of the game. Of course it's going to be uninteresting, quick, and easy, if they're going to build progressively as you go.
 
Yes, I read somewhere that there WILL be environmental puzzles that must be solved in order to get to some of the Colossi, and also that some of the harder ones might take 45 minutes or so to climb.
Click to expand...
There are NO puzzles in the game. Climbing a mountain and jumping gaps isn't puzzle solving.

1. It's a ing a demo, not the final game, so you can't assume sh*t.
Click to expand...
Then what is the purpose of a demo if it isn't to give gamers an impression of the game?? When you release a demo you are saying this is what the game will be like. No assumtions are being made - they give us a preview by which we judge the game.

2. OPM did find the game worthy of a 4.5, which is a great score considering that this is a sequel and the reviewer was even quoted to having said that the first one was much better before giving it the 4.5.
Click to expand...
A contradiction by the author in my view. How can you say another game is "superior" then still give shadow a near perfect score? It makes no sense, and is typical of "pro" reviews these days.
 
I would assume it was given a near perfect score because it was of lesser quality than ICO, which apparently merited a perfect score.

People have opinions. Question their reviews after you've played the game.
 
[quote name='RelentlessRolento']i think this is the same demo that was being shown own showroom floors at different expos. I think the emptiness actaully will add more to the game, and the collosus fights will get harder (since the demo one is probably the easyest boss). I can see how 25 hours will be needed for the game... I don't think the demo gives a good enough idea of how the whole of the game will work out.[/QUOTE]


It was the demo from E3.
 
i really think this is one of those games that shouldn't have a demo-- it's going to be about the whole experience, not one little part.
 
I would love for this game to keep the land "open" even after you'd defeated all the Colossi. My daughter likes to ride the horse around and it would be great to have an empty world for her to explore.
 
I loved the demo and felt pretty good when I beat the damn boss...

But man, they really need to start fixing their demo discs. Every month there are games that lock up on it. This one was the worse. It locked up five times before I even got next to the boss.
 
I'm happy to hear that other demo discs were locking up...as I can't defeat the boss without my disc locking up. BTW, in case I am the one screwing up, can anyone tell me how they are beating the boss. PM to avoid spoiling, if you wish.
 
When trying to play the demo on my PS2, it would go back to the PS2 menu for some reason. I tried it on my brother's PS2 and it worked.
I liked the demo. Killing the colossus was fun, and I plan on buying this game when it hits $20.
 
FINALLY played the demo. Loved it, keeping in mind that the framerate will be ironed out.

My demo killed itself whenevr I strayed too far from the main path...but I kept trying to explore anyways. Looks like exploration will be fun.

I'm glad the demoed the game. It honestly put to rest some of the concerns I had about it, particularly, how much fun it will be to explore a near-empty world (as it turns out, it's awesome).
 
There is a very large amount of things to see and do in the demo.. finding the beach, the forest, shooting the lizards and birds (you can eat the lizard tails to gain health and grip), you can stand on Argo(the horse)'s back and shoot while riding with your bow (I plan to go back to the forest and ride around the trees for target practice..) I've never had this much fun fooling around with a demo before. I can't WAIT for the final version. I think next time I'll see if I can take down the colossus without climbing him.. just using my bow ;)
 
Sounds awesome. If anyone is bored of their demo and wants to pass it on I know someone who would love to have it (me ;) )
 
A tip for anyone who has trouble with the OPM disc, the way they are package, they tend to get the sticky adhesive that is used the seal the game all over the demo disc. The best way to remove this adhesive is to use "Goo Gone" which is an adhesive dissolver that you can but at Home Depot. This stuff also works wonders removing all those stickers that EB games and Gamespot like to put on your used game cases and disk.

Back to the SoC review. They warn that the demo build is an early build and that the framerate, graphics, control, and camera will all be improved. My biggest complaint is the camera, It seems that I"m always wrestling with it and then the next moment the colossus steps on me and I'm dead. I hope the camera is fixed by the time it's released. As for me I'll probably pick this up a bit later when it falls in price unless the reviews report all the issues with the demo are fixed.
 
Sorry to bump this two week old thread, but I finally got around to playing it and really had a lot of fun playing it. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to properly climb the colossus, and spent the rest of the demo taking him down and it felt exhilerating when I finally took him down. The controls are good and take a few minutes to get used to them, but the camera can get a little awkward when you're approaching the giant beast. L1 works best to focus on him and run around, then let the camera take over once you get on him. I think I'll be picking this up when it hits the $30-$35 range. It sucks that it's been delayed until next month, but it seems to be for the best so that they can tighten things up and fix some bugs.
 
I spent several hours with the demo, exploring as far as I possibly could. I climbed the tower and after several tries I made it up quite a ways to an unfinished area. If you go out as far as you can w/o the demo stalling you can find a beach, a forest with a climbable structure and, even past the forest, a shallow pond area with more areas to climb. I can't remember ever spending so much time with a demo and enjoying my time as much. I didn't even bother fighting the colossus until I knew I had gone everywhere allowed. The apparent emptyness of the game may be a turnoff to some, but I loved just being able to explore.
 
I played the demo through twice (once so a friend could see it too), this game is going to be right up there with ICO. I wish that it was comming out sooner but I really think its going to be a classic.
 
If anyone wants to trade demos, lemme know. I'll trade my Dragon Quest 8 demo for your Colossus :)
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']Sorry to bump this two week old thread, but I finally got around to playing it and really had a lot of fun playing it. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to properly climb the colossus, and spent the rest of the demo taking him down and it felt exhilerating when I finally took him down. The controls are good and take a few minutes to get used to them, but the camera can get a little awkward when you're approaching the giant beast. L1 works best to focus on him and run around, then let the camera take over once you get on him. I think I'll be picking this up when it hits the $30-$35 range. It sucks that it's been delayed until next month, but it seems to be for the best so that they can tighten things up and fix some bugs.[/QUOTE]

Gamestop has it for $39.99 so if this is indeed going to be MSRP than with the GGC or the $5 off BB coupon it will be yours for that much (and mine :D )

Also one of the developers at the playstation Shadow of The Colossus boards say that the framerate is much much better than it was and the final version is going to be much much better than the demo you all are playing now since the bugs have been fixed, the framerate is locked at 30fps (I think its 30 anyways, dont remember) so there should be minimal slowdown if any. Sounds like its going to be better than I can imagine.

I am 100% sure I'm buying this on launch (if I can keep from spending the money :p )
 
[quote name='whoknows']Gamestop has it for $39.99 so if this is indeed going to be MSRP than with the GGC or the $5 off BB coupon it will be yours for that much (and mine :D )

Also one of the developers at the playstation Shadow of The Colossus boards say that the framerate is much much better than it was and the final version is going to be much much better than the demo you all are playing now since the bugs have been fixed, the framerate is locked at 30fps (I think its 30 anyways, dont remember) so there should be minimal slowdown if any. Sounds like its going to be better than I can imagine.

I am 100% sure I'm buying this on launch (if I can keep from spending the money :p )[/QUOTE]
Yeah, the latest update on the game from TGS on Gamespot said that it was the same demo, but that they had fixed the framerate issues, control issues and such that people had with the game. Then again, the OPM review didn't mention any of this, so I'd figure that that was fixed anyways.

As for the $40 MSRP, I'm hoping Fry's will have it for $35 or maybe even less so I don't have to bother with the coupon stuff.
 
I'm interested in playing this now. I liked ICO a lot so I might enjoy this as well. Can anybody tell me what else is on that demo disc?
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']Then again, the OPM review didn't mention any of this, so I'd figure that that was fixed anyways.[/QUOTE]

There's a big box in that issue of OPM that says all the stuff that has been fixed for the final version. It might've been in the introduction to the demo part, but it's there somewhere.

Has anyone else gotten into the forest in the demo? I thought I'd been everywhere in it, and then my girlfriend goes, "Hey, what's in here?"...it was awesome.
 
I am going tommorow to pick up my demo and put in the rest of my cash to cover all costs for my reservation (along with SCIII).

For some reason I have a huge gut feeling that ICO and Shadow happen in the same universe.... partially due to the pic below (screen captured this off a video I had) (SPOILER):

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horns3ms.jpg
 
[quote name='RelentlessRolento']For some reason I have a huge gut feeling that ICO and Shadow happen in the same universe.... partially due to the pic below[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I'd seen that before, and I was thinking the same thing. Especially in OPM's interview with the director, which went something like:

OPM: Is there anything else linking this game to Ico?
Director: NO COMMENT!!!
 
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