Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Though I did like Wanda better
E3 was not the place to play Shadow of the Colossus for the first time. It's like being in a hospital waiting room with a baby on the way - you pace back and forth for hours, smoking carton after carton of cigarettes, finally wandering over to the window for some air, at which point you see your newborn being fired out of a cannon. Sure, he's cute, but it's so fleeting and uncomfortable that you can't really get any sort of first impression, never mind a good one. It's a game you really have to tackle at your own pace, not with someone encroaching on your personal space while spouting what they consider valuable "hints". Not the place at all.
Now that I've played through the demo on the new OPM disc a couple of times, I am once again anticipating it greatly. It's gorgeous, it's sparse in just the right ways, and the nitty-gritty gameplay is actually a lot tighter and more entertaining than I had expected. I'm getting ahead of myself though, as one could easily do when first starting the game. The initial impulse for most players is probably to head straight to their first titular colossi to engage in an understandably alluring battle, but they'd be ignoring a very subtle yet fulfilling part of the experience - the exploration. All sorts of stunning, tranquil vistas await your presence, even in the demo - massive wind-swept plains, winding rock bridges, sprawling forest trails and many more lie amongst equally impressive "human" architectural achievements. As I've read, there is really nothing to these spaces outside of housing each of the sixteen colossus that populate the immediate world. The OPM reviewer lamented that there wasn't anything to find tucked away, and I can appreciate that; and I'm not in a position to argue, as he's played the entire game versus my hour or so. Still, the spirit of adventure made a strong impression on me right off the bat (obviously), and I can definitely see that extending to the rest of the game.
The battles are suitably epic, heartfelt events, but I would rather not say much more than that. The enjoyment is in the discovery, and I hope everyone plans on picking this one up (who has the means, and brains). I am QUITE looking forward to October.
Now that I've played through the demo on the new OPM disc a couple of times, I am once again anticipating it greatly. It's gorgeous, it's sparse in just the right ways, and the nitty-gritty gameplay is actually a lot tighter and more entertaining than I had expected. I'm getting ahead of myself though, as one could easily do when first starting the game. The initial impulse for most players is probably to head straight to their first titular colossi to engage in an understandably alluring battle, but they'd be ignoring a very subtle yet fulfilling part of the experience - the exploration. All sorts of stunning, tranquil vistas await your presence, even in the demo - massive wind-swept plains, winding rock bridges, sprawling forest trails and many more lie amongst equally impressive "human" architectural achievements. As I've read, there is really nothing to these spaces outside of housing each of the sixteen colossus that populate the immediate world. The OPM reviewer lamented that there wasn't anything to find tucked away, and I can appreciate that; and I'm not in a position to argue, as he's played the entire game versus my hour or so. Still, the spirit of adventure made a strong impression on me right off the bat (obviously), and I can definitely see that extending to the rest of the game.
The battles are suitably epic, heartfelt events, but I would rather not say much more than that. The enjoyment is in the discovery, and I hope everyone plans on picking this one up (who has the means, and brains). I am QUITE looking forward to October.
// posted by Nick @ 6:43 PM 
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]