I Can't Finish Shadow of the Colossus

[RedLink]

Call me what you want, but Shadow of the Colossus has filled me with so much remorse. It feels completely wrong to kill all these colossi as they seem innocent. If they were terrorizing a village or something that would be different, but they just seem to be minding their own business and we come and just start killing them.

And there's no backstory given to this girl we're doing all this stuff for. The lack of background was suitable for Ico as you ended up bonding with Forda during the journey. But here it's like "Girl was sacrificed, do this to bring her back". There's no substance to the relationship, so even that doesn't help justify the killings.

I just finished the 7th colossus and honestly, I can't fight the other 9. The music that plays after each defeat only adds more salt to the wound.

Tell me I'm not alone on this?

 

[nsanesk8er16]

calm down big bertha it's a video game

 

[Norm]

That's okay, I can't beat the game because I can't even find the first colossus.

...

STOP LAUGHING!

 

[ZeldaDungeon]

I stopped reading after the first sentence.
You shouldn't be a gamer.

 

[Ronin]

Don't worry, I've been in the same boat before. To be brief, I was glad when Okami came into my possession; I played it for circa forty to fifty hours, but stopped soon after beating Amaterasu's most feared foe the first time. There just seemed to be something missing--an element that prevented me from enjoying it thoroughly, like others have. Yes, I plan on finishing it sometime, but the point of me mentioning it is to indicate that Shadow of the Colossus and Okami aren't really that different. They have something different to offer up in their own respective ways. For Okami, it's the paint brush system, which allows the play to make things happen just by drawing signs into the "air".

Shadow of the Colossus (and Ico for that matter) provides absolutely no music, save for special occasions such as cutscenes and Colossus battles. Other than these, there's only an environmental atmosphere for the player to experience. The lack of music causes them to feel like they're out in the middle of nowhere and have to survive on their own. Because of this feature, the course of the journey is really up to the player, explaining why there isn't much background. They have a beautiful land to explore as they hunt down the overworld Colossi. That's really the objective of the game, in a nutshell. Nothing overblown with epicness like Elder Scrolls or as fixated as Zelda; just a straightforward adventure.

And yeah, while I haven't played Shadow of the Colossus in all honesty, I hear fans of the game declare that it's an emotional ride due to the humanism of your titanic foes. It seems more like a personal challenge set up by the developers more than anything, and demonstrates the unique nature of the game as they intended.

 

[RedLink]

Stick with it. You'll understand the choices the devs made a lot more after completion. It's the most intellectually and emotionally substantial game I've played and the battle player has with themselves over why they are killing (I've seen some fans use the word "murdering") these giants is one of the reasons why.

I'm actually gonna be using that word too man. And thanks a lot for the support. I'll try and complete the game, just to see the famed ending everyone talks about. I wonder if it'll be as good as Ico's.

I stopped reading after the first sentence.
You shouldn't be a gamer.

Says the person who is so unimaginative that they couldn't think of a better username than the site's title.

 

[Shadsie]

I would urge you, if you think you can come back to it, or remember that it is a game, just a story, to finish it. The ending of the game ties so many things together. Okay, so it doesn't explain everything and leaves a buttload of questions of its own, (one part of it in particular made me go WTF), but I found it worth it in the end (though, just so you're warned, the ending is about as emotionally devastating as everything else in this game).

I make no secret that SotC is my favorite videogame. I have beaten it several times between after-game Plus challenges and Hard Mode. It's the kind of game I'll haul out and play just for the *atmosphere.* I've even written fanfiction for it (being the twitchy fic writer that I am), including, believe it or not, a short comedy piece I did as a joke for a friend who had a very different reaction to the game than I or you had (he kept making fun of it). Actually, if it would help lighten your mood about it and get you through, I can link you to that silly little Colossus-comedy poking fun at Wander, whom the friend I created the story for has dubbed "Sad Kid."

I think what helps is remembering that is is a story and gleaning meaning from the story. Remember that you are playing a character, not yourself, and that if you were in Wander's world, you'd likely make different decisions. (Though I think Wander is killing the Colossi because he is drowning in grief and it's made him a bit insane). Personally, I love SotC as much as I do because I love tragic stories, as well as the unique, sparse atmosphere of the game (it and Ico are so different than most other games). If you can learn to love the tragedy, then you'll do alright.

Also, the Colossi get really, really COOL after 7. Most players find 13 particularly awesome (though they also find it the most tragic of the lot). You'll probably feel less emotional when dealing with the quick "cat-tank" Colossi... those ones felt for me like sweet revenge to kill because of the no-hold's barred beat down they *will* give you if they catch you.

So, I guess I'm saying I understand even though I'm a ruthless Colossus-slayer. You're *supposed* to feel like the villain playing this game.

 

[RedLink]

I make no secret that SotC is my favorite videogame. I have beaten it several times between after-game Plus challenges and Hard Mode. It's the kind of game I'll haul out and play just for the *atmosphere.* I've even written fanfiction for it (being the twitchy fic writer that I am), including, believe it or not, a short comedy piece I did as a joke for a friend who had a very different reaction to the game than I or you had (he kept making fun of it). Actually, if it would help lighten your mood about it and get you through, I can link you to that silly little Colossus-comedy poking fun at Wander, whom the friend I created the story for has dubbed "Sad Kid."

I'd actually rather not since I don't want to ruin the whole atmosphere/purpose of the game, but maybe after

I think what helps is remembering that is is a story and gleaning meaning from the story. Remember that you are playing a character, not yourself, and that if you were in Wander's world, you'd likely make different decisions. (Though I think Wander is killing the Colossi because he is drowning in grief and it's made him a bit insane). Personally, I love SotC as much as I do because I love tragic stories, as well as the unique, sparse atmosphere of the game (it and Ico are so different than most other games). If you can learn to love the tragedy, then you'll do alright.

Actually thanks a lot, that really helps me and makes a lotta sense. If I were in that world, I wouldn't just go blindly killing these colossi. I'D do stuff differently than Wander.

And I loved Ico to death, especially the ending. It was so beautiful.

You're *supposed* to feel like the villain playing this game.

Yeah, I wonder what purpose the Team had for doing this. Is it to question our morals when we play any game like COD or Assassin's Creed?

And thanks for the post girl. I'm going to go and finish the game, no matter how painstaking it is.

 

[Shadsie]

I think Team ICO was doing a Deconstruction of videogame themes in general. In most games, you "save the girl" without giving a lot of thought to the enemies you kill (since they're portrayed as evil). I think SotC was meant to be a game that made you wonder if all the trouble the "hero" character goes through is worth it. You invade the boss' dens and slay the bosses for the purpose of saving the girl, but is it worth it to sacrifice so much for just one person (who might not even have wanted such sacrifices)?

By the final boss... let's just say the *music* makes you think about that... it's just very fitting, almost funeral-dirge music.

If you ever do finish it and you want to read fanfiction that preserves the atmosphere, I have those, too. The one comedy fic was just a lark done for a friend. Most of my SotC stories have tried to be true to the game - including a Zelda crossover, 'cause I'm weird.

 

[NESpowerhouse]

Don't worry, you're feeling what the game designers intended you to feel. You should keep trudging on to the end and experience the ending. You'll definitely never forget it.