Zero Punctuation: Shadow of the Colossus

[StriderShinryu]

I find it hilarious that so many of the comments here are about SC2 as opposed to, you know, actually being about the game that he did review.

Of course, had Yahtzee decided to review SC2 he likely would have ripped it a new one and then this whole thread would have been devout SC2 fans crying that he didn't like "their" game (as happened with Monster Hunter).

Another thing of note is that just because Yahtzee is not reviewing SC2 doesn't mean he hasn't played it at all. Working in his chosen profession, I'm sure he's at least been exposed to more than enough SC2, as well as other RTS games, to form a solid opinion. Just because he hasn't spent a dedicated week hammering away at a game doesn't mean he's never played an RTS other than Halo Wars before.

 

[Seydaman]

Very funny
nice one
I believe I played about 3-5 collosie before my brother took the PS2 back and I never got to finish the game
Wtb PC port.
._.

 

[Unesh52]

I've noticed some people saying they find this game boring, or that they think it would be. I also notice others suggesting that these people are narrow-minded and just "don't get it." I do think the former crowd is really missing the point of the title, but I find the response to be more than a little pretentious and elitist. Some people have jobs and spouses they need to tend to and perhaps explore their creative mind through other channels, using games as more of a silly diversion. They have every right to call SotC boring, just as I have every right to call A Tale of Two Cites a fucking time sink. I personally can't wait to see the studio's new title and I hope they never change (artistically speaking), but if you're not, more power to you. Just try to understand why people like me get into it, and we'll do our best to understand your passions. Balance -- not hate, guys.

Also, I know I'm almost the 400th poster, so no one really gives a shit. Eh, maybe this will help --

[HEADING=1]SEX[/HEADING]

 

[Slenn]

Everyone seems to like this game except me. I just don't understand it. I never played it, but I watched a clear 4 hours of gameplay of other people trying to clear all of the battles in one go. I even got to see footage of the final boss fight and, it just looked boring. Sure the detail on the colossuses were nice, but from the my perspective the environments looked repetitive. The combat looked boring as well, as it seemed like all the battles consisted of was climbing up said beast and stab it where an emblem shines and repeat. And the fact that all of your battles consisted of just the colussuses just seemed unappealing.

I'm not trying to troll anything, but I'm just wondering exactly why this game gets so much praise. I saw everything Yahtzee explained, and none of those factors were ever appealing to me at all.

Is it something that I have to play instead of watching to understand why it's a good game?

 

[beema]

Excellent review. Great to see that ZP can still be hilarious when complimenting something. It's always refreshing to hear you go back and review something you actually like as well. I actually just played SOtC for the first time a couple months back, and I pretty much have to agree with everyone in the universe that it was an amazing, breathtaking, and wholly unique experience in gaming. My only complaints with it were much like yours, very minor. Towards the end a couple of the Colossi started feeling pretty repetitive. I still would like to play Ico, but I can't find it anywhere for a reasonable price (someone on Amazon has it for like $100+). Also very much looking forward to The Last Guardian, as I hope you are too.

 

[zeratul123]

So true about this being so epic and one of the best PS2 games but, not so true that in Starcraft 2 you don't feel victory when you do something.

 

[Terrified Android]

Yea! still one of my favorites as well, good to see it getting more attention, even this late!

 

[BigDonTheDJ]

'Damn Good' review. Agreed on all fronts.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

SotC is easily in my top five, and I'm tempted to put it at number one. Aside from the inconsistent frame rate, somewhat stiff/unresponsive controls, and occasional camera issue, this game was close to perfect. The graphics are a little dated, obviously, but it's amazing how well the raw tech, textures, and effects hold up in HD emulation. The sound design and music are excellent. The play mechanics are fairly unique. More than anything, I loved the story. It didn't beat you about the chest and face with constant dialogue or exposition. You were nearly always a witness or an author rather than a second-hand recipient of story.

Everyone has his/her opinion, obviously, and none of them are completely right. That said, if you don't like this game, we probably can't be friends. We clearly value/prioritize different things in our interactive media experiences. Nothing wrong with that. Still, I think even people who don't care for this game can appreciate the artistry - much the same way I appreciate the balance and polish of SC2 despite the fact that I have zero interest in playing the game.

 

[RoyalSorceress]

Ive been meaning to buy SotC and Ico and this review might be the final push I needed.

Oh, I heard that there's going to be a Shadow of the Colossus movie by Sony Pictures and the game's creator is involved. If they don't royally screw up, this could be awesome!

 

[Sanmei]

Slenn: If you consider watching someone else play a game to be nearly equivalent to playing it yourself, then I think congratulations are in order for the gaming industry for successfully ruining games forever with excessive cutscreen usuage.

As for your question, frankly, I'm struggling so much with the concept that I don't really know how to answer you. I guess I'll put it this way: If nothing you saw really seemed that interesting, then chances are, no, playing it probably won't change your opinion. If what you saw did seem like it had the potential to be exciting in any way, then playing it as a personal experience may evoke the proper emotional response and make it worthwhile.

On the other hand, with the way you phrased your post, I don't think that's very likely.

summerof2010: It all depends on what a person is looking to get out of a game, of course. This is one of those games that has a frustratingly polarized audience -- people either love it or hate it with very little in between. It's either "the most epic experience ever" or "the most boring experience ever," and it's vaguely amusing to ponder how people can have the exact opposite opinions over the same game. People focus on different aspects of it, I suppose. When I think of the game, I don't really recall the time spent tracking each colossi down. When people review the game, that's often the only thing they write about.

 

[Drexlor]

I'm shocked that Yahtzee had nothing all that bad to say. I never played SotC but I played Ico and never made it out of the first room. I was terrible. I should probably go redeem myself soon.

 

[_Cake_]

Oh finally someone rips hard into this pretentious piece of bland emo - Huh.. fuck he likes it too ;P

 

[Jimrollson]

I've heard so many good things about this game, and now Yahtzee has even thrown in his complimentary two cents worth. I really need to just toddle off down to the video store and rent it out so I can finally leap onto the band wagon too.

 

[lacktheknack]

I really have to try to find this game. It's just not out there any more unless I spend silly money on Ebay for a probably scratched disc in a broken box.

Check BestBuy or HMV, I just saw copies there today.

 

[Pebkio]

It's not that he doesn't want to play SC2... or even that he hates SC2 or hates RTSs. It's that he doesn't have anything constructive to say in the review. Even if he did walk in next week and review it's balls off, he'd know in his heart that RTS fans think it's great and probably would have more right to say it's good than he has to say it's bad.

Except he's getting paid to say it's bad. But, as a professional, he knows he'd be wasting the Escapists money by talking about how bland RTSs are in general; but apart from not being close enough to see much detail, SC2 looks alright and the missions were at least a little doable.

Except that you COULD call it a waste of money to review a game that everyone already has an opinion on and has either: played... been playing... or has been planning on playing... for the last 5 years now. Or has not and will never play SOTC.

Also.. this could just be set-up for the new SOTC that's coming out.
(Of course not! That would be boring right after this...)

---

SC2...
It'd be like listening to his review of Skate 2 all over again. We had even gotten a taste of his dumbfounded RTS reviews before:

"...all I even seem to do is just build enough tanks to embarrass General Patton and steamroll from one side of the map to the other, hoping that the objective was something that died along the way."
-Yahtzee in "Halo Wars"

So, no, I don't want to hear his SC2 review... nor any other RTS review...
...ever again.

 

[Lullabye]

Spoiler: If Yahtzee's review was an Alpaca, and I was a little kid, then:

Seriously, I'm still baffled that he did this review. I mean, it's nice that I can finally agree with Yahtzee on something, but still.
Everyone already loves this game. I still do, even if I find it rather boring now as opposed to when I first played it.

 

[unoleian]

Best review in a long time, and not just for the general praise of a good game. Yahtzee was on a roll for this one. I haven't laughed that much at a review in way too long.

Excellent. A+. All that jazz. Most awesome.

And true.

 

[Soushi]

"

You know, as somebody who is kinda interested in buying SC2, and would like to know wether or not it is worth it, Yahtzee is losing a lot of points with me.

Yeah its fun to be a twat from time to time and give the middle finger to the masses, but eventaully you have to buckle down and be professional. Sure, making these videos used to be just about cheap laughs, but now people have actaully come to respect Yahtzee's opinions.

Still ,it not my gig and its not my business, so as always, good review, but it is unfortuante that Yahtzee is seeming less and less like a anti-marketting bullshit-murdering vigilanty, and more like the kinda person who dances around on the river docks mooning people on passing ships.

If people are coming to Yahtzee for professional reviews, he's clearly doing his job wrong, and the video game industry is screwed because any hack with a blog could sway you idiots.

HIS "REVIEWS" ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT. He was always a dock-mooner, you just read too much into things.

I don't listen to "just any hack with a blog", I listen to people who, in one way or another, have shown me that i thier opinions are at least somewhat valid.
But that's aside the point, becasue, you may have actaully made a valid point until you just went ahead and threw in an insult, a rather pathetic one, but an insult none the less. I don't know wether or not you thought it would give your internet cock a hard on, but there was no need to call me, or anyone else for that matter, an idiot. In the future, i would suggest trying to act a little more mature, rather than making assumptions that just make you look really poor.
And as to your final point, i will just go ahead and say, perhaps you don't read into things enough.

 

[senataur]

Vintage Yahtzee,
This review really had an old school yahtzee feel to me that I think has been lacking in some more recent reviews.

Damn Damn Good, Damn Good, Good Damn, Damn, Good.