shadow of the colossus game review
Test: Shadow of the Colossus: A remake that pays homage to the masterpieceWhen it was announced during E3 2017, the remake of Shadow of the Colossus caused a stir in the room. Fumito Ueda’s work was for many a unique experience, one that cannot be forgotten. It remains to be seen whether the magic still works 12 years later.
When a young warrior goes to forbidden lands to resuscitate the lifeless body of a loved one, he already knows that he is committing an unforgivable act. And although one can guess his trying journey, it is nothing compared to what awaits him in these desolate regions. From the intro, an entity called Dormin explains his task to him: to beat the 16 colossi who inhabit these places. Sixteen colossi are the only enemies who will oppose you in Shadow of the Colossus. No monsters, no minions, nothing else. If one already guesses a singular experience, one does nothing but glimpse the contours of a masterpiece.
MY EYES, MY EYES!
Shadow of the Colossus: A remake that pays homage to the masterpieceShadow of the Colossus is an ode to contemplation, with its own idea of an open world. From the start, you can go wherever you want, on the back of the most loyal steed ever, Agro. The plains as far as the eye can see are linked with dense forests, gloomy lakes, arid deserts and mountainous regions. Without enemies to kill, there reigns in these places a serenity which does nothing but weigh down the acts of the hero. And that’s the whole point of this remake. Indeed, Bluepoint Games started from scratch for all visual assets, making this new Shadow of the Colossus a new game, in terms of graphics. We are very far from the remastered version released in 2011: this Shadow of the Colossus is simply magnificent! From grass to light, the textures and effects pay homage to the original artistic direction, which was clearly one of the most beautiful ever seen in video games. The camera is also perfectly aware of this, systematically positioning itself to give us the best panorama. We have never seen a game where each plan could definitely act as a wallpaper. Never has an apparent void been filled with emotion, as a witness to a distant past. The few semblances of architecture in ruins seem to want to speak to us, while accentuating the insurmountable quest of the hero by their disproportionate sizes. Pure genius!
Already subjugated that we are, it remains for us to meet the colossi! Most players today know how much Shadow of the Colossus inspired the video game world through its titanic battles, but you only have to replay it to remember why. From our meeting with the first colossus, we are stunned by his majesty. The slow movements, the calm that seems to reign in them, the ultra detailed animations, there is no doubt: the colossi are the real central characters of Shadow of the Colossus. But how can this little warrior, who must jump to hope to reach the ankle of the first colossus, face them?
FACING THE INSURMONTABLE
The fights of Shadow of the Colossus take place in several phases which flow smoothly. First, we discover the creature in its environment. Then follows a moment of observation to understand how to manage to climb on it, which can be more or less complex. Sometimes you have to fool the colossus, or other times play with the architecture of the area. Sometimes it will take a few minutes to find an opening, which will then need to be fully exploited without error. Because as soon as you are on the creature, it does not let go and regularly tries to free you by shaking violently. Your stamina bar goes down slowly but surely, and seeing the young warrior (Wander in V.O., but he has no name in play) floundering in all directions adds even more to the epic aspect of the fights. By navigating as best they can in the hairs of the beast, we manage to find its weak points to attack them with our sword. This long fight, voluntarily tiresome, is what makes all the salt of Shadow of the Colossus. Each moment is intense, carried by one of the most epic soundtracks ever produced, by Kow Otani. We are talking about symphonic flights with fierce percussion and throbbing violins, which delightfully accompany the highlights of our journey and especially our confrontations. The intensity of the action is second to none, so much so that we would like to see the fighting never end. It's hard to describe the emotions that pierce us when we give the last stroke of the sword, between the joy of having won a confrontation that seemed lost in advance, and the sensation of having brought down a magnificent creature .
These are the emotions that last when you play Shadow of the Colossus. But if our advance in the adventure is already causing excitement, it is nothing compared to the very last part of the game, which connects the shock moments, making us really understand the issue behind our quest. This is one of the most remarkable endings of video games, and I have no intention of spoiling it for you if you don't know it.
A BIG GAP?
Shadow of the Colossus: A remake that pays homage to the masterpieceWhen it comes to content, Shadow of the Colossus doesn't really fill the bag with side quests. You can still find fruit to raise your life bar and hunt small white-tailed lizards for your endurance bar. Personally, I see an additional reason to explore these forbidden lands and enjoy magnificent scenes. You can choose from three difficulty modes from the start, but I advise you to opt directly for the difficult mode, which offers additional weak points making the fights even more strategic and breathless without becoming unfair. Finishing the game unlocks an NG +, a mirror mode (or whatever is on the left is on the right… yes, that doesn't change much) and above all a time attack against each colossus which allows you to unlock additional objects like a harpoon, whistling arrows or a cloak to hover. The initial lifespan is 6 to 15 hours depending on your tendency to stroll and collect all the fruits / lizards without cheating on the Internet. A perfect lifespan for the experience that Shadow of the Colossus provides.
Let's be clear, the remake of Bluepoint Games is mostly visual. Don't expect big gameplay or content changes. Thus, the animations of the warrior have not changed an iota which is sometimes a little painful when you try to move in the hair of the beast. We also note that despite some modifications, the camera tends to get a bit lost when you are on a colossus. Nothing dramatic indeed, but we could clearly have hoped for improvements at this level. But by working on the essentials, the visual aspect, the developers supported the initial artistic fiber of Shadow of the Colossus, which remained one of these greatest assets. In addition, the big framerate problems of the original are over: the game is smooth at 30 fps, even 60 fps on PS4 Pro. It changes from the time when our PS2s struggled to run it. Another thing, it is now possible to apply in-game filters (heat, night, etc.), but also to take photos with a very powerful tool, just to definitely make sure you have a good wallpaper .
The notes
+ Positive points
A melancholy and magnificent universe
Beautiful to cry
Impeccable artistic direction
Agro, the steed we all would like to have
The majesty of the colossi
Epic, a word insufficient to define the fights
The emotions that invade us
A striking end
The musics of Kow Otani
A difficult mode that adds strategy
Photo mode
Negative points
Hero's animations lack precision
The camera in combat tends to get lost
Few content additions
Shadow of the Colossus is still a unique experience, worthy of the masterpiece it was in 2005. A veritable visual slap, it offers breathtaking panoramas with prodigious consistency. The battles against the colossi are the very definition of the word epic, David against Goliath power thousand reinforced by the marvelous musics of Kow Otani. Even today, there is an exceptional moment that we advise you to discover or redo without any hesitation!
0 comments:
Post a Comment