Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian

[Just A Dot]

I am a very picky gamer. As in, I'm VERY picky. For an example, it took me years to get interested in Smash Bros. and Zelda. Even after I played through and enjoyed games from those series, it still took me a bit of time to get really hooked onto them. And even for games I love, it still takes me forever to play through them all. I was playing Ocarina of Time for five months, and I didn't get stuck once. It was just a matter of drive to play it. Of course, once I beat the 3rd dungeon, I played through the rest of the game in about two weeks, but my point is I find it hard to actually get into a game in the first place sometimes.

 

A few months ago, however, someone I hardly knew recommended that I play Shadow of the Colossus. This person had very different tastes from me, and I don't think we had a single game in common that we both liked. But, a few weeks later, I saw Shadow of the Colossus at a yard sale for $2. I asked the guy selling it if the game was any good, and he said it was really boring, but, I figured for $2, it can't be that bad of a purchase.

 

Again, I'm dragging this out, because I didn't play it right away. The game sat around for a bit, until one day, I decided to start it.

 

Simply put, I finished the game in a few days.

 

For those of you out there who haven't played it, Shadow of the Colossus is a really unique style game. It's an action-adventure puzzle mix with a fantasy story, but unlike other fantasy games in the genre, there are no villages or dungeons to explore, and no other people to interact with. There is a massive overworld, but it's empty of any puzzles or even enemies to fight. You don't even need to explore it, because the game directs you to where you must go next. This stuff kinda turned me away from the game before I actually played it, and I really wish I hadn't been so judging on this.

 

The game starts out with your character, riding on a horse, going through beautiful landscapes. After a few minutes of him traveling, he reaches a large temple, and it is revealed that he is carrying the body of a girl with him. He lays the body on an alter in the temple, and begins to communicate with the spirit of the temple, Dormin. He asks Dormin to revive the girl, and Dormin says that he must first prove himself worthy, and to do that, he must defeat the 16 colossi that roam the land.

 

And this is where the game sets you off. You never learn who this girl is to your character, or even what their names are.

 

The first two colossi fought are simple and straightforward, but after that, the action becomes second to actually figuring out how to beat them. It is necessary to use the landscapes to your advantage in some really creative ways, and some of the puzzles in these battles really stump you for a long period of time.

 

As the game progressed on, I got the strange feeling that almost reminded me of the earlier years of BIONICLE. There was something going on, something bigger than I was realizing, just outside my grasp. I kept thinking that, just one more colossus, and I'll be able to figure out something, because small hints were dropped in every once in a while, but I really didn't figure out what was happening until the ending, which defined the game to me as having the best plotline I'd ever seen anywhere. The game's ending is often cited in arguments of gaming being an art.

 

So, I'm wondering if there are any other people here on BZPower who have played this game, or who are willing to. This discussion can extend to Ico, and The Last Guardian (if it ever gets released). I've yet to play Ico, but I intend to purchase it soon.

 

I have to say though, as a courtesy to those who haven't played this game, if anyone discusses the ending, please use spoiler tags. And if you haven't played the game yet, then look at your own risk. Just know that the ending is downright awe-striking, and will leave you speechless. I also must ask that, if you discuss Ico-related plot spoilers, please use spoiler tags for me and others like me who have yet to play Ico.

 

And now,

 

 

My personal interpretation of the transformation of your character was he was loosing his humanity. Around Colossus #13, I began to wonder exactly what it was I was doing in this game. #13 doesn't hurt you at all, and yet, you still hunt it down and kill it. Even as you pursue it, it doesn't harm you, despite being the largest one in the game. After seeing Colossus #16, which I personally believe was made to represent the girl, due to it's dress, I began to realize that your character could very well be the bad guy. I don't know, maybe it was the horse's falling down the ravine, or just the overall atmosphere with that amazing music, but just a short time earlier (around #14), is when I actually noticed the physical changes to your character. And when he finally wakes up during the ending cutscene, I saw that as him passing through the point of no return. He was no longer human. He was now a monster, and the horns coming out of his head were merely just a physical representation of that.When you got to play as your character after Dormin possessed him, I saw that as you being the final boss to the game. You were now the bad guy, as your only goal was to kill the soldiers that were only trying to stop this all from happening to you. The final part after that, though, I found to be really hard to do. All you had to do, as your given goal, was get to the girl, who was still dead as far as you know, after this massive ordeal, and you can never make it. It doesn't matter how skillful you are at this game, or how well you managed your stamina, you can never make it. And this just goes on until you give up. You have to just let go of the controller, and watch as your character is sucked into that place that I'm sure BZPower will probably censor out.The whole time in the game, I felt it was trying to ask you the question of when it is okay to give up. The cliche answer is never, which is what you believe throughout the beginning portion. The colossi were tough, requiring a lot of thought to beat, and some were pretty darn frightening, but you still pressed forth. It was almost a cruel joke of the game that, in the end, you had to give up when your only task was to run across a room.

 

 

But, this is, of course, just my interpretation. One of the things that makes this game so amazing is that you can interpret what happened in so many different ways.

 

So what are your thoughts on this whole thing. Feel something else entirely happened at the end? Feel that I must make it top priority to play Ico? Or are you just interested in the game slightly and are looking for some other people's opinions on it?

 

But now, since I can, I must say that this song here is simply amazing and wraps up the feel of most of the game perfectly:

Edited July 29, 2013 by Ghabulous Ghoti

[-Whiplash-]

Ico's pretty boring and tedious, to be honest.

 

And I doubt that the last guardian will ever be released.

 

Shadow of the colossus was good though.

[Just A Dot]

Was the plot of Ico any good?

[Burnmad]

My opinion on the ending:

 

In the beginning of the game, you are led to believe that you're the hero, and, though, initially, it seems like the Dormin are the villain(s? =P), and that you've made a deal with the devil, so to speak, he eventually seems like a good guy himself, albeit the kind that sends the hero on a stupid quest because he can't do it himself. =P

 

Later, when he notifies you that someone is trying to stop you, you immediately assume that person, Emon, is the villain of the game.

 

All of these things (once again, in my opinion) are correct.

 

Think about it. After you destroy the 16 colossi, freeing the Dormin, Emon shows up and scolds you. Then he proceeds to kill you (have you killed, anyway), and the Dormin, who could very well be a prisoner, held for no good reason, instead of a monster, fights back with Wander's body, which has already been killed anyway, as most would do in his position of being so close to freedom and being denied it. Emon then orders a few of his men to attack, almost assuredly so him and the rest of them can get away, considering the fact that he seems familiar enough with the Dormin to know he won't be killed so easily. On his way out, he happens to also turn you into a baby.

 

The Dormin, on the other hand, brings Wander and Mono back to life, keeping up his end of the bargain they made earlier. Heck, he didn't even need to bring Wander back: the deal was to bring Mono back, and he even told Wander there might be dire consequences to his quest.

 

So, in short: good guy, Dormin, bad guy, Emon.

 

Sorry about all the terrible run-on sentences, I was in a hurry. =P

 

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Edited August 4, 2013 by Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons

[Just A Dot]

My opinion on the ending:

 

In the beginning of the game, you are led to believe that you're the hero, and, though, initially, it seems like the Dormin are the villain(s? =P), and that you've made a deal with the devil, so to speak, he eventually seems like a good guy himself, albeit the kind that sends the hero on a stupid quest because he can't do it himself. =P

 

Later, when he notifies you that someone is trying to stop you, you immediately assume that person, Emon, is the villain of the game.

 

All of these things (once again, in my opinion) are correct.

 

Think about it. After you destroy the 16 colossi, freeing the Dormin, Emon shows up and scolds you. Then he proceeds to kill you (have you killed, anyway), and the Dormin, who could very well be a prisoner, held for no good reason, instead of a monster, fights back with Wander's body, which has already been killed anyway, as most would do in his position of being so close to freedom and being denied it. Emon then orders a few of his men to attack, almost assuredly so him and the rest of them can get away, considering the fact that he seems familiar enough with the Dormin to know he won't be killed so easily. On his way out, he happens to also turn you into a baby.

 

The Dormin, on the other hand, brings Wander and Mono back to life, keeping up his end of the bargain they made earlier. Heck, he didn't even need to bring Wander back: the deal was to bring Mono back, and he even told Wander there might be dire consequences to his quest.

 

So, in short: good guy, Dormin, bad guy, Emon.

 

Sorry about all the terrible run-on sentences, I was in a hurry. =P

 

-

 

I've considered that, and feel it's likely too, however...

 

 

While Dormin did indeed bring back Mono, he may have only been keeping his end of the deal. For all we know, it could have been the spell Emon cast that had something to do with Wander's survival. Emon does seem to believe at the end that you are still alive.I could easily see Dormin being a good guy, but I don't really see Emon as evil. Perhaps doing evil things, but he thinks he is doing good. Dormin had been sealed away for centuries, and Emon could have been raised to think Dormin was evil.

 

 

But hey, it's all speculation.

[Burnmad]

True, true...

 

 

Of course, Dormin also said early in the game, "Souls that are once lost cannot be reclaimed... Is that not the law of mortals?" implying that only he has the power to bring people back from the dead.Anyway, on the subject of Emon's spell, I've read a few big, complex theories from other people way smarter than I am (or at least, who thought about this a lot more than I have =P), so don't think it's something I thought of when I say that I think the spell Emon cast was one of purity: it chased the Dormin out of Wander (not to say that the Dormin himself is impure, more that his presence within Wander wasn't pure), and as a side effect, reverted his body to be as it was at the only time one is completely pure in one's life: infancy. However, that didn't bring back his soul: IMO, that was all Dormin.Emon's knowledge of Wander's survival... I'm not sure. =PHe could have suspected that the Dormin had further use for Wander, and thus, kept him alive, but that sounds rather villain-y, no? Of course, Emon does think Dormin is the villain. =PAll in all, I did develop this idea from a comment that was 90% joking, so even if it has a few holes in it, I'm happy with it. =P

 

 

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[Just A Dot]

I take it you've read the big Meta Theory thing on the internet in a very large FAQ? I found something like that once, and spent a few good hours reading it. Game's deep, man

[Burnmad]

I skimmed it for a bit, been meaning to read it all the way through. Not sure if the thing I mentioned is in that or not, though it probably is, but I did first see it elsewhere. =P

 

But yeah, it's a very great game. I'm currently on my hard mode playthrough, and goodness are the colossi irritating now. They have more... what are they called? Glyphs? Anyway, they have more of those, and each hit does way less damage than before.

 

Anyway, completely off-topic, you've probably played Metroid Prime, yes? On the off-chance you haven't, you definitely should. It's a great series, and the other metroid games are also quite good.

 

Edit: Except Other M. I wouldn't recommend Other M at all. Completely ruins the strong female character Samus is.

 

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Edited August 4, 2013 by Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons

[Just A Dot]

I believe the proper name is "Sigil".

 

And yes, I've played all three Metroid Prime games, but I own none of them. I borrowed the first one from a friend and got about 30% into it. I've played every Metroid game, actually, but the only sidescrolling one I like at all is Super Metroid.

[-Whiplash-]

Was the plot of Ico any good?

It was all right if a bit simplistic and it didn't really explain anything.

 

Like the plot of shadow of the colossus except without the whole "what is happening *Dies*" moment at the end.

Edited August 4, 2013 by -Whiplash-