Shadow of the Colossus does Setting better than any other video game I've ever played.
The world is dark, dismal, and dystopian. The player is lost and confused, surrounded by, at times, non-sensical architecture. I still remember that aqueduct running to the desert. What happened to this world? How did it get so destroyed?
Those are questions that I never really got an answer to, and that's fine. The game invites you to create your own fiction, your own narrative. You want to search for answers, dig for clues, find out some shrivel of Truth. But you will never find it.
It reminds me a lot of Dark Souls, but it's not exactly an accurate comparison. The world of Dark Souls, with it's weird geography and architecture, is Explained. You have to dig, and read, but there are truths about the world that are certain. I'm not sure that's the case in Shadow of the Colossus. You are the Wonderer, a stranger, someone who doesn't belong here. You can't even begin to understand the history of this place or why it exists. The world is constantly telling you that you don't belong here.
It's such a fucking vibe.
And all that stuff ties into the gameplay and story too, in ways that are pretty apparent. I could spend more words saying why that is, but I think I'd rather just say that it all feels Realized.
I guess playing the game is good too, like climbing on the Colossi and riding your horse around was fun. I really liked looking at the Colossi, and solving the puzzle on how to defeat each one was enjoyable.
I never know how to end these things, so I guess I'll just sum up my thoughts: Shadow of the Colossus is pretty neat.
The world is dark, dismal, and dystopian. The player is lost and confused, surrounded by, at times, non-sensical architecture. I still remember that aqueduct running to the desert. What happened to this world? How did it get so destroyed?
Those are questions that I never really got an answer to, and that's fine. The game invites you to create your own fiction, your own narrative. You want to search for answers, dig for clues, find out some shrivel of Truth. But you will never find it.
It reminds me a lot of Dark Souls, but it's not exactly an accurate comparison. The world of Dark Souls, with it's weird geography and architecture, is Explained. You have to dig, and read, but there are truths about the world that are certain. I'm not sure that's the case in Shadow of the Colossus. You are the Wonderer, a stranger, someone who doesn't belong here. You can't even begin to understand the history of this place or why it exists. The world is constantly telling you that you don't belong here.
It's such a fucking vibe.
And all that stuff ties into the gameplay and story too, in ways that are pretty apparent. I could spend more words saying why that is, but I think I'd rather just say that it all feels Realized.
I guess playing the game is good too, like climbing on the Colossi and riding your horse around was fun. I really liked looking at the Colossi, and solving the puzzle on how to defeat each one was enjoyable.
I never know how to end these things, so I guess I'll just sum up my thoughts: Shadow of the Colossus is pretty neat.