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[Auctopus]

Well, then, we will have to agree to disagree on that, as my opinion and your opinion are just that: opinions. An opinion can't be right or wrong.

 

[Deadpool_X]

Thank you, brother.

 

[petran79]

I remember there was a funny glitch where the colossus Dirge chased Agro instead of Wander. Wander was standing in front of a large rock and watching the scene. Then horse turns and runs straight to Wander and both slam to the rock and fall down. Dirge then moves away. We laughed so much at that scene!

 

[davepoobond]

It's interesting how when it's Skyrim being empty, it's a stupid shallow piece of shit. But when it's a game people like, it's a bold, stylistic decision made to deliberately spark feelings of solitude and loneliness in the player.

Skyrim didnt feel empty to me at all. There's tons of shit in there.

 

[M°°nblade]

It holds up better than Ico. For gods sake, don't play Ico.

No, absolutely not. Ico aged just fine.

I replayed both games the last couple of weeks after more than 10 years and although Ico suffers from 'sloppy' control as well, it's less problematic as the gameplay is much more confined and puzzle-based rather than platforming.

It's also a much better port on the PS3 (1080p Ico versus 720p Sotc)

Shadow of the colossus on the other hand, aged terribly. Not just the graphical aspects of the game (dat pop-up), but the gameplay as well.
If you compare the controls of Sotc with any last-gen game that features climbing (like Assassin's creed, Uncharted or Infamous) they feel pretty outdated and mediocre.
The animations are too long and not interruptible. The controls feel random and are trial-and-error-like, and unorthodox. This makes the game rather frustrating to play in 2015.

And ofcourse, the horse still drives like shit and killing colossi gets repetitive after the first batch.

Yeah, these posts I don't get at all. The game isn't about dungeons, having a sprawling overworld, and minor enemies.

That goes against the whole purpose of this very game and why people consider it a masterpiece.

Why do games have to have certain things to be good? Why can't this game be judged for what it is?

People are judging the game for what it is. Doesn't hurt to suggest a couple of improvements as well, no?

They should have used the shrines to implement 'fast travel'.

I understand that Team Ico was going for the whole 'desolation, isolation' theme with the environment. But that doesn't excuse them for not doing anything with it. Desolate or not, there's literally nothing worth to explore in Sotc.
It just feels like filler content placed between colossi.
It's like a bland MMORPG where everybody except you just disconnected from the server and with a horse that drives like shit.

 

[nitekrawlwer]

It's interesting how when it's Skyrim being empty, it's a stupid shallow piece of shit. But when it's a game people like, it's a bold, stylistic decision made to deliberately spark feelings of solitude and loneliness in the player.

In an RPG the goal is to role play. You can't role play without there being enough diversity in the world. You have to have other things against which to establish the role of the character you are building. So in the context of an RPG an empty or empty feeling world can be called a failure in design.

SotC is not an RPG. By virtue of a different context similar design choices can mean very different things. So the same design or mechanics might not be seen as a failure.

You would also do well to consider that every thing you mention in praise of SotC can also be applied to ICO. So this developer is known for said stylistic choice even before SotC or Skyrim were a thing and people could draw false dichotomies between the two. It's not about this game I like and this one I didn't. I know plenty of people whom have enjoyed both. It's about taking art on it's own context instead of pretending they should all be consumed with the same set of expectations.

 

[A-V-B]

And ofcourse, the horse still drives like shit

If I was the kind of nerd who quivered with rage, this would do it.

 

[Nick]

I played and beat this game finally early last year. It was fun, but certainly not one of my all time favorites. I think it's probably because I was played a decade old game and expecting it to completely wow me. It was still fun, though.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

I remember driving through a snowstorm to pick up this wonderful game. It was really a unique experience then, and I believe that it still holds up just fine aside from technical issues.

Yes, the land is barren, but you better believe that I explored every bit of it. Some of the colossi are more fun to fight than others, but I still enjoy fighting all of them. I don't know... What really drew me in was the loneliness. It feels like you're dropped into this barren land with nothing but your sword, your bow, your horse, and the task of reviving the girl you love. It was just so romantic.

I enjoy Ico more, but it was most definitely a worthy successor

Spoiler

or prequel.

 

[dose]

It holds up better than Ico. For gods sake, don't play Ico.

LOL! Do not listen to this person. Ico was and still is an amazing game with incredible atmosphere.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

LOL! Do not listen to this person. Ico was and still is an amazing game with incredible atmosphere.

Definitely agree with this. Ico is definitely in my top five games of all-time. Just thinking about it gives me such a good feeling.