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[GIANKRATOS]

While the game does feature drastically better geometry and draw distance there is one crucial thing I don't like about the remake: It's the "cleaner" look of it compared to the original, yes really. It's lacking that bloom and foggy-ness that was a big part of the game's atmosphere and contributed to its distinct appearance.

Compare those two and you might feel that there is something that makes the remake just feel off.
The remake footage looks like a cheap indie project slapped toghether in Unreal Engine, as weird and provoking as it may sound to some. Almost everything else looks like an improvement, but the downscaled bloom and fog doesn't make it look quite right.

I also think they should have went for a more realistic look in this remake. During the time this game came out it was visually above almost anything else due to its "real" looking style.
The Minotaur Colossi in the remake for example looks almost cartoonish and too stylized compared to what the PS2 original was trying to achieve in 2005, in my opinion

It actually looks pretty good in this comparision to me lol. It just need a slightly green tint. Maybe make the sky of the same color as the original. Should be an easy adjustment, hope they will listen to feedback

 

[Krusenstern]

YES! Thank you!

It looks off.

I also have to add that think they should have went for a more realistic look of the colossi and Wander in this remake. During the time this game came out it was graphically above almost anything else due to its "real" looking style.
The Minotaur Colossi in the remake for example looks almost cartoonish and too stylized compared to what the PS2 original was trying to achieve in 2005, in my opinion.

It actually looks pretty good in this comparision to me lol. It just need a slightly green tint. Maybe make the sky of the same color as the original. Should be an easy adjustment, hope they will listen to feedback

Yeah, I think they should adjust fog and bloom and add a slight filter to closely resemble that lighting that's unique to the game. It just enhanced the scale of these colossi when you saw them in the distance and they were slightly occluded by fog and some of their details were lying in shadows when they got between you and the sunlight.

 

[robotrock]

I hope they don't make the controls good

 

[GIANKRATOS]

I also have to add that think they should have went for a more realistic look of the colossi and Wander in this remake. During the time this game came out it was graphically above almost anything else due to its "real" looking style.
The Minotaur Colossi in the remake for example looks almost cartoonish and too stylized compared to what the PS2 original was trying to achieve in 2005, in my opinion

What should they have done to make the colossi even more realistic in your opinion? Because i can't think of anything at the moment, and messing with the design it's really dangerous decision imho, they're iconic

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

While the game does feature drastically better geometry and draw distance there is one crucial thing I don't like about the remake: It's the "cleaner" look of it compared to the original, yes really. It's lacking that bloom and foggy-ness that was a big part of the game's atmosphere and contributed to its distinct appearance.

Compare those two and you might feel that there is something that makes the remake just feel off.
The remake footage looks like a cheap indie project slapped toghether in Unreal Engine, as weird and provoking as it may sound to some. Almost everything else looks like an improvement, but the downscaled bloom and fog doesn't make it look quite right.

Still looks great to me. Now instead of it being something that makes me not want to play the originals because they're "inferior", I have something that's more of an "in addition to".

I liken it to hanging this:

...on your wall next to your original, fairly faded recreation of the starry night painting rather than getting a new, HD photoshopped recreation of the exact same thing. That'd more likely replace the original which may have sentimental value.

 

[Gestault]

This was the announcement that basically had me screaming in the theater. Such a good choice for a remake, and Bluepoint is one of the best in the business for a project like this.

 

[GIANKRATOS]

One thing they don't have to touch is the ost. Don't do it plis. It's already perfect, the goat ost.

 

[SallyIsNow]

New controls = map jump to x

 

[Loudninja]

This was the announcement that basically had me screaming in the theater. Such a good choice for a remake, and Bluepoint is one of the best in the business for a project like this.

Yep.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Yes, I was very audible at the very first frame while it took until the shot of Wander to get the rest of the theater to catch on.

One thing they don't have to touch is the ost. Don't do it plis. It's already perfect, the goat ost.

I've already stated I'd LOVE to hear them with newer arrangements or even re-recorded with a bigger orchestra. It gives a new sense of wonder almost like playing it again for the first time to go along with the new visuals.

 

[Krusenstern]

What should they have done to make the colossi even more realistic in your opinion? Because i can't think of anything at the moment, and messing with the design it's really dangerous decision imho, they're iconic

Maybe it's just the lighting. It can make a big difference in how you percieve something. The right lighting can enhance a certain design or (no pun intended) "show it in the wrong light".
Just the combination of fog and shadow makes the colossi in the original screen feel more real (for lack of proper description).

It's subtile maybe but this lack of atmospheric lighting and fog sprung into my eye during the first few seconds of the reveal.

 

[jett]

One thing they don't have to touch is the ost. Don't do it plis. It's already perfect, the goat ost.

Well the trailer had some sort of short arrangement of Revived Power at the end, so who knows what they're going to do.

 

[SallyIsNow]

Well the trailer had some sort of short arrangement of Revived Power at the end, so who knows what they're going to do.

I feel like that was just for the trailer.

 

[GIANKRATOS]

Better? Better.

 

[Krusenstern]

Better.

Cover the colossi in a slight shadow, obscuring its details a bit and slightly enhance the overall bloom in the sky behind him and we might get there.

 

[black_13]

This is exactly what I wanted since it came out on PS2. I always thought it was a shame this game got made during a gen when the game was more ambitious than the console it was made for could handle.

I'm more excited to play this than most games I saw at E3.

 

[Chuck Norris]

While the game does feature drastically better geometry and draw distance there is one crucial thing I don't like about the remake: It's the "cleaner" look of it compared to the original, yes really. It's lacking that bloom and foggy-ness that was a big part of the game's atmosphere and contributed to its distinct appearance.

Compare those two and you might feel that there is something that makes the remake just feel off.
The remake footage looks like a cheap indie project slapped toghether in Unreal Engine, as weird and provoking as it may sound to some. Almost everything else looks like an improvement, but the downscaled bloom and fog doesn't make it look quite right.

I also think they should have went for a more realistic look in this remake. During the time this game came out it was visually above almost anything else due to its "real" looking style.
The Minotaur Colossi in the remake for example looks almost cartoonish and too stylized compared to what the PS2 original was trying to achieve in 2005, in my opinion

I don't see it. The remake has the over exposed sky and the way it reflects on to the environment. It has far better fog

All it is missing is that the original is a lot blurrier. But it was a PS2 game. And I still think its got a lot more of a blur filter over it than you'd see in most modern games, so its not like they aren't aware - they just aren't going to the levels of the game from two gens ago

 

[Turkoop]

Google translate to the rescue:



From what I can piece.

- Yoshida confirms it's a remake, not a remaster.
- Same content but with rebuilt assets.
- Planning to introduce some modern game play mechanics but will offer option for gamers to play the game in it's original form (probably means alternate control settings)
- Ueda is not involved much with this project.

At least he is evolved, that is good. I can imagine that he will do a sequel in the future.

 

[CosmicRomancer]

I don't know if it's been touched on (too many pages)

but any word if BluePoint will have the missing Colossus that never made into the game? As added bonus?

ooooo never seen this before.

Yeah, I think they should adjust fog and bloom and add a slight filter to closely resemble that lighting that's unique to the game. It just enhanced the scale of these colossi when you saw them in the distance and they were slightly occluded by fog and some of their details were lying in shadows when they got between you and the sunlight.

Yeahh, spot on.

---

I'm really excited about this. I'm wary there might be certain things that'll be changed for the worse, but I trust them. And if it is disappointing, there'll always be the original and remaster to fall back on.

 

[Shin-Ra]

Just throwing an idea out but the sky and lighting conditions may be more dynamic, changing during the course of a Colossus battle as well as the greater game.

Wipeout Omega and FFXII are using the original textures and assets and rendering them at a higher resolution. Wipeout Omega has some enhancements like bloom etc but at the core it's still running the exact same code on more powerful hardware.

WipEout has mostly remade or drastically updated textures, not just higher res.

Here for instance, only the mountain backdrop looks identical in texture to the original.

 

[flipswitch]

Not sure if this has been posted.


Eurogamer has an article saying it's a remake.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...s-a-remake-not-a-remaster-says-shuhei-yoshida

Yoshida confirmed this in an interview with Japanese gaming outlet Famitsu (translated via Siliconera).

"It is a remake. The game content is the same as the original version, but all the assets are being remade," he said.

 

[adamsapple]

Not sure if this has been posted.


Eurogamer has an article saying it's a remake.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...s-a-remake-not-a-remaster-says-shuhei-yoshida

It's a formal translation by eurogamer of the same famitsu info that's been going around this topic for the last few pages.

 

[flipswitch]

It's a formal translation by eurogamer of the same famitsu info that's been going around this topic for the last few pages.

Ok. Thanks. So nothing has been confirmed then.

 

[Moon Presence]

The only thing that looks weird and really stands out is the Wanderer. Other than that it looks gorgeous. Day one here.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

Imagine if it was a industry standard to do a remake like this, instead of "HD remasters". we expect from most games.


SoTC is one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had in a game. Few games have ever made me feel so small, so isolated. The game is a masterstroke of genius in how it says so much with so little. The non-descriptive world and events forces you to make your own story and put in the peaces. You get minimal context, but you don't know what happened.

 

[Theodran]

Ok. Thanks. So nothing has been confirmed then.

I'm looking at the Japanese Famitsu interview with Yoshida. Famitsu asks if it's a remaster or a remake, and Yoshida explicitly states it's a remake with the original contents but updated assets.

Famitsu: For the next one I'm going to ask you about the Shadow of the Colossus. Is this a remastered version or a remake version?
Yoshida:　It's a remake. This time around the contents of the game are the same as the original, but all the assets are being remade. We are using technology that would be used if the Shadow of the Colossus was a PS4 era title. Bluepoint created the remastered versions of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus on the PS3. So they know a lot about the game contents.

Famitsu: So the contents of the game is the same as the PS2 version.
Yoshida: It's the same, but in terms of controls and such, users have different tastes, so we are thinking of tweaking them to reflect modern tastes. Of course, you can still play it with the controls of the original version. It's the original game, expressed using modern technology. Ueda-san (Fumito Ueda) doesn't have a lot to do with the game this time around.

Going from this, it looks like it's just the original game with flashy graphics. No confirmation of cut content being implemented etc.

 

[adamsapple]

Yeah, it seems to be a 1 : 1 remake like the Halo Anniversary games.

 

[HueyFreeman]

I really, really think people looking for any of the cut colossi making it in here are in for an enormous disappointment (like, I can't even imagine actually expecting new SOTC content and then not getting it).

Bluepoint's level of reverence for this series is waaaaaay too high for them to ever attempt to interpret Ueda/Team Ico's work and create something new from it. This will be a content complete, frame for frame remake, but nothing more.

 

[Nuno Pinto]

Well the trailer had some sort of short arrangement of Revived Power at the end, so who knows what they're going to do.

Didn't even noticed this.

You don't want to mess with perfection so hopefully they won't touch the soundtrack, that would be incredibly dumb.

I really hope bluepoint has some good sense here.

 

[TimeEffect]

I really, really think people looking for any of the cut colossi making it in here are in for an enormous disappointment (like, I can't even imagine actually expecting new SOTC content and then not getting it).

Bluepoint's level of reverence for this series is waaaaaay too high for them to ever attempt to interpret Ueda/Team Ico's work and create something new from it. This will be a content complete, frame for frame remake, but nothing more.

I dont expect it at all. I just think it would be really, really, nice, but it would require a total reworking and new content.

Just let me dream man. I just really ultimately want to see some more Team ICO stuff, whatever it may be

 

[Shin-Ra]

The only standout issue I have with the original soundtrack is the blunt transition between off-colossus and on-colossus battle themes.

 

[ponpo]

Who cares about cut colossi, put something at the end of the bridge!!! Don't want to waste 8 minutes running across it on foot again.

 

[Camells]

While the game does feature drastically better geometry and draw distance there is one crucial thing I don't like about the remake: It's the "cleaner" look of it compared to the original, yes really. It's lacking that bloom and foggy-ness that was a big part of the game's atmosphere and contributed to its distinct appearance.

Compare those two and you might feel that there is something that makes the remake just feel off.
The remake footage looks like a cheap indie project slapped toghether in Unreal Engine, as weird and provoking as it may sound to some. Almost everything else looks like an improvement, but the downscaled bloom and fog doesn't make it look quite right.

I also think they should have went for a more realistic look in this remake. During the time this game came out it was visually above almost anything else due to its "real" looking style.
The Minotaur Colossi in the remake for example looks almost cartoonish and too stylized compared to what the PS2 original was trying to achieve in 2005, in my opinion

Exactly!
I was thinking about that and i really miss the look and feel of the original game when i saw the "remaster" footage, it's almost like the art direction is somewhat off i don't know how to explain better.

 

[SallyIsNow]

I really, really think people looking for any of the cut colossi making it in here are in for an enormous disappointment (like, I can't even imagine actually expecting new SOTC content and then not getting it).

Bluepoint's level of reverence for this series is waaaaaay too high for them to ever attempt to interpret Ueda/Team Ico's work and create something new from it. This will be a content complete, frame for frame remake, but nothing more.

Already confirmed no new content, jabronie. We're already dead.

 

[El-Pistolero]

Exactly!
I was thinking about that and i really miss the look and feel of the original game when i saw the "remaster" footage, it's almost like the art direction is somewhat off i don't know how to explain better.

What you mistake for art direction is nothing more than artefacts that plagued games on the PS2. The remake is as atmospheric and haunting as the original game, while being much more impressive, courtesy of the astronomical power jump that separates the new version from the original title.

 

[RedSwirl]

The third colossus on HTA in the HD version is damn near impossible to beat. It drives me crazy that they couldn't have at least patched in a few extra seconds to that colossus if they weren't going to fix the slipping issue. It took me over six hours of replaying that colossus to finally beat the HTA. You flat out needed to manipulate the colossus AI at times just to have any chance of getting a good time and then you pretty much had to pray to the RNG that you'd have a good run. I just barely managed to beat it after hours of attempts and even then I only did so with like five seconds left. It's still one of my most frustrating gaming moments. I mean, I used to re-do the HTA on the PS2 over and over again because of how much fun I had with it. Now I never want to touch it again and if this remake has the same issue, I won't be attempting it again.

Jesus H. Christ. This just gave me flashbacks of how many times it took me to beat Colossus #3 in HTA on the PS2 version. Doing it in the HD version would probably require me to master the sword jump trick.

I wish BluePoint could give Resident Evil 4 this treatment too. Shit is gorgeous, man.

Man that would be dope. The retexture mod is already amazing, but a REMake-style thing could potentially be incredible. Maybe the RE2 remake will be a test run. RE4 is a game that's proven to sell time after time.

While the game does feature drastically better geometry and draw distance there is one crucial thing I don't like about the remake: It's the "cleaner" look of it compared to the original, yes really. It's lacking that bloom and foggy-ness that was a big part of the game's atmosphere and contributed to its distinct appearance.

Compare those two and you might feel that there is something that makes the remake just feel off.
The remake footage looks like a cheap indie project slapped toghether in Unreal Engine, as weird and provoking as it may sound to some. Almost everything else looks like an improvement, but the downscaled bloom and fog doesn't make it look quite right.

I also think they should have went for a more realistic look in this remake. During the time this game came out it was visually above almost anything else due to its "real" looking style.
The Minotaur Colossi in the remake for example looks almost cartoonish and too stylized compared to what the PS2 original was trying to achieve in 2005, in my opinion

I actually have the same concerns. I hope the remake stays just as foggy. I imagine the look of the world of the PS2 version was designed for the draw distance it had, kind of like San Andreas. Colossus has a lot of sweeping vistas in it but it's also supposed to have a foggy, ethereal look to it. I think Bluepoint is smart enough to preserve that.

And I also don't think the remake should go for photorealism. Looking back on it today, Colossus has a look more akin to an animated art film like The Red Turtle or something.

 

[gfxtwin]

The more I compare the remake graphics with the original's, the more it grows on me. In addition to fixing the Wander character model, all it really needs is some additional tasteful bloom and haze and for the most ethereal locations in the game (like the fields and cliffs over by the location of the final colossi, the desert below the bridge, the waterfalls, the view of the outside from inside of the shrine of worship, the garden, etc) to have that impressionistic, otherworldy look and that majestic sense of scale. It needs to look like a Sigur Ros song, if that makes sense.

Right now it isn't quite there, but you can still see some of the Team Ico DNA, so it looks like a collaboration between the original art directors and the art directors at another AAA studio.

 

[Jawbreaker]

Didn't even noticed this.

You don't want to mess with perfection so hopefully they won't touch the soundtrack, that would be incredibly dumb.

I really hope bluepoint has some good sense here.

I hope they do something new for the soundtrack, but make it an option to choose the original if you'd like. I think that would be fair.

 

[UrbanRats]

[...]

I actually like the new look more, for the most part.
I always thought the purple sky was ugly af, so i'm happy they toned that down, and the limited range of contrast does't look as good as it did in the ps2 days, even Last Guardian doesn't uses it as strongly.

The rest i think it's also virtue of simply having more detail, since a lot of stuff looks like it's shrouded in fog, also because nothing has any detail to it (it being a ps2 game and all) cliff sides are crude, and plastered his blurry tiled textures.

Also, sometimes the "bloomy" sky in SotC felt more like a bug, because of how it would go back and forth unnaturally, depending on where you were looking, so i don't mind that they fixed that, too.
Last Guardian also fixed this, so it was likely a tech limitation of having to fake HDR.

Anyway, as i said i don't think this should be a 1:1 recreation, i think that's a fool's errand.
This is Blue Point's interpretation of the material, for preservation's sake, there's the HD collection.

I see this as the shot for shot remake of Funny Games, with American actors.

 

[jonjonaug]

I actually like the new look more, for the most part.
I always thought the purple sky was ugly af, so i'm happy they toned that down, and the limited range of contrast does't look as good as it did in the ps2 days, even Last Guardian doesn't uses it as strongly.

The rest i think it's also virtue of simply having more detail, since a lot of stuff looks like it's shrouded in fog, also because nothing has any detail to it (it being a ps2 game and all) cliff sides are crude, and plastered his blurry tiled textures.

Also, sometimes the "bloomy" sky in SotC felt more like a bug, because of how it would go back and forth unnaturally, depending on where you were looking, so i don't mind that they fixed that, too.
Last Guardian also fixed this, so it was likely a tech limitation of having to fake HDR.

Anyway, as i said i don't think this should be a 1:1 recreation, i think that's a fool's errand.
This is Blue Point's interpretation of the material, for preservation's sake, there's the HD collection.

I see this as the shot for shot remake of Funny Games, with American actors.

The distance that lighting effects would be drawn was limited on the PS2 version of the game. The PS3 version doesn't have this issue so much. You can see this in the intro to the 5th Colossus fight, look at how the light plays off the cliffs differently as the camera zooms in.

PS2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM6QnYuiVY4
PS3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFpEbb1ryrs

 

[kinoki]

Imagine how much worse off it could have been, experience bad, skill tree, loot crates, Agro armour, etc.

I'm happy this game is being remade by people who love the original game and intend to make it the definitive version of the game. And it looks amazing, still some time to tweak the fog and lighting.

 

[Kuro]

It looks good but the Ps3 remaster was good enough for me. I would rather have a new team ico game in UE4 or something but that won't happen

 

[Screaming Meat]

Imagine how much worse off it could have been, experience bad, skill tree, loot crates, Agro armour, etc.

Dune Buggies!

 

[pixelation]

Just fix Wanderers face... he looks like he ran away from the set of the OG Planet of the Apes.

 

[More_Badass]

What you mistake for art direction is nothing more than artefacts that plagued games on the PS2. The remake is as atmospheric and haunting as the original game, while being much more impressive, courtesy of the astronomical power jump that separates the new version from the original title.

Sometimes such limitations make stuff better. Consider how Jaws evolved and was better in the end due to the animatronic shark constantly malfunctioning.

Yes, many of the aspects in PS2 SOTC came from engine limitations or the limits of technology at the time, but in the end, working around those limitations, concessions made, and other aspects good and bad helped add to the atmosphere and ethereal aura. To dismiss it as "mistaking for art direction" seems odd.

The remake looks awesome, and the colossi look incredible in their modern incarnations, but I'd be lying if I said it looked as atmospheric and haunting as the original. At least in that current glimpse so far

 

[wouwie]

Easily one of the standout moments from all E3 conferences. I think it looked fantastic but maybe that's because i didn't play the original game?

I'm super happy i'm getting the opportunity to play this game on PS4. I bought this one PS3 together with Ico. I loved Ico but i gave up on SOTC at the very beginning of the first battle, mainly due to the controls. In the meantime, i've played The Last Guardian, which is one of my favourite games ever. So it's great i'll have another opportunity to play the last of these 3 legendary Ueda games.

 

[Auctopus]

I really, really think people looking for any of the cut colossi making it in here are in for an enormous disappointment (like, I can't even imagine actually expecting new SOTC content and then not getting it).

Bluepoint's level of reverence for this series is waaaaaay too high for them to ever attempt to interpret Ueda/Team Ico's work and create something new from it. This will be a content complete, frame for frame remake, but nothing more.

Not to mention...

Now: "I hope they add the colossi that ended up on the cutting room floor."

Release: "The cut bosses are weaker/less memorable fights. Why did Bluepoint add them back in?"

 

[UrbanRats]

The remake looks awesome, and the colossi look incredible in their modern incarnations, but I'd be lying if I said it looked as atmospheric and haunting as the original. At least in that current glimpse so far

Opinions and all i guess, but when i look at the comparison above, aside from Wanda's shitty model, there's nothing about the original i like more.
I will say though, it doesn't look as good as Last Guardian, but then, they probably aim at a framerate higher than 20 fps.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Sometimes such limitations make stuff better. Consider how Jaws evolved and was better in the end due to the animatronic shark constantly malfunctioning.

Yes, many of the aspects in PS2 SOTC came from engine limitations or the limits of technology at the time, but in the end, working around those limitations, concessions made, and other aspects good and bad helped add to the atmosphere and ethereal aura. To dismiss it as "mistaking for art direction" seems odd.

The remake looks awesome, and the colossi look incredible in their modern incarnations, but I'd be lying if I said it looked as atmospheric and haunting as the original. At least in that current glimpse so far

I still like to view this as me visiting this world. Not going INTO the painting, that was the HD remaster. But into the world the painting was based on.

Otherwise you just have someone else with more resources going "Now THIS it what that painting was supposed to look like" and I don't think that's fine coming from anyone other than Ueda.

Crazy hypothetical... what if this was outsourced because Ueda's working on a sequel (that may or may not have co-op) and the reason was to have visual parity between the two and renew interest? I did say it was crazy....

 

[Laplasakos]

I think the game looks really great. Lighting is superb, especially the clouds, they really catched that gloomy feeling. Fog is there too so i won't go crazy over it since it never was important for me. My only complain is Wander's model which will probably change, as well all the graphics in the end and i believe that's the reason why Sony didn't show or doesn't talk much about the game yet.

Also, please let Bluepoint remake Demon's Souls next in the same way.