You know, there’s a reason for the high definition re-releases of both Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus being so late to the party, but it’s hard not to assume it’s purely for marketing purposes. Releasing the pair as late as possible (to drum up hype for The Last Guardian) is a smart idea, but technically at least it’s a little bit tricky to see just where all that precious development time has gone to.
[drop]Sure, it’s naturally better looking than the PS2 original, but in Sony’s media room at E3, against the likes of Journey and Uncharted 3, Shadow carries an air of ‘last-gen’ that no amount of upscaling and added particle effects is going to take away. Make no mistake, it’s still a beautiful game in terms of scale and scope, but it’s looking old now, and although the textures have been tweaked and the lighting boosted a tad, little has changed.Naturally, it’s now much, much smoother in terms of frame rate, and this is a huge thing as anyone that played the original would know. Shadow pushed the PlayStation 2 beyond its limits, but what was once a crawling, juddery mess is locked at 30 fps – it makes a big difference, especially on horseback and half way up one of the numerous titular colossi. The frame rate holds up in 3D too, which at least provided some depth to the visuals.
The old UI is an eyesore, though – at least at this stage; remnants of the PS2 version are echoed in poor low resolution typography and ugly menus, and new features (like a 3D slider) are shoehorned in – but it was never a title that really needed anything more than the most basic of overlays. What still rings true, above all these niggles and issues, is the art – it’s still picture perfect and although technically dated, the character designs are exemplary and utterly wonderful.
[drop2]And, of course, it’s an amazing game. From your first outings as Wander leaves the shrine, scrambling to get onto Agro the horse (yes, mounting is still a bit buggy) and discovering your first enemy, Shadow of the Colossus is a brilliant ride. The subtle, almost invisible storytelling is a joy, and the playful exploration aspects are a particular delight. None of that has dulled over the years, and anyone that didn’t play this before will relish the re-release.But yes, it is a re-release. This isn’t a remake by any stretch – the visuals are better but not by a massive leap – but if you go into this just expecting a stunning game that aspect won’t disappoint. And as a refresher for The Last Guardian, this and Ico (arguably the better of the two here) are must haves. We look forward to the final version of the game, and bringing down those colossi.
Kaminari
Some people are never satisfied, right Alex?
This is a perfect REMASTERING of a classic. It does not need to be remade. You sound like someone who would say that the Metropolis restoration is nice but it would be so much better had they remade the movie entirely.
Ignoramus.
nofi
It’s not perfect by any stretch.
SpikeyMikey23
no need for name calling now is there?
Foxhound
Got originals but still psyched for them…..
x-revenance
I’m with you, I never bought a PS3 with backwards compatibility so for the last two years I’ve had to keep my PS2 under the TV so that I could still play ICO & SoTC & I still do. So can’t wait for september now.
SpikeyMikey23
I remember having a demo of ICO on a demo disc that came with my original PS1. Never appealed to me then but as I’m older and wiser (debatable) i’m really looking forward to playing these. I wouldnt usually pay full price for HD remakes, I will wait for the price to drop, but this will be an exception… In fact, Im now going to find the cheapest pre-order price and place an order.
gaffers101
Really looking forward to picking this up along with Ico.
Deathbrin
You’re making it sound like it’s really, really dated. Makes me wonder how does it fair against God of War games then, cause they seemed okay?
Nova77
Can’t wait to buy these day one. Getting so nostalgic already. I just loved exploring to find all the lizards and fruit, you got to see so many incredible places that still rivals the scenery in games like Far Cry 2 and Crysis.