They seem to come straight out of western architectures, from antiquity (temples, arenas, Coliseum, columns, bridges) and Middle Age ( castle), pre-Columbian era (The statues in the temple, that remind the Aztecian divinities, like Quetzacoatl) and even asian architecture (like the shrines which resemble southeastern asian pagodas). These monuments in ruins appear to be relics of the past, giving us the impression that this place could actually exist somewhere in the real world, away from home in a long-forgotten region (which must be even more true for Japanese players). Regarding the sets, in addition to their gigantism, it is their design that stands out. Work on modeling can be split into two parts: the work on the sets, and the creation of colossi. Nothing seems to have been made for a human being: temples, statues, bridges, columns… all seem to have been modeled for greater than normal beings (at least in our standards), which reinforces the sense of a “larger than life” adventure. It should be noted that the modeled objects are all of a remarkable size. ModelsĪ lot of work went into modeling the game. We eventually dread the absence of light, and the player is from then on forced to deal with it, in the same way as Wanda blindly obeys the God, with the disastrous consequences we know (if we finished the game, at least). This light seems to be a gift – or at least under control – of this god, of whom we know nothing (until the very end), nor of the real power over the elements of this mysterious place. In the same way, it is the light reflected by the hero’s sword that indicates which direction to take, or the weak spots of the giants. It is also necessary to remember that the god who is at the heart of the intrigue is visually represented by rays of light (he also refers to it several times), which suggests a link between both (the god and the light). It can deceive the player in his sensations. This overwhelming light strengthens the desert aspect of the place, emphasizes the feeling of vastness of the setting (see the paragraph “vertigo”), and seems to merge all colors together, thereby reminding the style of the painter William Turner.Īnalysed through to these criteria, the light does not seem welcoming. At the graphical level, from the start of the game, the light is omnipresent. In the sunny scenes, we can see a visual rendering where the textures of the ground or rocks seem burned the sky seems flooded with sunlight a bright haze takes shape far off and seems to mask the rest of the landscape (this point being more present on the PS2 version than the HD remake on PS3). Light constitutes one of the most important components of the game, both visually and gameplay-wise. Let’s see what the visual peformance adds to the Shadow of the Colossus experience. But if the technology was very advanced for this console, it is not the graphic engine that left its mark on the players, but the beautiful art direction of the game. Let me bear in mind that the game was released at the end of the PS2′s era, pushing it to its limits in terms of graphics. It could mess up (a little) the joy of discovery (contains spoilers). Play the game, enjoy it, and then read this article. Note: If you have not played this game, do not read this article.
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