Ken's Corner

I finally beat Shadow of Colossus!

About time, too, I say. Took me about 3 days of playing off and on to get to the last boss. Then after not figuring out how to beat him I just threw the game to the side. But I picked it back up today with the intent to beat it. And I did.

The ending of it was basically just a cinematic. Yea it had little tiny bits where you could do stuff during the last story-centered movie, but overall it was just like "Here you can walk around just so this ending cinematic doesn't feel so drawn out."

I guess it was just a gesture of kindness for the long credits afterward. After the credits you can save your game and tell you what you've unlocked. "You unlocked a new difficulty: You can now choose to make a New Game in 'Hard Mode'"
"You unlocked Time Attack"

I just think it's kind of funny how there's 3 songs in the entire game. One song you hear for the 15 bosses, a specific song for the final boss, and a song for the credits.  Maybe the songs for the 15 bosses were different variations of one song, but I couldn't tell. It all sounded like the same recycled song. Not that it ruined the game, and not that the music was the most important feature, but if you've played, or when you do play, this game I'm sure you can understand what I mean.

But there's plenty to unlock still. In my new save game, it's a "second playthrough" kind of deal, but with the Time Attack mode, you go up to a colossi statue and pray to it, then you have to beat that boss under X minutes. After you've beaten X bosses, you unlock something. According to some cheat sites, every 2 bosses you beat you get something new.

And it's not anything lame like "Oh you get more life! Oh you get more stamina!" But things that actually add a little more to the game.

Originally you only have your sword and bow. But the first item you get is "Whistling Arrows". Arrows that whistle (imagine that!) and divert the colossus' attention. Man that would have been useful on a couple bosses first time around! But it'll definitely make more Time Attacks easier.

You get some other weapons, but the really good stuff is in the Hard Time Attack mode. You unlock THAT by beating Hard Mode. Dunno how hard Hard Mode is, though... I have yet to play it.

I thought Time Attack mode was going to be really bad. I mean I go to the first boss and do his Time Attack mode and it gives me 2:30 minutes to take him down. I was thinking "What?! I may need more time than that..." but amazingly I did it with about 50 seconds to spare. I even fell and stumbled at one point and made it.

I can only imagine what Hard Time Attack mode is going to be like. Hard Mode probably gave all the colossi laser guns and covered them in fire making them impossible to climb onto. Wouldn't that make for a good challenge -.-

Most likely they just upped the AI. How boring.