Quick Ico/Colossus Question...

[BulletMagnet]

In short, I've never played either Ico or Shadow of the Colossus before, although I'm very interested in doing so. At this point, I only have a JPS2, with no (immediate) plans to buy a US one. However, I have heard that the Asian version of Colossus has English subtitles, and wonder if this is true: if so, I also wonder if the same is true for the Asian release of Ico.

Basically, A) Can anyone confirm that English subtitles do exist in the Asian releases of either game, and B) If this is true, will this make the game get-through-able for someone who doesn't read Japanese (i.e., are menus and other things navigable, or at least doable with an FAQ)? Or, to take it a step further, do these games even really need English text in the first place, would I be able to figure them out even without it?

Anyone with any relevant info is thanked in advance.

[MovingTarget]

I have the Japanese Shadow of the Collosus and the menus and all are in English, I dont remember there being much subtitles in the game but I'm pretty sure they were english if they were there! Dont have Ico...

Highly recommend Shadow of the Collosus.

[BulletMagnet]

Thanks. I actually just checked Play-Asia and their description confirms that the Chinese version of Colossus does have optional English subtitles. Apparently you had no trouble getting through the JP version of the game, MT?

Anyone have any idea as to Ico?

[MovingTarget]

Yea it all went swimmingly

Especially with one of the collosi

[Turrican]

Maskrider might know about it:

http://felixmcli.org/

by the way BM, it is arguable that both games are actually better if you absolutely don't understand subtitles. Especially Colossus - after a while, the game has the annoying tendence to give you advice on how to beat colossi - I considered switching subtitles to German just for that reason.

[BulletMagnet]

Maskrider might know about it:

http://felixmcli.org/

Thanks, I'll try dropping him an email.

by the way BM, it is arguable that both games are actually better if you absolutely don't understand subtitles. Especially Colossus - after a while, the game has the annoying tendence to give you advice on how to beat colossi - I considered switching subtitles to German just for that reason.

Yeah, a few reviewers I checked mentioned that...guess that's one possible advantage to owning a foreign version, heh heh.

[Benjamin]

Both games are hardly dialogue dependant. You can understand what is going on in ICO in the few cinemas from the actions pretty much. Play Asia's Shadow of the Colossus is only like $8, too, so it's hardly a risky investment.

[BulletMagnet]

Play Asia's Shadow of the Colossus is only like $8, too, so it's hardly a risky investment.

Maybe on your salary. But yeah, apparently the Asian Colossus is marked down to about 15 bucks for the summer sale, so I'm rather tempted...

Thanks for the general comments too, I sent an email to the guy Turrican recommended, hopefully he can confirm this stuff for me, if no one here does so first.

[Jon]

On a semi-related note for those who haven't picked up the domestic release its just been dropped to $19.99 at Best Buy and a number of other places. Apparently it officially goes "Greatest Hits" sometime in October.

[DJ Incompetent]

Maskrider might know about it:

http://felixmcli.org/

by the way BM, it is arguable that both games are actually better if you absolutely don't understand subtitles. Especially Colossus - after a while, the game has the annoying tendence to give you advice on how to beat colossi - I considered switching subtitles to German just for that reason.

I didn't mind hints on Colossus. They only came up when the game knew you weren't making any real progress. They didn't really help all the time anyway. It was like watching Kung Pow with that Lion King ripoff with the speaking in riddles.

"OhhhHHHhhh, THAT'S what he meant..."

There's enough visual cues through the game (and probably Ico) that if you've even become slightly jaded from seeing too many storylines in games and movies alike, you'll be able to figure out what the big-bad twists are. The subs could come in handy for the ending though, as it is quite good.

uh...yeah...so like Turrican said......arguable.


Ico...man...Ico puzzles me. Mainstreamers are supposed to be all "graphics first". Practically the game's whole selling point was the graphics and art style. Yet, it never sold well stateside. I've never really figured out why. All I could think of was the gay*-gay*-cover art. One of the complaints was that the game is so short. But every time I've attempted this game from where I left off I get bored and shelve it for a year, pending a few hours of progress.
Still never finished it.


*you know what I'm sayin'. Relax.

Yea it all went swimmingly

Especially with one of the collosi

because ya knew that pun was so bad

[neorichieb1971]

2 of my favorite games.

More than 50% of Ico's subtitles are in a language that is totally made up.. and i'd say there is less than 20 seconds of subtitles in the whole game. The game is based on 3D puzzles with visual clues. A crank, a box, a lever, a ladder etc.

SoTC does have hints but they are seldom helpful. Just remember to ride around on horse back with sword equipt and follow the focused light to find the collossi. Everything else is trial and error.

[BulletMagnet]

Felix emailed me back and confirmed that neither the Japanese or Asian releases of Ico have English subtitle options, but added, as a few here have, that the text isn't very important anyways. Thanks to all here for the help, hopefully I'll be able to get my paws on these games eventually, and try them out...

[GaijinPunch]

JPN Collosus doesn't have an English setting (I'm 99% sure). ICO you don't need it at all. The story is very thin... the way it should be in games.

Anyways, buy these games. They are fucking brilliant, despite what anyone tells you!

[MadSteelDarkness]

Anyways, buy these games. They are fucking brilliant, despite what anyone tells you!

Quoted for truth.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

Brilliant? Maybe. Fun? ZzZzZzZzZzzZz.

[tekneekz]

fun but beating ico once is basically it for the game, sotc has some pretty neat extra items to get though in time attack.

[BulletMagnet]

JPN Collosus doesn't have an English setting (I'm 99% sure).

Yeah, I ended up buying the "China" version, which apparently does have that option (not to mention being about half the price...of the "Greatest Hits" version). Since apparently no version of Ico has English, I went with the Greatest Hits version, since it's the cheapest.

I have heard some say that the games are more graphics than gameplay, but call me softcore or whatever, I tend to not mind that...when I can get the game for cheap. A little while back I got Rez for 15 bucks new, and was quite happy with it, despite the gameplay not offering much that Panzer Dragoon hadn't years before (if I'd paid 100 bucks plus for it, as the US version was going for not too long ago, I might not have been as receptive). Similarly, I paid 15 for Colossus and 25 for Ico, so as long as the gameplay isn't howlingly bad, and the "experience" is anywhere near as good as it's been hyped to be, I shouldn't be too disappointed.

Anyways, time will tell...

[MovingTarget]

Of course hanging on to the head of a fuckin huge collosus while he trys to throw you off is fun, seems like good gameplay to me...

People might remember me talkin about tv troubles, this involved the screen blanking out. Sometimes after minutes of play, sometimes seconds, if I was lucky an hour. It happened several times in this game when I was seconds away from beating Collosi hanging off they head by just my hands!

[incognoscente]

I paid 15 for Colossus and 25 for Ico

Pretend you paid 25 for Colossus and 15 for Ico and you'll be fine. :)


I still like Ico though.

[BulletMagnet]

Either way I'm out 40 bucks.

[Turrican]

I have heard some say that the games are more graphics than gameplay,

It's a cheap way to criticize both.

1) gameplay it's not something you can measure and "add more". Does Resident Evil have "more" gameplay than Pac-Man? And if so, if gameplay is defined by game rules etc, does that make Resident a better game? I think it's safer to talk about different approaches to gameplay, instead of "less" or "more" gameplay.
Ico's director stated more than once that his philosophy was to subtract rather than to add - therefore a simple gameplay suits better his games. And a simple gameplay is something that a shmupper should cherish, too.

And 2) since their creation, videogames always strived to achieve better graphics. Both games do that wonderfully, creating not only wonderful visuals, but a great atmosphere. To emphasize this, they draw camera techniques from cinema, and rightly so. But non-interactive cutscenes are kept to a minimum so, I don't really see where the critic comes from.

Or wait, I do see from where - it's the typical envy of those who are unable to enjoy such masterworks.

[BulletMagnet]

Methinks I've opened up a bigger can of worms than I thought via this topic, and I haven't even played the games yet, heh heh.

[GaijinPunch]

I think the gem of both games is that they get back to what games should be: gameplay. ICO = escape the castle. There's about 3 minutes of story thrown in, and no bullshit pop music to distract. Atmosphere is great. Collosus: find the collossus, kick the shit out of him. Again, very thin story... just like the old days. No bullshit gay story which plagues 80% of games these days.

[greg]

I have both games for my Japanese PS2. Ico was a bit easier to understand with reading translations off of Gamefaqs, and there wasn't as much dialogue in it as much as Colossus seems to have. I've completed Ico but have not yet completed Colossus, since I lost track of playing it after getting stuck on the fourth colossus.

I like Ico much better for the puzzle aspect. Colossus is fun, but it doesn't draw me in as Ico. Ico is more charming, Colossus is more action.

[Gorecki]

It's the atmosphere that makes Colossus an incredible game. Throughout playing it I just couldn't shake off the feeling that by slaying these creatures I was committing a terrible evil, and that I was damaging the landscape and the main character forever.

It's rare that a game presents a "hero" with such a selfish and desperate objective, one that makes you question your very actions within the game. Genius I say! And definately fun.

[neorichieb1971]

I would argue both games are style over substance. But thats more my taste.

Its not so much about challenge, but experiencing! These games will connect with you emotionally through sheer art. In SoTC you are not fighting Evil, you are performing an evil for the better of good! Performing many injustices to rectify one injustice. The game creators have written a book without words and few characters. Watching a collossi fall is not a moment of glory, its a moment of pain.

I understand when people say they are not fun. These games are not supposed to be fun, they are supposed to tap into your into your subconcious mind and make you feel.

And on both accounts, both Ico and SoTC achieve something no other game ever has. Affection for a digital character on screen. Wether it be a girl, a horse or a collossi. If you cannot make that connection to the game, you will undoubtedly be unimpresssed. If you can connect to the game on that level, it will be a timeless piece.. Like an old flame that touched your heart.

[MovingTarget]

Started playing collosus again last night, cant wait for the flying and underwater collosi! I normally hate underwater parts of games, but this one kicks ass.

[CMoon]

I started playing it again earlier this summer, then rememered the stupid collossus that has to be injured with jets of steam and stopped playing at that point.

[Turrican]

I started playing it again earlier this summer, then rememered the stupid collossus that has to be injured with jets of steam and stopped playing at that point.

Funny, it didn't give me the slightest problem. I had trouble with the snake-ish one inhabiting the sand cavern.

[MovingTarget]

The die by steam one was my least favourite, small price to pay.