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Game Debate to the Death! Shadow of the Colossus VS God of War
10:02 PM on 11.18.2008, Fronz 173 comments

Game Debate to the Death! Shadow of the Colossus VS God of War photo
     God of War

Last week was the first round of the PS2 odd debate brackets. Katamari Damacy and Metal Gear Solid 2 started things off with many Dtoiders so befuddled and torn that they didn't know who to vote for.

At first, MGS 2 took a monstrous lead, with two votes for every single Katamari vote. Then, in some entertaining tallying irony, a proverbial ball of votes began to roll and gain speed. For several scrolls of the mouse the Katamari wad of support grew and grew, unanswered by its opposition. By the end it was an all out race for victory, with Solid Snake being chased by a giant rolling shadow. Here are the results:

  • Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (60 votes) -- Winner!
  • Katamari Damacy (47 votes) -- Good night, sweet Prince.

I'm crushed that there's no chance I'll be able to use the Katamari Colossus picture below as next week's debate banner, but alas, we move on.

If you thought last week's discussion was a tough decision of polar opposites, then get ready for a repeat of debate distraught. This week is a battle between emotions and art versus killing and action. Both games are epic, but the similarities end at their start menus. I noticed both games mentioned a lot last week in response to the bonus question, so feel free to give this debate a lot of thought.

Which game do you think is better, and why? Give it some serious thought, get some PS2 childhood friends to share their opinions as well, and check back next week for the winner.


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Fronz's Avatar
Fronz at 11/18/2008 22:02
Also -- does anyone know the source of the Katamari Colossus art I attached to this debate? If you link me to who the artist is, I'd be glad to link to his portfolio page to give him some extra well deserved attention.

I've seen the pic for probably years now, so I'm not even sure where the art came from.
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar
ThunderHeartXI at 11/18/2008 22:02
No god damn contest, Shadow of the Colossus is much more godly then God of War.
Cube's Avatar
Cube at 11/18/2008 22:07
I hated ICO and shadow of the colossus so I am going with god of war.


And i don't even think god of war is that great.
Roryzilla's Avatar
Roryzilla at 11/18/2008 22:07
Shadow of the colossus was a very special game for me, so i choose it.
Blind assassin's Avatar
Blind assassin at 11/18/2008 22:08
SotC is definitely the superior game.
Arttemis's Avatar
Arttemis at 11/18/2008 22:10
SotC for me, please. I could never really get into GoW; the combat mechanics are just too loose.
chuck the hijacker's Avatar
chuck the hijacker at 11/18/2008 22:13
Shadow of the Colossus

God of War was a great game, but Shadow of the Colossus drew me in to the story through the gameplay rather then then little story segments sprinkled in to break up the gameplay. I felt shocked and sad when my horse went over that cliff in Shadow of the Colossus.
Fronz's Avatar
Fronz at 11/18/2008 22:13
My first reaction was to vote for Shadow of the Colossus, but after a lot of thought, I've got to give my vote to God of War. Here's why....

Shadow of the Colossus was a damn good game, and what was there, was all amazing. Great graphics, raising-the-bar gameplay ideas that greatly impacted the industry, and an emotional tone and mood that many games have strived to reach, but few games have ever accomplished.

And let's point out something REALLY amazing -- Shadow of the Colossus is an adventure game. NOT an action adventure. If anyone tells you it is, you have my permission to slap them or submit them to lengthy diatribes about why they should feel bad. I hate how little adventuring there is in game these days. How there can't be adventure without the action. And no, fetching items in Platformers doesn't really count. And sure, Zelda games have lots and lots of action, but they have just as much or more adventure to match it. Shadow of the Colossus? Honestly, not a lot of action at all. But a fuck ton of adventure. My dream game, something I had wanted fulfilled through a controller for so many years.

So why won't I vote for it?

Shadow of the Colossus is like a term paper that's the best a teacher has ever read in all their years of teaching, yet it's 1/5th the minimum page length requirement. As amazing as it is, it's just a few scenes. Each are mostly flawless as they are unique, but that doesn't mean it deserves a better grade than someone who offered a much much larger game, filled with many more scenes that each offer the gamer more things to do. Not ground-breaking, but more complex. Much more coding involved, much more 3D design and objects to run past and interact with. Many many more all-nighters of level design and character design, etc, etc. Not to mention far more rendering and actual cinematics.

Shadow of the Colossus doesn't have to worry it got shown up though, because it's the student who you know will go on to bigger and better things. But on a 1-to-1 level, there's just more to God of War, and it offers so much more.

One more analogy to beat a dead Colossus: SotC is the best single scoop of ice cream I can ever remember having on the PS2. But God of War is an all you can eat buffet with a whole counter full of desserts. Both are worth trying, but one heavily outweighs the other.

VOTE: God of War
ian_esq's Avatar
ian_esq at 11/18/2008 22:14
never played either, But shadow of the colossus for me//

It speaks to the scope of my childhood imaginativeness.
mr spooky's Avatar
mr spooky at 11/18/2008 22:16
I choose GOD of WAR. They are gods and its great game play. This weekend I'll try to some more of God of War.
"God of War 3" is coming soon to PS3.
TheBigFeel's Avatar
TheBigFeel at 11/18/2008 22:16
I had to think about this for a moment. God of War is polished in every respect and is immediately fun to play. It had great story, animation, art, and such smooth control as you try to maximize your combo score. Plus, that ending was fucking awesome from an interactive storytelling perspective.

Shadow of Colossus on the other hand, had so much promise, yet parts seemed just unfinished. The overworld, while expansive and beautiful, felt empty and dull at the same time. The Colossi (and lizards) were the only creatures in this world. And the story.. well, maybe I missed out, but I skipped it because it was boooooring. Plus, the camera _nearly_ ruined the game.

Despite this.. shadows was still such an emotional experience for me -- even though I was completely ignoring the story and hated that damn horse -- that it has to get my vote. Every time I took down a monster, I felt a bizarre conflict of triumph and guilt. Great stuff. I'm just sad knowing that it could be so much better and open itself up to more people with a little more work.

Shadow of the Colossus wins
aborto thefetus's Avatar
aborto thefetus at 11/18/2008 22:16
Shadow of the Colossus I guess.
thisissami's Avatar
thisissami at 11/18/2008 22:18
SotC. i agree with Fronz, but I personally don't like action adventure games that much (unless it's a ratchet and clank/jak and daxter platforming-action game).
garison's Avatar
garison at 11/18/2008 22:19
Shadow of the Colossus is obviously the superior game. Not only did it do soo much more for the entertainment industry of games, but it also achieved so much more to move games forward as an art form. SotC had such simplistic controls, you could do so much different things with just the ability to climb, shoot arrows, swing a sword, and ride a horse.

God of War is a very good game, but it didn't really bring anything new to the table to really change the way we thought about video games. When you take it to the basics, GoW is really just a beat 'em up (hey, I never said there was anything wrong with that :P) God of War is a veerry great series, but it most definately can't hold a candle to Shadow of the Colossus.

Shadow of the Colossus all the way!
Splee's Avatar
Splee at 11/18/2008 22:22
Shadow of the Colossus
Atlas's Avatar
Atlas at 11/18/2008 22:24
My time is worth alot to me so just because GOW gave me more to play can't keep it up with the majesty of SOTC.

I loved GOW's story, I really did, but my vote is for Colossus.
zynktoxin's Avatar
zynktoxin at 11/18/2008 22:26
Shadow of the Colossus. It's one of the most unique games I've ever played.
Intruder's Avatar
Intruder at 11/18/2008 22:30
I have to go with Shadow of the Colossus. I, like Fronz, LOVE the adventure of the game.
Gavin's Avatar
Gavin at 11/18/2008 22:32
I like apples better than oranges. What was the question again?
Silverback 55's Avatar
Silverback 55 at 11/18/2008 22:34
My vote goes to Barac.... oh wait, God of War
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 11/18/2008 22:36
Colossus.

I enjoyed my time with GoW, but SotC, at the expense of sounding cliche and trendy, was a beautiful emotional game.

The strongest thing about the game is something that, even if stated near the beginning, is damn near implicit through out the entire game: For the one you love, how far will you go to undo the unrevokable? Even since the promo material, that idea has been incredibly powerful with me.

Further the game play was magical, imo. The horse you merely guided, the grip you had to maintain, the stabbing you had to charge.

Graphically, SoTC won't necessarily age well, in a graphic whore sense. But the entire package of it is just amazing to me.
Cowzilla3's Avatar
Cowzilla3 at 11/18/2008 22:40
I thought this was going to be tough, but as I scrolled down to type in my answer I knew which I was going to choose right away:

Colossus.
KMCC's Avatar
KMCC at 11/18/2008 22:41
Vote: Shadow of the Colossus, without a doubt.

No other game has ever moved me so effectively, and I wasn't really into GoW.
tonynojutsu's Avatar
tonynojutsu at 11/18/2008 22:41
Shadow of the Colossus.
Contest, there is none.
Rosseh's Avatar
Rosseh at 11/18/2008 22:43
At my college you didn't have to reach the world limit if the quality was up to scratch. Don't become a teacher Fronz, please don't crush those kids hopes and dream, haha.

Colossus gets my vote.

GoW was awesome but I just love games like SotC that have that kind of atmosphere and deal with those kinds of emotions. I loved the way you were just some kid, you didn't really have anything special about yourself, you weren't a space marine, a space mechanic or a knight/destined one(Link), when you jumped down a ledge or the ground shook you'd stumble and lose your footing. All you had was your horse, your tools, and the voice that lead you further. It really made me feel that determination.

And the fights were amazing! Soaring in the sky on wings, Leaping onto a moving beast from horseback like a movie, holding on for dear life and hoping the beast doesn't hold you underwater for too long while racing through lake.

Then the music, GoW's music is great, it suits the mood but there was something about SotC that just captivated me with its music. Violins are fantastic instruments and they have a wonderful timbre that allows soft, haunting music one minute and sharp, epic and sometimes frightening music the next

The long journies almost annoyed me but then I felt they really gave a feeling of passing these great obstacles to get the job done. I've never felt part of the story more than in SotC, I was in it, barely aware I was playing a character.
Patorama's Avatar
Patorama at 11/18/2008 22:44
Shadow of the Colossus had too many perfect moments in it. God of War and its sequel are both amazing games, but they never made me feel terrible about defeating an enemy and at the same time eager to go defeat the next. When you jump from your horse onto the 13th Colossus, and it takes to the skies as the music swells and you hold on for dear life, that is gameplay at its best.

Vote for SOTC.
saxiums's Avatar
saxiums at 11/18/2008 22:47
God of War
Shadow of the Colossus was a better story, deeper, and probably technically superior. But God of War was a hell of a lot more fun for me, i love running around killing swarms of things. Also, God of War got a franchise
SirRobin1's Avatar
SirRobin1 at 11/18/2008 22:49
Shadow of the Colossus hands down
MrSadistic's Avatar
MrSadistic at 11/18/2008 22:50
I'm going with God of War. I thought Colossus was pretty spiffy, and there's a small part of me that still goes for the "artsy" games, but GoW had gore and boobs.
Fronz's Avatar
Fronz at 11/18/2008 22:54
@Rosseh: hahaha.

Man, I knew in my gut Shadow of the Colossus was gonna win, and I'm glad, but it looks like a lot of you guys skimped out on last week's bonus question! There seemed to be about the same support for God of War and SotC.

I already know what next week's bonus question will be if SotC continues with the lead: "What was your favorite Colossus?" Can't wait to see what the responses will be! Maybe I'll even give it a whole game debate after this odd-debate series ends.
conan08's Avatar
conan08 at 11/18/2008 22:55
Shadow of the Colossus
Gantz's Avatar
Gantz at 11/18/2008 22:56
Shadow of the Colossus > All
Rhyno's Avatar
Rhyno at 11/18/2008 22:56
God of War gets my vote (in another tough one). As great as Shadow of the Colossus was, it got way more repetitive that God of War, and I wasn't a huge fan of the gameplay. It was ok, but not great, and something about the horse controls annoyed the hell out of me. The only thing I really didn't like about the original God of War was the Hades level.
Majora's Avatar
Majora at 11/18/2008 22:56
Shadow of the Colossuss =]
Its awesome... i wasnt particularly fond of Gow
CaptainApocalypse's Avatar
CaptainApocalypse at 11/18/2008 22:57
GoW is pretty beast. I haven't played Colossus, but a mate of mine did and he rather liked it. Having said that, I have to go with what I know:

God of War FTW.
bVork's Avatar
bVork at 11/18/2008 22:58
God of War. It may not be wholly unique but it is a technically flawless, beautiful, exciting, and perfectly paced game.

Shadow of the Colossus is an anti tech demo for the PS2 with a lot of dull gameplay between the awesome Colossus battles.
Walrus's Avatar
Walrus at 11/18/2008 22:59
Shadow of the Colossus. I loved that game, and i played through it all, but God of War I only played a bit of at a friend's. Was cool, but Shadow is better.
Gangles's Avatar
Gangles at 11/18/2008 23:00
Shadow of the Colossus by far, I'm surprised there's even any debate on this one :P

...mostly because I find the GoW series to be fairly overrated. They're good actions games I guess, but I don't see why people get excited about them.
Druid 01's Avatar
Druid 01 at 11/18/2008 23:00
shadow of the colossus, my favorite game, gets my vote
Patriot SE's Avatar
Patriot SE at 11/18/2008 23:00
Shadow of the Colossus hands down. Second best PS2 game behind Okami.
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 11/18/2008 23:00
I can't vote, I love them both so so so much. I can say that God of War rekindled my video game love affair, but SoTC is like the holy grail for the "Games as Art" argument.

I think I will vote for the one that I believe will not be voted for as much:

Shadow of the Colossus
T9X's Avatar
T9X at 11/18/2008 23:04
Not a particularly huge fan of either game,but I must give the nudge to GOW,because overall I feel it was a much more enjoyable game for the time.
Tactix's Avatar
Tactix at 11/18/2008 23:06
Shadow of the Colossus. Hands down.

Now, I really enjoyed God of War....great gameplay and fun story. Its just that while playing Shadow, I was so overcome with wonder and amazement the whole game. It was by far one of my favorite games that year :D
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 11/18/2008 23:06
Shadow of the Colossus, without a doubt
MissHinasaki's Avatar
MissHinasaki at 11/18/2008 23:07
I don't really have much to say on this but I'm going with Shadow of the Colossus. They're too completely different games, and ironically both of them make me constantly regret what I'm doing. Although I think only one of them was supposed to make me feel that way... >_>
Respectable Gentleman's Avatar
Respectable Gentleman at 11/18/2008 23:12
For god's sake, shadow of the colossus. Games nowadays make you fight hordes of useless enemies and henchmen. Here's a game that makes you fight what matters. A near perfect game.

God of War is a worthy contender but it didn't have an emotional impact half the size of SOTC. It was very fun. That's it.
Nogarda's Avatar
Nogarda at 11/18/2008 23:17
Vote - Shadow of the Colossus

It's almost the perfect game. Bosses that are live action puzzles in themselves, a simple storyline with a great twist or 3. Only its replayability becomes boring as it would of been nice to through in a few generic monsters to fight, but then you have the previous game which is SotC's sequel Ico. so you can forgive it for this.

God of War was a awesome title in its own right and God of War 3 cannot come soon enough. But there is a mental limit for me for how much broody hatred lusting for revenge I can take before it just seems overdone. otherwise great game.
SotC FTW
madninja's Avatar
madninja at 11/18/2008 23:17
God of War, people over look the flaws in Shadow because the game actually gives you a emotional reaction but God of War did the same thing to me and had a good game to back it up.

I could get stabbed by people here for saying that.
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