Looming Shadows.

This is a little late, I notice, but I was rather tired last night and spent the time I could have set aside for blogging, chatting with a friend. I also couldn't think of anything blog-worthy to say, but now that I am sitting in university feeling rather miserable as I attempt to take in a little more information for tomorrow exam (number 2 of 3), I suddenly feel inclined to update. I wonder why?
So, yesterday...
Well as my random japanese update said (sorry about that those of you it left compeltely confused) I had my first final exam and it's fair to say that, with my knowledge of my final three courses being somewhat minimal, I was not looking forward to it.
However, when the time came I managed to answer the three questiosn required of me and put in every single bit of infor that I could. I don't think it was enough, but I'm glad that I was at least able to amke use of the time I had spent reading up the last few days and that I definitely did the best I could under the circumstances.
Unsurprisingly the afternoon beyond that was spent flaking. I compelted 24 - The Game - on monday (and forgot to mention that I did so thanks to the japanese weirdness), so i ahve now moved onto an attempt at completing Shadow of the Collossus. This game is pretty unique. Basically your character must slay 16 gigantic monsters to bring a woman (friend, sister, lover?) back to life. A simple, seemingly plot-free premise that is hardly enticing to most people, but the world you have to explore to find theser beasts is massive and beautiful. Each journey, setting out from the temple where the woman lies unbreathing is an epic, heading out across plains and canyons, riding on a beautiful black stallion. Then there is the creatures themselves; massive, graceful or clumsy, celever or dull, they each seem to have a character of their owna nd you can't hel;p but think of most of them as marvellous creatures. The msuic for each abttle is suitably dramatic, making you feel like you are taking part in some classical epic, or the high point of a modern fantasy movie. Each collossus is a differnt challengem, arguably a level in themselves as you ahev to clamber up their flanks or along their backs, trying to find the weak spots and avoiding being shaken off, fired at, electrocuted or worse in the process.
Then the moment comes when the ebast fianlly falls. Sombre music kicks in as the camera pans out to reveal each beast's fianl monets, tumbling to the groudn in a sad dispaly of lifelessness. Do you feel proud of your accomplishment? No sirree you don't. Something sinister is going on behind this game's simple facade. Cue black tentacles that swallow you up and transport you back top the temple, ready for your next challenge.
You see this is where the game's true genius is found. it manages to telkl a story through the music, the action adn the environment and ahrdly ever resorts of custcenes or exposition. The plot is, to a certain extent, interpreted by the gamer, you make of it what you want, but the designers have left a tantalising collection of cues to bring emotion and involvement into this simplest of premises. As I said the music is epic, then haunting, the landscape is vast, majestic, but also deserted and covered in ruins of lost cities. our hero ahs come from very far away, with his horse and that dead woman and so we know there must be more to his character than jsut a monster slayer.
Such implicit storytelling is unique and, although I doubt it'll catch on in many other agmes, is truly a work of art. I can't wait to see where it leads now I have only the last few collosi left to kill.
Anyway, more later.