Sold openly as a tribute to Shadow of the Colossus, Praey for the Gods forgot that the gameplay of his illustrious ancestor could be improved.
The young heroine wakes up in an empty temple, and it is not the first time. In front of her, a fresco shows the shapes of strange faces; one fades while another lights up. Outside, it’s freezing cold and a huge streak of light tears the sky. It seems to indicate a direction to follow. But this is not a glimmer of hope: at the point of fall is a huge colossus that will have to be overcome. Before moving on to the next one, until the outcome.
Reading this description, some will remember Shadow of the Colossus, too ambitious masterpiece for the frail shoulders of the PlayStation 2 (and which was entitled to a flamboyant remake on PlayStation 4). Praey for the Gods is a long-standing project that went through the Kickstarter box, where it raised over $ 500,000 from 15,000 supporters. It was also entitled to early access, before being finally available in version 1.0 since December 14 on PS4, PS5, Xbox and PC.
Praey for the Gods forgot the perfectible gameplay of Shadow of the Colossus
In the description available on the Kickstarter page, the developers fully assume this resemblance to Shadow of the Colossus, cited among the many sources of inspiration. The objective is definitely the same: in a mysterious world, here in the Nordic mythology fiber, a heroine must fight immense creatures. The clashes are unbalanced, but enemies, impressive as they are, have weak points. Above all, they let themselves be climbed on, allowing these weaknesses to be revealed and have access to them. To triumph, we must therefore avoid the blows, very often fatal, and find a way to get closer to these Gods a stone’s throw from falling once and for all.
A gameplay far from flawless
The fights turn out to be as rare as they are epic, since it is exhilarating to bring a giant to his knees who, at first glance, frightens. Nevertheless, Praey for the Gods does not find the poetic breath of Shadow of the Colossus, which almost made you regret slaying its colossi. This less emotional impact is certainly linked to the fact that the No Matter Studios studio has confused tribute and carbon copy a little too much. Some mechanics and most boss designs are taken as is, pushing the concept of likeness a bit too far. We would have appreciated the exercise a little more if the studio had at least modernized gameplay that is far from flawless.
The death of a boss :
When it was released in 2005, Shadow of he Colossus was a breathtaking and painful experience, controller in hand. The same can be said of Praey for the Gods, which did not really seek to make the formula more fluid. Rough hooking points mingle with big camera concerns and heaviness in movement (jumps are an ordeal…). The result is painful gameplay, to the point of being responsible for certain failures. A defect that can become a source of frustration when you have already spent several long minutes fighting a boss. In short, even if it means pumping openly Shadow of the Colossus, Praey for the Gods could at least have refined the edges to provide a more comfortable game.
How? ‘Or’ What Praey for the Gods differs (a little) from Shadow of The Colossus
To distinguish itself from Shadow of the Colossus, Praey for the Gods going to dig into elements of the survival genre. Concretely, resistance to the cold, hunger and sleep are points to be constantly monitored during the adventure. It is therefore necessary to make sure to eat, warm up and sleep before going into battle, during long phases of exploration leading to the meeting with the next boss (spoiler: the environments are empty, except for a few soldiers and a handful of ‘animals to hunt). Ultimately, these are additional constraints that add a hint of depth and take on their full meaning in the more advanced difficulty modes.
During walks, Praey for the Gods finally recalls another masterpiece, in this case The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Climbing with an endurance gauge to manage, the possibility of hovering, picking fruits and vegetables, weapons that end up breaking… The parallel with Link’s last adventure is obvious. Even the progression system is similar: after picking up three magical statuettes, you can choose between improving your health or your stamina. In Praey for the Gods, you can also practice crafts to improve your equipment.
The whole exploration part is a way to increase a lifespan that is far from being immense if we are satisfied with a straight line (eight Gods to kill). A task that will take a little more than five hours from the players. The most determined will also be able to take advantage of an Echo mode in order to unravel all the secrets of a very cryptic universe. Which will require a lot of indulgence with regard to the gameplay and the technical part (do you like bugs?). We played Praey for the Gods on PlayStation 5 and it’s hard to say the game lives up to the power of the console. So much so that the PS4 version of Shadow of the Colossus is visually much more rewarding. Lord God.
The verdict
We liked
Dantesque fights
Ok, the Shadow of the Colossus feeling is here
The ordeal does not last long
We liked less
Visually ugly
Gameplay too rough
We are a little too much in the copy
Praey for the Gods is a little too insistent tribute to Shadow of the Colossus. While it’s laudable to openly cite a masterpiece, No Matter Studios falls so heavily into carbon copy that it’s hard to really appreciate it. Especially since it has failed to eliminate certain defects of the cult game of PlayStation 2, starting with its gameplay lacking in flexibility.
And these are not the few elements of survival that will save the day. There remains, however, an adventure that offers combat epic enough to get caught up in the game. You loved it. Shadow of the Colossus ? Maybe nostalgia will make you appreciate this Praey for the Gods. Plan a good dose of indulgence anyway.