Shadow of the Colossus is the game I point to when someone asks what 'atmosphere' actually means in a game review. There's barely a story told out loud. Just a kid, a horse, and sixteen giants in a landscape that feels abandoned on purpose. I grew up on PS2-era adventure games, and this one still has more presence in an empty field than most open worlds manage with a hundred hidden collectibles. The controls have aged, climbing a colossus can feel stiff by modern standards, and that's the honest reason it lives in honorable mentions rather than the main ten. Anyone who wants to understand where this whole genre came from should still play it once.


Shadow of the Colossus
February 6, 2018PlatformerESRB T
Available on
Overview
About Shadow of the Colossus
Tales speak of an ancient land where creatures the size of mountains, roam the majestic landscape. Bound to the land, these creatures hold a key to a mystical power of revival - a power you must obtain to waken a loved one.
Shadow of the Colossus is a majestic journey through ancient lands to seek out and destroy gigantic mythical beasts. With your trusty horse at your side, explore the spacious lands and unearth each Colossi. Armed with your wits, a sword and a bow, use cunning and strategy to topple each behemoth.
A remake of the critically-claimed game of the same title. Also from the minds that brought you The Last Guardian & ICO
Story setup
The story of Shadow of the Colossus begins as Wander enters the forbidden land, traveling across a long bridge on his horse, Agro. Unknown to the player, prior to entering, Wander had stolen an ancient sword, which is the only weapon capable of slaying the colossi. Led to the massive Shrine of Worship at the center of the region, Wander carries with him the body of a maiden named Mono. A moment later, several humanoid shadow creatures appear and approach Wander before he easily dismisses them with a wave of the ancient sword in his possession. After vanquishing the shadow creatures, the voice of the disembodied entity known as "Dormin" echoes from above, expressing surprise that Wander possesses the weapon. Wander requests that Dormin return Mono's soul to her body, which Dormin states may be possible on the condition that Wander can destroy the sixteen idols lining the temple's hall by using the ancient sword to kill each colossus the idols represent located throughout the land. Despite being warned by Dormin that he may have to pay a great price to revive Mono, Wander sets out to search the land for the colossi and destroy them.
Reference
At a glance
- Released
- February 6, 2018
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4
- Genres
- Platformer, Puzzle, Adventure, Action
- Play modes
- Single Player
- Age rating
- ESRB T
Media
Screenshots
Click any screenshot to view it full size.
Playing together
Multiplayer & game modes
Shadow of the Colossus offers various play modes for different gaming experiences.
Play Modes
Single Player
Content
Age ratings
How rating boards around the world have classified Shadow of the Colossus. Open a board for its content descriptors.
ACBM
Fantasy violence
CEROB
- Violence
CLASS_IND12
- Violência (Violence)
ESRBT
- Blood
- Violence
PEGI12
- Violence
The content of this game is suitable for persons aged 12 years and over only. It contains: Realistic looking violence towards non human looking characters - Non realistic looking violence towards human characters
USK12
Also in our guides
Often listed alongside Shadow of the Colossus
Titles that appear in the same guides on this site. Grouped by where they show up, not by recommendation.
Coverage
Featured in our articles
This game appears in 1 article on this site.
#13
Game data and imagery provided by IGDB.com
