Shadow of the Colossus - A Literary Analysis 

I suppose that's why she's called "Mono": she's the *one* thing Wander strives for

One thing: Aggro's a mare Also, nice bit of symbolism: Dormin is reversed Nimrod, as in the biblical king who was responsible for the building of the Tower of Babel. The ancient Babylonians built Ziggurats much like Dormin's temple that serves as the game's hub, which includes a tower which leads to a heavenly garden.

I think my favorite thing about the final Colossus is how, when you reach it, you can see that *it* can see all the beams generated by the other Colossi's deaths. It knew you were coming eventually, and it's FURIOUS.

We are waiting for an Ico analysis. your video is great

ICO/Wanda and the Colossus/Shadow of the Colossus is a game I will remember and cherish till the end of my life. When I no longer own a console, I will keep it with me. It is nothing short of a masterpiece on par with a one-off faberge' egg. This title is on par with the masterpiece, The Last of Us. In a collection of any ten video game titles, it is always there. Haven't played it yet, but the Last Guardian cannot possibly have done it justice, though I appreciate them for having tried.

I know much of it is open to interpretation due the minimalist nature of the story telling, but I feel your marking of Dormin as evil to be, well, open to interpretation. We don't know why he was sealed, but we do know two things in his dealing with Wander. Dormin warned him that there would be a heavy price to pay, and he kept his promise to Wander by reviving Mono. Those don't sound like the actions of a purely malevolent being.

please do ico..

oooohh, just read the thread and saw that Jacket has already offered this as a theory. It's a more interesting angle I think.

Gimme that ico literally analysis

That description couldn't be truer. 😕 : Ok class... Can video games be considered art? 🙋 ☺ : You have a question? 🙍 : Shadow of the Colossus. 😐 : ... class dismissed.

As far as scale, one part freaked me out. Over the arena where you fight Dirge, there is a MASSIVE tree that looked incredibly dead. Not sure where I am going with this useless fact but yes I was scared of a tree.

Man wtf this is some of the best video game content ive seen and you get no views

I like the interpretation that Mono never actually knew Wander. He was just some random person who fell in love with her from afar and wanted to return her to life because of his singleminded determination that sprang up out of watching this beautiful innocent maiden sacrificed. I mean, the game is just so bright and cheery that it needs something as depressing as unrequited love.

Just wanted to let you know you convinced me at 2:14 to play this game right away, and after a few days i'm back and I beated it for my first time. So I just wanted to thank you for convincing me to make the final decision to try this game and experiance it's "epicness" as you like to put it :D

Hmmm, you have taken the approach that Dormin _is_ evil and that Wander was doing only evil and terrible things. One of the things I loved about this game was how ambiguous the morality of it was. There is no evidence that Dormin actually was evil, we only know that Lord Amon believed him/her/it to be evil. Let's face it, taking the advice from religious types is hardly the best yardstick for morality, they can be right or righteous but rarely both at the same time. Dormin warned of the consequences and kept its word as to what it would do for its part of the bargain. There is never a "fools, you have freed me now I'll destroy you all" moment.

one thing I think you forgot to mention is the birds that surround mono. every time you kill a colossus a white bird appears around mono in the shrine. this is, I think, a perfect contrast to the shadow figures that appear standing over wander. as she gets closer to life pure white bird appear surrounding her. I've thought of them as doves which emphasizes wanders love for mono.

I've always felt like this whole game was morally ambiguous to be honest. Like, I feel like the main "villain" here is Lord Emon. Dormin tells us up front that they can revive Mono but the cost is great. Wander is the one who said he didn't care. And people tend to immediately correlate Gods of Death or ones with control over souls as evil, but it doesn't always have to be that way. Dormin was always upfront about his motives, in my opinion. If Lord Emon and his group had never sacrificed Mono (which I also feel was a self fulfilling prophecy) then Wander would have never felt like he had to go on to go to the forbidden land. I feel like the whole thing was set in motion because of a self fulfilling prophecy.

The way wander shouts for Agro @19:00 kills me every time. I know it’s the stock vocal effect when the player calls to her, but using it at that moment was brutal to the senses.

to this day, no other game other than SOTC has made me feel sad or guilty for killing boss enemies...

Damn. This channel deserves way more recognition.

did you make the Ico analysis yet? Because I wanna know more!

I have loved this game for years but i am also using it as a vessel for my emotions now.The first time i played it, it was for the experience and the gameplay and i couldn't get enough of it! But now i'm back in the forbidden lands for an entirely different reason. I met a girl and started dating her when i was first playing this game a year ago and i expressed so much interest in it and said how much we should play it. We never finished it, but there was always a tie to it and her in my mind. Now we've separated, in a move that was very much against my wishes, and i am grieving. I decided to start playing it again as i thought it would be the only game that could sympathize my situation rather than mask it with mindless fun. My relationship is dead, but i want it back more than anything. If i follow down this path, it will destroy me. Sounds a lot like Wander. His efforts to reclaim a girl against all odds is essentially doomed. I am using this view in two different lights. 1, i am slaying my inner demons for a love i cannot reclaim, and 2, it is showing me that letting go and moving on is better than exhaustively trying to reach for something already gone. This game is so powerful on many levels, from just a basic "story and atmosphere" one to a deeper meaning that i can connect with that wasn't entirely what the game was going for. Its a beautiful tragedy, and an absolute masterpiece in my eyes. Great video, i had fun listening to your analysis. I just wished you would've gone a little more into the mysteries and fan theories of the game. I know those aren't grounds to review something off of, but some of them are very interesting, such as the theory that places Wander as Mono's killer and he is doing this out of immense grief. Either way, great video, definitely subscribing.

Umm... am I the ONLY person who had no problems with controlling the horse? Agro basically had his own brain and I could trust him to do the right thing, even if I didn't know exactly what that was at the time. Problems only arose when I tried to micromanage Agro's movements. Or if I asked him to do something stupid. He's a horse, not a car.

I always wonder if the prophecy that Mono will bring disaster actually came true as a result of being sacrificed. Where her death to death to prevent catastrophe(like the resurrection of an evil god) was what put things in motion to make it happen. In that way I can see Wander in a more forgivable light since he can be seen as being spurred into action by the people who took the first step toward disaster(despite their intentions). Agro's fall was so moving to some people I know that they were hoping to give up on Mono and resurrect Agro instead.

isnt it pronounced "ee"co and not "i"co? and great analysis! loved the aspect of you, the final colossus, being defeated not by belligerent means but just by the sword being thrown. Nice job and hope you continue to gain more subscribers and views :)

Agro falling after saving you was one of the few moments I was genuinely sad playing a game, unbelievably emotional and unexpected.

I'm brand new here (and just subscribed) and this is my favorite game and, Jesus Christ, did you do it justice. But other than that, I really enjoy your content. You seem to legitimately care about your subjects and I absolutely adore that. Keep up what you're doing as it's really entertaining. Aaaaaand I would kill for the hair and beard. You have a lovely beard...that I shamelessly would like.

I have beaten this game many times over the years and was looking for more lore. Stumbled upon this. What you do here, man, is awesome and highly underrated!

"Dormin, I've come to bargin!"

This is one of the best videos I've ever seen.

then the maiden's cursed fate was being the mother of the re encarnation of the demon Dormin all along and that's why she was sacrificed to begin with (at least it's my speculation)

Really loved this video! Apart from Agro being referred to as 'him', I found it concise and lovingly adept at showcasing the 'real' story that underlines what Wander's intentions were in regards to Mono. He had no problem killing these amazing majestic beasts for his own purposes! All in the hopes that he could restore life to his beloved 'Mono'. Note: Wander does actually die before Dormin takes over his body... see here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-urVDIZzz1AY.html

I just finished shadow of the colossus for the first time in the remake tonight and it was amazing

I think saying that Wander becomes the villain is a huge leap in logic. You say there are catastrophic consequences to his actions, but what are they? No one dies, Mono is revived, and an entity is freed from imprisonment. You simply assume Dormin is a malicious force

this game made the the gamer I am today 😢😢

Also. Yo wtf. Where is the ico analysis

Woah. Did I stumble across a hidden gem of a channel???

Really big fan of your reviews. Your channel gets less viewers than it should

DO ICO NOW PLEASE

Great analysis for one of my favorite games ever. In SotC defense, some games still haven't figured out cameras and how to work them even on these newer systems.

Sotc is my favorite game and I am usually very picky about videos of it. You did an amazing job and I can only hope to ever be as culturally rich as you are. I have an article recommendation, in case you dont know it. I thought about it while watching the video and I firmly believe you will appreciate this. Thank you for your work. press.etc.cmu.edu/content/shadow-colossus-nick-fortugno

Yeah the "Shadow" of the Colossus is the dark spirit within each one (Dormin). But the feeling of being small is a nice touch I never thought of.

nice video, SOTC is a genuine masterpiece. However, I prefer a different theory to the standard one... I like to think (partly due to Wanda's age) that it was he who sacrificed Mono as a kind of rite of passage, boy becomes a man etc... The hero doing great deeds for love is something that's been done a million times, this is Ueda remember, he does things differently, better. The host of this video says that Wanda's actions are selfish, well, they're even more selfish if he did all this to assuage his guilt. BOOM.

hello from 2018. yo we can basically say that wander follows the path like a sith (star wars) do. driven by passion and in desperate need to protect/rescue the person you love. Like Anakin Skywalker. just wanted to mention it

Thank you for your care and attention to this game. Beautifully summarized

You after 3 years, has yet to look at ICO...

Well fucking said man! The last minutes of this video are utterly profund. Not only for a story in a videogame but for our own lifes too. Have an upvote dude

Wow, such a detailed and well-thought analysis on one of the most intriguing and unique games the video game industry has seen in the last 20 years. I wished, you'd do the same analysis on The Last Guardian, considering the story is ambiguous, the gameplay is minimalistic and the scale and epicness of the world is the same as in SotC. Regardless whether you do a similar video on The Last Guardian or not, I thank you for this review. I truly appreciate it. One of your finest works! Keep up the great work.

I’m planning to come back to this game very soon but I quit the game because it seems more than half of the colossus were just too obtuse for me to fight. They ended up just being frustrating to me instead of feeling epic. And I am perfectly fine with admitting that maybe I’m bad at the game or it just isn’t for me but it’s still how I felt playing more than half of the game

I love listening to analyses of ICO and SotC. Yours may be the best I heard so far and I think now I heard them all xD It is amazing talking about those games for hours. Do you also plan to talk about ICO?

By the time remake has come out, the visuals are even better and more beautiful.

I think your video is really cool! I'm actually using it to help with a school project!

correct me if I am wrong but Dormin was not evil from what actions we saw. if anything he kept his word

Oh did you overlook the fact that the story is also told by the pacing of the colossus battles, and the areas where the colossi are also gives us a hint of the story that happned in the forbidden land and the story and character of each of the "dark souls" contained inside a colossus? I think this is the game that inspired Demon's Souls by Miyazaki. He did love this game as inspiration for Souls series.

I'm still waiting for that Ico video, hope you get round to covering it at some stage!

Yes, this is so good... I've been looking for a channel like yours for a while

You only ever controlled Wanda throughout the game, be it when slaying colossi, riding on the back of Argo, when he became a part of Dormin, and even when he was returned to that of an infant with horns. I freaking love that even as the baby in that cutscene you still control him, if you press buttons he'll squirm more and let out cries. And I felt it was a fitting punishment for him. I don't like to think in terms of bad and good, Wanda's goal was by no means noble, but they were neither entirely selfish. He loved Mono so much he was willing to sacrifice himself to bring her back. Likewise Lord Emon can hardly be said to have been good and noble in this. Mono was sacrificed, Lord Emon is a shaman - who do you think will have sacrificed her? So good and evil in this tale is so wonderfully convoluted, it is a mess, and that ending where Wanda isn't killed but returned to an infant is so wonderfully perfect, that Shadow of the Colossus cemented itself as my favourite game of all time in that moment. And now I'm buzzing to play it again when the remake comes out next year. Also in Ico because Ico carries a curse with him, I believe that whatever curse Mono once had, was then transferred to Wanda and all the horned children for the years to come.

When I saw wander's skin going faint , I though that was some kind of PS2 graphical glitches , It appears that I was Wrong , your review is great , keep the good work

Seeing different interpretations on what's going on in this game and in ICO is one of my favourite parts of the fandom, even when it seems like I have opinions that ride against the rest of the fanbase. Just about every analysis and interpretation that wasn't made as a joke (and a fair few that were) are in some way interesting, valid, and food for thought. That's the true power of both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, I think, and why they're so beloved. You get out of them what you bring to them. I'm sure The Last Guardian will be the same way. In that spirit, I wonder what the demographics of folks like me who don't see Dormin as evil are like. I just can't see them as 100% evil, nor Emon as 100% good. If anything I lean toward Dormin being more of an inscrutable, neutral force of nature, and Emon as the villain of the piece, if there is one, with Wander a very grim-leaning anti-hero. To me, Dormin kind of reads as being like Hades: an ancient god with dominion over the one thing mortals fear the most, their own limited lives, once worshiped and now vilified. (Everyone hates the death gods these days. Just look at Disney's Hercules.) Their scoffing at Wander wanting to bring back Mono is more them scoffing at who- or whatever sealed them than anything in my mind: "Is that not the law of mortals?" as a "Oh, really, NOW you're coming to Us for help?" kind of thing. There's some reading between the lines that to me implies they're not being cagey about the price Wander will pay because of their nature, as well. The way they start out by giving Wander a brief description of Wander's next foe, followed by a subtle hint, followed by a much less subtle hint if you take long enough... all that could just be a videogame being a videogame, but two specific things they say make me wonder if they're not having to think around their bindings to give Wander information, like the seal on them means they have to word things very carefully to say them at all. During the introduction of Colossus Thirteen, right after the cutaway to Emon's men, Dormin says "Thy next foe is... The vast desert lands... A giant trail drifts through the sky... Thou art not alone..." The "thou art not alone" fascinates me. What are they referring to? Wander needing Agro? But he's already needed Agro to fight some of the Colossi. Is it that Wander will not be alone because he's with the Colossus? But that's utterly trivial - of course he will be, he's trying to kill it. Is it, perhaps, referring to Emon's men approaching, but "thou art not alone" is the best they can get past their bindings at the time? Then, mirroring Dormin's clues about fighting individual Colossi getting much more blunt over time, for the final Colossus they say, "Finally, the last colossus... The ritual is nearly over... Thy wish is nearly granted... But someone now stands to get in thy way... Make haste, for time is short..." If the first one was indeed referring to Emon, then Dormin had to spend three Colossi fights thinking of a way to convey that information past the seal. Probably has to do with information on undoing the seal being extremely hard to get past it in any form that isn't abstruse as heck. The way they say they're "borrowing" Wander's body implies they were going to give it back at some point. And the corruption? Well, it would seem to me that stuffing that much of even the nicest god inside a mortal will not end in a good time for the mortal in question. There's a reason angels always opened with 'fear not'. And after it all, they keep their promise and revive Mono. I attribute Agro's miraculous survival to Dormin as well. I believe she's even favouring the same leg Wander and Dormin are, after Wander got shot there. And the baby is Wander: the game stresses so much that you're always in control of him, and you can make the baby wiggle and cry out. As for Emon, it's implied he had something or another to do with sacrificing Mono, whether his hands, his orders, or just being the leader of the group she and Wander are from. None of this - not the dead Colossi, not unsealing Dormin if you think they're evil, not all of the horrible things that happened before and during ICO - NONE OF IT would have happened if Mono hadn't been killed. Ultimately, yes, Wander made some awful decisions. They're the same kinds of bad decisions I'd probably make in his situation. So ultimately I can't condemn him. Another thing I love about Shadow of the Colossus: the only character who isn't at least somewhat morally ambiguous is the horse. (Yes, even Mono can get a little shifty if you get into some of the theories regarding ICO.) Wow, i wrote a book. But I love talking about this game. And I really love Dormin.

Still waiting on your Ico video 😅

Agro's death is the most crippling emotional moment I've ever experienced in a game. Jesus, I still want to cry just watching it in this video

This game would have been much better as a book,but i don't think it would have been this popular since of how less people now read books

when the horse died I literally cried soooi hard

Considering this is a game I had never heard of (I thought at first that this was Titan Souls, and I was like huh, this should be interesting) and also I would NEVER play, I am so happy to have seen your analysis on it. Just from the short scenes in your video I could feel the grand scale and the immensity of the consequences in the game. What a masterpiece! Are there any other games related to it that came out after this one? Or only the precursor game you mentioned? Nice episode!

Greatest hit edition...scrub 😋 j/k I bought this game all 3 times without hesitation. Its literally 2 genz ahead of it's time..also I don't believe there is evidence that Wander and Mono know each other. It's like Wander is doing this out of a combination of unfulfilled Love and Guilt. I base this upon: Mono didn't recognize Agro. If they were Lovers she should reconize her man's Whip immediately, assuming being dead then ressurected doesn't make u forget such things like your Man's trusty War-horse G-Ride. Wander and Agro operate a single fine tuned machine. Makes the tale even more tragic. I agree with others , that there is no evidence that the Dormin entitie(s) are evil. It fulfilled it's promise. I disagree that Wander is a kid. He's an experienced Templar of the same tribe the narrator/ Shaman belongs to. I believe The flimsy animations are a side effect of the pendulum physics in the early custom game engine. The PS4 rebuild reinforce my opinion. Where his running animations looks more natural, and confident. I agree with most of what u said to, good job. If Wanders goal was to experience pure love from Mono "once the ritual was completed" then... mission accomplished? Assuming Mono is a loving mother. and Agro movement made sense, if u ever actually rode a horse. A sentient, intelligent creature that often considers you input as artistic suggetion until you bond using interaction, and trust.

This was the first video I ever saw of Games as Literature 101. I saw this after playing the game on the PS2 myself and I wanted to see if anyone else on the internet highly respects this game as a work of art. That was when I encountered your RU-vid channel and (WOW!) this analysis perfectly sums up everything great about the game. What you said was very thought provoking and insightful.(Also this is Jacksepticeye's favorite video game of all time). If I could contribute to your analysis, there are some little details I'd like to discuss about this game. When I was climbing the cliffs that lead to the first colossus, I was having a strange experience with the grip button mechanic. I tried jumping and grabbing a ledge but I couldn't hold onto it. Eventually I managed to jump and hold down the grip button just in time. This experience was awkward yet organic and felt just like trying to do the same thing in real life. Little details like this truly elevated the Interactive experience for me. Also you increase your grip strength by killing innocent lizards which further emphasizes that the more powerful Wander becomes, the worse he becomes as a person. Who knows what kind of civilization used lived in this desolated landscape but judging by the arcitecture and the behaviour of the colossi, they could have been well respected by whoever used to live there. Whenever a Colossus dies, a beacon of light emits from their corpses.The Final colossus has a clear view of each beacon so by the time Wander reaches him, He seem to be very angry and for good reason. Speaking of the final fight, their is nothing glorious about this fight at all much like how there is nothing glorious in Wander's actions. The music and the atmosphere emphasize this point further. I also like the symbolic idea of Wander being the final colossi, becoming the very monster he fought, (and the colossi weren't even the true monsters to begin with). As a christian, I personally like how non violent acts are what saves the day in the end such as throwing the sword down and raising Wander in his baby form so that he can hopefully make amends for his selfish acts.It's amazing how this game is so minimal and yet so EPIC! To make a long story short, It's the little details that truly make this video game a masterpiece in my opinion.

Shadow of the Colossus is a great game! I completed it around 10 times, about 6 in hard mode. The fact and romance of fighting for Momo's life is beautiful. The interaction and relationship with Agro is fun. You really (at least personally) feel a real connection with these characters while you play. I care for them. It's kinda enchanting how ... just the cutscenes and fact that you fact that you defeated a colossi to go to the next, all helping you get closer to save Momo and see Wander engulfed in them to the end. ... It's fucking amazing. It soundtrack sets the mood really well as well. I don't know how else to explain it. And the gameplay is simple but amazing ... and really fun as fuck. You truly feel the size and power you're facing. How many games do that well? Not enough IMO.

So... Is the ICO video up yet?

Killing a colossi adds another dove to the shrine

My biggest problem with the game (because I'm a massive nerd for world building) is the defeat or Dormin, he got the player to kill 16 beasts in difficult battles where one wrong move could have lead to death and united his 16 (or 17 if we are collecting actual pieces of him and not his power/essence) yet when he becomes a massive shadow being, his true self whether it's evil or not he fails quite badly, he doesn't kill or defeat any of the masked people and before he can even leave the hall he's easily cast out of (or whatever happened) the player, in fact the bridge and supposed only way to the rest of the world was destroyed possibly making Dormins situation even worse than how things started out. I would have liked it far more if Dormin was as powerful (and possibly magnificent if they wanted to go the way of Dormin not being inherently evil) as all Colossi combined, perhaps even more, the rest of the ending I don't know but I'm sure they could come up with something, maybe even have Dormin be freed to the world at large or something as long as if Dormin is defeated he isn't taken out by the easy dropping of an item.

this was really good

Me, just randomly watched this and saw the Agro scene and I almost teared up. I played this 4 times and still gets me.

have you done ico yet? i wanna know the continuation of this..

Thank you so much for this video. I just finished the game on PS3. and i just found your chhannel. truly amazing ideas you have here. subscribed. keep it up.

In relation to literary criticism, what type of hero would you argue Wander as? Byronic or Romantic?

The "grown-up man to baby" transformation remimded me a lot of what also happens at the end of *2001: A Space Odyssey.* Fumeto is very likely to have seen that movie ^^

Excellent analysis! Really look forward to seeing your ICO one now :)

I know this will be redundant as a comment but I have to make this point. You refer in both your Shadow of the Colossus analysis as well as "The Collection Structure", "colossi" as "monsters". In all honesty, you do tend to have contrasting, antonymous usage of "beast" in the SotC analysis, and I do agree that you nail all the fundamental aspects of that game, its premise, its depth, its themes and ideas. BUT... those 16 battles - epic indeed they are, heartwrenching their implications may be subjectively - are against Colossi, not beasts... at least when taken from ONE perspective. You even mention it yourself: "Most of them do not attack you, and even then it is self defense" is a key point you make in this analysis, although this will be taken into consideration later. A monster, over the years, has changed by theme and execution, but not by definition. Using the Merriam-Webster definition: 1 a : a four-footed mammal as distinguished from a human being, a lower vertebrate, and an invertebrate b : a lower animal as distinguished from a human being c : an animal as distinguished from a plant d : an animal under human control 2 : a contemptible person 3 : something formidably difficult to control or deal with To me, they: do not fit 1 a - not all at the very least. they do not have official names given to them by Team Ico, but here's what I think and believe they look like: Colossus 1, popularly called "Valus", looks like a Neanderthal, Modern Caveman, or a Romanic Gaul. A minor correction, more like a sailor/pirate of Nordic ancestry, combined with a modern caveman. Colossus 2, popularly called "Quadratus", looks more like a big cow. Colossus 3, popularly called "Gaius", looks, behaves, and fights like an apprehensive warrior. It does have the body type of a gladiator nevertheless. Colossi 4, popularly called "Phaedra", looks more like a mule rather than a horse. Colossi 5, popularly called "Avion", looks like a hawk, or an eagle.Colossi 6, popularly called "Barba", looks more like a bearded old man than anything else really. Colossi 7, popularly called "Hydrus", looks like a mix of an eel, a snake, or a salamander. Colossi 8, popularly called "Kuromori", behaves very much like a lizard, specifically crocodiles imo. Colossi 9, popularly called "Basaran", looks like a tortoise.Colossi 10, popularly called "Dirge", has more in common with snakes than anything else. Colossi 11, popularly called "Celosia", is very much of likeness to a bull. Colossi 12, popularly called "Pelagia", looks similar to an insect (a beetle for instance). Colossi 13, popularly called "Phalanx", has more in common with a stick insect by its structure. Colossi 14, popularly called "Cenobia", is a boar. Its a straightforward, no-subtlety-put-in boar Colossi 15, popularly called "Argus", looks like a man wearing an Orc helmet. Colossi 16, popularly called "Malus", looks more human, albeit with Pyramid head's lower body. With the exception of 9 and 16, all the rest of the Colossi do not exhibit behavior which would fit 1b. As is noted here: 1, 3, 6, and 15 all have humane actions to get around to Wanderer. They use either a weapon or their hands and feet to battle Wanderer. 2, 4, 11, 14 all have behaviour similar to animals with four legs. They stomp feet, charge at you, try crushing you under their stomps, or try sweeping you away from them. 5 behaves more like a bird. Trying to shoo you away, or make you fall off the ledge. 13 doesn't even attack you. Or even attempt to defend itself. 7 behaves more like an electric eel to get rid of the Wanderer, but does not especially attack him. 8 behaves like a lizard. Replace the lizard's fire breath with venom, and it pretty much matches his behavior. And in all frankness, 1c and 1d do not fit here in any form or way. Out of all 16 Colossi, only 16, 15, 14, 11, 9, 8, 6, and 3 exhibit behaviour which CAN be defined as threatening. They do indeed fight you, and do prove to be the most challenging of the rest of the Colossi. This especially applies to 6 and 15 - they take you on, relentlessly, until you succeed or they do. 11 and 14 exhibit behavior similar to bulls and boars respectively, which makes them aggressive. 16, 9, and 3 are the only one which behave defensively, attacking when it is safe, or ideal to do so. Moving on now to part 2 and 3 of the definition, they do not fit with the Colossi, but rather with the Wanderer. Especially by the end. As you aptly put it, you stand under the "Shadows of the Colossi". All in all, a really good review - it hit all the marks regarding the game, it pinpointed all aspects of what can and cannot be achieved during one's playthrough of the game, the dynamics of Agro and Wanderer, the story as a whole, and even concludes well as to why this game still resonates with fans of this series.

I totally agree with your arguments, I played this game years ago and watching this review brings me back nice memories. Great job.

I finished playing the game about 1 and a half hours ago. The first thing afterward was search RU-vid for "shadow of the colossus meaning" and watched your video. The second thing I did was rewatch this* video on the animation of Shadow of the Colossus by Extra Frames, which is a part of Extra Credits. There is so much connection between the two I cannot even explain it. Just go watch it and you realize so much more about every aspect of the game. I will add one thing though, because if I add anything more and I will go on a rant. What do you think happens if you draw your bow while riding on Agro and then start rotating 360 degrees clockwise? Let me guess what your answer: Wander will turn a little more than 180 degrees to the right, suddenly spin 360 degrees to the left, and then continue turning right as if nothing had happened. That is what would happen if I had to turn 360 degrees while aiming from a sitting position. The amazing though is that this is NOT what happens. I cannot describe what he does, it is just so... just go watch it! That, that motion is not something someone simply does; that is something someone is taught. This tells me that Wander is a trained warrior. Also, I think he was referred to as a warrior at one point. *ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mvXD7BcL5cA.html EDIT: The Boss Fight Database, which is apparently a thing that exists, has a video** of the Wander vs. Dirge fight where Wander does what I am talking about at 5:15 thorough 5:17. You will not see it right away because it happens so fast and because Argo obscures the motion slightly. If you keep a careful watch of Wander's legs and play the video at 1/4 speed. and you should eventually notice it. **ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Kf16aqT5WvU.html

It is never made clear wether Dormin is evil. It is strongly implied, especially in ico that the guys at the end are.

I know I'm a little late to the party, but great video! I recently played this game for the first time -- the remastered version on the PS4, specifically. While it took me a few playthroughs to truly appreciate it, I ended up loving it so much that I included it in one of my articles (fandom.wikia.com/articles/5-most-heart-wrenching-game-endings-that-made-us-cry) and talk about it in just about every conversation I have with anyone. You earned yourself a subscriber, my friend. Keep it up!

I don't think Wander was evil, just naive. One thing that I observed are viewing areas for audiences in the areas for each colossi. I think the ancient civilization would have games for people to fight them, and gain a prize from Dormin. I think the colossi were supposed to fight, and win or lose. You can see some of the areas damaged, as if someone else figured out the puzzle to defeat them, only to fail and fall, before Wander's time. Edit: I don't know who killed Mono to begin with, I'm guessing Lord Emon as he can make decisions in the tribe. But I think killing Mono was an evil thing to do, they could've done something else.

Did a great job dissecting this game. Hope you keep gaining success and keep up the great work

In 2006, when Shadow of the Colossus was released in Germany, I just saw a few screens and read a small summary about that game to come in stores soon. It was poorly promoted in Germany - and maybe in other countries too. But I got the feeling, that this game was exactly my type of game - and I was right! When you fought a colossus and head for next one, you have to ride all the way to it. You have the sound of wind, the wide open landscape and more than enough space to think about what you just done and if this really is the right way. At those moments you feel the game and let your feelings and thoughts breathe. For me this game acts as a kind of indicator as well. If you hate it, than we have nothing in common. I also have that kind of feeling, that The Last Guardian will have a similar impact in another sort of way though. Great analysis, great channel. More than worth a subscribe. Keep it going, please, because games are art and have much to give and tell.

I won't lie... I connect the most with games like this because I am the type who would actively destroy the rest of the world if it meant saving the one I loved. Good, evil or whatever, it's just how I feel and believe I would act if given such circumstances. Same with The Last of Us and their bond.

I played the ps4 version i knew only the basics of it and im glad I went into it with very little prior knowledge. In the ps4 version the corruption is more noticable, I looked at wander after the 11th colossus and thought "wasn't his hair red-ish?"

I've played this game countless times and like many other people, it's my all time favourite. Yet still, watching Agro fall... It still gets me.

There is no other game quite like this one. No doubt about that. And the new remake on PS4 just steps up everything & gives the game not only a fresh coat of paint, but, gives us new weapons & areas to explore that were not available in the PS2/PS3 versions. "ICO" & "The Last Guardian" are also one-of-a-kind experiences. By the way, ICO is pronounced EECO.

I've been trying to think of meaningful things to say to this video without digging into ICO, but it seems like you've pretty much covered your bases, and I think that mostly comes from the fact that while SotC is a deep game narratively, it's not a complex game narratively. If you don't follow what I mean in a "what's the difference?" kind of way, I recommend looking up extra credits video on depth vs complexity. Albiet that was talking about the difference in terms of gameplay, the difference has far more potential meanings than just that when I applied elsewhere. Not what I intended to talk about when I started typing, but I'm rolling with it. Just like how a piece of artwork does become better or more 'like art' as you add more complexity to is artwork, or a detail to movie's plot, so to does adding complexity to a games plot gameplay or artwork (though it helps support it if you do it right) not add more depth to the work it self. More on point, that also means the reverse, just because a game is not complex does not mean it is not deep, and what better example is there of that than SotC? Uh, please forgive any spelling and grammar errors, I'm kinda typing this while I have time.

I think it's interesting that when recreating the game, bluepoint chose to overhaul the visuals but keep the games awkward controls. I think they also believed it contributed to the games excellence. Some would argue the visuals should have been left the same too as those also contribute but then there really wouldn't be a point to remaking the game. So what I'm saying is that it looks like Bluepoint went in with the philosophy that the game's graphics aren't integral to its excellence but the controls are. The art is still there but it's less dark and more traditional with its lighting. I'm not saying that they were right in this but that it's interesting that they share this philosophy. I for one enjoyed the improved graphics. I thought it was one of the best things I have ever seen on a console. But I also felt it did change the tone of the game somewhat. The draw distances and grey tones lend to the game's themes. But again. That was one studios interpretation of this game.

Flawless Amazing Analysis. You make us fans proud.

beauty consists in simplicity of form, and explosion of allusions through the symbols. The message is very simple, and at the same time very dedicated, hence the beauty. About allusions, there are so many! Wander reminds me of Macbeth and his damnation; Adam and his compassion for the beloved and cursed Eve; the drama of Moses for carrying the fear of Israel; the Darnation of Raskolnikov; Finally! This game has hit me so much! single

30:46 not only was Nimrod cut into pieces and scattered across the land but also his people which were the only civilization were given different languages and scattered across the land so that they couldn't unite to revolt against God.

I disagree. I think Wander is a hero - tragic perhaps but still a hero - for his disobedience in the name of love. And in the end, he won. Mono was revived, and Wander was reincarnated.

It's interesting that you see Dormin as evil. I mean, it is a possible interpretation, but I saw Dormin is kind of the Guardian Spirit of the Land, who was sealed away when humans rebelled against nature. Nobody in this game is truly good or evil. The humans may fear repercussion for the actions of their ancestors or maybe just act out of religion. Dormin just wants to be free again, Wander wants to save Mono... and Mono... well... I mean she WAS dead. At least that's my interpretation of it. An indication of it is the use of horns in all their games. We are conditioned to see a person with horns as evil or malicious, because it remindes us of depictions of the devil, but in these games they rather seem to be a symbol of goodness or purity, like with Ico, the baby at the end of SotC or Trico, whose horns grow over time during the game along with the bond between him and the boy.

Shadow of the Colossus is my favorite game and you did justice to it. I can't say anything but... I love you dude (no homo), and your beard looks cool.

This game also touches upon teleological morals which implies more of a transcendental and divine moral. Killing and sacrificing someone for the good of the collective is conventional and subjective morals. Appealing to teleological morals means no single individual should be sacrificed and to demand so, makes us deserving of whatever befalls us since we abandon morals and our bonds when we need a scape goat. It also touches upon a choice by someone who willingly chooses sacrifice to save the collective like Christ. But Wander still didn't accept her sacrifice due to a personal need to have her, which touches on the utilitarian moral aspect of teleological moral principles. I'm thinking Mono chose her fate while thr tribe also imposed it upon her. Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia is a similar figure.

interesting insight at the end re: acts of 'love' committed to the detriments of others - reminds me of TLOU. I wonder what other games speak on this

surprised you never mentioned the parallels with Team ICO games and The Neverending Story.