Thanks, if you take the time to explore everywhere, you'll see some very nice landscapes. A lot of players just go from colossus to colossus until they finish the game. But it's definitely worth taking the time to explore everywhere, especially once you have the Flash Arrow & the Cloth Of Desperation. Both of those items will allow you to reach areas you otherwise couldn't.
Not sure if I would label it as "unused" as it does provide scenery. In either case that "might" change next year if we are lucky enough to get a Definitive Edition of the game to celebrate the 20th anniversary. Should that happen most likely the map will be expanded & some parts that already exist will be utilized differently than just as scenery. Of course we will more than likely get some of those missing colossi put back in the game too.
If you look below Wander just a bit to the left you'll see the hawk flying away. What I did was unofficially known as "hawk humping". Using a turbo controller (or a turbo attachment for a normal controller) you grab the hawk like you normally would. Only with turbo you can force the hawk to keep going up higher & higher until you either run out of stamina or reach the limit of height that the hawk can climb. You then let go of the hawk & glide to your destination...hoping you can safely land once you get there.
Yeah, it's an amazing game. Nothing else quite like it, well except for "Praey For The Gods" which is a nice spiritual successor to "Shadow Of The Colossus" & the game is definitely in need of more love as well as a physical release.
Yeah, a lot of players just go from colossus to colossus without exploring the entire map. But there is a lot to see if you take the time to look around everywhere.
