Hey everyone - thanks for taking the time to watch this! If there are any cool fan theories or secrets about the game I may not have mentioned, please let me know in the comments!
Just like you, this game made me feel extreamly guilty when I played it. Although it looks amazing, it's going to be hard to play again because of that first experience.
A year ago this would've been considered a Reboot video. Has Reboot gone the way of The Lobby? Anyway, video essays are awesome, if this was all Gamespot produced on youtube I'd watch every video published - keep churning them out.
I remember a rush of guilt come over me after felling each beast. I always wondered if the colossi themselves are benevolent creatures. it seemed as though they just wanted to be left alone. such a beautiful game.
thoyo - After years and years of playing this game and soaking in this world, I've come to believe these creatures are good. They live a sad, lonely existence in a forbidden land. Their only reason for living, to keep a monster at bay.
Aaron I think the game provided clues that the Colossi were dormant until awoken by the presence of a person or the Ancient Sword. For example, the 2nd Colossus never broke through the wall that cut it off from the outside world for eons. The 6th Colossus's arena has low walls that divide a vast underground temple, and the Colossus destroys them easily by walking through them while chasing you. That the walls were intact for a long time implies the Colossus never explored much if at all. And finally, the 11th Colossus jumps down from a small elevated platform that is too high for it to jump back to, which means it never jumped to the temple of fire before.
bloodanddirt I didn't even realize it was gamespot til I checked which channel it is. I'm normally not a big fan of GS but this video couldn't have been any more accurate and so filled with absolute truth.
It was such a unique experience. Not only did it look amazing (still does, minus the frame rate) but the atmosphere the game had was breath taking. Being alone in the forbidden lands, with only Agro as company, felt so real. The epicness of slaying the colossi is then replaced with sadness and regret, but you still have to keep going and finish all of them. And the ending...without getting into spoilers, the sadness and anger I felt the first time I watched it... one of the greatest endings in videogame history. And don't get me started on the soundtrack...
Dormin is never specifically shown to be Evil though. We only assume that he is, because he has a menacing voice and horns. But he warns Wander at the start that if he goes through with this ritual it will have major consequences, and he upholds his end of the bargain by ressurecting Mono, a thing he really did not need to do by the time he took over Wander's body. At best he's a nemesis to Lord Emon. And at the end we see Emon vanquish Dormin quite easily by throwing the sword into the pool. Which begs the question why they never did that before now. Maybe they kept him sealed for their own purposes.
CasualShinji - Yeah, I've always discussed this with people. The fact that Dormin, while not exactly telling you everything, does in fact hold up his end of the bargain. I always saw it as more shades of grey in a game that is anything but black and white.
I think another factor of this is when you take into account that SotC is viewed as a prequel to ICO. And we know in ICO that horned children are vilified and shunned. But at the same time, we never see a reason for them to be treated like that. They're just children with horns. Nothing about them suggests they're somehow evil. But that's what the world believes of them. So who taught them that? One would assume that it was Emon and/or his followers as they saw Wander with horns and then eventually Dormin with them as well. We can also see that Mono picks up the horned child at the end and isn't fearful of it at all as she has no ingrained prejudice about someone like that. So if we consider that, then isn't it possible that Dormin was wrongfully accused of something and subsequently killed and locked away into 16 different colossi? Perhaps Emon didn't like the influence that Dormin was gathering and instead ordered him to be sealed away with a story about how terrible he is. I suppose that's what makes SotC so interesting and why people still discuss it today. I understand why most view Wander as a bad guy who in many ways is selfish, but we also only hear one side of this story. And it's unsurprising that Emon's view is one that paints Dormin in as negative light as possible.
Exactly. Dormin never deceived or forced Wander to do anything. Even though he clearly wished to be made whole again, he warned Wander that the ritual wouldn't go without consequences, giving him the choice to walk away as far as it can be understood. Plus there's the ressurection of Mono to show how honorable Dormin was to their deal. People always fear what they don't understand and maybe the case is the same here. Humans didn't understand Dormin and his power and only feared him making them seek his destruction.
@@LucDutra92 What about this: Dormin resurrected its female part in Mono and its male part in the baby and you just got duped believing it held its part of the bargain. I think that since the game was intentionally left open to interpretations your response is as good as mine, but people always seem too sure of their version. Also, going for the "Dormin was good/neutral" angle negates a lot of meta commentary that makes this game really stand out. If Dormin were good and Emon were the bad guys then all of your thoughts and judgment while you play the game about whether what you are doing is right or wrong becomes meaningless (which might be the case) and this game didn't subvert anything, its just a standard hack and slash; michael bay style story that glorifies the "myth of redemptive violence" with a melancholic veneer on top (which might be the case too).
An interesting question: Is Dormin canonically evil? I've heard it is actually a god of life, and possibly death. It also does fulfill it's end of the contract. The terms may not have been entirely spelled out, but that's often a theme when dealing with any mythic being for any reason. Sure, someone sealed it, and someone is trying to prevent it from being revived, but the latter, if I understand it correctly, was conducting human sacrifices, and no one necessarily says the former was good? I think Shadow of the Colossus is MUCH more open to interpretation. You are reviving a powerful being that was sealed, and that some want to remain sealed, to revive the girl you love. Doing so will also cost you your life, and that's pretty clear as we see Wander slowly consumed by the forces he's releasing. Who's right? Who's wrong?
Good job on mentioning Phalanx. It's my favorite colossus for multiple reasons. On top of being the most visually amazing creature imo....as well as the stunning realization and subsequent decision to jump off your moving horse to latch onto its wings...it doesn't even attack at all. On my first play through I didn't notice it because the 'boss' is placed chest-deep into the adventure being the 13th fight, and I was just "in the groove" of destroying colossi as bosses to topple. But on later playthroughs, players like me got more time to think about deeper elements besides the puzzle aspects. It's genius stuff.
I love that Shadow of the Colossus was inspired by Zelda and Breath of the Wild is inspired by Shadow of the Colossus. We've come full circle. Seems like Nintendo has been the only developer to learn from Shadow of the Colossus. Hopefully with the success of Breath of the Wild more developers will follow in there footsteps.
Truly insightful... I never looked at the game this way and now hearing all these hidden messages just makes me appreciate the game 1 million times more... Thank you for this trivia video. Definitely looking at this masterpiece in a whole new light
From the first time I played it on ps2 this became my favourite game ever and has still not been topped! I tried telling all my friends in school about it and what a masterpiece it is, yet none ever played it. I find it so strange all this time after its first release, that only now it seems to be getting the attention it deserves.
I beat this game on the ps3 in 3d I believe and I loved it. Will probably buy it for the PS4 but it's a shame they don't support 3d anymore, this game is perfect for it.
I agree, I loved the 3D effect in the PS4 version. Unfortunately 3D at home didn't catch on and the videogame industry (apart from the 3DS) stopped supporting it, even though it looked especially awesome in videogames. Most new TVs don't support it anymore either.
You look at Dormin as a black and white villain. He warns Wander that the price he’ll pay might be steep, he says he is borrowing Wanders body which implies that he might let him go once he/she has recovered. After all; the reason you are so slow as Dormin is because Wander was shot in his leg. (And stabbed) But most important of all is the fact that he/she kept his end of the bargain! Is Dormin simply branded as evil because he/she can bring the dead back to life?
Its a absolute masterpiece. A game for which the creator took great risks. Its not just a game its an art. An experiance , i play this from time to time to clear my mind of day to day rubbishbthat going on i n the world, it takes me to another world.
I absolutely love the fact that we're still discussing this game after so many years. Honestly there is no other game in history that can touch this incredible work of art.
You live that childish dream of being a warrior that fight amazing, big creatures but in the same time it ask you the question of “is tgis moral and good to do? Is killing those creatures ok?”
I will save you some time. The bad controls, the atrocious camera, the buggy cancerous clinging and tripping animations and the absolute vacuum that is its very nicely detailed world.
This is the most emotionally exhauting game I've played.halfway in the game and I'm no longer sure I'm doing the right thing, but I can't stop and I have to finish what I've started, upon reaching malus I'm totally drained, I just want it to end, and after all that, I realize that all my sacrifice wasn't even heroic at all.
dude I envy you, if youre planning to play this game, i suggest to avoid any gameplay footage or guides, it will spoil the fun, i wish i can wipe my memory off this game so i can play it for the first time again.
Always heard of shadow of the colossus but I've never played it until psplus March I downloaded it for free and still never played it until last night I was downloaded it. Man I can't all this time has passed n I never played this game..I was stuck on other games like God of War and tekken 5 kingdom hearts etc so I kinda forgot about this game. Its amazing!!!
Damn. I've known about, Gamespot for years, and I've seen you around for a while now, Mike thanks to stuff like Resident Kinevil. I liked those vids, and thought you seemed like a funny guy. Hearing you speak about a game that is on a very short list. A list of about three that have had a big emotional impact on me, made me see you in a whole new light. I feel that way and more about Shadow, and Ico for that matter since they're connected. Shadow Of The Colossus is a game that has stayed with me ever since I beat it back in the day, and I continue to take friends and loved ones through it. I'll be doing just that with a few people when this updated version releases. Thanks for summing up my feeling about this melancholy masterpiece. I really feel like you nailed what makes it so special to so many people. Cheers, Mike.
Great video. This game is nothing short of a work of art, a masterpiece, the opus magna of the PS in all generations. Shadow of the Colossus might just be one of the if not the best game of all time.
I don't think Dormin is evil, as such. Vicious, perhaps, but the same people who trapped him in this valley and tore his body into pieces to keep him imprisoned there are the same ones who sacrificed an innocent girl because of some "cursed fate" (which wouldn't surprise me if it was "being sacrificed by evil cultists"). _Of course_ he'd be violently angry at those people. Dormin is, if nothing else, honorable. He warned you from the beginning that the cost for destroying the colossi would be far higher than what you'd be likely to willingly pay. And at the end, he outright says he's "borrowing" Wander's body, indicating that he'll give it back once he's done going after the people responsible for imprisoning him. Dormin also kept his word to Wander and resurrected Mono, even though he technically didn't have to. He didn't even warp Wander's wish, since he very well could've possessed her, instead. Honestly, I think the people who sacrificed Mono tore Dormin apart and trapped him out of fear, and they've been sacrificing innocent girls (and later, boys; re: ICO) out of superstition. I could be wrong, but it certainly fits with what we see from Dormin, Emon, and Mono's likely undeserved fate.
New Age - Three games have been able to make me reflect on my own personal melancholy. I wouldn't say I'm depressed, but I've been through quite a lot, and I've lost quite a few people in my lifetime. Shadow Of The Colossus was almost a form of therapy to me back when I played it, and on some days, it still is. That feeling of loneliness I get when I play this game is something I need from time to time. It makes me introspective, and in other ways, oddly thankful. I suppose for the people I still have in my life. Sorry this comment is so long, but yours struck a chord with me. I hope you find ways to make yourself happy, and that you find or already have people that help you on that path.
Aaron thats what im saying really, the sense of loneliness you feel in the game is how i feel about our world, i have people that love me and i have learnt alot from my pain, I love that games can take us to other worlds like this does, truly a wonderful piece of art
I'm glad someone like you has posted a comment like this. What you have just wrote is a perfect example of why SotC is so powerfully moving. I too wouldn't say I'm depressed but I'm a very solitary person and very introverted. I long to escape to a world of solitude and I feel only a select few like yourself can truly appreciate and understand the power of a videogame like SotC. It truly is therapeutic and just getting away into this world somehow calms me and makes me feel better after a stressful day or days when I'm just feeling like crap.
Chris jT i get you dude, the sotc world is like a sanctuary from our world, a secret place full of mystery, it feels like walking around inside my soul, looking for answers, always alone always wondering why im here
But is Dormin truly evil? From the start of the game, he gives Wander a warning and Wander quite clearly says "It doesn't matter." Wander knows what he does is the "evil" of this game. Dormin keeps his end of the bargain though.
You know I played this game at like 11 or 12 I think and maybe not that young but it lingers in the back of my brain 🧠 a lot how spooky quiet it was and I’m 31 now so yeah it definitely left it’s impression on me
Dormin being Nimrod backwards is cute, but more of an afterthought: originally they wanted 21 or 24 colossus, but had to cut back because of memory issues.
Yes a masterpiece!!, they should bring out more games again> when days were relaxed at gaming .... there was No online gaming> only you and your gameconsole..
Both the Character of Wander and Anakin Skywalker have Alot in Common. Both are Willing to Go to Such Evil Extremes in a Futile Attempt to Save the One They Love and End Up Not Only Loosing the One they Love in One Way or Another But Also End Up Condemning Themselves! Sad, Very Sad.
Somehow it felt like that every fight in this game had an unlikely feeling of meditation. A meditation with myself as the protagonist and his undefined anxiety that my protagonists ego has to face throughout the game and in the world.
I like this game because it has a medieval likeness in my opinion. A warrior with a magic sword sets off to fight monsters to save his true love. Its the basic format of a fairy tale.
i just started uploading a Long in-depth series walkthrough of this majstic godly legendary beauty on Hard mode, not using upgrades ,No Hp, stamina tails etc i will never be able to express all the reasons of why this is a Sacred video game is much more than just a video game
did the colossi exist Before Dormin was shattered into them, or where the colossi made by Emon when he sealed away Dormins powers? What do you guys think?
This reviewer really did a great job, i want to follow this reviews whats his name? shadow of the colossus was a masterpiece and always will be very close to my heart.
Well as someone that has never played it and planning to buy the remastered version for ps4, I clicked on this video with enthusiasm...only to be met with a sign saying spoilers upcoming. That's fine and all as maybe you need to talk about that as part of what makes it great, I don't know since I haven't played it, but it's disheartening for someone looking to get more information about it before purchase without having the game spoiled
Exactly. Many kids these days can't appreciate the beauty, the emotion, the feels this game can evoke in you. They just think its an empty world and need to find those bosses like a puzzle and the ending is.... questionable. This game is just sad, and very very memorable because of the feels, much like Nier Automata (also my personal 2017 GOTY).
Is not nostalgia. The remake demonstrates that, beyond its graphics engine, the game hasn't aged a bit. On the contrary, it still feels like something wonderful, and after more than a decade there's still not other game like it.
1st Colossus: "Fuck yeah, man! That was awesome! Look at that thing drop!" 2nd Colossus: "DUDE! That thing thinks it can stomp ME?! Hell no!" 3rd Colossus: "That was pretty cool!" 4th Colossus: "Sooo what was this thing doing before I got here? Chillin?" 5th Colossus: "That was a fun boss fight but dude this music is starting to bum me out." 6th Colossus: "Who am I?"
It would be too long and repetitive. I understand 20-21 but 30 would be too much and no matter how different they try to make the fights and puzzles it would still feel stretched.
I will never get why this game is considered a masterpiece. Good music and a unique gameplay loop I'm sure some find appealing even if I dont but its controls are utterly broken and unfun to work with and the AI often times can be incredibly annoying and unreliable (hi gaius).
Agreed, as soon as I picked it up, I spotted many flaws with its mechanics but tried ignoring them. As I progressed upto the one colossus that stood atop of a strange circular structure above water. It became more annoying as I had to search for answer on how to defeat this colossus and I was so dumbfounded on how stupid I was and how unexplained the game is. Don’t get me wrong, the game looks stunning and the idea of it is very good, but the basic mechanics of the game is terrible, and I could never get used to them. It only needs a few fixes for it to be player-friendly (so anyone could play it).
Silviu Chertes its only your opinion tho. I loved it even more than before, best game i ever played. Tbh for anyone new to this, best is to just play it. Its amazing to most players
good. sometimes i just turn the game to explore, run around the wild. its actually really relaxing and makes it feel like im there myself. i think anyone really could find something to enjoy about this masterpiece. wish i never played it before. first time would be much more exciting
SuperAvocado well...the game is pretty empty and hardly has any actual strategy, stats or whatever, so yeah in today’s standards it would be “just another game”, I like the game, dont get me wrong, but the only reason why it’s so praised it’s because it was the first decent “giants” game . But overall it’s a”good and very repetitive game”
Kakakarot Cake I personally respectfully disagree with that, and feel that it's not repetitive in the slightest. While the general goal is the same, the ways of getting there are not, so reducing the game to repetitive and dull standards is a big disservice for what it tries to do. Personally I found myself surprised at every turn with what this game did and figuring out a collosus' weakness was fun. It never felt like you were fighting the same one,and that takes a certain level of thought and skill to do. Moreover, I would argue that if any of it feels repetitive to anyone for some reason, it perfectly compliments what this game is trying to say. We go into this game with tunnel vision via Wander's pursuits, and 'go through the motions' of defeating these colossi until it becomes an almost mindless second nature for us. That's probably what it begins to feel like for Wander too,who is focused on saving Mono and that's really about it. But when do you stop to truly think about these creatures we kill? While to some people this game may seem simple or repetitive, you're merely only scratching the surface and I encourage players of this game to not reduce it to an overly simplistic and repetitive game,especially when this is a game that focuses a lot more on the journey and HOW you defeat the colossi rather than it being an in depth combat game, because it is NOT a combat game. It doesn't need any more than it already has to tell its story.
Yeah, just look at Journey. That game is like 1 or 2 hours long with no combat, and reviewers praised the hell out of that game. Plus reviewers do take in to account the current times and consider factors like how well the game has aged. So far the general consensus I've seen from most reviews is that even today Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most unique experiences in any video game ever made. I think that alone really says something very special about the game for sure.
This was a running theme in the back of my head: Why? Why am I doing this? Do the colossi have feelings? Are they beings? Am I mass murdering them? And then when I got to the sand one i was like, "now I am just plain murdering these things." I didn't have fun, but I thought it had to be done to save Mono
de los juegos mas aburridos que he jugado recientemente, cuando lo pase en PS2 fue totalmente otra experiencia. Ahora con el remake senti una de las experiencias mas aburridas del gaming
