What Makes Shadow of the Colossus a Masterpiece?

Almost 13 years after Shadow of the Colossus' original release, Mike Mahardy takes a deep dive into the Team Ico classic, exploring why it's one of the most revered games ever.

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[mikemahardy]

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!

[thoyo]

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.

[bloodanddirt]

This is probably my favorite GameStop video I’ve ever seen.

[capt_sidekick]

This is my favorite game of all time. The ending is one of the absolute best.

[TakoBoi]

Because it's Shadow of the Colossus

[vashido]

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...

[paulninerhymes]

I'll say it again, and again, and again : Masterpiece!

[CasualShinji]

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.

[AndrewPagel]

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

[kingofthesharks]

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.

[codymavick]

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.

[Neallio]

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.

[colinsmith]

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?

[lances]

hmmm, i think i'll stop this and get the game lol

[wnchster]

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.

[gustavoavila]

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.

[tulegaming]

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.

[HailTsunami]

Never Played this game before, seen others tho. Looks Crazy. A Boss Every Corner!

[midwaynights]

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.

[juliocesarnunezgarcia]

A masterpiece! I remember myself feeling this bitter - sweet sentiment the time I killed the first beast. The song played a great deal on that. After a couple more, there was that thought of "it isn't right" but you need to continue to see how the plot evolves. The game proved we don't need to have an open world game filled in with silly secondary tasks. Getting to the Colossi's spot is challenge one, getting on them, number 2 and killing them, number 3. I just love every inch and second of this game. Nice review the one you did.