On October 18, 2005, a game was released that would transform the world of gaming and shift the narrative, causing players to stop and really think about their actions and the protagonist’s motivations. This game made a lasting impression on many game players and makers, influencing future titles and storytelling, and making titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild possible. I’m talking, of course, about Shadow of the Colossus, created by Team Ico and Sony.
There’s only one problem: The game isn’t available for everyone to play. Despite being out for two decades, Shadow of the Colossus has remained a PlayStation exclusive, locking it behind Sony’s consoles and making it impossible for anyone without a PlayStation to experience it. This is a travesty, as this game is a must-play for everyone, and especially fans of sprawling open-world games and emotive storytelling. The console wars have waged on for long enough—it’s time to make Shadow of the Colossus available for every gamer to play.
Everyone Deserves To Play Shadow Of The Colossus
The Epic Game Inspired Many Others
Shadow of the Colossus follows a protagonist named Wander (or “the Wanderer”) and his horse, Argo, as they travel through a vast, desolate landscape. Players help Wander fulfill his quest to take down 16 massive colossi, each of which presents players with a puzzle of how to defeat it. This often involves literally climbing the monsters Wander is tasked with defeating, turning the enemy into a battleground.
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The title was released in 2005 for PlayStation 2 and remade for PlayStation 4 in 2018, but these are the only two consoles where the game has ever been available. Despite these limitations, the game has become a classic that has shaped the future of gaming following its release. It’s a game that everyone should be able to play, not just PS2 and PS4 owners.
How Shadow Of The Colossus Influenced Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Vertical Traversal And Emotive Storytelling
Shadow of the Colossus is a haunting and emotional tale about love and morality, forcing players to question their motivations and the consequences of their actions. When it came out, it pushed not just storytelling boundaries, challenging what it means to be a “hero,” but also the gameplay. It was the first to build a world through environmental storytelling and to rely on vertical traversal as a gameplay mechanic.
Chances are, some of the games you’ve played have been influenced in some way by Shadow of the Colossus. Most notably, the open-world Zelda games Breath of the Wild and its followup, Tears of the Kingdom were hugely influenced by the older title, from their heavy use of vertical exploration to the atmospheric and fleshed-out world.
“Shadow of the Colossus is a haunting and emotional tale about love and morality.”
Zelda isn’t the only franchise to be influenced by the classic title, either. You can see echoes of Shadow of the Colossus in the combat-based puzzle-solving and environmental lore-dropping of the Dark Souls franchise, and in the beauty and blend of minimalism and vastness of Journey. It’s been cited as an inspiration for many other titles, including God of War, Titan Souls, Elden Ring, and many more.
As More New Games Embrace Different Platforms, Older Games Should, Too
The Console Wars Will Soon Be A Thing Of The Past
The world of video game consoles has been largely dominated by three big names: Sony’s PlayStation, Microsoft’s Xbox, and Nintendo’s Wii and Switch. Console exclusives used to be the norm, with each gaming giant trying to win fans over by making games available only on its console.
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Today, exclusivity is becoming a thing of the past more and more (with the exception of Nintendo, which still holds on to its IPs with an iron grip). Even games that are “exclusive” to a particular console often get eventual ports to other consoles or even PC. In a world where more and more games are coming to new platforms, it’s time that this title—which even inspired Nintendo—be playable to more gamers.
For years, video games have been bringing players into other worlds, making gamers part of the narrative. No other form of media is as interactive, and the potential to form memorable moments and touch hearts is immense. Shadow of the Colossus is a beautiful, melancholy classic that deserves a port to other consoles or at least to PC, so more people can experience it for themselves.
Shadow of the Colossus
- Released
- October 18, 2005
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Team Ico
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Number of Players
- 1
