Over the weekend, I decided to give Shadow of the Colossus another go. I’ve had the game on my PlayStation 5 ever since it became available through PlayStation Plus Extra. I’d only finished it once before—as a remaster—but this time, I felt like diving back in.
So I did the usual rounds. Started a new game, rode Aggro, raised my sword, and followed the light to the first Colossus. Then it hit me: this might still be the best remaster I’ve ever played.
Shadow of the Colossus was one of the first games I ever played on my PlayStation 2, way back in the early 2000s. Alongside Kingdom Hearts, Devil May Cry, and God of War, it was one of those formative titles that stuck with me as a kid. But Shadow of the Colossus stood apart. It was the first game I played from Fumita Ueda, the visionary behind both this and Ico, and it raised the bar in a way that few others did.
It was a game built on mystery. Everything about it felt surreal. After finishing it on my busted CRT TV with my PS2 Slim, I remember scouring the internet trying to make sense of that wild ending. It was the right kind of bizarre—the kind that leaves you questioning everything. Was I the bad guy? After that, I moved on. Other games came into my life during the PS2 era—games like Persona 4—but Shadow of the Colossus always lingered in the back of my mind.
Then came 2018. Bluepoint Studios took a bold swing at remastering the entire game for a modern audience—and they absolutely nailed it. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to return. I needed to experience it again, but this time looking great on a proper monitor instead of that old CRT.
And it was still fantastic. I don’t know how Bluepoint pulled it off, but they managed to recreate the exact same game I fell in love with, and yet it felt like a modern reimagining. The polish was undeniable—better visuals, stunning lighting. Fighting each Colossus with enhanced fur physics and dynamic lighting made it feel like it was built for a new generation.
The rogue’s gallery of Colossi remained unchanged, as did the story. But getting to revisit it through a modern lens was something I didn’t know I needed. Watching Wander take down those hulking giants one by one was still epic. Partnering with Aggro again stirred memories I didn’t expect to feel so deeply. And yes, seeing my beloved horse hurt again broke my heart all over.
It truly was a game ahead of its time. And even here in 2025, few titles have matched Shadow of the Colossus’s minimalist design and hauntingly surreal world. Sure, there are the Zelda games—but Link’s never had to face off against sixteen towering Colossi.
It’s a masterpiece made even better by a masterfully crafted remaster, improving on nearly everything the original lacked. I genuinely hope that anyone with a PlayStation 5—or even just 20 bucks to spare—starts their journey, whether for the first time or to return once more to that beautiful, lonely land. To end this piece, here's a video from Jacob Geller talking about the game's elusive mystery.