Why do you love Shadow of the Colossus?

[Smertnik]

Because of the fights on the scale of epicness with wonderful music. Because of the atmosphere. And because it's one of the very few games that made me feel for the characters involved. I'm pretty sure I cried in the end, too. And any game that manages to make me cry deserves a place in my personal top 10 list.

 

[Stilkon]

I really like the game's minimalism. More is less and all that.

And just like in Ico, the minimalistic narative adds to the mystery.

Exactly. This game boils down what a game is to its bare elements, and comes out stronger for it. It's also unconventional in that the level designers would have to think of the body of the Colossi as their own unique level, which is really interesting to me. That, and I think the grip mechanic is simplistic brilliance.

 

[William Fleming]

I just find it fun to figure out how to climb up to a colossus's weak spot and kill it with the epic music and the colossus trying everything in it's power to get rid of you (especially that bird one at the lake which many people have said already).

 

[Project_Xii]

Emotion and music. Very few games can ever combine those two perfectly, but Shadow does, and it's enough to bring tears to your eyes at times.

"AGRO! NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....!!!"

 

[krazykidd]

I think it's one of those games you had to play when it came out . Back on ps2 , the game looked spectacular. Add the atmosphere and the setting and you really felt the emotion the game tried to portray . You are a man and his horse trying to save a girl that you love. Going to any means necessary to mae it happen. You feel the loneliness of the world , you feel the awe when facing a colossus , you feel the determination and struggle when climbing the collosi. The game is incredibly immersive . YOU ARE , the main character . You feel what you would feel is you were in that situation .

Anyways thats my take into it.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

The muic is brilliant, the visuals are still amazing, even after all these years (espcially on the HD version), and the game manages to tell an amazing story with very few words.

And because you're not the good guy.

Every time you kill a collossus, look at Wanda's appearance, notice how haggard he becomes, it's having a bigger effect on him than it should.

You're killing these majestic creatures, not because they attacked you first, no, you seek them out, kill each and every one, without hesitation. And for what? Because some deity hinted that it could resurrect a girl from the dead?

It's brilliant.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

Bear in mind that Shadow of the Colossus was first released in 2005 to a very unsuspecting public.

As for 'how' and 'why' it became special in my books, let me try and sum up how I first experienced the game on a Saturday night in 2005: At first, it felt like Zelda for grownups, then the surreal, mostly empty landscape evoked feelings of isolation and angst we've first (and probably last) gotten in, say, Silent Hill on PSX. The minimalist approach made everything you got so much more special, like that horse of yours... and the colossi, of course. Also, don't forget your hero player character starts out with nothing but a horse, a stolen sword with seemingly magical powers and lugging around the dead body of his beloved lady of choice. That's not exactly Dora the Explorer stuff.

The first time you encounter a colossus, or some of the colossi, tends to feel like a special occasion, and that - lasting - feeling of amazement and wonder was, and is, a true achievement for any medium. I remember it also didn't quite feel good to kill that huge and special creature. It did not feel instantly rewarding like, say, hunting, or jumping on a goomba, or taking out an enemy soldier with a headshot. It was hard work, and in the end, something amazing which you never quite got to grasp in full was dead. This is, of course, a personal experience, the quality of which depends largely of your own thoughts and notions and the books/stories/fairy tales/movies you've consumed up to this point. Once you reduce any possible distraction and dedicate yourself to playing Shadow of the Colossus (and ignoring its technical shortcomings) I think you're in for a special treat.

I remember looking forward to playing it, but I had no clue as to what it is about or what to expect. I know that did I not intend to spend hours on it in the first go. Back then, it was quite a superb and unique experience. These days, the controls have not aged well. I also think it's a shame the original game can be made to look better in an emulator than in the re-released HD collection.

I would very much welcome a proper reprint with all the old goodies (or new ones) intact. But, alas, I guess that's just not very modern and it's definitely not how the majority of distributors roll these days.

 

[kommando367]

The flying serpent and bird colossi fights were 2 my favorite bosses of all time.

 

[DiabloBub666]

I had a similar experience until the fifth colossus. Then I was just like, "daaaaaaaaaaaamn."

One reason I like it is because the game told me so little, and yet I became so attached to the characters. Even though it was a linear game pivoting around a single character, I felt my motivations shifting from that of my own to that of Wander's whilst I played. Not many games can claim such a feat.

I will not spoil the ending, but everything from the fifteenth colossus on absolutely BLEW MY MIND.