Shadow of the Colossus - A Literary Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- In any discussion about video games as art, at least one person will simply answer, "Shadow of the Colossus," as an argument that speaks for itself. Let's find out why.
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I think my favorite thing about the final Colossus is how, when you reach it, you can see that *it* can see all the beams generated by the other Colossi's deaths. It knew you were coming eventually, and it's FURIOUS.
Malus has had it with Wander's shit.
I don't quite think so. When you get near the head, one of the things you need to do is stand on it's hand and shoot it's shoulder to make it grab it, so you can cross over. However if you watch Manus before you shoot it, it seems to stop attacking you. It's eye color even changes to a more passive one that most have before you attack them, and it just sit there with you in it's palm watching you.
I don't think Manus is angry at you, at least not entirely, I think it is curious and trying to understand why you would kill the others.
That is cool, I never noticed u can see all the beams from there. 16/Malus embodied the Anger of Dormin due to it's imprisioned state, chained to the forbidden lands. But it showed a curiosity, as the insect like Wander crawled around it's hand.
I always thought it was more along the lines of it was furious at first and then when it finally has a close look at you it realizes you are not a warrior or anything but just a mere child and it starts to wonder " what is a mere child doing here? And why is it fighting? What could have happened?"
One thing: Aggro's a mare
Also, nice bit of symbolism: Dormin is reversed Nimrod, as in the biblical king who was responsible for the building of the Tower of Babel. The ancient Babylonians built Ziggurats much like Dormin's temple that serves as the game's hub, which includes a tower which leads to a heavenly garden.
ooh i did not know that, nice catch :). plus Dormio also means sleep in Latin. yet another meaning for a slumbering being, like you said possibly tried to unrightfully ascent to godhood
Robert Moorhead
This and some other things lead me to believe Dormin wasn't inherently evil, maybe just lonely or regretful.
Not to mention after Nimrod's death, his body was scattered across the lands, similar to Dormin's shadow entities.
I heard tell that was coincidence but pretty cool coincidence.
@@bait668 No, there's no way it's a coincidence. It lines up too well - it must've been an intentional allusion to Nimrod.
I suppose that's why she's called "Mono": she's the *one* thing Wander strives for
ExistentialOcto Yeah, her name is definitely a reference to loneliness, though I hadn't thought of that use. Awesome.
Games As Literature It also means "thing" in Japanese...
HighCalibur I wish I knew that before doing this analysis. That could be interpreted in a number of ways, all of which interest me highly.
HighCalibur And "person"!
XmetaI4everX Mono doesn't mean person in Japanese. Person is either Hito or Ningen
I like the interpretation that Mono never actually knew Wander. He was just some random person who fell in love with her from afar and wanted to return her to life because of his singleminded determination that sprang up out of watching this beautiful innocent maiden sacrificed. I mean, the game is just so bright and cheery that it needs something as depressing as unrequited love.
I like the theory that Wanderer actually sacrificed her. He felt terrible for having sacrificed her and decided to resurrect her, and thus her sacrifice is ironic as it sets in motion the events of the game. This explains the similarity between his and the shaman's robes and his access to the sword.
I also really like this theory. Also, it is one where their relationship is not romantic, which is kinda refreshing ^.^"
one thing I think you forgot to mention is the birds that surround mono. every time you kill a colossus a white bird appears around mono in the shrine. this is, I think, a perfect contrast to the shadow figures that appear standing over wander. as she gets closer to life pure white bird appear surrounding her. I've thought of them as doves which emphasizes wanders love for mono.
As far as scale, one part freaked me out. Over the arena where you fight Dirge, there is a MASSIVE tree that looked incredibly dead. Not sure where I am going with this useless fact but yes I was scared of a tree.
The way wander shouts for Agro @19:00 kills me every time. I know it’s the stock vocal effect when the player calls to her, but using it at that moment was brutal to the senses.
Agro falling after saving you was one of the few moments I was genuinely sad playing a game, unbelievably emotional and unexpected.
I always wonder if the prophecy that Mono will bring disaster actually came true as a result of being sacrificed. Where her death to death to prevent catastrophe(like the resurrection of an evil god) was what put things in motion to make it happen. In that way I can see Wander in a more forgivable light since he can be seen as being spurred into action by the people who took the first step toward disaster(despite their intentions).
Agro's fall was so moving to some people I know that they were hoping to give up on Mono and resurrect Agro instead.
Wouldn't that circularly lead to Wander being responsible though? If the fate the people foresaw was that Dormin would be resurrected because if her, then they killed her BECAUSE Wander loved her so much, though they didn't see that. They didn't realize that they were bringing it about, but if Wander had not been so single-minded, she needn't have died at all in the first place.
Kimberly Warthman Everything came full circle in the end and its perfect. I love the fact that PlayStation games makes you think as an adult.
dragmire3D That disaster indeed happned when Wander unleashed all the 16 dark souls of Dormin. Lord Emon was correct to forsee it but yeah Wander is just a young juvenille boy who has no firm "grip" on what is good and bad. It was symbolized in the end of him becoming a horned infant.
Man wtf this is some of the best video game content ive seen and you get no views
+ThatKing Slayer Well that's improving, but it has been a slow growth. Now I'm almost to 1500 subs and most of my videos get at least a few hundred views, so that's nice. Way better than when I started, that's for sure. But comments like this assure me I'm appreciated, and that really helps. ^_^
to this day, no other game other than SOTC has made me feel sad or guilty for killing boss enemies...
what about Dark Souls' Great Wolf Sif?
you should try that game if you havent
ShyanTheLegend yeah, that was pretty sad but nowhere on SOTC level, imho...
+ShyanTheLegend dark souls have one is sif, demon's souls also have one is maiden of astrea, but SOTC have 16 of them
Just wanted to let you know you convinced me at 2:14 to play this game right away, and after a few days i'm back and I beated it for my first time.
So I just wanted to thank you for convincing me to make the final decision to try this game and experiance it's "epicness" as you like to put it :D
I'm really glad that happened! Always makes me sad how many people watch these videos without ever playing the game, so I love that it inspired someone to play it for themselves!
Damn. This channel deserves way more recognition.
These kinds of comments always make me happy. ^_^
+akuboli True indeed very cool content and presentation
And he is also once was my Games as Literature & Internet Publishing Teacher :) great to see a familiar face again
Agree. I found it because this video and I'm in love.
That description couldn't be truer.
😕 : Ok class... Can video games be considered art?
🙋
☺ : You have a question?
🙍 : Shadow of the Colossus.
😐 : ... class dismissed.
HAHA! And just as everyone stand up to leave.
Tomorrow we take a deeper look into the themes presented in this game. Your homework is to play to boss 3.
Thank you for your care and attention to this game. Beautifully summarized
I have beaten this game many times over the years and was looking for more lore. Stumbled upon this. What you do here, man, is awesome and highly underrated!
I have loved this game for years but i am also using it as a vessel for my emotions now.The first time i played it, it was for the experience and the gameplay and i couldn't get enough of it! But now i'm back in the forbidden lands for an entirely different reason. I met a girl and started dating her when i was first playing this game a year ago and i expressed so much interest in it and said how much we should play it. We never finished it, but there was always a tie to it and her in my mind. Now we've separated, in a move that was very much against my wishes, and i am grieving. I decided to start playing it again as i thought it would be the only game that could sympathize my situation rather than mask it with mindless fun. My relationship is dead, but i want it back more than anything. If i follow down this path, it will destroy me. Sounds a lot like Wander. His efforts to reclaim a girl against all odds is essentially doomed. I am using this view in two different lights. 1, i am slaying my inner demons for a love i cannot reclaim, and 2, it is showing me that letting go and moving on is better than exhaustively trying to reach for something already gone. This game is so powerful on many levels, from just a basic "story and atmosphere" one to a deeper meaning that i can connect with that wasn't entirely what the game was going for. Its a beautiful tragedy, and an absolute masterpiece in my eyes. Great video, i had fun listening to your analysis. I just wished you would've gone a little more into the mysteries and fan theories of the game. I know those aren't grounds to review something off of, but some of them are very interesting, such as the theory that places Wander as Mono's killer and he is doing this out of immense grief. Either way, great video, definitely subscribing.
For me,
It makes no sense but following her ghost is what freed me from her .
And this path to retrieve her has also unchained my attachment to her.
I know it’s doomed but the farther I follow this path with love compassion and redemption
The more I seem to reap.
To quote Zedd “You are the part of me
I wish I didn’t need
Chasing relentlessly
Still fine and I don’t know why
If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy?
If our love is insanity why are you my clarity?”
Hmmm, you have taken the approach that Dormin _is_ evil and that Wander was doing only evil and terrible things. One of the things I loved about this game was how ambiguous the morality of it was. There is no evidence that Dormin actually was evil, we only know that Lord Amon believed him/her/it to be evil. Let's face it, taking the advice from religious types is hardly the best yardstick for morality, they can be right or righteous but rarely both at the same time. Dormin warned of the consequences and kept its word as to what it would do for its part of the bargain. There is never a "fools, you have freed me now I'll destroy you all" moment.
ChocolateRob Good analysis. Literally all characters in this game has his/her good and bad. Everything balances out in the end. Perfect ending I may say.
Yeah, I've come to the comments section to write this, assuming nobody else had.
I think the reasons why most people regard Dormin as evil are his shadowy appearance and the association with the tales of "the devil's bargain". But trough the story he is honest and remains faithful to his word - and he has the power to create life, as shown with Mono's resurrection and the Wander's apparent rebirth.
While the Wander does destroy the bodies of the colossi, he also frees their spirits and helps them regain their original form. Even if he isn't aware of the significance of his actions.
As for the religious sect... They've killed an innocent girl as a preventive measure and had no qualms about killing a boy who they believed was only being used - which only served to free Dormin... To which their first response was, once again, "kill it!".
It is possible to interpret Dormin as a force of nature and a deity of life, and the religious sect as a group of fearful men who try to contain or destroy anything outside of their control and understanding.
This game truly leaves a lot up to interpretation... Maybe the way each of us sees the story tells a bit about ourselves.
I've always felt like this whole game was morally ambiguous to be honest. Like, I feel like the main "villain" here is Lord Emon. Dormin tells us up front that they can revive Mono but the cost is great. Wander is the one who said he didn't care. And people tend to immediately correlate Gods of Death or ones with control over souls as evil, but it doesn't always have to be that way. Dormin was always upfront about his motives, in my opinion. If Lord Emon and his group had never sacrificed Mono (which I also feel was a self fulfilling prophecy) then Wander would have never felt like he had to go on to go to the forbidden land. I feel like the whole thing was set in motion because of a self fulfilling prophecy.
Probably 5th time I'm watching this video over the years and still waiting for that Ico video.
There is no other game quite like this one. No doubt about that. And the new remake on PS4 just steps up everything & gives the game not only a fresh coat of paint, but, gives us new weapons & areas to explore that were not available in the PS2/PS3 versions. "ICO" & "The Last Guardian" are also one-of-a-kind experiences. By the way, ICO is pronounced EECO.
Umm... am I the ONLY person who had no problems with controlling the horse? Agro basically had his own brain and I could trust him to do the right thing, even if I didn't know exactly what that was at the time.
Problems only arose when I tried to micromanage Agro's movements. Or if I asked him to do something stupid.
He's a horse, not a car.
Oh... ok good. I'm glad the video covered this. 😅
Dave Marx Yeah I don't get it either. Of you are careful and not aggreasive with controlling him he handles very accirately well. They just need to watch them speed runs and they will see that he can be tamed to perfection.
PlayStation Vision
I only just recently purchased Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and they took alot of cues from Agro for the horses in that game. You have to build trust with them but once that's done, they will follow logical paths. You also control it similarly by telling it to go forward at separate speeds and pulling the reigns... as opposed to driving a horse like a car.
That means I'm going to have to find my "best horse" and name it Agro. 😃😊😄😁😀
Dave Marx LoL Yeah! 😁
No you aren't. I had no problems controlling Agro on PS2/PS3/or PS4 versions of the game. Once in a while Agro might have stumbled into a rock or something, but that was hardly anything to complain about. "Shadow Of The Colossus" is a masterpiece. And so is "ICO" & "The Last Guardian"
This is one of the best videos I've ever seen.
isnt it pronounced "ee"co and not "i"co?
and great analysis! loved the aspect of you, the final colossus, being defeated not by belligerent means but just by the sword being thrown. Nice job and hope you continue to gain more subscribers and views :)
+fau2an100 Yeah, it is. I always forget that; when I think of "ee-co" I think of Jak and Daxter. :P
+Games As Literature Not Eco the Dolphin?
I think it's also "Mo-no"
*+Lunavarion* I think he sees 'ee-co' as pronounced like the e in 'me' and 'tree', rather than the 'eh' sound you're thinking of.
Yes, this is so good... I've been looking for a channel like yours for a while
Hi ! French viewer here ! Just wanted to say that your videos are amazingly brilliant. I really love it, and as a student in game design, it's so interesting to have a point of view of this quality. I learn so much every time I listen to you, thank you for that.
And by the way, thank you for this one particularly. SotC is my favorite game of all time, Fumito Ueda is an example, an inspiration to me in terms of narrative design and your explanations helped me to get some points I missed.
Thank you so much once again !
Wow, such a detailed and well-thought analysis on one of the most intriguing and unique games the video game industry has seen in the last 20 years. I wished, you'd do the same analysis on The Last Guardian, considering the story is ambiguous, the gameplay is minimalistic and the scale and epicness of the world is the same as in SotC.
Regardless whether you do a similar video on The Last Guardian or not, I thank you for this review. I truly appreciate it. One of your finest works! Keep up the great work.
We are waiting for an Ico analysis. your video is great
The same with The Last Guardian.
One of the best games, if not the best game I have ever played. I only wish it was on PC so I could buy it again.
Agro's death is the most crippling emotional moment I've ever experienced in a game. Jesus, I still want to cry just watching it in this video
then the maiden's cursed fate was being the mother of the re encarnation of the demon Dormin all along and that's why she was sacrificed to begin with (at least it's my speculation)
I'm brand new here (and just subscribed) and this is my favorite game and, Jesus Christ, did you do it justice. But other than that, I really enjoy your content. You seem to legitimately care about your subjects and I absolutely adore that. Keep up what you're doing as it's really entertaining. Aaaaaand I would kill for the hair and beard. You have a lovely beard...that I shamelessly would like.
A way of appreciate games not just as timekilling-brainoff-bloodlust-entertainment, but as art with more approaches than only amusement.
It is a very good, creative and teaching way, to use the medium "RUclips".
In 2006, when Shadow of the Colossus was released in Germany, I just saw a few screens and read a small summary about that game to come in stores soon. It was poorly promoted in Germany - and maybe in other countries too. But I got the feeling, that this game was exactly my type of game - and I was right!
When you fought a colossus and head for next one, you have to ride all the way to it. You have the sound of wind, the wide open landscape and more than enough space to think about what you just done and if this really is the right way. At those moments you feel the game and let your feelings and thoughts breathe.
For me this game acts as a kind of indicator as well. If you hate it, than we have nothing in common.
I also have that kind of feeling, that The Last Guardian will have a similar impact in another sort of way though.
Great analysis, great channel. More than worth a subscribe. Keep it going, please, because games are art and have much to give and tell.
Great analysis for one of my favorite games ever. In SotC defense, some games still haven't figured out cameras and how to work them even on these newer systems.
This was the first video I ever saw of Games as Literature 101. I saw this after playing the game on the PS2 myself and I wanted to see if anyone else on the internet highly respects this game as a work of art. That was when I encountered your RUclips channel and (WOW!) this analysis perfectly sums up everything great about the game. What you said was very thought provoking and insightful.(Also this is Jacksepticeye's favorite video game of all time).
If I could contribute to your analysis, there are some little details I'd like to discuss about this game.
When I was climbing the cliffs that lead to the first colossus, I was having a strange experience with the grip button mechanic. I tried jumping and grabbing a ledge but I couldn't hold onto it. Eventually I managed to jump and hold down the grip button just in time. This experience was awkward yet organic and felt just like trying to do the same thing in real life. Little details like this truly elevated the Interactive experience for me. Also you increase your grip strength by killing innocent lizards which further emphasizes that the more powerful Wander becomes, the worse he becomes as a person. Who knows what kind of civilization used lived in this desolated landscape but judging by the arcitecture and the behaviour of the colossi, they could have been well respected by whoever used to live there. Whenever a Colossus dies, a beacon of light emits from their corpses.The Final colossus has a clear view of each beacon so by the time Wander reaches him, He seem to be very angry and for good reason. Speaking of the final fight, their is nothing glorious about this fight at all much like how there is nothing glorious in Wander's actions. The music and the atmosphere emphasize this point further. I also like the symbolic idea of Wander being the final colossi, becoming the very monster he fought, (and the colossi weren't even the true monsters to begin with). As a christian, I personally like how non violent acts are what saves the day in the end such as throwing the sword down and raising Wander in his baby form so that he can hopefully make amends for his selfish acts.It's amazing how this game is so minimal and yet so EPIC!
To make a long story short, It's the little details that truly make this video game a masterpiece in my opinion.
I just finished shadow of the colossus for the first time in the remake tonight and it was amazing
Yeah the "Shadow" of the Colossus is the dark spirit within each one (Dormin). But the feeling of being small is a nice touch I never thought of.
"Dormin, I've come to bargin!"
This game would have been much better as a book,but i don't think it would have been this popular since of how less people now read books
+starfire 23 Oh I have to respectfully, but strongly, disagree. The player's actual involvement is crucial to the game's message; not necessarily from a strictly narrative perspective, since the basic events play out the same way regardless, but to the effective communication of that message. The player must feel responsible for Wander's actions, and they must have their own quest turned against them at the end. In a book, where you have no such direct interaction with the story, this is impossible. This game is far more effective for being interactive than not.
Did a great job dissecting this game. Hope you keep gaining success and keep up the great work
I totally agree with your arguments, I played this game years ago and watching this review brings me back nice memories. Great job.
Absolutely wonderful analysis! It's super interesting to see games talked about in this way, revealing fascinating storytelling concepts that are only possible through the medium of games. Especially now, when so much of the moral intrigue of games is reliant on the player's ability to make choices impacting the story (see any game with multiple endings or an actual tangible counter of the player's morality or karma), it was amazing to me to see Shadow of the Colossus turn that on its head and use inevitability and futility to equally profound effect. Wander's made up his mind and you as the player can't change it even when you realize that what he's doing is wrong. To stop killing the colossi is to stop progressing entirely, there's no alternate path or "good ending" you can access by sparing the monsters this time. That's not on the table for Wander; if you want to see the game arrive at any sort of conclusion, you need to keep barreling towards tragedy even if you can already see it coming.
The only thing I might add is that I'm not sure the final colossus is quite as simple as you made him out to be. The initial phase of the battle where he's shooting at you from a distance is definitely as you described, it's vicious and grotesquely monstrous, and he'll completely lay waste to you if you're stranded without cover for even a few seconds. But once you begin climbing him and he's no longer able to shoot at you, I think that changes dramatically. Similar to what you said about taking advantage of Celosia's fear, for Malus you use his pain to navigate his body. The way he clutches at his back and his shoulder when you stab them, and even just the way he inquisitively holds his hand up to look at you when you're on it, that was all very human, and it makes the sad music playing over the battle all the more haunting. Your mileage may vary of course, but to me he ended up feeling like one of the most sympathetic of the colossi, up there with Celosia and Phalanx.
Thank you so much for this video. I just finished the game on PS3. and i just found your chhannel. truly amazing ideas you have here. subscribed. keep it up.
Very nice analysis!
Never thought about that symbolism when the group leader dropped the sword into the small pool.
I am glad you noticed Wander's animations and how it shows he had no training whatsoever with the sword. (I didn't even think about how clumsy he is on foot) Though kinda surprised you didn't mention how it's a pretty sharp contrast to his archery and horsemanship which he is quite skilled at, not to mention the way he is able to reorient himself on horseback while having his bow drawn is really impressive. Seems as if he had training to become a horseback hunter back at his home.
Though I guess that's not really too related to the main narrative, I just love little details. XD
Great analysis, love your videos.
Actually this was the one where I found your channel circa 5 years ago.
Really loved this video! Apart from Agro being referred to as 'him', I found it concise and lovingly adept at showcasing the 'real' story that underlines what Wander's intentions were in regards to Mono. He had no problem killing these amazing majestic beasts for his own purposes! All in the hopes that he could restore life to his beloved 'Mono'. Note: Wander does actually die before Dormin takes over his body... see here: ruclips.net/video/urVDIZzz1AY/видео.html
Very insightful video! Been a huge fan of SotC for years now and with The Last Guardian finally on the horizon, I finally (just today as of writing this comment) got around to playing and beating Ico. I am very much looking forward to an eventual literary analysis of that game, as I have not found many discussions online that go into much detail about themes and interpretations, but moreso theories and speculations about the plot. I have some ideas of my own and I'm very interested in hearing what you have to say about it! Keep up the great work!
did you make the Ico analysis yet? Because I wanna know more!
For the record, Dragon's Dogma also has the grab/climb/stamina management mechanic, though not on the same scale. Usually.
I forgot that. Man, I want to go back and play more of that game; I only played around 5-10 hours, but I really wanted to play more.
You only ever controlled Wanda throughout the game, be it when slaying colossi, riding on the back of Argo, when he became a part of Dormin, and even when he was returned to that of an infant with horns. I freaking love that even as the baby in that cutscene you still control him, if you press buttons he'll squirm more and let out cries. And I felt it was a fitting punishment for him. I don't like to think in terms of bad and good, Wanda's goal was by no means noble, but they were neither entirely selfish. He loved Mono so much he was willing to sacrifice himself to bring her back. Likewise Lord Emon can hardly be said to have been good and noble in this. Mono was sacrificed, Lord Emon is a shaman - who do you think will have sacrificed her? So good and evil in this tale is so wonderfully convoluted, it is a mess, and that ending where Wanda isn't killed but returned to an infant is so wonderfully perfect, that Shadow of the Colossus cemented itself as my favourite game of all time in that moment. And now I'm buzzing to play it again when the remake comes out next year.
Also in Ico because Ico carries a curse with him, I believe that whatever curse Mono once had, was then transferred to Wanda and all the horned children for the years to come.
Wait a sec! HOLD UP!
You can control infant Wander in the cutscene?! I never knew that all these years playing the game.
13Xerro All characters in this game has both good and bad in them in my perspective. Wander is a teenager who can not totally grasp/understand good from evil. He did both good and bad. Mono was considered "bad" by Lord Emon. Lord Emon did bad by killing Mono and good by sealing Dormin again. Dormin is a bad evil entity that did good for reviving Mono. This game has a very "open to interpretation" design in every sense of the phrase. Even the colossus fights has so many open strategic possibilities I just discovered even if I played them hundreds of times before. Best designed game of all time.
Well fucking said man!
The last minutes of this video are utterly profund. Not only for a story in a videogame but for our own lifes too.
Have an upvote dude
Woah. Did I stumble across a hidden gem of a channel???
Yes!!!
At least I hope you like the other videos enough to think so!
your tie is amazing. SotC will always be a classic, overlooked and not for everyone but its a beautiful game. great vid.
Me, just randomly watched this and saw the Agro scene and I almost teared up. I played this 4 times and still gets me.
Thank you for awesome and in-depth analysis! Beautifully presented. Best of luck with the video, looking forward to see more!!!!
I'm still waiting for that Ico video, hope you get round to covering it at some stage!
halfbloodvince sent me here and I am very happy he did...awesome video man!
You after 3 years, has yet to look at ICO...
Oh did you overlook the fact that the story is also told by the pacing of the colossus battles, and the areas where the colossi are also gives us a hint of the story that happned in the forbidden land and the story and character of each of the "dark souls" contained inside a colossus?
I think this is the game that inspired Demon's Souls by Miyazaki. He did love this game as inspiration for Souls series.
Excellent analysis! Really look forward to seeing your ICO one now :)
***** Thanks! Ico is a little more difficult to pin down, so I'm nervously looking forward to it myself!
When I saw wander's skin going faint , I though that was some kind of PS2 graphical glitches , It appears that I was Wrong , your review is great , keep the good work
I've played this game countless times and like many other people, it's my all time favourite. Yet still, watching Agro fall... It still gets me.
I know I'm a little late to the party, but great video! I recently played this game for the first time -- the remastered version on the PS4, specifically. While it took me a few playthroughs to truly appreciate it, I ended up loving it so much that I included it in one of my articles (fandom.wikia.com/articles/5-most-heart-wrenching-game-endings-that-made-us-cry) and talk about it in just about every conversation I have with anyone.
You earned yourself a subscriber, my friend. Keep it up!
I love listening to analyses of ICO and SotC. Yours may be the best I heard so far and I think now I heard them all xD
It is amazing talking about those games for hours. Do you also plan to talk about ICO?
At some point, yeah! And The Last Guardian, 'cause it's right up there with them.
Glad you liked the video!
correct me if I am wrong but Dormin was not evil from what actions we saw. if anything he kept his word
I spent 3 hours looking for the third colossus. When I couldn't figure out how to beat it and shut the game off to go look up a walkthrough, I had to spend another hour finding it again.
I never ended up finishing the game because after spending an hour and twenty minutes finding the 16th colossus, I died on the bridge you have to cross to get to it. At that point, I gave up. I was not going to spend another hour finding that damn thing again just so I could die again, find it again, and finally fight the final boss on the fifth try.
+ThePuppyTurtle That's unfortunate. The game can be frustrating, but... well I think I said it all in the video already. :P
Amazing analysis. Compelling and thorough. Excellently done.
Shadow of the Colossus is a great game! I completed it around 10 times, about 6 in hard mode. The fact and romance of fighting for Momo's life is beautiful. The interaction and relationship with Agro is fun. You really (at least personally) feel a real connection with these characters while you play. I care for them. It's kinda enchanting how ... just the cutscenes and fact that you fact that you defeated a colossi to go to the next, all helping you get closer to save Momo and see Wander engulfed in them to the end. ... It's fucking amazing. It soundtrack sets the mood really well as well.
I don't know how else to explain it.
And the gameplay is simple but amazing ... and really fun as fuck. You truly feel the size and power you're facing. How many games do that well? Not enough IMO.
I think your video is really cool! I'm actually using it to help with a school project!
interesting insight at the end re: acts of 'love' committed to the detriments of others - reminds me of TLOU. I wonder what other games speak on this
Man, this was the video analysis of that masterpiece that I was looking for...
Games like SOTC should not be reviewed as games only, but most important as a sum of different arts put together.
Excellent job!!! Can't wait to see you doing an analysis of Bloodborne as lit.
+khyronbradford Glad you enjoyed it! Personally I think all games should be reviewed that way; video games haven't been "just games" for decades now.
And if I may be a bit shameless here, you can actually make me analyze a game of your choice at a certain pledge level on Patreon. It's kinda' expensive, because these analyses take an absurd amount of time to produce, but if you want to make me analyze Bloodborne it's an option. ^_^
this is my fav game of all time. great analysis. subbed! !
+vyper majik Yes, it is something of a masterpiece. Glad you liked the video!
Love your videos men, keep up the good work
Holy shit, why did I *JUST* find this channel, and why doesn't it have more exposure?!?!
I don't know, but you can share it around to help if you want! :D
Flawless Amazing Analysis. You make us fans proud.
Considering this is a game I had never heard of (I thought at first that this was Titan Souls, and I was like huh, this should be interesting) and also I would NEVER play, I am so happy to have seen your analysis on it. Just from the short scenes in your video I could feel the grand scale and the immensity of the consequences in the game. What a masterpiece! Are there any other games related to it that came out after this one? Or only the precursor game you mentioned? Nice episode!
kirtur The only related game is Ico, which plays very differently but has major similarities in tone and visual design. You can nab both in an HD collection on the PS3 if you want to check them out.
Team Ico is supposedly working on another game, The Last Guardian, but it's been in development hell for so long there's really no guarantee of anything at this point.
hello from 2018. yo we can basically say that wander follows the path like a sith (star wars) do. driven by passion and in desperate need to protect/rescue the person you love. Like Anakin Skywalker.
just wanted to mention it
By the time remake has come out, the visuals are even better and more beautiful.
Killing a colossi adds another dove to the shrine
Seeing different interpretations on what's going on in this game and in ICO is one of my favourite parts of the fandom, even when it seems like I have opinions that ride against the rest of the fanbase. Just about every analysis and interpretation that wasn't made as a joke (and a fair few that were) are in some way interesting, valid, and food for thought. That's the true power of both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, I think, and why they're so beloved. You get out of them what you bring to them. I'm sure The Last Guardian will be the same way.
In that spirit, I wonder what the demographics of folks like me who don't see Dormin as evil are like. I just can't see them as 100% evil, nor Emon as 100% good. If anything I lean toward Dormin being more of an inscrutable, neutral force of nature, and Emon as the villain of the piece, if there is one, with Wander a very grim-leaning anti-hero.
To me, Dormin kind of reads as being like Hades: an ancient god with dominion over the one thing mortals fear the most, their own limited lives, once worshiped and now vilified. (Everyone hates the death gods these days. Just look at Disney's Hercules.) Their scoffing at Wander wanting to bring back Mono is more them scoffing at who- or whatever sealed them than anything in my mind: "Is that not the law of mortals?" as a "Oh, really, NOW you're coming to Us for help?" kind of thing.
There's some reading between the lines that to me implies they're not being cagey about the price Wander will pay because of their nature, as well. The way they start out by giving Wander a brief description of Wander's next foe, followed by a subtle hint, followed by a much less subtle hint if you take long enough... all that could just be a videogame being a videogame, but two specific things they say make me wonder if they're not having to think around their bindings to give Wander information, like the seal on them means they have to word things very carefully to say them at all.
During the introduction of Colossus Thirteen, right after the cutaway to Emon's men, Dormin says "Thy next foe is... The vast desert lands... A giant trail drifts through the sky... Thou art not alone..." The "thou art not alone" fascinates me. What are they referring to? Wander needing Agro? But he's already needed Agro to fight some of the Colossi. Is it that Wander will not be alone because he's with the Colossus? But that's utterly trivial - of course he will be, he's trying to kill it.
Is it, perhaps, referring to Emon's men approaching, but "thou art not alone" is the best they can get past their bindings at the time?
Then, mirroring Dormin's clues about fighting individual Colossi getting much more blunt over time, for the final Colossus they say, "Finally, the last colossus... The ritual is nearly over... Thy wish is nearly granted... But someone now stands to get in thy way... Make haste, for time is short..."
If the first one was indeed referring to Emon, then Dormin had to spend three Colossi fights thinking of a way to convey that information past the seal. Probably has to do with information on undoing the seal being extremely hard to get past it in any form that isn't abstruse as heck.
The way they say they're "borrowing" Wander's body implies they were going to give it back at some point. And the corruption? Well, it would seem to me that stuffing that much of even the nicest god inside a mortal will not end in a good time for the mortal in question. There's a reason angels always opened with 'fear not'.
And after it all, they keep their promise and revive Mono. I attribute Agro's miraculous survival to Dormin as well. I believe she's even favouring the same leg Wander and Dormin are, after Wander got shot there. And the baby is Wander: the game stresses so much that you're always in control of him, and you can make the baby wiggle and cry out.
As for Emon, it's implied he had something or another to do with sacrificing Mono, whether his hands, his orders, or just being the leader of the group she and Wander are from. None of this - not the dead Colossi, not unsealing Dormin if you think they're evil, not all of the horrible things that happened before and during ICO - NONE OF IT would have happened if Mono hadn't been killed.
Ultimately, yes, Wander made some awful decisions. They're the same kinds of bad decisions I'd probably make in his situation. So ultimately I can't condemn him.
Another thing I love about Shadow of the Colossus: the only character who isn't at least somewhat morally ambiguous is the horse. (Yes, even Mono can get a little shifty if you get into some of the theories regarding ICO.)
Wow, i wrote a book. But I love talking about this game. And I really love Dormin.
Great thoughts so far, really.
Even if I am not thinking exactly that way, but I often like the approach of games/manga/anime with japanese origins in which there is no true or absolute evil or good in it - or always depending on the point of view. This is sort of Shintoism, and I like it.
Dormin was splitted in pieces, sealed away and with abilities, that could bring back a soul of a mortal. At the very end Dormin kept word, he wasn't tricking Wanda completely, he also warned him at the beginning, that the price would be high.
Mono got her soul back. And even if it not was for Wanda, she got saved. So this was also one of the greatest, heroic sacrifices - he gave his one soul/life for her being save.
And yes, we do not learn much about Emon and his group, but he was a menace, who could ruin the whole plan of saving Mono.
This game left much space of thoughts and interpretation - during the play and afterwards as well.
Amazing analysis, makes me really want to play the game again.
ICO/Wanda and the Colossus/Shadow of the Colossus is a game I will remember and cherish till the end of my life. When I no longer own a console, I will keep it with me. It is nothing short of a masterpiece on par with a one-off faberge' egg. This title is on par with the masterpiece, The Last of Us.
In a collection of any ten video game titles, it is always there.
Haven't played it yet, but the Last Guardian cannot possibly have done it justice, though I appreciate them for having tried.
cool story bruv, got me glued to the screen the entire time.
My biggest problem with the game (because I'm a massive nerd for world building) is the defeat or Dormin, he got the player to kill 16 beasts in difficult battles where one wrong move could have lead to death and united his 16 (or 17 if we are collecting actual pieces of him and not his power/essence) yet when he becomes a massive shadow being, his true self whether it's evil or not he fails quite badly, he doesn't kill or defeat any of the masked people and before he can even leave the hall he's easily cast out of (or whatever happened) the player, in fact the bridge and supposed only way to the rest of the world was destroyed possibly making Dormins situation even worse than how things started out.
I would have liked it far more if Dormin was as powerful (and possibly magnificent if they wanted to go the way of Dormin not being inherently evil) as all Colossi combined, perhaps even more, the rest of the ending I don't know but I'm sure they could come up with something, maybe even have Dormin be freed to the world at large or something as long as if Dormin is defeated he isn't taken out by the easy dropping of an item.
I've been trying to think of meaningful things to say to this video without digging into ICO, but it seems like you've pretty much covered your bases, and I think that mostly comes from the fact that while SotC is a deep game narratively, it's not a complex game narratively. If you don't follow what I mean in a "what's the difference?" kind of way, I recommend looking up extra credits video on depth vs complexity. Albiet that was talking about the difference in terms of gameplay, the difference has far more potential meanings than just that when I applied elsewhere. Not what I intended to talk about when I started typing, but I'm rolling with it. Just like how a piece of artwork does become better or more 'like art' as you add more complexity to is artwork, or a detail to movie's plot, so to does adding complexity to a games plot gameplay or artwork (though it helps support it if you do it right) not add more depth to the work it self. More on point, that also means the reverse, just because a game is not complex does not mean it is not deep, and what better example is there of that than SotC?
Uh, please forgive any spelling and grammar errors, I'm kinda typing this while I have time.
ler74 Yeah, that is a notable difference. I believe I said something similar in this video, about the story being very simple, but having a lot of depth. Though I may have used "complexity" interchangeably at some point, in which case that's my bad.
This episode actually ended up being shorter than I expected, and yeah, I think you got at the major reason why. Not that I minded. Between my hour-long Bioshock episode and last month's 40-minute Halo analysis, I was happy to have a shorter one. :P
Games As Literature I hope to get around the the Bioshock episode soon. I'm in the middle of my 3rd or so play of that game, so perfect timing. Trying my best to contribute something to as many of your videos as I can, as its not only good writing practice, but it's also pretty much the same argument as to why I need that kind of practice with reading comprehension as well as... well, finding interesting things to talk about in a given work. That and finding inspiration on how to effectively put that into words. More on that in a second.
I watched a few of your videos after spotting your video on Halo on r/games on Reddit, and couldn't help but feel how criminally underrated your videos are. With that in mind, I can't help but feel i should be doing the same thing I'm doing for something else I care deeply about (again in a second) to this. Contribute where I can.
And now for the award part, and you might see why I'm kinda dodging the topic. I'm currently doing a very long series of writeups for... well, I'll be out with it, a fanfic I care deeply about, on a blooming subreddit devoted to it. I'm kinda half responsible for the sub's existence, but that's another story. Knowing how criminally underated the story was, I've been going out of my way (with some success) to try and bring discussion to the subreddit by doing writeups for every single chapter, in an attempt to sow the metaphorical seeds of discussion. That said, I've been taking a lot of insperation from various sources on how to write this kind of thing, and your work is really helping. I don't take it nearly as deeply serious as you do , but that's mostly because I'm covering things on a moment to moment basis. I need a lot of interesting things to say on everything just to keep people reading. That means comedy from time to time.
Anyways, tangent reached. I watch the rest of your videos as I get the chance and expect to see comments from me. Also, hopefully this will mean I'll actually do that since your videos are so interesting I've forgotten what it is I wanted to say on the first few I watched. It would be kinda awkward if I didn't after just saying I did. Insurance :p
ler74 Aw, I'm happy to hear my videos are helping you with writing. That's probably the closest this show has gotten so far to actually serving the same purpose as the class it's based on. ^_^
And have no shame about the fanfic. I'm kind of in the planning stages for a potential subseries examining Fallout: Equestria as an adaptation of both its source materials, since it's partially an adaptation from game to book. Many fanfics suck, but some are great. So no shame!
Games As Literature Oh don't worry, it's not the shame I feel, it's the sympathetic shame that others might feel for you that get's you. Never been too interested in MLP related stuff, but that was one of the ones I've heard very good things about. Wouldn't be the first fallout crossover fic I've read... Anyways, wishing you good luck on that!
That said , and your opinion on fanfiction out in the open, I guess I could mention what it is I am writing about. Not sure how much into anime you are, but Madoka Magica (it's on netflix!) is always a always prime recommendation, even without interest or knowledge of anime. I got my dad to watch it for Peat's sake. That ,and the fact that it is best go into it blind, means I don't need to add context to what comes next. Someone has be writing a psudo-sequel to the series. Taking place 440 years in the future someone is still writing an very detailed worldbuilding fic that, thus far, takes place fully within the bounds of series canon. In medium sci fi. www.kheper.net/topics/scifi/grading.html The fact that the base show is a magical girl show should be raising eyebrows. It doesn't carry with it the same tone, but for a very good reason I can't explain upfront.
I could go on for hours talking about it, but A: Madoka Magica spoilers, and B: I kinda already am on a bi weekly basis.
ler74 Madoka Magica is a friggin' masterpiece. You certainly seem to have good taste. ^_^
The "grown-up man to baby" transformation remimded me a lot of what also happens at the end of *2001: A Space Odyssey.* Fumeto is very likely to have seen that movie ^^
I think saying that Wander becomes the villain is a huge leap in logic. You say there are catastrophic consequences to his actions, but what are they? No one dies, Mono is revived, and an entity is freed from imprisonment. You simply assume Dormin is a malicious force
Reading the tone of the game makes Dormin's nature rather clear. The consequences are only that minor because Dormin is imprisoned again by the priest; Wander's actions are very clearly painted in a negative light, and it would be incredibly difficult to argue that the game doesn't condemn them, for a great many reasons that the video mostly covers.
Most of the reasons are due to the toll it takes on Wander and what the priest would lead you to believe. A priest who possibly played a role in the death of Mono and decides to kill Wander at the drop of a hat. Who is to say Dormin's imprisonment was just? Just because Wander kills the Colossi, that doesn't mean he is evil. Those actions and his condition at the end of the game could just be illustrating the pain and personal turmoil that such difficult decisions can incur(e.g. the PTSD a soldier goes through after war)
You kind of freed a demon God...
Wander was capable of killing relentlessly 16 magnific creatures that did not caused evil or harm to him, just for the sake of himself acquiring something HE wanted. His egoistic and destructive nature corrupted his own being and ravaged his mind and senses. He destroyed and became the incarnation of the word "harmfull". Nothing is inherently evil or good, but taking into consideration makes it so...
I believe its open to interpretatation that Wander also wanted justice for Mono's death by Lord Emon's religion. The fact that Wander became an infant proves that Wander is pure hearted teenager who can not grasp what is good or evil and his actions is justified in the end. The infant is a symbol of innocence. The horns is a symbol of his history and deeds with Dormin who took advantage of the situation. He really is a true hero and not a villain.
when the horse died I literally cried soooi hard
i replayed the game for the 4th time. cant get enough of this
I finished playing the game about 1 and a half hours ago. The first thing afterward was search RUclips for "shadow of the colossus meaning" and watched your video. The second thing I did was rewatch this* video on the animation of Shadow of the Colossus by Extra Frames, which is a part of Extra Credits. There is so much connection between the two I cannot even explain it. Just go watch it and you realize so much more about every aspect of the game.
I will add one thing though, because if I add anything more and I will go on a rant. What do you think happens if you draw your bow while riding on Agro and then start rotating 360 degrees clockwise? Let me guess what your answer: Wander will turn a little more than 180 degrees to the right, suddenly spin 360 degrees to the left, and then continue turning right as if nothing had happened. That is what would happen if I had to turn 360 degrees while aiming from a sitting position. The amazing though is that this is NOT what happens. I cannot describe what he does, it is just so... just go watch it! That, that motion is not something someone simply does; that is something someone is taught. This tells me that Wander is a trained warrior. Also, I think he was referred to as a warrior at one point.
*ruclips.net/video/mvXD7BcL5cA/видео.html
EDIT: The Boss Fight Database, which is apparently a thing that exists, has a video** of the Wander vs. Dirge fight where Wander does what I am talking about at 5:15 thorough 5:17. You will not see it right away because it happens so fast and because Argo obscures the motion slightly. If you keep a careful watch of Wander's legs and play the video at 1/4 speed. and you should eventually notice it.
**ruclips.net/video/Kf16aqT5WvU/видео.html
just found your channel and my dude I need that Ico analysis
and the last guardian or whatever it was called
Thanks for another excellent analysis. Yes, this is the game that made me realize video games could (and should) be high art. The emphasis on beauty, grandeur and depth was so refreshing and courageous, even hobbled by the meager ps2 graphical tools, that I really can't say anything bad about it. I haven't really seen another that game that gets close to it... of course I have a lot of games to play yet.
Robin Allen Don't we all. ^_^
And yeah, the major issue the original had from a visual perspective was with the PS2's low resolution. So, so blurry. Thankfully the PS3 remake fixed that splendidly.
Games As Literature Yeah... but it was still beautiful for a ps2 game.
Great video, you really did the game justice. It's interesting that you mentioned Spec Ops: The Line, I was thinking about it as you were talking about SotC. Do you think you'll ever do an episode on it?
pseudogenesis I am gonna' analyze Spec Ops: The Line so hard, you don't even know. I adore that game.
Games As Literature To be fair, I'm unsure if there's anything to be said about it that hasn't been already, but my goal here is more to provide a quality resource than to say new things all the time anyway. I'll try.
Games As Literature I'm glad to hear that! In spite of all the flak it gets I think it's one of the most interesting games of the last generation. Everything from the art to the writing to the voice acting has such unity of purpose and contributes so well to the atmosphere, I love it.
And I wouldn't worry too much about saying things that haven't been said before. Obviously you should try for that at least a bit, but it's impossible to be *completely* original, especially when it comes to games that are more than a few years old. Although if you want something relatively undiscussed to talk about, every critique I've ever read focuses on the narrative but neglects to mention the environmental storytelling. All the little Bioshockeqsue bits of graffiti, the visual metaphors, that kind of thing. Definitely worth mentioning imo.
Ooooh yeah. Spec Ops has a lot of interesting storytelling bits up its sleeve. I think my favorite is when the loading screens start saying things like, "Do you feel like the Hero now?" and defining the term "cognitive dissonance." And man, Nolan North in that game. I actually got my copy signed by him at a convention. That is by far my favorite performance of his.
And it gets flak? I mean I knew it wasn't too popular among the bro shooter crowd, but it seemed to me to be similar to cult hits like Beyond Good and Evil: most people buy it, some didn't understand it, but most who played it loved it. Though I did just remember one or another stupid article arguing it wasn't smart because "it's a shooter." Forgot about that.
In any case, yeah, it'll be analyzed. Proooooobably sometime early next year. Scheduling this stuff is harder than it seems.
Games As Literature People never say it's a bad game, it just gets heavy criticism from some, usually as a counterpoint to people praising it. The criticisms are usually that the gameplay is either awful or very mediocre (which I think is a little unfair), and the white phosphorus scene is manipulative because you don't make the choice yourself and the game still blames you for it. Those are the primary complaints. The game definitely has some measure of cult status and is pretty well regarded critically, but there are still a lot of people who criticize it.
this game made the the gamer I am today 😢😢
It is never made clear wether Dormin is evil. It is strongly implied, especially in ico that the guys at the end are.
you need to a Games as Literary for Ori and the Blind Forest a very stunning game that in of itself is a piece of art
I'm literally in love with this channel :o
+Blair McQueen Glad to hear it! :D
Still waiting on your Ico video 😅
beauty consists in simplicity of form, and explosion of allusions through the symbols. The message is very simple, and at the same time very dedicated, hence the beauty. About allusions, there are so many! Wander reminds me of Macbeth and his damnation; Adam and his compassion for the beloved and cursed Eve; the drama of Moses for carrying the fear of Israel; the Darnation of Raskolnikov; Finally! This game has hit me so much! single
nice video, SOTC is a genuine masterpiece.
However, I prefer a different theory to the standard one...
I like to think (partly due to Wanda's age) that it was he who sacrificed Mono as a kind of rite of passage, boy becomes a man etc...
The hero doing great deeds for love is something that's been done a million times, this is Ueda remember, he does things differently, better.
The host of this video says that Wanda's actions are selfish, well, they're even more selfish if he did all this to assuage his guilt.
BOOM.