Skip to main content

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection review

the ico shadow of colossus collection review 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection
“Two of the most fascinating PS2 games return in a good justification of HD games”
Pros
  • Both games are completely original
  • The HD graphics look good
  • A reintroduction for gamers to two amazing games
Cons
  • The only change is graphical
  • The same gameplay problems exist
  • No new content

How do you review games like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, two relics of the PlayStation 2 era from Fumito Ueda that to this day stand among the best that the medium has yet seen. You don’t. Not really. You just thank your lucky stars that it’s your job to journey through these fantastic experiences once more and then tell everyone all over again how they shouldn’t be missed.

Recommended Videos

I’ve spent the past few weeks following through on the first part of that. At no point did it suck. Now for the second part.

Sony’s Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection HD brings the two titles to PlayStation 3 for the first time (older backwards-compatible consoles notwithstanding), adding a new 720p widescreen display to both, as well as 7.1 surround sound, a 3D mode and PlayStation Trophies. There’s some bonus behind-the-scenes video content too, but I couldn’t seem to find it on the game disc. The games themselves are entirely unchanged, barring the technical upgrades, which is just fine. This pair doesn’t need to be remade, simply preserved.

Ico is the older of the two, an action-platformer released in 2001, early in the PS2’s life. Players step into the shoes of the titular young boy as he explores a large, abandoned fortress. It’s essentially a massive escort mission, as Ico’s journey involves leading a young captive girl named Yorda out of the castle to safety. The game twists your typical platforming challenges with the addition of this second character; Yorda is not nearly as capable as Ico is, rendering each of the rooms they pass through as a puzzle in which creating new routes is just as important as clearly environmental obstacles.

the-ico-shadow-of-the-colossus-3
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Our duo’s journey is complicated by the presence of shadow creatures throughout the castle. They can’t harm our nimble hero — only a fall from a great height can do that — but they will grab Yorda and drag her off to a horrible end if she is left alone for too long. You can rescue her using the meager weapons Ico is equipped with, but there’s no defeating these creatures; they always come back for more.

While Ico is still very clearly a PS2-era game in its PS3 appearance, the high definition treatment very effectively makes it feel new and fresh once more. This isn’t a full-blown re-skin, but everything feels much sharper. The colors are more vibrant, the fine details in the game’s art design stand out better and the various visual effects are much more convincing. As a bonus for North American gamers, this is a port of the European version of the game, which means that completing it unlocks a two-player cooperative mode (local only).

the-ico-shadow-of-the-colossus-2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Shadow of the Colossus stands in contrast to Ico as a large, open world filled with enormous beings compared to the older game’s tight castle corridors and chambers. Our heroes are Wander and his horse Argo, who journey together through the largely empty landscape with the intent of bringing down the game’s colossal bosses, waking Wander’s lady-love from a magical sleep in the process. Playing this game back in the day was a revelation, a new twist on the open-world approach to video game design that hasn’t really been repeated or nodded to since.

Colossus in HD is similarly revelatory, but for entirely different reasons. The game benefits greatly from the visual makeover, especially with the added bonus of a widescreen display. Wander’s beautiful world remains just that, and the colossi he takes on are given a new sense of scale thanks to the added screen real estate. Like Ico, much of the story in Shadow is left to be deciphered by the player. Bringing down a colossus pushes Wander one step closer to rescuing his distressed damsel, but the tragically epic death scene accompanying each of his victories strongly suggests that this selfish pursuit is coming at a high cost.

the-ico-shadow-of-the-colossus-5
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Also like Ico, the flaws that existed in Colossus before still remain. Specifically, the controls feel very chunky and slow-to-respond, a reminder that this is still a six-year-old game. There is one rather notable improvement, however. The bulk of the criticisms directed at the original release targeted its technical presentation. While the game was gorgeous to behold, it wasn’t always a smooth experience thanks to an unsteady frame rate. That is no longer an issue here. Colossus in HD, like Ico, hums along at a solid 30 frames per second. It’s expected, of course, but it’s a welcome improvement all the same.

So there you have it. The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection HD is must-own material if you’re a PS3 owner. If you’ve never played the games before, this is the best opportunity you’ve had yet to really experience them. And if you have played them, this is still the best there is. Both games look greatly improved with their widescreen 720p makeover, and they offer the same fulfilling experiences that their predecessors did. Let’s face it: you’re not reading this because you’re not sure if this duo has held up, you’re just doing it to make the wait for the Collection‘s September 28 release pass by a little quicker.

 (This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3on a copy provided by Sony Computer Entertainment)

Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
Sonic x Shadow Generations brings back Sonic Adventure 2 nostalgia this fall
Shadow, Sonic, and Sonic leaping through the air.

Sonic x Shadow Generations, a remake of the 2011 original with additional content, was revealed at the January State of Play showcase. It will be coming to PlayStation platforms this autumn.

Sega made a surprise appearance at Sony's State of Play presentation with an enhanced remake of Sonic Generations, now titled Sonic x Shadow Generations. This game will include all the content from the original release, as well as add Shadow as a new playable character alongside the two iterations of Sonic.

Read more
Tokyo Game Show 2022 Capcom showcase: how to watch and what to expect
luke from street fighter 6

Tokyo Game Show returns this year with a Japanese-developer-filled showcase. One of the guests of honor is Capcom, the publisher of popular series like Street Fighter and Resident Evil. Some fans are eager to find out more about their favorite franchises, but those in the West might worry they won't be able to watch the publisher's showcase because of the time difference between the U.S. and Japan. Thankfully, the TGS schedule aligns just enough for those with room in their morning schedules, depending on what coast you're on. Here's how to watch the Tokyo Game Show 2022 Capcom Online Program and what games will be present.
When is the TGS 2022 Capcom Online Program?
https://twitter.com/CapcomUSA_/status/1567924132683337729?s=20&t=spWNF48gfcAx9J_PYGSTiA

The Capcom Tokyo Game Show Showcase airs at 10 a.m. ET September 15. It streams live from the Capcom USA YouTube channel and from each of the featured games' dedicated Twitch channels. The whole Tokyo Game Show itself starts much earlier because of the time zone difference, but westerners should still be able to catch the showcase at this mid-morning time.
What to expect from the TGS 2022 Capcom Online Program
The Capcom Tokyo Game Show Showcase features deep dives into these upcoming titles:

Read more
Epic Game Store fights back against review bombs with new user rating system
Epic Games Store user rating system

People review-bombing games even before they're released is a common problem on sites like Metacritic. To combat this, Epic Games announced that it's come out with a new user rating system on the Epic Games Store that should address the issues.

The Fortnite maker said on Friday it updated its digital gaming storefront with the user rating system to ensure its games receive direct feedback from the community as they're playing them. It works like this: Epic will randomly ask players to score a game on a five-star scale after playing a game for more than two hours. Their scores will be calculated into the game's overall score, which will appear on the game's Epic Games Store page to help other gamers determine whether or not it's worth playing.

Read more