Bluepoint Games took on a terrifying task back in 2018. They had to rebuild a masterpiece. When Fumito Ueda’s Team Ico released the original Shadow of the Colossus in 2005, it pushed the PlayStation 2 so hard the console practically screamed. It was a game of silhouettes, fog, and a stuttering frame rate that somehow added to the dreamlike, heavy atmosphere. But let’s be real. Playing it today on original hardware feels like looking at a beautiful painting through a screen door. That is why Shadow of the Colossus PS4 exists. It isn't just a "remaster." It’s a ground-up reconstruction that asks a very specific question: Can you keep the soul of a game while replacing every single bone in its body?
Honestly, the answer is yes.
Most remakes lose the plot. They add too much clutter. They fill the empty spaces because modern designers are scared of silence. But Bluepoint understood that the emptiness of the Forbidden Lands is the entire point. You are Wander. You have a horse named Agro. You have a sword that reflects light toward your next victim. That’s it. There are no towns. No NPCs giving you side quests to collect ten herbs. Just you, the wind, and sixteen giants that don't actually want to fight you until you start stabbing them.
The Technical Wizardry Behind Shadow of the Colossus PS4
Let’s talk about the grass. It sounds stupid, right? Who cares about digital blades of grass? But in the Shadow of the Colossus PS4 version, the vegetation is a character. In the original, the ground was mostly a flat texture with some fuzzy sprites. Now, every inch of the world feels alive. When a Colossus steps near you, the shockwaves ripple through the flora. It’s grounded. It’s heavy.
Bluepoint didn't just upscale textures. They built a new engine that runs underneath the original game’s logic. Think of it like a high-performance sports car body sitting on top of the original chassis. The physics—the way Wander flails around like a wet noodle when a giant shakes its arm—is still the same. That janky, desperate climbing mechanic is preserved because if Wander moved like a polished superhero, the game would be broken.
The lighting, though? That’s where the PS4 Pro (and by extension, the PS5 via backward compatibility) really shines. The high-dynamic-range (HDR) implementation is some of the best in the industry. When you emerge from a dark cave into the blinding sunlight of the desert, it actually hurts your eyes for a second. It mimics reality. It makes the world feel vast and uncaring.
Why the Controls Still Frustrate People
Some critics back in 2018 complained that the controls felt "dated." They aren't wrong. Mapping the "grip" button to R2 instead of the original R1 helped, but Wander still handles like a shopping cart with one bad wheel.
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But here is the thing: he is supposed to.
Wander isn't a warrior. He’s a desperate kid making a deal with a literal demon (Dormin) to save a girl. He should be clumsy. He should struggle to hold on to a flying bird-monster (Avion) while 500 feet in the air. If the Shadow of the Colossus PS4 controls were as tight as Assassin’s Creed, the sense of scale would vanish. You wouldn't feel the power of the Colossi if you weren't constantly one slip away from a long, lethal drop.
The Moral Weight of the Hunt
We need to talk about the guilt. Most games reward you for killing bosses. You get XP. You get a new shiny loot drop. In Shadow of the Colossus PS4, you get a funeral dirge.
Every time a Colossus falls, the music shifts from an epic, sweeping orchestral score (composed by Kow Otani) to a mournful, haunting cello. Black tendrils erupt from the corpse and pierce Wander. He passes out. He wakes up back at the shrine, looking a little more gray, a little more dead.
It’s a masterclass in "show, don't tell." The game never gives you a dialogue box saying "Hey, maybe you're the bad guy?" It just lets you look at the beautiful, peaceful creature you just slaughtered for your own selfish gain. The remake heightens this by making the Colossi look more organic. You can see the individual strands of fur. You can see the cracks in their stone armor. When the third Colossus, Gaius, looks down at you with those glowing blue eyes, it’s not aggression you see—it’s curiosity. Until you start climbing his sword.
The Mystery of the 79 Gold Coins
For over a decade, fans of the PS2 version hunted for secrets. They looked for the "17th Colossus." They tried to climb the Secret Garden at the top of the temple (which you can totally do, but it takes a lot of stamina). Bluepoint knew this. They added a new collectible: 79 gold coins (or "enlightenments") scattered across the map.
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Finding them is a nightmare. They don't show up on your map. They hum slightly when you're near. Collecting all of them unlocks a hidden door in the basement of the main temple. Inside? The Sword of Dormin. It’s a powerful weapon that reduces your health regeneration but looks incredibly cool. It was a love letter to the "The Last Big Secret" community that spent years dissecting the original game code.
Performance Modes and Visual Fidelity
If you’re playing on a PS4 Pro or a PS5, you have choices. You can go for "Cinematic Mode," which targets 4K at 30fps. It looks like a literal painting. Or you can go for "Performance Mode," which hits 60fps.
In most games, I’d say go for the frame rate. But Shadow of the Colossus PS4 is weird. The 30fps lock actually feels a bit more "cinematic" in the traditional sense. It gives the giants a sense of weight and motion blur that feels right. That said, fighting the 13th Colossus, Phalanx (the giant sand-serpent), at 60fps is a religious experience. Seeing that massive creature weave in and out of the sand dunes without a single hitch in the frame rate is why we buy consoles.
The photo mode is also worth a mention. It was one of the first truly deep photo modes in a console game. You can change filters, adjust the depth of field, and even play the entire game with a "Night" or "Emerald" filter on. It turned the game into a playground for digital photographers.
Comparing the Three Versions
- PS2 (2005): The original vision. Incredible art direction, but the hardware was suffocating. Frame rates often dipped into the teens.
- PS3 (2011): A basic HD port. It fixed the frame rate to a stable 30fps and cleaned up the resolution. It’s fine, but it’s just a polished version of the old assets.
- PS4 (2018): A total rebuild. New assets, new lighting, new physics for fur and water. This is the definitive way to play.
The Sound of Silence
Sound design is the unsung hero here. Most games fill the background with "ambient music." Not here. When you’re riding Agro across the plains, all you hear is the rhythmic clop of hooves on dirt, the whistling wind, and the occasional cry of a hawk.
This silence builds tension. It makes the world feel ancient. When the music finally kicks in during a boss fight—usually a thundering roar of brass and drums—it hits like a freight train. Bluepoint re-recorded the entire soundtrack with a full orchestra, and the clarity is startling. You can hear the individual violins straining during the high-intensity moments.
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Is it Worth Playing in 2026?
The short answer: Yes. The long answer: Absolutely yes, but only if you have patience.
Shadow of the Colossus PS4 is not a fast game. It’s a meditative experience. It’s about the journey between the fights. It’s about getting lost in a forest and realizing there’s nothing there but a small lizard with a glowing tail. If you go into it expecting a boss-rush action game like God of War, you’ll be disappointed. If you go into it expecting a playable poem about grief and obsession, it might be the best thing you ever play.
The game holds up because it doesn't rely on gimmicks. It relies on scale. There is still nothing in gaming that matches the feeling of being a tiny speck on the back of a creature the size of a skyscraper.
Actionable Tips for Your First Playthrough
- Don't rush to the light. Your sword points the way, but take the long route. There are hidden caves and beautiful vistas that have zero gameplay purpose other than being beautiful.
- Hunt the white-tailed lizards. You’ll find them at save shrines. Eating their tails increases your stamina bar. You’re going to need that stamina for the later Colossi who shake violently.
- Eat the fruit. You’ll see trees with hanging fruit. Shoot them down with your bow. They increase your maximum health.
- Learn the "Agro" tricks. Standing on the horse's back or hanging off the side isn't just for show; it can actually help you avoid certain attacks or prepare for a jump onto a Colossus.
- Check the map for "Shrines." These act as fast-travel points but also heal you. More importantly, they provide a sense of progression in a world that feels endless.
Shadow of the Colossus PS4 remains a benchmark for what a remake should be. It respects the source material enough to keep its flaws, recognizing that those flaws are actually part of the charm. It’s a lonely, beautiful, heartbreaking game that everyone should finish at least once.
If you want to experience the Sword of Dormin secret, start looking for those 79 gold sparkles early. You don't want to be backtracking through the entire world at the very end. Grab them as you go. The journey is long, but in this world, the journey is all you really have.