Focus, Atmosphere, Limitations: Learning from Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus is considered a landmark title that was developed by a highly disciplined and intelligent team.  Released in 2005 for the Playstation 2, the critically acclaimed title featured incredibly expansive, vast worlds and even more vast enemies to scale and conquer.  Set in a fictional world, the game follows the tale of a young warrior who is on a quest to slay all of the mystical massive creatures that exist in order to resurrect his fallen loved one.  As the player goes to each location to slay each colossus, they become larger and more beautiful than the last.  Between these epic battles are uneventful rides through breathtaking fields, mountains, and other terrain.

Shadow of the Colossus is useful as a smart game development model for several reasons.  The cadence of the title is very different from most games; instead of a nice stroll or job through the excitement and action of the game, Shadow of the Colossus seems to be more like walk, sprint, walk, sprint, in the way that the player has massive “boss” fights bookended by serene horse rides.  Why is that?  Secondly, the game is one of the most beautiful ever developed for the Playstation 2.  How does the world work together with the gameplay?  And third, why is the game so limited in the abilities of the main character?  Was that on purpose?

Let’s dive in to the practical development techniques that student and independent developers can learn from this title.

Learning from the Colossi: Focus

There is much to be learned from Shadow of the Colossus; the game speaks volumes about the development team that created it.

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