Wander facing a towering stone colossus in misty ruins from Shadow of the Colossus PS4

Shadow of the Colossus

2005video gameclassic

Published September 27, 2026

Shadow of the Colossus is a 2005 Team Ico action-adventure for PlayStation 2 whose online fandom kept growing long after release, driven by fan art, Let's Plays, and reverence for its 16 boss-only structure. The game became a fixture of gaming Tumblr and DeviantArt galleries throughout the 2010s.

gaming boss fight memes fan art memes lets play memes video game music memes

Overview

The Shadow of the Colossus fandom clusters around three things: the visual language of the 16 colossi, Kow Otani's melancholy orchestral score, and the strange emotional weight of hunting giants across a mostly empty world1. Fan art on DeviantArt and Tumblr often draws the protagonist Wander mid-climb, or reimagines individual colossi in painterly and sketch styles4. Long-form YouTube retrospectives and full-game Let's Plays became a mainstay of the community by the mid-2010s, with major creators framing their playthroughs as a personal experience rather than a combat showcase3. Discussion tends to focus less on gameplay mechanics and more on the game's tone, ending, and lore ties to Ico.

Origin & Background

Platform
PlayStation 2 (source) / Tumblr, DeviantArt, YouTube (fandom)
Date
2005

Team Ico began developing Shadow of the Colossus in 2002 under director Fumito Ueda as a prequel to their 2001 game Ico1. Ueda insisted on realistic physics that made the game unpredictable: colossi could shake a player off mid-stab, and Wander's horse Agro often ignored commands4. Sony Computer Entertainment shipped the game for PlayStation 2 in October 2005, where reviewers highlighted the 16 boss-only structure and Kow Otani's orchestral score1.

How It Spread

In April 2009, Kotaku reported that a Shadow of the Colossus film was in development, with Chronicle director Josh Trank attached and Ueda involved in creative decisions, though the project stalled without cast or release date2. Sony released an HD remaster bundled with Ico for PlayStation 3 in September 2011, and Bluepoint Games' full remake was unveiled at E3 2017 before shipping in February 20181.

On the fandom side, Game Grumps started a Shadow of the Colossus playthrough in February 2014 whose first episode passed 1.6 million views5. Jacksepticeye launched his own series on August 7, 2015, calling the game his favorite of all time; his first video crossed 4.6 million views3. Alongside the Let's Plays, dedicated fan spaces grew across Reddit, Facebook, DeviantArt, and Tumblr, treating the game as a cult text worth revisiting each console generation4.

Timeline

2002

Team Ico begins development on Shadow of the Colossus under Fumito Ueda as a prequel to Ico.

2005-10

Shadow of the Colossus ships for PlayStation 2, known as Wander and the Colossus in Japan.

2009-04

Kotaku reports that a Shadow of the Colossus film is in development with Josh Trank attached to direct.

2011-09

Sony releases an HD remaster bundled with Ico for PlayStation 3.

2014-02

Game Grumps begin a full playthrough; first episode later passes 1.6 million views.

2015-08-07

Jacksepticeye starts his Let's Play series, calling it his favorite game ever; first video passes 4.6 million views.

2017-06

Bluepoint Games' full remake is unveiled at E3 2017.

2018-02

The PlayStation 4 remake by Bluepoint Games releases worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions