Although Shadow of the Colossus is a video game released over a decade ago, the title's impact cannot be overstated. Receiving critical acclaim, the short but sweet PS2 game would influence the video game industry and future titles to keep pushing the limits of immersive gameplay, emotional storylines, and award-winning soundtracks. Eventually, remastered and high-definition versions of the game would be released for the PS3 and PS4, allowing a new generation of gamers to experience one of the greatest video games of all time.
In Shadow of the Colossus, players control the protagonist Wander, a young man tasked with saving the life of a girl named Mono. The game is unique since there are no towns to explore, no friendly NPCs to interact with, and no enemies to defeat besides the eponymous colossi. Players will spend many hours experiencing all the in-game content available.
Main Story Length
The plot chronicles Wander's journey into a forbidden land and subsequent task by Dormin, a disembodied being said to hold the power of resurrection. In exchange for Mono's life, players must quest to slay 16 different colossi– giant beings made of natural and man-made elements. As the story continues, Wander will encounter a group of warriors led by the shaman Enmo that is trying to stop him and discover Dormin is holding its own dark secret. To finish the main story, most players will take 6.5 hours on average.
Finding Extras
In-game, players can find different upgrades that increase Wander's stats, giving him better odds while fighting colossi. Obtaining shining lizard tails will slightly increase Wander's stamina and let him cling onto colossi for longer periods of time. On the other hand, eating fruit that rarely grows from trees expands Wander's health. Note that there is a trophy for maxing out health and stamina, and defeating any colossus will also increase both stats. Finally, the PS4 remake also added 79 gold coins, aka enlightenments, that grant a shining sword once they have all been collected. Finding all extras will add around 2.5 hours and bring the total time spent to 9 hours.
New Game+ and Time Attack
After beating the short but amazing story for the first time, New Game+ allows players to restart from the beginning with all health and stamina upgrades. With infinite replay value in mind, players will need to complete 3 playthroughs to access the game's secret garden. Time Attack is also unlocked after the first playthrough, which challenges Wander to beat each of the 16 colossi again within a certain time limit for increasing rewards and cosmetics. 100-percent completionists are looking at 13 additional hours and a grand total of 22 hours to finish all that Shadow of the Colossus has to offer.
Shadow of the Colossus is available on the PS4 free for PS Plus subscribers during March.
Source: HowLongToBeat