The upcoming Shadow of the Colossus game isn’t just a remastered version of the game, but is remade to look more modern according to Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida.
In an interview with Famitsu (translated by Siliconera), Yoshida clarified that while the game will be changing to fit the PlayStation 4, the story and gameplay will not be changing. So, players will still get to fight the giant colossi and follow the journey of the main protagonist, Wander.
“It is a remake. The game content is the same as the original version, but all the assets are being remade, said Yoshida. “I figured we could use such tech to make if we’re going to make Shadow of the Colossus in the PS4 era.”
The two main updates for the game are an Ultra HD graphics update (which can be seen in its E3 trailer) and an update on the game’s controls. Yoshida said that the controls were updated to fit the PlayStation 4 and what’s comfortable for the modern gamer.
“It’s the same, but player preferences for controls and such change over time, so we’re working on implementing a more modernized way to play,” said Yoshida when Famitsu asked about the story and gameplay staying the same. “And of course you can play with a feel of the original version, but what we’re doing is showing how great the original work is, using today’s technology.”
Bluepoint Games will be in charge of the Shadow of the Colossus remake, and previously worked with Team Ico on The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection for the PlayStation 3. They have also made collections for God of War, Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid and remastered Gravity Rush.
Yoshida also mentioned that Fumito Ueda, the lead designer for Ico, the original Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian wasn’t very involved in the Shadow of the Colossus remake. This doesn’t shock me, since the focus of this remake is changing the controls to fit in with modern gaming and the PlayStation 4 rather than a complete change to the story and gameplay.
Ueda seems more focused on creating his next game post The Last Guardian, which was released in late 2016. In an interview with Forbes, Ueda said that he wanted to make a game similar to the Shadow of the Colossus‘s open world (not exactly making a second Shadow of the Colossus game, but using its open world elements). The full Forbes interview can be found here.
“When I completed Shadow, there was a moment where I wondered if I wanted to go around an open world again, and maybe I should go back to a more closed space, spending a more intimate time with something in that space,” said Ueda. “That became the starting point for The Last Guardian… Now I’ve completed The Last Guardian and spent so many years in that game, maybe I may go back to the Shadow-type environment.”
Shadow of the Colossus was released back in 2005 and received critical acclaim. It has won numerous awards for its artistry along with having extremely positive reviews.
“What isn’t difficult, however, is stating that not only is Shadow of the Colossus an absolute must-play experience, but one of the most important games you’ll come across anytime soon,” said IGN writer Chris Roper in his review of the game (which can be found here). “Shadow is a true work of art, the likes of which we’ve only seen approached by a very, very small number of games.”
The Shadow of the Colossus remake will be released in 2018 as a PlayStation 4 exclusive.
Featured image via Wikimedia Commons.
