Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are two of my favorite games of all time, but I had not so much as touched the pair of them since their initial years of release. Both games completely drained me emotionally, which may be a reason why I haven’t revisited them over the past decade. Because of this, I approached The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection for PS3 with the sort of reserved excitement one has before meeting up with a close friend after a long-time spent apart. It’s easy to remember the great times you shared, but there’s still a lingering uncertainty about how the reunion is going to play out. Did I change? Did they? What if we’ve both grown past the things we once shared in common?
It turns out I have changed, and so have these two games. But what hasn’t is my unadulterated love and admiration for everything they have to offer. Each title is presented with more than just a fresh coat of paint. Credit needs to be given to Bluepoint Games, the team that handled the remastering duties on both titles. Gone are nagging framerate drops and muddled textures that plagued both titles. With these hiccups gone, we’re finally allowed to appreciate the stellar art direction without being forced to endure slowdowns. In fact, before the end of their opening cinematics, you’ll be so engrossed in the experiences that you’ll forget you’re playing games that are five and ten years old. This collection is the realization of a pair of singular visions that was beyond the capabilities of their medium at the time.
