Shadow of the Colossus: Simplicity in Storytelling

I have a confession: I love myself a powerful story in games I play. I love being taken aback by plot twists, I love connecting with the characters, and I love the immersion this brings. But most of all, I love the simple things in life. Like being moved by a tale which is so devoid of complexity and depth that a one paragraph-summary is good enough to cover the whole thing.

This brings me to Shadow of the Colossus, probably my favourite game. This is the story: Wander’s fiancee is dead and he has taken her to the end of the world on horseback to resurrect her. When arriving, he agrees to help releasing an evil god by defeating 16 massive colossi with nothing but a stolen sword. No context is given; there is only Wander, an immense, empty wasteland and the giants. The game is one of the emptiest I’ve played.

Simple as it is, there is something beautiful about the way SotC is presented. The lack of standard storytelling makes the game so mysterious and wonderful in its own unique way. What is the relationship between Wander and his fiancee? Why is she dead? Why is he willing to unleash an evil spirit just to save her? And finally, is it morally right to kill the colossi? These questions keep boggling me as I realize the giants I’m killing seem quite peaceful. They wander aimlessly around and are not threatening until I approach them with my sword. And as each of them is slain, Wander slowly becomes more sick while the god turns stronger. Is resurrecting a loved one worth the suffering both the protagonist and his enemies undergo?

The game never asks these questions directly, yet I can’t help thinking about them. That’s the beauty of SotC: The empty narrative leaves a gap which players start filling with their own thoughts and ideas. Of course, I like complex stories too. But SotC immerses me on a whole different scale. It’s a kind of storytelling only matched by its prequel, Ico. Which was made by the same developers. Man, these guys are good.

Lars Hermans