with Kevin Ghouchandra (Host), Patrick R. Dolan, and Alex Hurezeanu

Broadcast date: March 19, 2024

Writer: Kevin Ghouchandra

Producer: Jeremy Andriano

Shadow of the Colossus (2005; remade in 2018) is often cited as a seminal game that has gone on to influence many, many others. The quiet, picturesque landscape of the Forbidden Lands is the backdrop for the cruelty, loneliness, and death that pervades Wander’s journey as they locate and destroy the colossi, sixteen massive beings spread across the land. Join members of the Unarchived podcast team as they explore how a simple game premise provides so much depth. 

All audio clips in the podcast quoted from Shadow of the Colossus.

Sources and Resources:

• Cole, Tom. “The Tragedy of Betrayal: How the Design of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Elicits Emotion.” Diversity of Play: Games – Cultures – Identities, 2016.
• Diver, Mike. “A Decade Later, Shadow of the Colossus Isn’t Quite the Classic You Recall.” Vice, 3 Feb. 2015.
• Ebert, Roger. “Okay, Kids, Play on My Lawn.” RogerEbert.com. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.
• Howard III, Gerard. “Shadow of the Colossus and the Art of Ma.” Variety, 28 Dec. 2018.
• Isbister, Katherine. How Games Move Us: Emotion by Design. The MIT Press, 2017.
• Magnuson, Jordan. “Shadow of the Colossus: It’s a Poem.” Necessary Games, 2012.
• Nomad Colossus (an excellent YouTube channel that explores the map of the Forbidden Lands and game assets)
• Romero, Brenda. Train. 2009.
• Suellentrop, Chris. “The Video-Game Art of Fumito Ueda.” The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2011.