Here's what I think. I think that Phalanx relies on echolocation to get around. If you notice, Phalanx has a very high-pitched cry that seems to echo- Just like dolphins and bats. And its head seems to be shaped in an odd way that could help it detect objects- like a tuning fork. So it's possible that what the rings do is, when Phalanx uses its echolocation to get around, it bounces the sound off the metal plates to create a higher-frequency sound, creating the impression of there being an object in the way. Also, Phalanx has the smallest eye-to-body ratio out of all the colossi- Hinting that its eyesight may be very poor. It could also explain why Phalanx never attacks you- You're just not a big enough object for it to detect.
It must be sad being a colossus, trapped in an arena with nothing to do but wait for an annoying pest of a man to come and whistle at you, aggravate you, shoot you with arrows, climb on you and plunge a sharp sword into your forehead or other sensitive areas.
+Ziggy Angelo I think the colossi are in a state of torpor or hibernation until an intruder crosses the threshold of their arena which rouses them into action. So they can wait out the centuries as still as stone. However Ueda explains in the art book that time has stopped in the forbidden lands, so from a colossus's point of view no time would have passed since they were first created.
Wow, yet another thing I've learned from Nomad Colossus, thanks! But still, being concious for around 10 minutes, and with all that time occupied with trying to kill this little pest, only to end up being killed yourself, still now very enjoyable.
I noticed most of the colossi have some stone structure built on them, which I assume were originally to immobilize them. But all of them eventually broke free, because I assume they've been there undisturbed for a very long time. Perhaps the rings used to be on Phalanx; the intact ones would have been near the head and tail, while the broken ones were in the middle and thus harder to remove without breaking them. I think it makes sense because the extra weight would prevent it from flying.
daboss640 Nice theory! I like the idea that the stone structures were built to immobilize the colossi, never considered that before : ) But the rings are too far away from each other to have held Phalanx down, I mean the colossus would have had to be 10 times the size it is now (and it's the largest colossus).
The main reason I think the structures were to immobilize them is that they are clearly man made. It's doesn't seem to be some form of shell, or natural armor; someone had to build it. The last colossus' lower body is completely encased in ruins which essentially traps it there.
I love how this video has cultivated such deeply devoted and intelligent discussion. It was never my intention! This was just another video amongst all my other videos speculating about the colossi for my subs to enjoy xD. I admit, I went a bit far when I discussed how the rings worked, and how the so called 'missing ring' worked to fit into my theory - but I had no idea this video would create such controversy and discussion. So I apologise if I have led anyone astray ; ) On the other hand, it's nice to see fans talking about this colossus, and as this is my most viewed video so far (past 600K now), I'm glad I made it in the end.
Nomad Colossus you didn't lead anyone astray, I myself has found this discussion to interesting, not just because phalanx is my favorite!, I want to know how does those rings work and why do they keep phalanx locked in that desert, to me you are very helpful with these discussions and I thank you for it.
I'm a relatively new subscriber to your channel, and your videos just keep on amazing me. I feel so happy about the sheer fact that there is such a dedicated fan to SotC like you on earth. xD I love each one of your videos that I've watched.
Perhaps the rings do not function anymore but Phalanx is trained to not go past them, much like circus elephants are tied to stakes when they are young and aren't strong enough to pull them out of the ground yet - but as the years go by they just accept that they cannot pull it out even though they have grown larger and strong enough to do so. Perhaps even though the rings are broken and possibly not functioning anymore, Phalanx accepts that it is still trapped?
Why is this game so mysterious? Why is everyone wanting to understand it fully? Why do I want to understand it fully? Why don't the devs come out and answer our plea?
SlimeWithAMonocle Question 1) I can't tell you exactly. I can explore out beyond the map in other games or travel the vast open landscapes (as in Skyrim V for example or more recently RAGE) but I didn't have the same deep emotional connection to the virtual world as I do with SotC. 2) You are asking the question all Colossi fans ask, because the game is so mysterious and there is little or no information given about the story line we are left with questions. Questions that need answers! Who is Wander, why does he care so much about Mono that he would risk his life and on and on! 3) Japanese developers are notorious for being tight lipped about older games and rarely give details about them. Even getting answers about new games can be challenging, I guess it has to do with their culture - sucks for us Westerners who want to know every detail. I was in contact with the sound engineer from Team Ico via Twitter, I asked a few questions about his work, i.e. how he created his effects etc. which he answered, but as soon as I asked about the discarded colossi he broke all contact with me and that was that.
Thanks for answering my questions, and it does suck that they can't tell us much about what goes on there. I've never felt this way about a game before, so beautiful.
SlimeWithAMonocle This game's story and backstory were left undevelopped on purpose. Shadow of the Colossus is like poetry in a video game format; the whole point is to let players guess. I'm not sure even the developpers know everything about the world they've created.
Based on the ruins and constructed aspects of the environments around Avion, Barba, Hydrus, Kuromori, Pelagia, Cenobia, Argus, and Malus, it always seemed probable to me that there was a time while the Forbidden Lands were still populated where the people had to cope with all 16 Colossi decimating the land, and that they may not have originally been as much of a threat as they are by the time Wander gets there - they may have all been around the size of Celosia and Cenobia at first, but eventually they somehow ended up growing larger and more powerful as time went on. I think Kuromori, for example, was used in roman colosseum-style fights when they could still control the colossi, perhaps trying to make the most out of Dormin's expropriated power by using them as guardians. Eventually, however, they grew more powerful - blast guards had to be constructed in order to safely approach Malus, Barba and Cenobia started developing a "lust for destruction", Celosia had to be kept under control by hitting it with flaming sticks from the temple it was supposed to be guarding to the point of traumatizing it, and Argus completely flattened the cliffside city leaving only brick outlines of the houses that once stood there. It may have been at this point that the surviving inhabitants realized that sealing Dormin's powers within the colossi had been a huge mistake, and eventually whatever was left of the society fled the lands, strictly charging their children to never return to those lands, but for whatever reasons chose not to completely seal off the lands and took the Ancient Sword- which clearly was instrumental in the splitting of Dormin's soul- along with them, passing it down from generation to generation rather than taking action to correct their mistakes. If that's the case, then it's more than possible that these rings were constructed during the era where the Colossi were becoming more powerful than the inhabitants originally anticipated, and were gradually becoming more and more dangerous. Phalanyx may have been among those easier to subdue, as it seems the very least aggressive of them all.
Nice ideas here ; ) Never considered the colossi grew larger over time, although there's no evidence to support this (like most other theories about this game) your theory is unique. I like the idea of the blast guards having to be installed later at Malus' arena, however, #8's arena I don't think could have been a colosseum as there are no seats for spectators, although its design is clearly based on a Roman style colosseum. I wonder why some of the colossi would grow larger but others didn't?
Nomad Colossus My guess would be total kill count. Remember how, in the end when Dormin possesses Wander and turns him into a giant, Colossus-like being, you see the shadows all "run" up to Dormin/Wander and cause him to gradually grow? Not to mention how the Colossi's power/soul/whatever those black tendrils are that go "into" Wander seem to gradually transform him more and more into a being similar to the Colossi themselves. Perhaps the only reason Wander doesn't get bigger prior to killing all 16 is because the souls are all lurking above the Shrine Temple along with the main essence of Dormin, which he takes away from Wander before they cause him to grow? Always thought it was suspicious how two Colossi are actually significantly smaller than their Shrine Temple counterparts, and it would make much more sense if they all started out that way but grew larger as they killed more and more humans. Additionally, perhaps 8's Colosseum initially did have seats, but they were removed at a later point so the building could be swiftly evacuated in the event that a Colossus began shooting energy at the crowd, until eventually the arena was completely abandoned. Perhaps other Colossi were also fought there until they got too big to fit? The Colosseum shows significant signs of damage that 8 simply isn't capable of causing, including one collapsed segment of the Colosseum that looks almost like one of the bipedal Colossi might've caused while climbing out of the arena, likely to the horror of the crowd. As to why the other two didn't grow, I think it may be because they didn't kill nearly as many of the original inhabitants of the Forbidden Land. The fire guardian seems to have been conditioned through the use of fire torture to fear humans and was easily subjugated, while the abandoned city guardian topples buildings, which is an indirect method and may not have resulted in soul transference. Or perhaps they both took their positions as guardians seriously and never attacked any residence until the Colossi became completely out of control.
Phalanx is the biggest colossus but I don't think he ever killed anyone, he is just flying in peace. The rest of the theory makes sense, but not the kill count. I think you can just look at it in a simpler way. Some colossus grow large and others don't. Those two colossi are small because they jump, run and are agile, unlike the other colossi. Some grew wings and flew, some grew hands to carry a weapon, some stayed small to be more agile. Why are cats smaller than bears? Not everything has to grow the same way, but everything has individual perks related to their size and shape
Borline But the problem with that being the case is the actual statues in the main Temple. The ones that are actual colossi (that is, giant statues). The ones that shatter when you kill their respective Colossus. Dormin openly states that the Colossi are "manifestations" of each of those main statues, and they exist to ensure that the statues themselves cannot possibly be torn down by hand, regardless of what tools may be used. And all 16 of them are pretty much the exact same size. So why would they manifest in different proportions? Is size equivalent to power? If that were the case, then why are all the freed shadows that gather around Wander whenever he wakes up in the Temple all the same size, too? Think of it also logistically. If you have this terrible being you need to seal away, and you need to make sure that each segment of its power is locked away inside a statue, and in order to prevent those statues from falling to things such as erosion or decay you need make a living manifestation somewhere else that is capable of maintaining itself and will actively try to keep itself alive at all costs... why would you DELIBERATELY manifest it in a form you had no hope of controlling? And one that could easily trample your entire society, to boot. Obviously the people who built all the architectural marvels were clearly masterful builders and talented spell-weavers, so why was their solution to the original problem of Dormin to create the Colossi instead of doing what Lord Emun does and just sucking the demon/god/being into that swirly vortex of death? You'd think that would have been their FIRST course of action, wouldn't you? Seems kind of a boneheaded move for such a massively intelligent race. Unless, of course, the whole Colossi thing was an act of hubris and an attempt to control Dormin's power for themselves that went horribly wrong, and hundreds of thousands of their kind all died, and they fled not only out of fear, but shame as well. And considering that their descendants still committed mandatory human sacrifice and just left vital ritual artifacts that could unleash Armageddon just lying around where a heartbroken rebel could casually snatch them up and flee the country, it does suggest volumes about the levels of overconfidence, arrogance, and lack of basic ethics their kind routinely displayed. As for Phalanax being peaceful and yet massive... well, first of all, he's not massive at all as he must be EXTREMELY lightweight in order to continuously glide with his gas sacs blown, even if he does end up cutting into the sand with his wings. He may be extraordinarily long, but in terms of height, width, and mass he actually is significantly smaller than he looks- about what you'd get if you took Quadratus and squished them with a gigantic rolling pin. Not to mention that the architecture does imply that the whole desert in Phalanax's arena may not have ALWAYS been a desert at all.
Emmett LaFave i know right? But shadow of the colossus is way back than Ico so how did the guys who created the castle found out how the rings work and how they built it
The thing is is that it could be deliberate, or they were just making use of the textures and models they had made already. The latter makes more sense, considering the time-consuming and costly toll of game design. While I do like to imagine that they're connected, it seems much more likely to me that the developers were just cleverly re-using old assets.
@@antipsychotic451 I could put exactly what you said in a discussion comparing Zelda's Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask, and it would make perfect sense aha, but it is always hard to tell, is it intentional or just smart on their end? Unfortunately we will probably never know if Ico and SotC's assets were intentional or not :c
When i had the game i always wondered about the ancient cities and temples and constructs in the game. It would be awesome to see what the forbidden land was like before the worship of "Dormin" and all horned creatures was banned.
***** They started developing a new game for the PS3 called The Last Guardian. but it been in development for a long time. We don't know nothing about history except for what they showed on the first trailers or if it's gonna be finished.
Every couple months since i first played colossus ive gotten the urge to just completely rediscover the game and rewatch all the lore videos on it again Such a great story
TL:DR he is basically a flying fish that uses hot air balloons to keep himself gliding at a low altitude over the hot sands, but can't actually fly under his own power. My theory is that perhaps the rings once did do something, but now are broken, maybe another colossus was bound to the ground by them (similar to the final one's shackles) and broke free, but I think that Best Colossus stays their due to his gas sack things. They would need hot air or gas to fill up and be buoyant, and the hot air currents over a desert would definitely be needed to get something that large airborne, which would explain his large, flat body and fins (which don't flap as they are used to catch hot air coming from the sand, similar to a sail for heat or a parachute). That would also explain why it can't go higher, as the air would cool enough that he couldn't float on it. Once you leave the surface you loose heat extremely fast, the sheltering mountains would also not be stopping the cold winds hitting him at that point. If you have ever flown a glider, you would most likely see the similarities I mention. He has no vertical means of propulsion, the way he gets into the air itself is be effectively jumping from the sand like a fish from water, think of him like a flying fish, but his gas bags can heat up enough from the radiating heat a desert produces to keep him airborne at a low high indefinitely. He has no means of going any higher and so, cannot fly out of the mountains.
Awesome theory ! I never understood what those things wee until now. Thanks ! So maybe, like someone said in the comments, the rings were supposed to keep control over him, the same way the other colossi all have rock constructions as armors. Maybe it was weight to prevent him from flying, or flying to high ? Forcing him to stay in the sand like Dirge. But he eventually broke free and threw the rings away, as he is the only colossus with no such things as human constructions on him. Maybe, I don't know. I like to think about it though. He is my favorite one.
It's been 8 years since I left that one "echolocation" theory comment all the way back when I was in junior high, and while it's almost certainly not what's actually going on (especially since the PS4 remake did away with the whole clicking sound thingy) I still find myself thinking about this video from time to time. Seeing that you're still responding to comments and uploading the same stuff made me smile, it's comforting knowing that some things still haven't changed in over a decade :)
While I like the idea of there being some form of seal to keep the colossi trapped Avion is the only one that bothers me, I see no reason why she can't just fly above the mountains unless there is maybe some form of hidden seal like the rings within the ruins or under the water. An alternate theory that could still relate to the rings is Phalanx having a dependency on the sand itself for flight, he cannot maintain high altitudes for a long time being forced to use his wings to glide around after you shoot the air sacks and after being on him for a while he will even eventually return to the sand practically nose diving into it and then returning with his air sacks refilled. The gas inside might possibly be produced through some interaction with the sand or something under it (eating it or something similar causing a reaction to make the gas). If this is true he probably couldn't fly very far without needing to return to the sand anyway. This could work as a theory on it's own as he needs the sand to keep existing but the rings could ALSO be there as a way to prevent him from just flying off to a beech or other sandy area where he can refill his air sacks. That's just my own little theory. Think of it what you will.
I like your ideas! The idea that Phalanx needs to refuel by diving into the sand is a novel concept, perhaps it's some element in the sand that it can process to produce gas, although in nature it's usually organic matter that makes gas... still these colossi are made of stone, so perhaps ingesting stone (in this case sand) could feed Phalanx in some way. With Avion, all I meant was it never flies higher than the mountains, in fact it flies about half the height of the mountains, and like Phalanx seems to be stuck at a certain altitude. But as some one noted, it could easily fly out of its arena above the temple you enter through, so it could still escape if it wanted to. I've received a fair amount of criticism about this video, even though I stated in the video comments that there were problems with this idea... but it has become one of my most popular videos! Probably due to the enigmatic title xD.
Nomad Colossus Oh I understand, Avion is an odd one to talk about because she's one of the more mobile colossi. My only guess is there possibly being a hidden seal/symbol or something with the temple structure or water in her area. It seems a bit odd that there is a temple there to begin with in the water. Hydrus had towers that seemed to connect to a bridge which was fair enough to let you get to her but Avion has a temple smack dab in the middle of the water with no inner connections. I agree that since the Colossus are all made from minerals like stone with organic parts like eyes and flesh/fur that some of them probably can interact with said materials. Phalanx is the only one that really shows any form of bodily function like production of gas where as most the other colossi show no signs of being able to exhale/excrete or eat anything (though Pelagia has teeth as if his head was cut off and moulded over but he's still alive so the collosus don't NEED to eat per say, Kuromori has a mouth which produces poison but it seems to initially be made of energy like what Malus and others make).
Cal DW I also like your idea of 'seals', it reminds me of the 3rd Indiana Jones movie where the immortal knight could not leave the temple due to the 'great seal' that was the curse of immortality. In the same way the colossi are immortal, they wait out the centuries as inanimate stone and only come to life when an intruder passes the threshold (which might be considered as a 'seal' ?) Perhaps each colossi arena's 'trigger point' i.e. the spot which wakes the colossi, could be defined as a seal? Although there is no other evidence for this it is a compelling idea and I like it ; ) As for the colossi needing to feed, that is a harder concept to accept.... it would need to work for all the colossi and I don't see enough evidence for that, although I have speculated that Malus (#16) is like a huge electrical accumulator... if you listen to his sound effects (without the background music) it sounds like the thunder and lightning is building up a charge, which is then released via Malus' lighting bolt attacks! See this video to see what I mean: th-cam.com/video/uJ1uAmbtr4E/w-d-xo.html#t=4335
Nomad Colossus maybe those rings arent only restricting Phalanx but also powering his flight we notice the white glowing bags on his underside and we shoot those to make him descend so maybe those are powered by sunlight or electromagnetic fields from those rings so he has to stay near the rings to continue flying and the fields the rings give off only go so high so Phalanx can only go so high so the stone slab structures were most likely originally the height limit indicator. tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WMG/ShadowOfTheColossus this contains some theories about the collosi i suggest you read this
personally I dont see the reason they would want to leave their areas. I mean ,aren't they seals that supress Dormin's powers? They were created to contain the powers of Dormin, so their purpouse is to stop Wander from releasing their soul, IMO they are not trying to scape, but instead they are hidden. They only attack when they see danger. Just my opinion, sorry for my english xD
I never saw every colossi like "trapped" to no escape. To me they were like guardians of the area where they laid. Every area is, in some way, deteriorated by time. Maybe, and just maybe, Phalanx is wandering that area because the structure that had to guard is now under ground, buried by sand.
Not to be a jerk or anything, but if your gonna use the ring theory and tie it into the rings that open the gates in Ico, don't leave a ring out. The gate took 6 rings to open, not 5. Unless of course you think they built a 6th ring for this purpose, but otherwise that means there is a sixth ring somewhere, probably buried near the mountains that 13 can't pass over. Also, I don't think that Phalanx can fly. It doesn't seem to be able to get any higher than we see here, and those flapping fins? Those aren't wings, those are rudders. Its using them to steer and paddle through the air. The air sacks on each segment of its body are the only thing keeping it so high in the air, otherwise it basically floats on gravity or magnetism or something, perhaps some internal air sacks or even magic if you want to take that route. Whichever way you look at it, this colossus does not fly, it hovers. If it had wings, it would be expending a lot more energy and would need to rest, but its body can't rest on land normally and it never stops to try like the avian colossus, which tells me that its not using up a lot of energy while hovering the way it does. The only point at which it touches ground is when it burrows to remove Wander from its back, but otherwise it prefers to remain airborne. Burrowing into the sand may just be a defense tactic, as the second it goes in, once Wander is off, it immediately comes back out. Someone else made a very interesting observation about the shape of Phalanx's head and its high pitched cry, suggesting that it has poor eyesight and needs echolocation to get around, and that is a good reason why its the only colossus that doesn't attack Wander. I think this is a very fact based observation to make, and it also ties into the idea of this ring trap. Now here is my theory: Scientists think that birds have an internal compass that detects the electromagnetic pull of the earth, telling them where to fly for the winter and where to go to come back for spring. If Phalanx needs to use echolocation to see, then it could also be armed with the ability to feel the magnetic field of the planet in order to find its way around as well, and the rings could be doing exactly what you say they are, spewing off an electromagnetic field that bounces Phalanx off into another direction, keeping it trapped and unable to see beyond the man-made barrier. From watching the flight path, it looks to me like a frantic Phalanx is very confused and trying to find a way out of a trap, which would help this theory make a lot of sense. Another interesting idea if there are people out there who don't like the ring theory, what if Phalanx was blinded by another hero? A very interesting topic! Phalanx is my favorite colossus simply because he is this fascinating. Even though he gave me the second most trouble in the game, I love him the most, even though they were all awesome. I would love to hear more theories! Btw, where did that ending come from with the horses in front of the ring? Is that something you created?
Nice ideas here ; ) Like I say in the video comments I always had a problem with this theory as there is a missing ring - without that last ring, Phalanx should be able to just fly away at the SW part of the flight path, instead it circles around the rock promontory and flies back in. So I speculated about a missing ring, but really there is no evidence for this. I don't recall talking about Phalanx's wings, it clearly floats above the sand due to its air sacks, or perhaps even thermals created by the hot sand help keep it aloft? I wouldn't say Phalanx has a high pitched cry, they sound more like underwater sounds, a sort of rumbling, bubbling sound... but I like the echolocation idea - makes sense. If you read my blog post about this I go into more detail: nomads-sotc-blog.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/13th-colossus.html Yes, the end was just a story telling element... the soldiers are sent by the dark Queen to retrieve the stones rings for her castle.
Haha! I did come across as a slight jerk, sorry about that. I didn't see the 6th ring mentioned in the video, but I was also so intrigued that my mind wandered from time to time during the whole thing so its possible I missed some stuff. The ending is quite a nice touch, I actually wanted it to be real lol. The reason I mentioned the wings was not because it was ever mentioned, it was because the vid liked to call his floating flying a lot, something I've noticed even the creators tend to call it, but I'm pretty sure that he's almost like a fish which are able to stay aloft in water via an organ called a swim bladder, and sharks have to constantly stay in motion or they die, though I doubt Phalanx has a lot to worry about stopping to rest if he needed to. That and of course it comes into question why he doesn't just float on over those mountains and escape his celtic knot circuit, but my theory is just another idea as to why alongside the rings. As for the echolocation thing, the comment about it by Shadow Ho-Oh is right below mine. I think because of the flight path your using here, the sounds Phalanx makes end up sounding a lot more high pitched than in game at its normal pace and its easy to assume if one does not know its sped up. He even looks like he moves more like a worm or a swimming sea cucumber. If its not sped up I will be surprised.
Some guy in a video referenced it was a star gate xD if it is then it must be an easter egg to the mini series. Maybe it's some kind of satanic portal built into the game o.o
IDK Let's not forget Sonic R haha I do know for a fact satanic rituals CAN make a real tails doll through possession of a demon. Which in this case is as close as you can get to a REAL tails doll curse. I wouldn't be stupid enough to do it though but yeah. We could also be exaggerating about it being a satanic portal which are real.
The Colossi are obviously Guardians of each domain. Areas which are surely ruins of important places long ago. I think that the rings were once part of a castle or similar building like those in Ico, but the building long crumbled and that's all that is left. The reason the Colossi don't leave their arenas is because they are still protecting them, even long after all the people have gone and the structures crumbled. Your theory is interesting, but I think it's just coincidental. Although, details like that are strictly meant to be for speculation and intrigue. So it's cool to see what other ideas people come up with!
Awesome :) I've always thought much the same thing. All the colossi are also found around the remains of buildings or landmarks. Apart from two - this one and that other sand-based one in the cave. And both have the abilty to dive under the sand, suggesting there are more than the visible remains hidden beneath.
0Tenshi0 Explain why Malus is literally stuck to the ground, and why he so ruthlessly tries to murder you until he can see you. By the way, I honestly want to know your reasoning behind him with this theory. No offense meant.
0Tenshi0 the colossi are actually just parts of dormin which is why you become him when you kill and steal their souls. You become dormin as a whole when you collect all his parts basically. I'm pretty this was explained somewhere in the game or by the devs
@@cow9572 yeah, this is literally explained to you verbatim at the end of the game and it's heavily implied that there's a connection between dormin and the colossi throughout the entire game. OP's assertion that the colossi are "guardians" of old areas speaks of a severe lack of attention to the actual game and its lore
Phalanx could just go over the mountains, unless it wasn't really a flying monster, and more of a gliding one. Aren't the white sacks on its stomach targets? If they are, then they could be like balloons, giving 13 just enough height to be above ground, but not enough to clear mountains.
That is a really good point. Aside from the air sacks, Phalanx has no other visible way to gain altitude/fly. I think that Phalanx gains higher altitude by filling the air sacks with air, and when it wants to descend it releases some of the air. Kinda of like a submarine.
Have you all noticed how phalanx is the only colossi that DOESNT attack you. He's just chillin and we go in there and fuk his day up for no reason.. poor dude
"All the other colossi are land locked in some way" Well yeah... After all... SPOILER ALERT, READ AT YOUR OWN FUCKING RISK!: All 16 Colossi are basically just fragments of Dormin, the spirit that makes the deal with you about defeating the Colossi to revive Mono, the girl that you place on the altar in the beginning of the game. The fragments were shattered by a certain person that may or may not have came from the same place as the Protagonist: Wander. This man, named Emon, had to place the fragments of Dormin into Colossi which he then placed those Colossi in secluded places to prevent them from going on outside fields to cause chaos and prevent anybody from destroying them. (They ARE Colossal after all, it would be PREEEEEEEETTY tough to take fuckers like that down. Especially seeing as to how you need a special ancient sword just to reveal their weakness sigils.). So, it would definitely be no surprise why they would be land locked in ANNNNNNNNYWAY possible.
santiago sancho of course then the question comes of how intelligent and conscious the creatures are. It's likely that they'd play along with the plan for a while, but i tend to think that the colossi would become restless, bored, curious and lonesome. I think in to long run, they'd end up longing to leave, and to live a life.
endorsedbryce I don't believe it was Emon who sealed Dormin away. It was his ancestors and they passed down the knowledge over many generations keeping the sacred sword as a revered relic as it was most probably used in the ritual to break Dormin into component parts and seal it away. Dormin says at the end cut scene 'Thou severed our body into 16 segments and encased us in stone monuments, 'for an eternity' in order to seal away our power... so it seems many years have passed since Dormin was imprisoned, perhaps a millennia?
This actually makes me wish they'd made a surface dwelling Dirge-type colossus (a millipede based one, perhaps) that chases you at high speed, in a area with paths of rings large enough for the colossus to follow you through, but that get ever so slightly smaller, meaning you must lure it into following you through the rings and getting stuck, giving you time to climb a ring with grips on the outside of it, jump down onto the colossus, and stab, possibly with the colossus backing out or breaking the tight ring after the first symbol is used up, requiring you to repeat the process in an alternate path.
It's a PS2 game and this encounter is with one of the largest Colossi, so the game designers have all those structures in place so they know where to plan it's flight path. All the Colossi are bound by a certain area.
ZanFear this is the most logical explanation for why they are their gameplay wise but because of the other hints of some civilization existing here at some point alot of people think it's related to them cause after all once the colossus was finished being made why not remove the rings? why would the devil team leave them their? it can't he that hard to remove the structure can it?
This game is so god damn good. The music is so hauntingly brilliant. I wish they'd make another one. I just cannot get enough of this studio's unparalleled artistic flare.
My theory is that because there's a piece of Dormin's soul in each colossus, they're "possessed" by him. His power prevents them from moving around freely and that's why they only do so much to fight Wander...Also that's why you can see their weak spots.
Ugh. They need to make a new game with the original 48 colossi and more sweet secrets and easter eggs abound, hidden lore and shit. WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT THE LAST GUARDIAN MORE COLOSSI
My conclusion was that you were likely meant to fight Dirge there in development, and either have the rings as a showpiece that you's automatically be pathed through, Or that Dirge would crash into them, and or get stuck on them if you lured him through one. The area was likely deemed too big to have the fight in, as it may lead to confusion as to where Dirge and the player were in relation, or glitches with Dirge running off, maybe being able to lure him out of the ring. Who knows, Phalanx could have been added to account for the lack of a Collosus in the desert after they moved Dirge into that grotto place.
You will be pleased to know that you may be right! In the official art book the early sketches of Dirge show it in an open field chasing after Wander riding Agro (not in a cave), so who knows, perhaps the broken rings are a leftover of this idea as Dirge now smashes through some rocks, but perhaps in earlier builds it crashes into the rings?
332211ggGHGFF This is a game where all the lore is hidden, and subjective. What I love about SotC and Ico are that the real story and lore elements are all subtext and interpretation. That's why I also am getting into the Dark Souls games, though those games have a bit more story up front than this one xD Also... I'm guessing the Ico is a descendant of Wander, but perhaps the Queen/Witch is gathering Wander's ancestors and killing them to gain Dormin's power? That's my interpretation of the lore at least xD I'm guessing that Wander and his love eventually get with each other 20+ years later, and start a nation in the forbidden land. Kids born with horns in that nation are the ones holding bits of Dormin's soul, like Ico.
There's an early sketch of 10's area in the art book which might be where 13's desert is today, see image here: www.flickr.com/photos/nomadcolossus/15203126197/in/photostream/ Sadly, there are no rings shown, but there are some rock promontories that we see at both arenas. So it's quite possible Dirge was once part of #13's desert.
+Geodetic20 well it has some stone kind of things on its wing and tail and around it and its head is problably made of stone would you wanna try carrying 2 sacks of giant stones up a hill?
I think the reasons the colossi avoids the rings is because he once played Superman 64 and was so traumatized by how bad it was, he can't stand the thought of even flying close to giant rings.
I love the way it feels as though its a real historical thing from the past and makes you ask what are they? Where are they from? Why are they here? And its not just that the creator just thought it looks a bit boring there add a ruin lol i wonder if the creator actually had any reason for them? Personally i thought they looked like giant shackles Peace!!
In a way it is historical. At least in video game terms. You would be hard pressed to find another game that has been scrutinized, discussed, speculated, hacked, explored, as much as "Shadow Of The Colossus". And there is no end in sight. Even the CD soundtrack might have made history for the amount of years it's remained in print. 2022 will mark 17 years. That's actually quite incredible. Just like the music itself. :)
thinking maybe the rings are thermal collectors. if they collect and amplify light as you think they would also generate intense heat maybe implying its an artificial desert. the colossus appears to ride thermals as evidenced by minimal wing movement and would certainly limit its altitude and contain it to areas warm enough to create lift aka the desert specifically around the rings where the greatest thermal energy would be and a possible 6th east ring which would put his path almost central to the formation making it a thermal box to contain him
Super interesting. I swear you could talk about the most mundane thing in this game and I’m always super intrigued and could hear about it for hours lol
I didn't even realize the rings in the desert are identical to the ones in ICO's castle....which leads me to believe they do serve some kind of energy focusing purpose...I mean, WHY would someone install rings in the desert for no reason other than aesthetic appeal? It's an odd design for a structure....UNLESS it serves a secret purpose.
So I just came over from Shesez's channel. Thanks for helping him out on his video! I had no idea your channel existed so it is a great find for me as well.
SotC was one of those games that didn't shove the story in your face but you always felt bad for killing the Colossi and watching as it slowly falls to the floor and turns black. It's a game that is very good at making the player feel very lonely and kind of sad. Best use of music and atmosphere I've ever seen in a game.
I know this is really old, but has anyone noticed that all of the rings seem to be angled away the area Phalanx is in? Not that it seems relevant in any way. Also the rings may not be missing but just simply unseen as they could very well just be under the sand. What would be really interesting is you could hunt for the rings under the desert by stabbing the sand and listening for a different sound or perhaps your sword bounces. Just a thought.
When you look at it from the game maker's standpoint they're just props placed in the desert, nothing more. The colossus doesn't fly away because it's a video game, games have constrains and tricks to keep you engaged instead of chasing after the flying colossus tough the whole world. Bless the fans that create these mythologies and theories keeping old games alive.
Phalanx, Avion, and Hydrus seem to be the only colossi who don't have any form of architecture on them. This might suggest that they are the youngest of the 16. At the same time, that would make Pelagia the oldest because his eyes are his tusks. Pelagia is the only colossus whose eyes do that.
Christopher Hicks Interesting idea there ; ) I had never considered how old each colossus was in relation to the others... I always assumed they were all created at once, but how or why this happened is never mentioned. If they were living beings before they were colossi perhaps they roamed the lands freely until Dormin arrived and used them for its own sinister purposes.
this is what i love about the game. you can make so many theories about the game and they all seem to make sense but you never truly know what is really going on. Just another thought about their age is that they never really try to constantly attack you, (except hydrus who really doesn't do much and avion who really just tries to push you off of the platform) they act like children. they only try to get you off of them rather than actually kill. if you were to continuously poke a small child they will just try to brush you off and move away rather than act defiantly.
Such a beautiful, mysterious game, especially phalanx, to me just a peaceful, flying, friendly giant. He was the hardest one to actually finish... All the others were pretty hard just phalanx is the most elegant one. Such an emotional and deep game. This game is the closest to art than any other game wish it went on forever with more giants just for the sake to extend this masterpiece.
As much as i love to throw ppl down and prove them wrong, this actually has some pretty cool evidence... of course the gamemakers at sony probably made the restrictions for the colossi so the game wouldn't glitch out, but this actually caught my eye because of the nature of how mysterious the game is...
Wow heard about this game for the first time today, amazing to see you make these videos. Also it would be so cool if a game could come out with finding secrets as actually the main function of the game as like level 2 of the game and having the secrets not be easily found just like how this community has been going on for years amazing stuff
Also something very interesting I noticed is, in Malus' and Celosia's layer, there are lit lamps. And lamps cannot stay lit for really, really long unless they are constantly refilled with oil. So could there have been a civilization until the very recent past I. E., not long before our arrival at the Forbidden Lands? Or could there still be a civilization, hidden away somewhere deep within the lands?
It is possible that they were designed and modeled before they cut out the "Worm" boss, so when they still decided to use the asset somewhere. Perhaps that boss would have been designed for you to lure the worm-like boss to tunnel/attack head-on at you straight into a set of rings, temporarily trapping it. Just a thought.
So... Maybe castle from Ico was even older then colossi? Civilization from the past was destroyed by... something. Dormin maybe. Only ruins remained. Also, don't forget that, Castle from Ico was partly ruined.
I wouldn't say it's older than the Colossi. If that last picture in the video (god knows where it's from) is legit then the castle was made, or at least the rings were implemented after the Colossi, and let's not forget that Ico takes place after Shadow of the Colossus. But maybe the castle was older and only the rings were added after SotC. But you made me curious to what Dormin actually is and what he did before he was split and banished, and how long he was imprisoned, and why he has retained the ability to speak? All very interesting questions...
Nomad Colossus This looks alot like the ICO castle, the rings are part of the West and East that we open to get the light passing to the main gantes, and the temple/castle is centered right above the main gate. (1st aerial view in your vid) And the bottom part opposite to the temple between the 2 gates could be the other end of the bridge in ICO castle connecting it to the island.
japan studios we need answers D: The storylines and games have so much potential, and this game could have been much more famous if they had marketed them right. It's now middle of 2014 and The Last Guardian that was promised years ago, is still under construction. It's just sad.
koning twan2 Yes, it does work with the PCSX2 emulator which is how I've been playing it on my PC since 2009. But I have original copies of all versions of the game (which I bought on eBay).
I was quite entertained from the start, and I relish how you delve into the game lore from the game's perspective. But when you suddenly snapped to ICO, my mind was blown. That was amazing. Stuff like this is what you're really looking for in the online gaming community: a way to enhance your perception of the game, immersion and your enjoyment. Also, I'd never have guessed the desert would look that good from far above.
Why wouldn't they remove them later then? I'm no game designer myself, but in my opinion, if I just wanted something as an AI path tracking guideline, I wouldn't keep it in the final game release.
What I love about this video is that it reinforces what I love about the game. That it's open to interpretation. It's clear that extra thought was put into the creation of the collisi and this just reaffirms it. In some instances it seems you're going a little too in depth but the theory alone is enough to fall in love with this game all over again. There will never be another one like it, a work of art!
The more I watch on this game the more I realize how masterful and underappreciated this game is. I'm glad that some people continue to devote this much time and effort to this title.
Holy mother of god.... I just had a theory as well. What if they were placed there because the desert looked plain without them and the design artists thought it was a good idea! Good work detective. This case has been solved.
Yes, I get your sarcasm here, but (as I've said before) I'm looking at the game from a 'story' point of view, as if the events in the game were real - not just from a game designers point of view - smartass!
Normally I'd support you, but this video clearly had thought and effort put behind it. Random rings in the desert are very strange, and Nomad puts forward a reasonably convincing fan theory - I see it the same vein as perhaps the indoctrination theory fans made for Mass Effect 3. There's nothing wrong with a little imaginative investigation when it's done competently like this.
Haha, this is incredible work. I love your passion for the Ico titles. I knew there was some bigger mythology at work and your speculation is captivating.
Though the thing is, actually, Phalanx is land-locked just like the others. It stays airborne with its gas sacks, the loss of which causes him to lose altitude. Ergo, there is a maximum height Phalanx is capable of achieving, which in turn means he is confined by the mountains (seen at 6:50). The impression I'm always given touring the landscape is that the various structures were not constructed to house the guardians (otherwise you wouldn't be able so often to use the architecture against them) so much as were re-purposed after Dormin's prison and all of its surrounding lands had to be abandoned -- that they didn't design everything to confine the colossi, rather the colossi were designed to be confined by their surroundings (lest they risk all the violent ones chasing after them or coming to blows with each other). So while that may have been the temple and its rings' original purpose, I think their relation to Phalanx is tenuous at best.
This is some nice speculation and all, but honestly, it's just how Team Ico developed the mechanics since the PS2 wasn't that much of a powerhouse to have a bunch of colossi running amok a giant landscape. Rendering tricks were in place so that it didn't gut the framerate. The fact that each colossi are "land locked" is to not only help the player reach them easier, but because having two of these things in one area would kill the hardware it's running off of. So trying to find or explain any hidden meaning as to why there are rings in the desert is a pretty moot effort.
Sir Laughsalot it's more for the fun of it. SotC is an interesting game that was designed to have a lot questions that were probably never meant to be answered. I understand what you're saying but I think structure like that were left in as a way of making the game more interesting. I mean after all a decade after release people are still talking about it and trying to uncover it's mysteries.
In my opinion phlanax was never able to leave because he has no wings ( yes but he dont use them to stay in his height) Ist because aof the sandstorm,i think he is gliding through (sorry my english isnt the best^^)
sorry, bit i've noticed you commenting on some sotc videos and wondering if you know if the cliff glitch works on sotc for ps3 still? i can get there with normal jumping (those diagonal jumps dont seem to conserve anything) but he just jumps over and over when i get to the spot then i die. beating the game 4-5 times and killing lizards sounds tedious as shit but i really want to get up there. you know if the glitch still works? CAN ANYONE CONFIRM THIS? thanks
Just been rewatching JackSepticEye's playthrough of the remastered PS4 edition, and as soon as he brought up Phalanx and the rings, my mind instantly shot to this video. Your videos are Shadow of the Colossus classics. This game, in all its rendititons, is beautiful, and, alongside theories like this video makes, is the prime example I use when dicussing if games are art.
Phalanx uses echolocation to detect objects similarly to bats, this is enforced by his small eyes which suggests he relies less on vision, but more on his sixth scent; that being echolocation. He also doesn't attack you head-on as he can't see. Another enforcement to the statement that he has echolocation is that he's an echosounder; in other words he screams loud to have his scream bounce off nearby objects so he's more aware of his environment, just like bats (the bouncing effect can be seen as receiving information about distance and direction of objects around him). Some people wonder why he can't just fly over the mountains; he can't fly that high. He can't go under them either - it's pure compressed stone, he won't be able to get through it. Now the Ico Rings, here's what I believe. The rings themselves give magnetic output towards the centre of the area, and they're placed conveniently to surround the area; that area being the place you fight the boss. The magnetic energy may come from the metal spheres around the Ico Rings, to me it's almost as if they create a focal point of energy by creating individual intersections from each metal circle; the intersections being each magnetic output and each output from each metal circle meet in one spot (could be in the middle of the area you fight him in, as the metal circles seem to be facing forward only, as opposed to each other), creating a focal point and the output still go their own direction past the intersection, only stronger. The focal point only amplifies the strength, giving a strong magnetic output from each ring. What does this mean? It means if Phalanx gets near, his echolocation will be distorted by the magnetic output and it'll be deluded into thinking there's objects causing his echolocation to be distorted. So he avoids getting near them under the assumption that they're physical objects such as a wall or a mountain, and since the rings surround him, he avoids leaving the area the rings surround. It's like a magnetic barrier that causes distortion; it would rather stay in the zone where all the ring's magnetic energy meets, possible degrading his overall echolocation, but through noticing it gets progressively worse as he gets further away from the zone, he stays in the zone. This topic is ambiguous and you're fine to argue with me, as this is a theory I quickly came up with.
The master of the valley seemed to have its own magic that it developed more similar to wireless and wifi than anything we see in shadow of the colossus
Although I find it rather farfetched, I like your theory. I read somewhere that there were originally 48 planned colossi and that they narrowed it down to 24 and then to 16. It´s good to see such interest in a game that was released years ago and that does not appeal to most people. SotC will always have that mystery and mystic touch, not only for the game itself but what fans find and the theories they create around it. Thank you very much for the awesome finds and videos. I am subscribing. :)
You know this doesnt have anything to do with the video but i just started playing shadow of the colossus and i am loving it.But i wonder in some temples there are lit fires.I wonder who lit them?If its anything i missed from the game then i am dumb lol.If its explained in the ending then please dont tell me cause i havent finished the game yet
Huh I just thought they were part of the speed trials to get phalanx closer to you. dam man your good I'd heard how persistent you were from a friend of mine and I heard you found the possible location for the beta colossus but even investigating into the ones we know about man you are amazing and I am a very critisizal person so that means something you have my respect nomad
This theory combines two separate theories I saw in the comments one theory suggests that the rings were like shackles to prevent phalanx from flying/hovering and it makes sense a creature that big could cause alot of chaos even if it's indirectly the second theory suggests that phalanx has poor eyesight and thusly uses echolocation (this is supported by phalanx's tuning fork like horn and phalanx's piercing crys) to navigate it's surroundings the metal plates on the rings essentially trick phalanx into thinking something large is in the way "preventing" phalanx from flying over/past them well my theory is that it's both the rings were like shackles meant to prevent phalanx from flying/hovering but as a sort of failsafe in case phalanx ever broke free the metal plates (on the rings) trick phalanx making him think he can't go past there because something large is in the way ironic when you think about it he finally broke "free" but in doing so only guaranteed that the blistering hot desert would be his confinement. Again I cannot stress this enough this is my personal theory and opinion and is not fact I hope it was a somewhat interesting read and have a good day/night.
I think this is a solid case of overthinking it...the reason Phalanx stays in a distinct flight pattern is because that's just how he was programmed. The limitations of the PS2 meant he'd have a preset flight pattern, and it's not like he can just fly off because Wander has to take him down SOMEhow. And the rings look similar to the ones from Ico because they recycled art assets. It's extremely common in order to shave time off of a production schedule. You may as well ask why Quadratus didn't just leave his area. Clearly he could, he can bust through stone walls for the love of bacon! But then what'd be the point of the game if they all just booked it? I don't buy that Avion was landlocked, that thing got some pretty good height, even higher than the cliff I came in through. Ugh, look at me, I'm rambling... sorry! Look, I applaud your imagination and it's super fun to try and fit the pieces together in Team Ico games which are intentionally vague, but to try and present them as canon just seems kind of wrong.
I in no way was presenting this as 'canon'. It's just my own speculation about the 'story' behind the game, nothing more. As I've said before, I realize that Phalanx was programmed this way and that the colossi are not meant to leave their arenas, I mean it's obvious! But it's the only colossus that exists in an open field so the rings acting as barriers was a way to keep it enclosed (at least that's what I thought). I like to speculate a lot about this game in my videos (you may have noticed?) so this video is no different. Appreciate your comment though ; )
Dark Souls creator, Miyazaki, in an interview said he would always pick the pendant at the beginning of the game. People were speculating for like a year, and finally Miyazaki revealed that it was just a prank - the pendant has no use. So, have fun speculating :D
Pretty sure the rings are marks from where Phalanx would have originally had more buildings or cliff faces for the player to climb up in order to get on its back, similar to Avion, but the idea was dropped and Aggro used instead in order to make the fight "harder", since Phalanx is one of the later Colossi. We know Avion was moved around or had some ideas changed from an earlier fight with the Phoenix Colossus that was cut due to issues with geometry, so this is probably the happy medium that was decided on for Phalanx. The Rings are probably meant to be pieces of the control towers that would have kept Phalanx in the area but serve no real plot purpose.
![[UNCUT] เก็บ "สจ.โต้ง" เอี่ยวมาเฟีย รู้ตัวคนบงการ ก่อนสั่งลั่นไก I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 13 ธ.ค.67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/o-J_p62D40w/mqdefault.jpg)
Here's what I think.
I think that Phalanx relies on echolocation to get around. If you notice, Phalanx has a very high-pitched cry that seems to echo- Just like dolphins and bats. And its head seems to be shaped in an odd way that could help it detect objects- like a tuning fork. So it's possible that what the rings do is, when Phalanx uses its echolocation to get around, it bounces the sound off the metal plates to create a higher-frequency sound, creating the impression of there being an object in the way. Also, Phalanx has the smallest eye-to-body ratio out of all the colossi- Hinting that its eyesight may be very poor. It could also explain why Phalanx never attacks you- You're just not a big enough object for it to detect.
Someone give this man a medal, please.
+Shadow Ho-Oh if i were to type this
it would be a bunch of letters and poor grammar ;_;
Wow... That's a very good theory!
That's actually...well brilliant. It all makes sense. Interesting theory
Interesting.
8 years later and I still admire the work put into this.
Thanks!
@@NomadColossus my man is still replying to comments till date legend
It must be sad being a colossus, trapped in an arena with nothing to do but wait for an annoying pest of a man to come and whistle at you, aggravate you, shoot you with arrows, climb on you and plunge a sharp sword into your forehead or other sensitive areas.
It's really sad when you beat them like it just was minding it's own business and then you came and killed it
+Sarah St.Antione (Dimentio) All the colassai are segments of dorman and he kinda stells your body at the end
+Ziggy Angelo I think the colossi are in a state of torpor or hibernation until an intruder crosses the threshold of their arena which rouses them into action. So they can wait out the centuries as still as stone. However Ueda explains in the art book that time has stopped in the forbidden lands, so from a colossus's point of view no time would have passed since they were first created.
Wow, yet another thing I've learned from Nomad Colossus, thanks! But still, being concious for around 10 minutes, and with all that time occupied with trying to kill this little pest, only to end up being killed yourself, still now very enjoyable.
Freddie Grimshaw except the fifth one, he was just vibin in the air.
I noticed most of the colossi have some stone structure built on them, which I assume were originally to immobilize them. But all of them eventually broke free, because I assume they've been there undisturbed for a very long time. Perhaps the rings used to be on Phalanx; the intact ones would have been near the head and tail, while the broken ones were in the middle and thus harder to remove without breaking them. I think it makes sense because the extra weight would prevent it from flying.
daboss640 Nice theory! I like the idea that the stone structures were built to immobilize the colossi, never considered that before : ) But the rings are too far away from each other to have held Phalanx down, I mean the colossus would have had to be 10 times the size it is now (and it's the largest colossus).
Nomad Colossus Good point, and the fact that they are all set so straight in the sand means they couldn't have fallen off while it was moving.
daboss640 Maybe Phalanx shrank because it hasn't fed for a long time
The main reason I think the structures were to immobilize them is that they are clearly man made. It's doesn't seem to be some form of shell, or natural armor; someone had to build it. The last colossus' lower body is completely encased in ruins which essentially traps it there.
Jonny Keegan Do colossi need to eat? Maybe they eat salamanders.
I love how this video has cultivated such deeply devoted and intelligent discussion. It was never my intention! This was just another video amongst all my other videos speculating about the colossi for my subs to enjoy xD. I admit, I went a bit far when I discussed how the rings worked, and how the so called 'missing ring' worked to fit into my theory - but I had no idea this video would create such controversy and discussion. So I apologise if I have led anyone astray ; ) On the other hand, it's nice to see fans talking about this colossus, and as this is my most viewed video so far (past 600K now), I'm glad I made it in the end.
ur a cutie pie
Nomad Colossus continue doing ur shit
Nomad Colossus you didn't lead anyone astray, I myself has found this discussion to interesting, not just because phalanx is my favorite!, I want to know how does those rings work and why do they keep phalanx locked in that desert, to me you are very helpful with these discussions and I thank you for it.
I'm a relatively new subscriber to your channel, and your videos just keep on amazing me. I feel so happy about the sheer fact that there is such a dedicated fan to SotC like you on earth. xD I love each one of your videos that I've watched.
Perhaps the rings do not function anymore but Phalanx is trained to not go past them, much like circus elephants are tied to stakes when they are young and aren't strong enough to pull them out of the ground yet - but as the years go by they just accept that they cannot pull it out even though they have grown larger and strong enough to do so.
Perhaps even though the rings are broken and possibly not functioning anymore, Phalanx accepts that it is still trapped?
Why is this game so mysterious? Why is everyone wanting to understand it fully? Why do I want to understand it fully? Why don't the devs come out and answer our plea?
SlimeWithAMonocle Question 1) I can't tell you exactly. I can explore out beyond the map in other games or travel the vast open landscapes (as in Skyrim V for example or more recently RAGE) but I didn't have the same deep emotional connection to the virtual world as I do with SotC.
2) You are asking the question all Colossi fans ask, because the game is so mysterious and there is little or no information given about the story line we are left with questions. Questions that need answers! Who is Wander, why does he care so much about Mono that he would risk his life and on and on!
3) Japanese developers are notorious for being tight lipped about older games and rarely give details about them. Even getting answers about new games can be challenging, I guess it has to do with their culture - sucks for us Westerners who want to know every detail.
I was in contact with the sound engineer from Team Ico via Twitter, I asked a few questions about his work, i.e. how he created his effects etc. which he answered, but as soon as I asked about the discarded colossi he broke all contact with me and that was that.
Thanks for answering my questions, and it does suck that they can't tell us much about what goes on there. I've never felt this way about a game before, so beautiful.
SlimeWithAMonocle JJ Abrams has a ted talk called mystery box and it's about this very thing.
SlimeWithAMonocle
This game's story and backstory were left undevelopped on purpose. Shadow of the Colossus is like poetry in a video game format; the whole point is to let players guess. I'm not sure even the developpers know everything about the world they've created.
Art is open to interpretation
Nomad pls. those are obviously stargates
XD
lol
ватафффак
XD
Thats what I was thinking
dude you are a genius you found an Ico ester egg
Based on the ruins and constructed aspects of the environments around Avion, Barba, Hydrus, Kuromori, Pelagia, Cenobia, Argus, and Malus, it always seemed probable to me that there was a time while the Forbidden Lands were still populated where the people had to cope with all 16 Colossi decimating the land, and that they may not have originally been as much of a threat as they are by the time Wander gets there - they may have all been around the size of Celosia and Cenobia at first, but eventually they somehow ended up growing larger and more powerful as time went on. I think Kuromori, for example, was used in roman colosseum-style fights when they could still control the colossi, perhaps trying to make the most out of Dormin's expropriated power by using them as guardians. Eventually, however, they grew more powerful - blast guards had to be constructed in order to safely approach Malus, Barba and Cenobia started developing a "lust for destruction", Celosia had to be kept under control by hitting it with flaming sticks from the temple it was supposed to be guarding to the point of traumatizing it, and Argus completely flattened the cliffside city leaving only brick outlines of the houses that once stood there. It may have been at this point that the surviving inhabitants realized that sealing Dormin's powers within the colossi had been a huge mistake, and eventually whatever was left of the society fled the lands, strictly charging their children to never return to those lands, but for whatever reasons chose not to completely seal off the lands and took the Ancient Sword- which clearly was instrumental in the splitting of Dormin's soul- along with them, passing it down from generation to generation rather than taking action to correct their mistakes.
If that's the case, then it's more than possible that these rings were constructed during the era where the Colossi were becoming more powerful than the inhabitants originally anticipated, and were gradually becoming more and more dangerous. Phalanyx may have been among those easier to subdue, as it seems the very least aggressive of them all.
Nice ideas here ; ) Never considered the colossi grew larger over time, although there's no evidence to support this (like most other theories about this game) your theory is unique. I like the idea of the blast guards having to be installed later at Malus' arena, however, #8's arena I don't think could have been a colosseum as there are no seats for spectators, although its design is clearly based on a Roman style colosseum. I wonder why some of the colossi would grow larger but others didn't?
Nomad Colossus
My guess would be total kill count. Remember how, in the end when Dormin possesses Wander and turns him into a giant, Colossus-like being, you see the shadows all "run" up to Dormin/Wander and cause him to gradually grow?
Not to mention how the Colossi's power/soul/whatever those black tendrils are that go "into" Wander seem to gradually transform him more and more into a being similar to the Colossi themselves. Perhaps the only reason Wander doesn't get bigger prior to killing all 16 is because the souls are all lurking above the Shrine Temple along with the main essence of Dormin, which he takes away from Wander before they cause him to grow?
Always thought it was suspicious how two Colossi are actually significantly smaller than their Shrine Temple counterparts, and it would make much more sense if they all started out that way but grew larger as they killed more and more humans.
Additionally, perhaps 8's Colosseum initially did have seats, but they were removed at a later point so the building could be swiftly evacuated in the event that a Colossus began shooting energy at the crowd, until eventually the arena was completely abandoned. Perhaps other Colossi were also fought there until they got too big to fit? The Colosseum shows significant signs of damage that 8 simply isn't capable of causing, including one collapsed segment of the Colosseum that looks almost like one of the bipedal Colossi might've caused while climbing out of the arena, likely to the horror of the crowd.
As to why the other two didn't grow, I think it may be because they didn't kill nearly as many of the original inhabitants of the Forbidden Land. The fire guardian seems to have been conditioned through the use of fire torture to fear humans and was easily subjugated, while the abandoned city guardian topples buildings, which is an indirect method and may not have resulted in soul transference. Or perhaps they both took their positions as guardians seriously and never attacked any residence until the Colossi became completely out of control.
Phalanx is the biggest colossus but I don't think he ever killed anyone, he is just flying in peace. The rest of the theory makes sense, but not the kill count. I think you can just look at it in a simpler way. Some colossus grow large and others don't. Those two colossi are small because they jump, run and are agile, unlike the other colossi. Some grew wings and flew, some grew hands to carry a weapon, some stayed small to be more agile. Why are cats smaller than bears? Not everything has to grow the same way, but everything has individual perks related to their size and shape
I haven't played Shadow of the Colossus but maybe it's just natural growth?
Borline But the problem with that being the case is the actual statues in the main Temple. The ones that are actual colossi (that is, giant statues). The ones that shatter when you kill their respective Colossus. Dormin openly states that the Colossi are "manifestations" of each of those main statues, and they exist to ensure that the statues themselves cannot possibly be torn down by hand, regardless of what tools may be used.
And all 16 of them are pretty much the exact same size.
So why would they manifest in different proportions? Is size equivalent to power? If that were the case, then why are all the freed shadows that gather around Wander whenever he wakes up in the Temple all the same size, too?
Think of it also logistically. If you have this terrible being you need to seal away, and you need to make sure that each segment of its power is locked away inside a statue, and in order to prevent those statues from falling to things such as erosion or decay you need make a living manifestation somewhere else that is capable of maintaining itself and will actively try to keep itself alive at all costs... why would you DELIBERATELY manifest it in a form you had no hope of controlling? And one that could easily trample your entire society, to boot. Obviously the people who built all the architectural marvels were clearly masterful builders and talented spell-weavers, so why was their solution to the original problem of Dormin to create the Colossi instead of doing what Lord Emun does and just sucking the demon/god/being into that swirly vortex of death? You'd think that would have been their FIRST course of action, wouldn't you? Seems kind of a boneheaded move for such a massively intelligent race.
Unless, of course, the whole Colossi thing was an act of hubris and an attempt to control Dormin's power for themselves that went horribly wrong, and hundreds of thousands of their kind all died, and they fled not only out of fear, but shame as well. And considering that their descendants still committed mandatory human sacrifice and just left vital ritual artifacts that could unleash Armageddon just lying around where a heartbroken rebel could casually snatch them up and flee the country, it does suggest volumes about the levels of overconfidence, arrogance, and lack of basic ethics their kind routinely displayed.
As for Phalanax being peaceful and yet massive... well, first of all, he's not massive at all as he must be EXTREMELY lightweight in order to continuously glide with his gas sacs blown, even if he does end up cutting into the sand with his wings. He may be extraordinarily long, but in terms of height, width, and mass he actually is significantly smaller than he looks- about what you'd get if you took Quadratus and squished them with a gigantic rolling pin.
Not to mention that the architecture does imply that the whole desert in Phalanax's arena may not have ALWAYS been a desert at all.
Oh my God this whole time I was like "pshh duuumb" until he showed that the rings are also from Ico then I was like damn my bad.
Emmett LaFave i know right? But shadow of the colossus is way back than Ico so how did the guys who created the castle found out how the rings work and how they built it
+Emmett LaFave Dude, you could totally play the remake of this game for Private Selection. I would watch the shit out of that.
The thing is is that it could be deliberate, or they were just making use of the textures and models they had made already. The latter makes more sense, considering the time-consuming and costly toll of game design. While I do like to imagine that they're connected, it seems much more likely to me that the developers were just cleverly re-using old assets.
@@antipsychotic451 I could put exactly what you said in a discussion comparing Zelda's Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask, and it would make perfect sense aha, but it is always hard to tell, is it intentional or just smart on their end? Unfortunately we will probably never know if Ico and SotC's assets were intentional or not :c
When i had the game i always wondered about the ancient cities and temples and constructs in the game. It would be awesome to see what the forbidden land was like before the worship of "Dormin" and all horned creatures was banned.
Maybe an animated movie, that could be cool...
the trailer for the next game kind of looks like a precuel
No one actually knows when the next game is going to be finished.
Next game . . . ?
Hwhat?
***** They started developing a new game for the PS3 called The Last Guardian. but it been in development for a long time. We don't know nothing about history except for what they showed on the first trailers or if it's gonna be finished.
Respect to the man who has stayed with this game for so much longer than we have ever stayed with any of our favourite games
2020, the year I discovered all of this, beautifull years full of theories and imaginartion, with so much effort put into them, that is just amazing
2021 for me
Even to this day I come back to this video. It's such a comfy nostalgia trip
Nice to hear my friend ; )
Every couple months since i first played colossus ive gotten the urge to just completely rediscover the game and rewatch all the lore videos on it again
Such a great story
I love this game so much. It's so beautiful and mysterious, these rings are just another detail that provides more to think about.
TL:DR he is basically a flying fish that uses hot air balloons to keep himself gliding at a low altitude over the hot sands, but can't actually fly under his own power.
My theory is that perhaps the rings once did do something, but now are broken, maybe another colossus was bound to the ground by them (similar to the final one's shackles) and broke free, but I think that Best Colossus stays their due to his gas sack things.
They would need hot air or gas to fill up and be buoyant, and the hot air currents over a desert would definitely be needed to get something that large airborne, which would explain his large, flat body and fins (which don't flap as they are used to catch hot air coming from the sand, similar to a sail for heat or a parachute).
That would also explain why it can't go higher, as the air would cool enough that he couldn't float on it. Once you leave the surface you loose heat extremely fast, the sheltering mountains would also not be stopping the cold winds hitting him at that point.
If you have ever flown a glider, you would most likely see the similarities I mention.
He has no vertical means of propulsion, the way he gets into the air itself is be effectively jumping from the sand like a fish from water, think of him like a flying fish, but his gas bags can heat up enough from the radiating heat a desert produces to keep him airborne at a low high indefinitely. He has no means of going any higher and so, cannot fly out of the mountains.
Liarra Sniffles Interesting? Yes. Logical? Absolutely. Nice Theory
That Guy You Met Just Now Gee thanks X3
kk
Nice, I like it.
Awesome theory ! I never understood what those things wee until now.
Thanks !
So maybe, like someone said in the comments, the rings were supposed to keep control over him, the same way the other colossi all have rock constructions as armors. Maybe it was weight to prevent him from flying, or flying to high ? Forcing him to stay in the sand like Dirge.
But he eventually broke free and threw the rings away, as he is the only colossus with no such things as human constructions on him.
Maybe, I don't know.
I like to think about it though. He is my favorite one.
It's been 8 years since I left that one "echolocation" theory comment all the way back when I was in junior high, and while it's almost certainly not what's actually going on (especially since the PS4 remake did away with the whole clicking sound thingy) I still find myself thinking about this video from time to time. Seeing that you're still responding to comments and uploading the same stuff made me smile, it's comforting knowing that some things still haven't changed in over a decade :)
While I like the idea of there being some form of seal to keep the colossi trapped Avion is the only one that bothers me, I see no reason why she can't just fly above the mountains unless there is maybe some form of hidden seal like the rings within the ruins or under the water.
An alternate theory that could still relate to the rings is Phalanx having a dependency on the sand itself for flight, he cannot maintain high altitudes for a long time being forced to use his wings to glide around after you shoot the air sacks and after being on him for a while he will even eventually return to the sand practically nose diving into it and then returning with his air sacks refilled. The gas inside might possibly be produced through some interaction with the sand or something under it (eating it or something similar causing a reaction to make the gas). If this is true he probably couldn't fly very far without needing to return to the sand anyway. This could work as a theory on it's own as he needs the sand to keep existing but the rings could ALSO be there as a way to prevent him from just flying off to a beech or other sandy area where he can refill his air sacks.
That's just my own little theory. Think of it what you will.
I like your ideas! The idea that Phalanx needs to refuel by diving into the sand is a novel concept, perhaps it's some element in the sand that it can process to produce gas, although in nature it's usually organic matter that makes gas... still these colossi are made of stone, so perhaps ingesting stone (in this case sand) could feed Phalanx in some way.
With Avion, all I meant was it never flies higher than the mountains, in fact it flies about half the height of the mountains, and like Phalanx seems to be stuck at a certain altitude. But as some one noted, it could easily fly out of its arena above the temple you enter through, so it could still escape if it wanted to. I've received a fair amount of criticism about this video, even though I stated in the video comments that there were problems with this idea... but it has become one of my most popular videos! Probably due to the enigmatic title xD.
Nomad Colossus Oh I understand, Avion is an odd one to talk about because she's one of the more mobile colossi. My only guess is there possibly being a hidden seal/symbol or something with the temple structure or water in her area. It seems a bit odd that there is a temple there to begin with in the water. Hydrus had towers that seemed to connect to a bridge which was fair enough to let you get to her but Avion has a temple smack dab in the middle of the water with no inner connections.
I agree that since the Colossus are all made from minerals like stone with organic parts like eyes and flesh/fur that some of them probably can interact with said materials. Phalanx is the only one that really shows any form of bodily function like production of gas where as most the other colossi show no signs of being able to exhale/excrete or eat anything (though Pelagia has teeth as if his head was cut off and moulded over but he's still alive so the collosus don't NEED to eat per say, Kuromori has a mouth which produces poison but it seems to initially be made of energy like what Malus and others make).
Cal DW I also like your idea of 'seals', it reminds me of the 3rd Indiana Jones movie where the immortal knight could not leave the temple due to the 'great seal' that was the curse of immortality. In the same way the colossi are immortal, they wait out the centuries as inanimate stone and only come to life when an intruder passes the threshold (which might be considered as a 'seal' ?) Perhaps each colossi arena's 'trigger point' i.e. the spot which wakes the colossi, could be defined as a seal?
Although there is no other evidence for this it is a compelling idea and I like it ; ) As for the colossi needing to feed, that is a harder concept to accept.... it would need to work for all the colossi and I don't see enough evidence for that, although I have speculated that Malus (#16) is like a huge electrical accumulator... if you listen to his sound effects (without the background music) it sounds like the thunder and lightning is building up a charge, which is then released via Malus' lighting bolt attacks!
See this video to see what I mean:
th-cam.com/video/uJ1uAmbtr4E/w-d-xo.html#t=4335
Nomad Colossus maybe those rings arent only restricting Phalanx but also powering his flight we notice the white glowing bags on his underside and we shoot those to make him descend so maybe those are powered by sunlight or electromagnetic fields from those rings so he has to stay near the rings to continue flying and the fields the rings give off only go so high so Phalanx can only go so high so the stone slab structures were most likely originally the height limit indicator. tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WMG/ShadowOfTheColossus this contains some theories about the collosi i suggest you read this
personally I dont see the reason they would want to leave their areas. I mean ,aren't they seals that supress Dormin's powers? They were created to contain the powers of Dormin, so their purpouse is to stop Wander from releasing their soul, IMO they are not trying to scape, but instead they are hidden. They only attack when they see danger.
Just my opinion, sorry for my english xD
I never saw every colossi like "trapped" to no escape. To me they were like guardians of the area where they laid. Every area is, in some way, deteriorated by time. Maybe, and just maybe, Phalanx is wandering that area because the structure that had to guard is now under ground, buried by sand.
They do seem oddly possessive of them. Argus' Japanese description reads that he pretends to be a sentry to the destroyed city.
at exactly 5:00 , this video suddenly got very depressing somehow..
Not to be a jerk or anything, but if your gonna use the ring theory and tie it into the rings that open the gates in Ico, don't leave a ring out. The gate took 6 rings to open, not 5. Unless of course you think they built a 6th ring for this purpose, but otherwise that means there is a sixth ring somewhere, probably buried near the mountains that 13 can't pass over.
Also, I don't think that Phalanx can fly. It doesn't seem to be able to get any higher than we see here, and those flapping fins? Those aren't wings, those are rudders. Its using them to steer and paddle through the air. The air sacks on each segment of its body are the only thing keeping it so high in the air, otherwise it basically floats on gravity or magnetism or something, perhaps some internal air sacks or even magic if you want to take that route. Whichever way you look at it, this colossus does not fly, it hovers.
If it had wings, it would be expending a lot more energy and would need to rest, but its body can't rest on land normally and it never stops to try like the avian colossus, which tells me that its not using up a lot of energy while hovering the way it does. The only point at which it touches ground is when it burrows to remove Wander from its back, but otherwise it prefers to remain airborne. Burrowing into the sand may just be a defense tactic, as the second it goes in, once Wander is off, it immediately comes back out.
Someone else made a very interesting observation about the shape of Phalanx's head and its high pitched cry, suggesting that it has poor eyesight and needs echolocation to get around, and that is a good reason why its the only colossus that doesn't attack Wander. I think this is a very fact based observation to make, and it also ties into the idea of this ring trap.
Now here is my theory: Scientists think that birds have an internal compass that detects the electromagnetic pull of the earth, telling them where to fly for the winter and where to go to come back for spring. If Phalanx needs to use echolocation to see, then it could also be armed with the ability to feel the magnetic field of the planet in order to find its way around as well, and the rings could be doing exactly what you say they are, spewing off an electromagnetic field that bounces Phalanx off into another direction, keeping it trapped and unable to see beyond the man-made barrier. From watching the flight path, it looks to me like a frantic Phalanx is very confused and trying to find a way out of a trap, which would help this theory make a lot of sense.
Another interesting idea if there are people out there who don't like the ring theory, what if Phalanx was blinded by another hero?
A very interesting topic! Phalanx is my favorite colossus simply because he is this fascinating. Even though he gave me the second most trouble in the game, I love him the most, even though they were all awesome. I would love to hear more theories!
Btw, where did that ending come from with the horses in front of the ring? Is that something you created?
Nice ideas here ; ) Like I say in the video comments I always had a problem with this theory as there is a missing ring - without that last ring, Phalanx should be able to just fly away at the SW part of the flight path, instead it circles around the rock promontory and flies back in. So I speculated about a missing ring, but really there is no evidence for this.
I don't recall talking about Phalanx's wings, it clearly floats above the sand due to its air sacks, or perhaps even thermals created by the hot sand help keep it aloft? I wouldn't say Phalanx has a high pitched cry, they sound more like underwater sounds, a sort of rumbling, bubbling sound... but I like the echolocation idea - makes sense. If you read my blog post about this I go into more detail: nomads-sotc-blog.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/13th-colossus.html
Yes, the end was just a story telling element... the soldiers are sent by the dark Queen to retrieve the stones rings for her castle.
Haha! I did come across as a slight jerk, sorry about that. I didn't see the 6th ring mentioned in the video, but I was also so intrigued that my mind wandered from time to time during the whole thing so its possible I missed some stuff. The ending is quite a nice touch, I actually wanted it to be real lol.
The reason I mentioned the wings was not because it was ever mentioned, it was because the vid liked to call his floating flying a lot, something I've noticed even the creators tend to call it, but I'm pretty sure that he's almost like a fish which are able to stay aloft in water via an organ called a swim bladder, and sharks have to constantly stay in motion or they die, though I doubt Phalanx has a lot to worry about stopping to rest if he needed to. That and of course it comes into question why he doesn't just float on over those mountains and escape his celtic knot circuit, but my theory is just another idea as to why alongside the rings.
As for the echolocation thing, the comment about it by Shadow Ho-Oh is right below mine. I think because of the flight path your using here, the sounds Phalanx makes end up sounding a lot more high pitched than in game at its normal pace and its easy to assume if one does not know its sped up. He even looks like he moves more like a worm or a swimming sea cucumber. If its not sped up I will be surprised.
Some guy in a video referenced it was a star gate xD if it is then it must be an easter egg to the mini series. Maybe it's some kind of satanic portal built into the game o.o
Albert Wesker
XD Well that would certainly be something!
IDK Let's not forget Sonic R haha I do know for a fact satanic rituals CAN make a real tails doll through possession of a demon. Which in this case is as close as you can get to a REAL tails doll curse. I wouldn't be stupid enough to do it though but yeah. We could also be exaggerating about it being a satanic portal which are real.
The Colossi are obviously Guardians of each domain. Areas which are surely ruins of important places long ago. I think that the rings were once part of a castle or similar building like those in Ico, but the building long crumbled and that's all that is left. The reason the Colossi don't leave their arenas is because they are still protecting them, even long after all the people have gone and the structures crumbled. Your theory is interesting, but I think it's just coincidental. Although, details like that are strictly meant to be for speculation and intrigue. So it's cool to see what other ideas people come up with!
Awesome :) I've always thought much the same thing. All the colossi are also found around the remains of buildings or landmarks. Apart from two - this one and that other sand-based one in the cave. And both have the abilty to dive under the sand, suggesting there are more than the visible remains hidden beneath.
Best idea for me! I've thought the same thing like you're.
0Tenshi0 Explain why Malus is literally stuck to the ground, and why he so ruthlessly tries to murder you until he can see you. By the way, I honestly want to know your reasoning behind him with this theory. No offense meant.
0Tenshi0 the colossi are actually just parts of dormin which is why you become him when you kill and steal their souls. You become dormin as a whole when you collect all his parts basically. I'm pretty this was explained somewhere in the game or by the devs
@@cow9572 yeah, this is literally explained to you verbatim at the end of the game and it's heavily implied that there's a connection between dormin and the colossi throughout the entire game. OP's assertion that the colossi are "guardians" of old areas speaks of a severe lack of attention to the actual game and its lore
Phalanx could just go over the mountains, unless it wasn't really a flying monster, and more of a gliding one. Aren't the white sacks on its stomach targets? If they are, then they could be like balloons, giving 13 just enough height to be above ground, but not enough to clear mountains.
That is a really good point. Aside from the air sacks, Phalanx has no other visible way to gain altitude/fly. I think that Phalanx gains higher altitude by filling the air sacks with air, and when it wants to descend it releases some of the air. Kinda of like a submarine.
Yeah, pretty much.
+PJ Staubach Phalanx the submarine XD
We're going on a trip on our favorite Colossus
Yeah XD
Have you all noticed how phalanx is the only colossi that DOESNT attack you. He's just chillin and we go in there and fuk his day up for no reason.. poor dude
"All the other colossi are land locked in some way"
Well yeah... After all...
SPOILER ALERT, READ AT YOUR OWN FUCKING RISK!:
All 16 Colossi are basically just fragments of Dormin, the spirit that makes the deal with you about defeating the Colossi to revive Mono, the girl that you place on the altar in the beginning of the game. The fragments were shattered by a certain person that may or may not have came from the same place as the Protagonist: Wander.
This man, named Emon, had to place the fragments of Dormin into Colossi which he then placed those Colossi in secluded places to prevent them from going on outside fields to cause chaos and prevent anybody from destroying them. (They ARE Colossal after all, it would be PREEEEEEEETTY tough to take fuckers like that down. Especially seeing as to how you need a special ancient sword just to reveal their weakness sigils.).
So, it would definitely be no surprise why they would be land locked in ANNNNNNNNYWAY possible.
Dude spoiler.
hoferlg he said spoiler alert and to read at our own risk
IMO colossi don't even try to leave their areas... they were created with the purpouse of being hidden and protect the fragment of Dormin.
santiago sancho of course then the question comes of how intelligent and conscious the creatures are. It's likely that they'd play along with the plan for a while, but i tend to think that the colossi would become restless, bored, curious and lonesome. I think in to long run, they'd end up longing to leave, and to live a life.
endorsedbryce I don't believe it was Emon who sealed Dormin away. It was his ancestors and they passed down the knowledge over many generations keeping the sacred sword as a revered relic as it was most probably used in the ritual to break Dormin into component parts and seal it away. Dormin says at the end cut scene 'Thou severed our body into 16 segments and encased us in stone monuments, 'for an eternity' in order to seal away our power... so it seems many years have passed since Dormin was imprisoned, perhaps a millennia?
You know a game is legendary when players create legends within the game. :)
Right?! Lol even the Devs sometimes are like “damn didn’t think of that but that’s work. Wow that’s incredible” lmao
demon fuel can't melt stone rings
It an inside job
This actually makes me wish they'd made a surface dwelling Dirge-type colossus (a millipede based one, perhaps) that chases you at high speed, in a area with paths of rings large enough for the colossus to follow you through, but that get ever so slightly smaller, meaning you must lure it into following you through the rings and getting stuck, giving you time to climb a ring with grips on the outside of it, jump down onto the colossus, and stab, possibly with the colossus backing out or breaking the tight ring after the first symbol is used up, requiring you to repeat the process in an alternate path.
It's a PS2 game and this encounter is with one of the largest Colossi, so the game designers have all those structures in place so they know where to plan it's flight path. All the Colossi are bound by a certain area.
ZanFear this is the most logical explanation for why they are their gameplay wise but because of the other hints of some civilization existing here at some point alot of people think it's related to them cause after all once the colossus was finished being made why not remove the rings? why would the devil team leave them their? it can't he that hard to remove the structure can it?
This game is so god damn good. The music is so hauntingly brilliant. I wish they'd make another one. I just cannot get enough of this studio's unparalleled artistic flare.
My theory is that because there's a piece of Dormin's soul in each colossus, they're "possessed" by him. His power prevents them from moving around freely and that's why they only do so much to fight Wander...Also that's why you can see their weak spots.
@Chris101 Gray Wanda would be how you would say "Wander" in katakana, the Japanese script used for foreign words.
it's so peaceful just watching it fly around like that at the end with the sad and mysterious music
Ugh. They need to make a new game with the original 48 colossi and more sweet secrets and easter eggs abound, hidden lore and shit.
WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT THE LAST GUARDIAN
MORE COLOSSI
They would've if a powerful engine was available, but there is nothing to build off of for a second game. Why walk a dead dog
Nonuv Urbeeznus If im remembering right, The Last Guardian was meant to be a sequel to SoTC featuring more colossi.
Hawkbone Don't tell me it'd be one of those "Sequels to a Prequel."
A whole channel dedicated to this game? I dig it.
My conclusion was that you were likely meant to fight Dirge there in development, and either have the rings as a showpiece that you's automatically be pathed through, Or that Dirge would crash into them, and or get stuck on them if you lured him through one.
The area was likely deemed too big to have the fight in, as it may lead to confusion as to where Dirge and the player were in relation, or glitches with Dirge running off, maybe being able to lure him out of the ring.
Who knows, Phalanx could have been added to account for the lack of a Collosus in the desert after they moved Dirge into that grotto place.
You will be pleased to know that you may be right! In the official art book the early sketches of Dirge show it in an open field chasing after Wander riding Agro (not in a cave), so who knows, perhaps the broken rings are a leftover of this idea as Dirge now smashes through some rocks, but perhaps in earlier builds it crashes into the rings?
I love these discussions! Very important and fascinating to the story of this game. ;)
332211ggGHGFF
This is a game where all the lore is hidden, and subjective.
What I love about SotC and Ico are that the real story and lore elements are all subtext and interpretation. That's why I also am getting into the Dark Souls games, though those games have a bit more story up front than this one xD
Also... I'm guessing the Ico is a descendant of Wander, but perhaps the Queen/Witch is gathering Wander's ancestors and killing them to gain Dormin's power? That's my interpretation of the lore at least xD
I'm guessing that Wander and his love eventually get with each other 20+ years later, and start a nation in the forbidden land. Kids born with horns in that nation are the ones holding bits of Dormin's soul, like Ico.
There's an early sketch of 10's area in the art book which might be where 13's desert is today, see image here: www.flickr.com/photos/nomadcolossus/15203126197/in/photostream/
Sadly, there are no rings shown, but there are some rock promontories that we see at both arenas. So it's quite possible Dirge was once part of #13's desert.
Nomad Colossus snake boss 2? I wonder what that means
Why can't Avion just fly out over the mountains?
Geodetic20 Too high, some birds can only go up too so high of an altitude before weakening and dying.
+Geodetic20 well it has some stone kind of things on its wing and tail and around it
and its head is problably made of stone
would you wanna try carrying 2 sacks of giant stones up a hill?
Because it's a video game and the developers wanted that area to be the battle area, and for you to be able to kill it. Most logical answer.
TastyYumYums; Now try answering the same question, but using in-game lore, and you see why the discussion.
LiL KeV he can still fly
Wow! Brilliant to notice the desert rings are the same as the rings in the gatehouses of the Queen's Castle! I never saw that. :)
I think the reasons the colossi avoids the rings is because he once played Superman 64 and was so traumatized by how bad it was, he can't stand the thought of even flying close to giant rings.
I love the way it feels as though its a real historical thing from the past and makes you ask what are they? Where are they from? Why are they here?
And its not just that the creator just thought it looks a bit boring there add a ruin lol i wonder if the creator actually had any reason for them? Personally i thought they looked like giant shackles
Peace!!
In a way it is historical. At least in video game terms. You would be hard pressed to find another game that has been scrutinized, discussed, speculated, hacked, explored, as much as "Shadow Of The Colossus". And there is no end in sight. Even the CD soundtrack might have made history for the amount of years it's remained in print. 2022 will mark 17 years. That's actually quite incredible. Just like the music itself. :)
@@timmadone8930 well spoken.
@@Bongwater2k Thanks.
thinking maybe the rings are thermal collectors. if they collect and amplify light as you think they would also generate intense heat maybe implying its an artificial desert. the colossus appears to ride thermals as evidenced by minimal wing movement and would certainly limit its altitude and contain it to areas warm enough to create lift aka the desert specifically around the rings where the greatest thermal energy would be and a possible 6th east ring which would put his path almost central to the formation making it a thermal box to contain him
Watching you play this just gives me such a nostalgic feeling of when I used to play this. Those were the days...
Super interesting. I swear you could talk about the most mundane thing in this game and I’m always super intrigued and could hear about it for hours lol
I didn't even realize the rings in the desert are identical to the ones in ICO's castle....which leads me to believe they do serve some kind of energy focusing purpose...I mean, WHY would someone install rings in the desert for no reason other than aesthetic appeal? It's an odd design for a structure....UNLESS it serves a secret purpose.
Good observation... as always.. Man I just love you, it's impossible not to.
So I just came over from Shesez's channel. Thanks for helping him out on his video! I had no idea your channel existed so it is a great find for me as well.
Best video on TH-cam ngl
I kinda want to get a small group and see if we can make another colossi game With the original 24. Of course that's probably impossible.
Tabitha G. Thought the same but very few people would buy such a game.
HoneyBadger True. Outside of the fan base.
Tabitha G. Yeah,many of us PS2 veterans have grown and besides us nobody knows much of this game,therefor it wouldn't be very successful.
HoneyBadger vaild point
24?? No way, i want them to put the 48 colossus that they intended in the first place
SotC was one of those games that didn't shove the story in your face but you always felt bad for killing the Colossi and watching as it slowly falls to the floor and turns black.
It's a game that is very good at making the player feel very lonely and kind of sad. Best use of music and atmosphere I've ever seen in a game.
I swear I watch one god damn video about shadow of the colossus and here you are in my reccomended
The attention to detail in this game is INSANE and I thats why I love every bit of it :P
I know this is really old, but has anyone noticed that all of the rings seem to be angled away the area Phalanx is in? Not that it seems relevant in any way. Also the rings may not be missing but just simply unseen as they could very well just be under the sand. What would be really interesting is you could hunt for the rings under the desert by stabbing the sand and listening for a different sound or perhaps your sword bounces. Just a thought.
Nice idea!
When you look at it from the game maker's standpoint they're just props placed in the desert, nothing more. The colossus doesn't fly away because it's a video game, games have constrains and tricks to keep you engaged instead of chasing after the flying colossus tough the whole world. Bless the fans that create these mythologies and theories keeping old games alive.
Phalanx, Avion, and Hydrus seem to be the only colossi who don't have any form of architecture on them. This might suggest that they are the youngest of the 16.
At the same time, that would make Pelagia the oldest because his eyes are his tusks. Pelagia is the only colossus whose eyes do that.
Christopher Hicks Interesting idea there ; ) I had never considered how old each colossus was in relation to the others... I always assumed they were all created at once, but how or why this happened is never mentioned. If they were living beings before they were colossi perhaps they roamed the lands freely until Dormin arrived and used them for its own sinister purposes.
this is what i love about the game. you can make so many theories about the game and they all seem to make sense but you never truly know what is really going on. Just another thought about their age is that they never really try to constantly attack you, (except hydrus who really doesn't do much and avion who really just tries to push you off of the platform) they act like children. they only try to get you off of them rather than actually kill. if you were to continuously poke a small child they will just try to brush you off and move away rather than act defiantly.
Such a beautiful, mysterious game, especially phalanx, to me just a peaceful, flying, friendly giant. He was the hardest one to actually finish... All the others were pretty hard just phalanx is the most elegant one. Such an emotional and deep game. This game is the closest to art than any other game wish it went on forever with more giants just for the sake to extend this masterpiece.
As much as i love to throw ppl down and prove them wrong, this actually has some pretty cool evidence... of course the gamemakers at sony probably made the restrictions for the colossi so the game wouldn't glitch out, but this actually caught my eye because of the nature of how mysterious the game is...
Sony didn't make the game.
Wow heard about this game for the first time today, amazing to see you make these videos. Also it would be so cool if a game could come out with finding secrets as actually the main function of the game as like level 2 of the game and having the secrets not be easily found just like how this community has been going on for years amazing stuff
Also something very interesting I noticed is, in Malus' and Celosia's layer, there are lit lamps. And lamps cannot stay lit for really, really long unless they are constantly refilled with oil. So could there have been a civilization until the very recent past I. E., not long before our arrival at the Forbidden Lands? Or could there still be a civilization, hidden away somewhere deep within the lands?
what a beautiful game for god´s sake,the flying of phalanx is so relaxing to see,one of my 3 favorite games of life
I can't wait for The Last Guardian.
You and your profile picture might have quite a bit in common by the time its released
eggsandchips91 Haha. We sort of already do, but I know what you mean.
eggsandchips91 man you just made my fucking day hahahaha thanks
eggsandchips91 Not anymore!
eternalnate 2016 baby YEAH.
It is possible that they were designed and modeled before they cut out the "Worm" boss, so when they still decided to use the asset somewhere. Perhaps that boss would have been designed for you to lure the worm-like boss to tunnel/attack head-on at you straight into a set of rings, temporarily trapping it. Just a thought.
So... Maybe castle from Ico was even older then colossi? Civilization from the past was destroyed by... something. Dormin maybe. Only ruins remained. Also, don't forget that, Castle from Ico was partly ruined.
I wouldn't say it's older than the Colossi. If that last picture in the video (god knows where it's from) is legit then the castle was made, or at least the rings were implemented after the Colossi, and let's not forget that Ico takes place after Shadow of the Colossus. But maybe the castle was older and only the rings were added after SotC. But you made me curious to what Dormin actually is and what he did before he was split and banished, and how long he was imprisoned, and why he has retained the ability to speak? All very interesting questions...
That's what I said.
Nomad Colossus This looks alot like the ICO castle, the rings are part of the West and East that we open to get the light passing to the main gantes, and the temple/castle is centered right above the main gate. (1st aerial view in your vid)
And the bottom part opposite to the temple between the 2 gates could be the other end of the bridge in ICO castle connecting it to the island.
ZlatkoTheGod I made that image at the end using screen captures from both games in Photoshop ; )
japan studios we need answers D:
The storylines and games have so much potential, and this game could have been much more famous if they had marketed them right. It's now middle of 2014 and The Last Guardian that was promised years ago, is still under construction. It's just sad.
I never thought really about this, but i think this could be a good theory
Where did he get footage of the flight path?
patrick22014 By hacking the game. I moved the camera up above the colossus.
Nomad Colossus does the game work for the psx2 emulator cause i doubt you bought the game so if it is please answer my question
koning twan2 Yes, it does work with the PCSX2 emulator which is how I've been playing it on my PC since 2009. But I have original copies of all versions of the game (which I bought on eBay).
Nomad Colossus ok thx
How do you hack I've always wanted to do things like you on my channel
I was quite entertained from the start, and I relish how you delve into the game lore from the game's perspective. But when you suddenly snapped to ICO, my mind was blown. That was amazing. Stuff like this is what you're really looking for in the online gaming community: a way to enhance your perception of the game, immersion and your enjoyment.
Also, I'd never have guessed the desert would look that good from far above.
Or maybe the game creators made the rings in order for them to use them as guide lines and be able to create the fixed path that Phalanax always uses.
Why wouldn't they remove them later then? I'm no game designer myself, but in my opinion, if I just wanted something as an AI path tracking guideline, I wouldn't keep it in the final game release.
What I love about this video is that it reinforces what I love about the game. That it's open to interpretation. It's clear that extra thought was put into the creation of the collisi and this just reaffirms it. In some instances it seems you're going a little too in depth but the theory alone is enough to fall in love with this game all over again. There will never be another one like it, a work of art!
They were obviously trying to make a stargate!
Hey great vid, also how did you get the footage of Phalanx acting its flight cycle?
By hacking the game. I moved the camera up above Phalanx.
Nomad Colossus oh i tought you could actually ride that thing
I’m sure this has been asked before but.. the voice of Wander, is that the same voice of Link in OOT?
The more I watch on this game the more I realize how masterful and underappreciated this game is. I'm glad that some people continue to devote this much time and effort to this title.
Holy mother of god.... I just had a theory as well. What if they were placed there because the desert looked plain without them and the design artists thought it was a good idea! Good work detective. This case has been solved.
Yes, I get your sarcasm here, but (as I've said before) I'm looking at the game from a 'story' point of view, as if the events in the game were real - not just from a game designers point of view - smartass!
Normally I'd support you, but this video clearly had thought and effort put behind it. Random rings in the desert are very strange, and Nomad puts forward a reasonably convincing fan theory - I see it the same vein as perhaps the indoctrination theory fans made for Mass Effect 3. There's nothing wrong with a little imaginative investigation when it's done competently like this.
Nomad Colossus it's like archeology :)
Haha, this is incredible work. I love your passion for the Ico titles. I knew there was some bigger mythology at work and your speculation is captivating.
2:05
AAMOGUSSS
I'm new to the game, and videos like this are my kinda eye candy! Congratulations on your in game credit! Incredible work!
Whoa how did you get the aerial shot of the desert??
He's a hacker.
The Grimwar he hacked the game and put the cam above the colussus
Though the thing is, actually, Phalanx is land-locked just like the others. It stays airborne with its gas sacks, the loss of which causes him to lose altitude. Ergo, there is a maximum height Phalanx is capable of achieving, which in turn means he is confined by the mountains (seen at 6:50).
The impression I'm always given touring the landscape is that the various structures were not constructed to house the guardians (otherwise you wouldn't be able so often to use the architecture against them) so much as were re-purposed after Dormin's prison and all of its surrounding lands had to be abandoned -- that they didn't design everything to confine the colossi, rather the colossi were designed to be confined by their surroundings (lest they risk all the violent ones chasing after them or coming to blows with each other). So while that may have been the temple and its rings' original purpose, I think their relation to Phalanx is tenuous at best.
This is some nice speculation and all, but honestly, it's just how Team Ico developed the mechanics since the PS2 wasn't that much of a powerhouse to have a bunch of colossi running amok a giant landscape. Rendering tricks were in place so that it didn't gut the framerate. The fact that each colossi are "land locked" is to not only help the player reach them easier, but because having two of these things in one area would kill the hardware it's running off of. So trying to find or explain any hidden meaning as to why there are rings in the desert is a pretty moot effort.
Sir Laughsalot it's more for the fun of it. SotC is an interesting game that was designed to have a lot questions that were probably never meant to be answered. I understand what you're saying but I think structure like that were left in as a way of making the game more interesting. I mean after all a decade after release people are still talking about it and trying to uncover it's mysteries.
There's so much that came from a PS2 game, it's amazing
In my opinion phlanax was never able to leave because he has no wings ( yes but he dont use them to stay in his height) Ist because aof the sandstorm,i think he is gliding through (sorry my english isnt the best^^)
sorry, bit i've noticed you commenting on some sotc videos and wondering if you know if the cliff glitch works on sotc for ps3 still? i can get there with normal jumping (those diagonal jumps dont seem to conserve anything) but he just jumps over and over when i get to the spot then i die. beating the game 4-5 times and killing lizards sounds tedious as shit but i really want to get up there. you know if the glitch still works? CAN ANYONE CONFIRM THIS?
thanks
it worked on ps3 ,yes and i dont thinkt that they patched it.try it ^^
Just been rewatching JackSepticEye's playthrough of the remastered PS4 edition, and as soon as he brought up Phalanx and the rings, my mind instantly shot to this video. Your videos are Shadow of the Colossus classics. This game, in all its rendititons, is beautiful, and, alongside theories like this video makes, is the prime example I use when dicussing if games are art.
umm is it just me or does thoes rings look like stargates?
Indeed since 2006 for me
Yeah, they're clearly Chappa'ais
Phalanx uses echolocation to detect objects similarly to bats, this is enforced by his small eyes which suggests he relies less on vision, but more on his sixth scent; that being echolocation. He also doesn't attack you head-on as he can't see. Another enforcement to the statement that he has echolocation is that he's an echosounder; in other words he screams loud to have his scream bounce off nearby objects so he's more aware of his environment, just like bats (the bouncing effect can be seen as receiving information about distance and direction of objects around him). Some people wonder why he can't just fly over the mountains; he can't fly that high. He can't go under them either - it's pure compressed stone, he won't be able to get through it. Now the Ico Rings, here's what I believe. The rings themselves give magnetic output towards the centre of the area, and they're placed conveniently to surround the area; that area being the place you fight the boss. The magnetic energy may come from the metal spheres around the Ico Rings, to me it's almost as if they create a focal point of energy by creating individual intersections from each metal circle; the intersections being each magnetic output and each output from each metal circle meet in one spot (could be in the middle of the area you fight him in, as the metal circles seem to be facing forward only, as opposed to each other), creating a focal point and the output still go their own direction past the intersection, only stronger. The focal point only amplifies the strength, giving a strong magnetic output from each ring. What does this mean? It means if Phalanx gets near, his echolocation will be distorted by the magnetic output and it'll be deluded into thinking there's objects causing his echolocation to be distorted. So he avoids getting near them under the assumption that they're physical objects such as a wall or a mountain, and since the rings surround him, he avoids leaving the area the rings surround. It's like a magnetic barrier that causes distortion; it would rather stay in the zone where all the ring's magnetic energy meets, possible degrading his overall echolocation, but through noticing it gets progressively worse as he gets further away from the zone, he stays in the zone. This topic is ambiguous and you're fine to argue with me, as this is a theory I quickly came up with.
would they have anything to do with the mirror plate used to control trico in the last guardian?
The master of the valley seemed to have its own magic that it developed more similar to wireless and wifi than anything we see in shadow of the colossus
Although I find it rather farfetched, I like your theory. I read somewhere that there were originally 48 planned colossi and that they narrowed it down to 24 and then to 16. It´s good to see such interest in a game that was released years ago and that does not appeal to most people. SotC will always have that mystery and mystic touch, not only for the game itself but what fans find and the theories they create around it.
Thank you very much for the awesome finds and videos. I am subscribing. :)
The rings I thought where like star gates
lolol. Me too.
Wow man so many tie overs in all the team ico games. Great video Nomad
You know this doesnt have anything to do with the video but i just started playing shadow of the colossus and i am loving it.But i wonder in some temples there are lit fires.I wonder who lit them?If its anything i missed from the game then i am dumb lol.If its explained in the ending then please dont tell me cause i havent finished the game yet
very good point, indeed, who did lit all these fires, when nobody's there? mystery remains unsolved
I think we are a lot of people who love this game...
But you, my dear Nomad, are a real connoisseur...
A SotC's erudite...
Huh I just thought they were part of the speed trials to get phalanx closer to you. dam man your good I'd heard how persistent you were from a friend of mine and I heard you found the possible location for the beta colossus but even investigating into the ones we know about man you are amazing and I am a very critisizal person so that means something you have my respect nomad
+Cord Thomas Thanks - appreciate the comment ; )
+Nomad Colossus why u no u upload and i really like ur conspiracys and theroys
This theory combines two separate theories I saw in the comments one theory suggests that the rings were like shackles to prevent phalanx from flying/hovering and it makes sense a creature that big could cause alot of chaos even if it's indirectly the second theory suggests that phalanx has poor eyesight and thusly uses echolocation (this is supported by phalanx's tuning fork like horn and phalanx's piercing crys) to navigate it's surroundings the metal plates on the rings essentially trick phalanx into thinking something large is in the way "preventing" phalanx from flying over/past them well my theory is that it's both the rings were like shackles meant to prevent phalanx from flying/hovering but as a sort of failsafe in case phalanx ever broke free the metal plates (on the rings) trick phalanx making him think he can't go past there because something large is in the way ironic when you think about it he finally broke "free" but in doing so only guaranteed that the blistering hot desert would be his confinement.
Again I cannot stress this enough this is my personal theory and opinion and is not fact I hope it was a somewhat interesting read and have a good day/night.
Or maybe they're just Hoopy the hoop's cousins!
Glados is their mother
^
I love going back and watching these
This video is really interesting and cool. 👍👍👍
7 years later im still here for SotC
More like 17 :)
Poor Phalanx :( Trying to escape his prison while being attacked by us :(
I think this is a solid case of overthinking it...the reason Phalanx stays in a distinct flight pattern is because that's just how he was programmed. The limitations of the PS2 meant he'd have a preset flight pattern, and it's not like he can just fly off because Wander has to take him down SOMEhow. And the rings look similar to the ones from Ico because they recycled art assets. It's extremely common in order to shave time off of a production schedule.
You may as well ask why Quadratus didn't just leave his area. Clearly he could, he can bust through stone walls for the love of bacon! But then what'd be the point of the game if they all just booked it? I don't buy that Avion was landlocked, that thing got some pretty good height, even higher than the cliff I came in through.
Ugh, look at me, I'm rambling... sorry! Look, I applaud your imagination and it's super fun to try and fit the pieces together in Team Ico games which are intentionally vague, but to try and present them as canon just seems kind of wrong.
I in no way was presenting this as 'canon'. It's just my own speculation about the 'story' behind the game, nothing more. As I've said before, I realize that Phalanx was programmed this way and that the colossi are not meant to leave their arenas, I mean it's obvious! But it's the only colossus that exists in an open field so the rings acting as barriers was a way to keep it enclosed (at least that's what I thought). I like to speculate a lot about this game in my videos (you may have noticed?) so this video is no different. Appreciate your comment though ; )
Nomad Colossus You tried to use the sword of the sun to put light on the solar rings? on the metal plates
Stargates
Dark Souls creator, Miyazaki, in an interview said he would always pick the pendant at the beginning of the game. People were speculating for like a year, and finally Miyazaki revealed that it was just a prank - the pendant has no use. So, have fun speculating :D
stargate ?
Pretty sure the rings are marks from where Phalanx would have originally had more buildings or cliff faces for the player to climb up in order to get on its back, similar to Avion, but the idea was dropped and Aggro used instead in order to make the fight "harder", since Phalanx is one of the later Colossi. We know Avion was moved around or had some ideas changed from an earlier fight with the Phoenix Colossus that was cut due to issues with geometry, so this is probably the happy medium that was decided on for Phalanx.
The Rings are probably meant to be pieces of the control towers that would have kept Phalanx in the area but serve no real plot purpose.