Shadow of the Colossus Remake Hits PS Plus Extra — Still Breathtaking, Still Boldly Stubborn

Why This Matters Now

Shadow of the Colossus joining PlayStation Plus Extra is the kind of drop that makes me pause whatever I’m playing and saddle up Agro all over again. Bluepoint Games’ PS4 remake isn’t a “nice to have” facelift; it’s one of the few remakes that genuinely reintroduces a classic to modern players without sanding off the soul that made it special. If you’ve never climbed a living mountain while your stamina ticks away and a symphony swells, you’ve got homework.

• It’s a full rebuild with new assets, lighting, and materials that preserve Team Ico’s mood while making it sing on modern displays.
• Two performance targets: a cinematic 30 fps mode and a 60 fps option on PS4 Pro; on PS5 via backward compatibility, the 60 fps mode holds even steadier.
• Faithful design with smart options: modernized controls, Photo Mode, HDR support, plus hidden coins that unlock a secret reward.
• The infamous camera and weighty climbing are still divisive-intentional design that sometimes collides with modern expectations.

Breaking Down the Announcement

Originally announced at E3 2017 and released on PS4 in 2018, Shadow of the Colossus was rebuilt by Bluepoint in collaboration with SIE Japan Studio. This wasn’t a remaster in the “higher resolution textures and call it a day” sense-Bluepoint recreated environments, colossi models, fur, and lighting from the ground up, keeping the original gameplay logic intact. The result? A melancholic wasteland that looks like a concept art book come to life. Wide grasslands ripple, fog rolls over ancient stone, and the colossi themselves feel impossibly old and impossibly alive.

The game’s technical polish also fixes the PS2-era chugging that used to hit during big climbs. On a base PS4 you’ll get a stable 30 fps “cinematic” presentation; on PS4 Pro there’s a 60 fps performance mode that genuinely changes the feel of platforming and timing windows. If you’re running it on PS5 through backward compatibility, that 60 fps target stays rock solid most of the time, which is exactly how you want to experience frantic grip checks when a colossus tries to shake you loose.

The Real Story Behind Bluepoint’s Approach

Bluepoint earned its rep with the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Gravity Rush Remastered, and later cemented it with Demon’s Souls on PS5. Their secret sauce is restraint: they’re willing to rebuild assets while resisting the urge to “fix” the design DNA. With Shadow of the Colossus, that means they left the structure alone-16 boss puzzles, no filler—and focused on making every climb feel mythic, not modernized to the point of losing friction.

There are quality-of-life additions. A modern control scheme maps jump, grab, and rolls closer to contemporary action layouts. Photo Mode is absurdly good—freeze a mid-swing moment and you’ll understand why this game has filled wallpaper folders for years. HDR brings out dusty sunlight and the cold blues of forbidden temples without blowing out the image. And Bluepoint tucked in a hunt for mysterious gold coins that unlock a secret blade, a clever nod for veterans without altering the core loop.

What Gamers Need to Know

This remake is gorgeous and respectful—but it’s still Shadow of the Colossus. That means a protagonist whose animations have intent and weight, not instant parkour. It means a camera that can struggle when fur, stone, and panic all collide. And it means Agro controls like a living creature, not a motorcycle. I’m glad Bluepoint didn’t completely declaw those edges; the awkwardness is part of why the victories feel earned. But if you bounced off the original because of camera tantrums, know that those moments aren’t entirely gone.

As for content, don’t expect new colossi or side quests. The game’s power comes from its stark focus: ride, find a giant, figure out how to climb it, hold on for dear life, stab weak points, collapse in mixed triumph and dread. You’ll likely finish in 6-15 hours depending on skill and exploration, with Time Attack returning for unlockables if you want more challenge. Pro tip: enable performance mode for fights that rely on tight stamina management and precision jumps; then flip to the 30 fps mode if you prefer a more filmic vibe for exploration and screenshots.

Why This Drop Is a Win for PS Plus Extra

Including Shadow of the Colossus in the Extra catalog is exactly what subscription services should do: surface foundational games that a new generation might’ve missed and let veterans revisit them at their best. It’s a reminder that Sony’s preservation strategy often favors prestige remakes over emulation—and when the remake is this good, I’m not complaining. Just remember the usual caveat: PS Plus lineups rotate. If you’re curious, install it now instead of adding it to a backlog that services love to yank from under us.

This caught my attention because Bluepoint’s later Demon’s Souls remake shows how far they can push a classic without snapping it. Shadow of the Colossus is the blueprint for that philosophy. It’s not just nostalgia; it’s a case study in how to respect design intent while taking full advantage of modern hardware. And when that first colossus rises, shaking the ground as strings swell, it still hits like a thunderclap in 2025.

TL;DR

Shadow of the Colossus on PS Plus Extra is a must-install. Bluepoint’s rebuild is stunning, mostly faithful, and runs beautifully—especially at 60 fps. Expect occasional camera crankiness and purposefully weighty controls, but the awe is intact, and that’s what matters.