The Horned Boy

Another game, another 100% completion post. This time, it's Shadow of the Colossus!

I'm in the 1%!

The last trophy I unlocked was "Speed Demon," which is awarded for completing a full-game speedrun. Consensus on the Internet is that this trophy is very easy, and they're right. I'd already completed the Hard mode time attack challenges and unlocked the Queen's Sword, which makes the game an absolute joke. You have 5 hours, 41 minutes, and 28 seconds to finish the game on Hard mode, and I did it in about half that time. Since the Queen's Sword destroys every weak point with one stab and I had maxed-out stamina from previous runs, the colossi didn't stand a chance. 

Big building.

Much more interesting were the trophies that are unlocked by climbing the temple, which requires near-maxed stamina. Crossing the bridge offers some phenomenal views.

Where it all began.

The fact that this secret area is in the game at all goes a long way to explaining the obsessive fanboy mentality that Shadow of the Colossus engendered. In the Before Time of the PlayStation 2, it must have seemed positively magical.

Great view of Colossus #3's arena.

The secret garden is, if anything, even more impressive than the bridge. It's been literally on top of you from the start of the game!

Really cool to see the oculus from above.

Of course, Team Ico made the canny decision to place the garden nowhere near the apex of the temple. There's plenty of building out of your reach to tantalize the player with the mystery of what it's all for.

I think this is the highest point the player can legitimately reach, but I am eager to be proven wrong.