The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Cheats & Cheat Codes for PlayStation 3

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection (also known as Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Classics HD) is a PlayStation 3 bundle that includes two PlayStation 2 games, Ico (2001) and Shadow of the Colossus (2005). The bundle upgraded both games to be high-definition remasters of the originals. The collection was developed by Bluepoint Games, who also assisted with remastering both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Sony Computer Entertainment published the collection for the PlayStation 3. This collection debuted in September of 2011.

Unfortunately, The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection is difficult to come by these days. The game was only released for the PlayStation 3. Today, only a selection of PS3 games can be played on modern PlayStation consoles like the PlayStation 5. PlayStation users can play certain PlayStation 2 and 3 games on the PS5 with a PS Plus Premium membership. This opens up a catalog of older PlayStation games, but not every PS2 and 3 game is included. For PlayStation users to get their hands on The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection, they’ll need to buy a physical copy of the collection. The easiest place to find the bundle is through platforms like Amazon or eBay. Please keep in mind that to run the original game, players will still need to have access to a PlayStation 3. It won’t work on a newer console.

Although getting ahold of the collection may be difficult, Shadow of the Colossus received a PlayStation 4 remake in 2018. The remake is still available on the PlayStation Store for $19.99. If users have a PlayStation Plus Extra membership, they can get Shadow of the Colossus (2018) for free.

Upon release, both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus received glowing reviews and were critically acclaimed. The remastered collection received a lot of positivity from players and fans. IGN rates the collection an 8.5 out of 10 and calls it great. Many fans recommend the collection over the original versions of the games. 95% of Google users also claimed to like the collection.

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Premise

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection’s main purpose was to remaster both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus and update the games to look and handle better on the PlayStation 3. Technically speaking, the games are not related. The gameplay is vastly different and both games tell different stories. That said, both games have similar themes, and Shadow of the Colossus is something of a spiritual successor to Ico.

Both remastered games left the core story and gameplay alone. The remasters focused on updating the game’s graphics to modernize them for the PlayStation 3. Each supported modern (at the time) high-definition displays up to 1080p. They were also upgraded to a fixed frame rate of 30 frames per second. Ico and Shadow of the Colossus both had a reputation for pushing the PlayStation 2 to the edge of its limitations, so both games felt more at home on the PS3. Ico’s remaster was based on the European release, which had bonus content not seen in the American version. As a result, the remaster had new content and changes to some previous areas and puzzles.

Ico Premise:

Players control Ico, a boy born with horns. His people believed him to be cursed, so they locked him away in an abandoned castle near but not in the village. Ico manages to free himself from his isolated prison and venture out into the world. He eventually stumbles upon a girl named Yorda being chased by shadow monsters. Ico interferes, stopping Yorda from being dragged into another realm. After saving her, Ico becomes her friend and he learns the horrible truth of Yorda’s situation.

Shadow of the Colossus Premise:

As mentioned above, Shadow of the Colossus is considered a spiritual successor to Ico. Fumito Ueda, the game’s creator, eventually confirmed that Shadow of the Colossus is also a prequel to Ico. Ico and Shadow of the Colossus take place in the same world. Players control Wander, a young man on a mission to revive Mono, a young woman sacrificed because she had a “cursed fate”. To bring Mono back to life, Wander agrees to kill 16 monolithic beasts that roam the land. As Wander sets out on his journey, he slowly begins losing himself to dark corruption. Each dead monolithic beast makes the dark energy worse, but he never forgets his desire to save Mono.

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Main Characters

Since this collection includes two games, it’s only natural that it features two sets of characters. To keep things simple, let’s take a look at each game’s main characters separately.

Ico Main Characters:

• Ico: Ico is the playable character and one of the main protagonists of Ico. A mysterious curse befalls Ico, causing two horns to grow out of his head. His people grow wary of him due to the physical markers of what they perceive to be evil or an ill omen. The villagers constantly blame Ico for anything bad that happens to or in the village. On his 12th birthday, the villagers decide that shunning and alienating Ico isn’t enough, so they bind his hands and usher him out of the village. He’s taken to an old, seemingly abandoned castle. The villagers lock him inside a stone coffin inside the castle to die with the hope that his death will free the village from any further hardship. A tremor causes the coffin to crack, freeing Ico, but leaving him unconscious. While unconscious, he sees a vision of a young girl trapped, and when he awakes, he realizes that he isn’t dreaming. The vision is real, so he sets off to free the girl, Yorda.
• Yorda: Yorda is Ico’s second protagonist and she is a strange 16-year-old girl who seems to glow in comparison to the other characters in the game. Most of the combat in the game centers around Ico protecting Yorda from shadow monsters that attempt to kidnap her and drag her away. Yorda is the Queen’s daughter. The Queen of the castle traps her daughter in the castle for a dark and sinister purpose. When Ico learns of Yorda’s fate, he swears to help her find a way out of the castle.
• The Queen: The Queen is the main antagonist of the game and she is Yorda’s mother. Her body begins to fail her and she knows that she doesn’t have much time left before her death. To escape the reaper’s clutches, the Queen plans to transfer herself into her daughter’s body. Although she is the game’s main antagonist, the Queen only appears in the game three times. Usually, she sends shadowy minions to do her dirty work. Despite her frail and failing body, the Queen looks intimidating in-game. Her body and clothes are made up of shadows, making her look more like a phantom or a monster than a person.

Shadow of the Colossus Main Characters:

• Wander: Wander is the main playable protagonist of Shadow of the Colossus. The player doesn’t know much about Wander’s past because the game intentionally keeps it vague. Wander possesses a magical sword that he stole and with it, he can kill Colossi. At the beginning of the game, Wander carries a body (Mono) to the Shrine of Worship, where he seeks to resurrect her. There, he requests that Mono’s soul be returned to her body. Dormin, a disembodied voice, speaks with him because he possesses the magical sword. The voice tells him that Mono can be resurrected, but Wander will need to destroy 16 Collosi first. Wander sets off on the journey to vanquish these monsters on the back of his horse, Agro.
• Mono: Mono is the dead woman that Wander brings to the Shrine of Worship and she is the reason that Wander sets off on such a dangerous quest. She’d been sacrificed due to her “cursed fate”. By the end of the game, Wander succeeds in resurrecting her. Her mysterious death and her relationship with Wander leave the player with some unanswered questions, though.
• Dormin: Dormin is an entity living in the Forbidden Lands. The disembodied voice that speaks with Wander at the Shrine of Worship belongs to Dormin. They also communicate with Wander during his fight with different Colossi, often giving Wander hints and tips for how to beat them. Dormin ultimately strikes a deal with Wander that if he kills all 16 Colossi, they’ll bring Mono back. The 16 Colossi correspond with 16 idols in the Shrine of Worship. For some reason, Dormin wants these idols destroyed and the only way to destroy them is to kill the beasts attached to them. Wander agrees to the conditions, claiming that he doesn’t care what it costs as long as Dormin saves Mono.

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Titles in the Series

Both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are considered by many gamers to be masterpieces. Even infamous film director, Guillermo del Toro, has nothing but praise for both games. That said, there aren’t actually that many games in the “series”.

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Series:

• Ico (2001)
• Shadow of the Colossus (2005)
• The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection (2011) – A collection that includes PS3 remasters of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.
• The Last Guardian (2016)
• Shadow of the Colossus (2018) – A Shadow of the Colossus remake for the PS4.

Despite the relatively short list of entries into the series, both of these games, especially Shadow of the Colossus, have inspired countless other games. Developers for games like God of War (2007), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), Death’s Gambit (2018), and even Elden Ring (2022) have all cited Shadow of the Colossus as a main source of inspiration.

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Cheats, Secrets, & More

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection features two games that are full of Easter eggs, hidden rewards, and other gems. The collection doesn’t feature any game-breaking cheats or exploits that will make completing the games easy, but there is plenty for players to uncover. If players Google cheats for this collection, they’ll find a lot of hints, Easter eggs, and other information for the original Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Please keep in mind that not everything that worked for the original games will work for the collection. This guide will only take a look at items that should work in The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection. Likewise, there are also some cheats and Easter eggs for the 2018 Shadow of the Colossus remake that don’t work for the older versions.

The Hidden Land Between Games in the Title Screen

When players load up The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection, they’ll be able to choose which game they want to play by clicking LEFT or RIGHT. If they continue scrolling past both game options, they’ll see a new screen featuring a landscape and scenery. This screen is believed to be the world in between Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.

Grab Birds in Shadow of the Colossus

Players can use flying animals while traversing the world. To latch onto one, all players need to do is follow the desired bird or animal on horseback. Follow the bird until it dips down low and then JUMP off the horse. Hold GRAB while aiming for the bird. Wander can hold onto the animal for as long as his grip meter will allow.

Horse Tricks in Shadow of the Colossus

Players can do a few tricks while riding Wander’s horse, Agro:

• Riding on the Side: Hold R1 and X, then use the left analog stick to lean in the desired direction
• 180 Turn: When galloping, press the left analog stick and the X button twice quickly and at the same time. This prompts Agro to turn around.
• Quick Stop: When galloping, press the left analog stick and the X button
• Stand While Riding: While galloping, press and hold R1 and X

Change Wander’s Horse in Shadow of the Colossus

Players can change Agro’s color scheme by doing one of the following:

• Brown Horse: Collect all the items in Normal Time Attack mode
• White Horse: Collect all the items in Hard Time Attack mode
• Ico Logo Horse: Players need to play Ico to get this cosmetic. Have an Ico save file for an “I” logo to appear on Agro’s head.

Unlocking Various Modes in Shadow of the Colossus

There are several modes players can unlock for Shadow of the Colossus:

• Time Attack Mode: Beat the base game and then load a post-credits save. This will automatically unlock Time Attack Mode. Go to the Colossi statues in the Shrine of Worship and press CIRCLE to activate the Time Attack Mode. This will force players to refight the Colossi in a certain amount of time. If they succeed, they can unlock some cool rewards.
• Hard Time Attack Mode: Beat the game on hard and then go through the same steps as the Time Attack Mode. Doing the Hard Time Attack Mode will give the player different rewards.
• Reminiscence Mode: Return to a defeated Colossus to use their remains as a save shrine. This will allow the player to fight that specific Colossus again.
• Hard Mode: Beat the base game, watch the credits, and save the file after the credits finish rolling. This will unlock Hard Mode.

Time Attack Mode Rewards in Shadow of the Colossus

Normal Time Attack Mode Rewards:

• Whistling Arrow: Defeat two (2) Colossi for arrows that distract a Colossus when fired
• Cloak of Force: Defeat four (4) Colossi for a cloak that increases Wander’s sword damage
• Mask of Strength: Defeat six (6) Colossi for a mask that inflicts deeper wounds
• Lizard Detection Stone: Defeat eight (8) Colossi for a stone that detects White Tailed Lizards
• Fruit Tree Map: Defeat ten (10) Colossi for a map that shows the locations of Fruit Trees
• Mask of Power: Defeat 12 Colossi for a mask that inflicts severe wounds
• Cloak of Deception: Defeat 14 Colossi for a cloak that makes Wander invisible to Colossi
• Flash Arrow: Defeat 16 Colossi for arrows that explode and damage a Colossus without hitting vital points
• Brown Horse: Defeat 16 Colossi to unlock the brown horse skin for Agro

Hard Time Attack Mode Rewards:

• Harpoon of Thunder: Defeat two (2) Colossi for a long-range weapon
• Sword of the Sun: Defeat four (4) Colossi for Wander’s sword to reflect light in the shadows
• Fruit Tree Map: Defeat six (6) Colossi for a map that shows the locations of Fruit Trees
• Shaman’s Cloak: Defeat eight (8) Colossi for a cloak that decreases damage
• Lizard Detection Stone: Defeat ten (10) Colossi to get a stone that detects White Tailed Lizards
• Shaman’s Mask: Defeat 12 Colossi for a mask that decreases damage
• Cloth of Desperation: Defeat 14 Colossi for a parachute
• Queen’s Sword: Defeat 16 Colossi to unlock the “Lightsaber” Easter egg weapon from Ico
• White Horse: Defeat 16 Colossi to unlock the white horse skin for Agro

The Fruit of the Dead in Shadow of the Colossus

Players can find a secret garden atop the Shrine of Worship. Go around to the back of the shrine to find a patch of climbable ivy. Once the player has leveled their strength meter enough, they’ll be able to climb to the top. Jumping sideways or diagonally will take less stamina than going straight up, so this can help make the daunting climb easier.

Once at the top, players will find some fruit trees. They can shoot the fruit down and eat it, but doing so will decrease their strength and health meters. This is probably not something players want to do unless they find their meters have grown so large, that they’re interfering with the player’s ability to see.

An Exploit for Fighting the Queen in Ico

Players can move the pillars in the Queen’s throne room, which helps players avoid a devastating blow during the final boss battle. While hiding behind one of the pillars, hold CIRCLE. This will allow Ico to drag the pillar with him as he moves backward. Use this trick when the Queen disarms Ico. At one point in the fight, the Queen will deflect Ico’s sword. The sword goes flying towards the back of the room, leaving Ico defenseless. Players need to scramble to get their sword back before the Queen can deliver a finishing blow. Players can duck behind one of the pillars for safety and drag it with them to retrieve the sword safely.

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Cheats FAQs

How do you unlock all items in Shadow of the Colossus?

To unlock every item in Shadow of the Colossus, players will need to beat every Colossi in Time Attack Mode and Hard Time Attack Mode. Please refer to the section above to find out how to unlock these modes and what rewards players get for completing the challenges.

Is Ico connected to Shadow of the Colossus?

Yes, as mentioned above, Shadow of the Colossus is a spiritual successor to Ico. It’s also a prequel that takes place in the same world as Ico.

Is there loot in Shadow of the Colossus?

Most of the important items players will collect will be shining lizard tails to increase their strength/stamina meter and fruit to increase their health. By doing Time Attack Mode and Hard Time Attack Mode, players can also unlock powerful gear for Wander.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©PlayStation / Bluepoint Games / Sony Computer Entertainment.