This week in video games, February 26, 2018: Redesigned, updated Shadow of the Colossus returns to fill us with guilt

This week, learn more about the characters in Destiny and how you can attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo this June. But first, the 2005 game Shadow of the Colossus has been redesigned.

Shadow of the Colossus remastered for high-powered PS4

Originally released in 2005 for Sony’s PlayStation 2 game console, Shadow of the Colossus has already been remastered for the PS3. Now the scintillating game has been remade for the PS4, which not only introduces ultra-high-definition graphics but also updates the game controls.

But the core of the action-adventure platforming game remains the same. A young man wants to revive a young woman and agrees to destroy some creatures to do so. The creatures, the colossi of the game, are massive things made of geological components like rocks and earth and grass. Players need to climb up the bodies of the creatures to destroy them.

There is very little narrative context here, and while replaying the game, I found myself feeling as I did back in 2005: guilty.

Because although huge and imposing, the colossi are passive creatures simply existing in the world. They can be dangerous if you get close, but they aren’t overtly violent. It’s more like they don’t really notice you. Even when you start attacking them, they aren’t aggressive but more reacting defensively.

The game on the PS4 is stunning. Shadow of the Colossus was one of the first games that started using the graphical power of consoles to present a sense of scale, and with this redesign and the horsepower in the PS4, you really get a sense of the majesty of the colossi.

Which only serves to drive the discomfort that I felt while killing the creatures. It’s the kind of emotional experience and moral ambiguity that can come from playing games.

Destiny webcomic tells the back story of Osiris

I’m still finding myself playing Destiny 2 when I’ve got a bit of free time. The first big update revolves around a nonplayer character, the warlock Osiris, who is considered something of a traitor. The story campaign has your guardian rescuing Osiris from some trouble he got into with the Vex, but what we don’t really get a sense of is what happened that made the other guardians turn him out.

A new webcomic fills in that backstory. Written by Ryan North and Christine Thompson, Fall of Osiris is the first in a new series of stories produced by Bungie.

Public passes to E3 2018 now on sale

Last year, for the first time, the public was admitted to the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The annual trade show has typically been open only to those working in the industry, as well as the media covering the event.

Some 15,000 people purchased tickets last year, and demand was so high that the ESA, which produces the event, is extending the hours to accommodate larger crowds.

The first 1,000 tickets were priced at US$149. They’re sold out already, so if you’re interested in travelling to Los Angeles in June, your pass will cost $249. Tickets are available at the ESA website.

E3 2018 is held at the L.A. Convention Centre in the city’s downtown and runs from June 12 through June 14.

A Gamer Pass also gives attendees access to the E3 Coliseum, which is held next door at L.A. Live.

Games released or releasing soon

• Fe, developed in Sweden by Zoink Games and published by EA Originals, is an exploration adventure about saving a fantastic forest from the machines that are destroying it. Available on PS4, Switch, Windows, and Xbox One.
• The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series Collection, for PS4 and Xbox One, collects visually enhanced versions of Season One and Season Two, along with Season Three of the action series set in Robert Kirkman’s world of zombies. Also included are the three-part miniseries Michonne.