Game

The ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection

2011

Platforms: PlayStation 3Genres: Action, Adventure

3Score

Peak Gaming

My list →Saved on this device — no account required.

Share this verdict card

Game metadata from RAWG.

Is The ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Woke? Quick Answer

The ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection scores 3/100 on the IsItWoke scale and falls into Peak Gaming.

That is the story-first end of the scale for this game.

The dialogue is minimal and serves the atmosphere rather than any overt messaging. Characters are deeply integrated into the narrative, with their roles feeling earned and organic.

See the full breakdown below.

Woke profile

How the score is shaped

Eight stored dimensions, each scored from 0 to 20.

Message

Characters

Story

Legacy

Politics

Lead

Tradition

Norms

Column height is the stored score out of 20

Message-first dialogue
1/20
Tokenistic characters
1/20
Ideology over story
1/20
Legacy rewriting
0/20
Modern politics injection
0/20
Protected protagonist pattern
1/20
Anti-traditional framing
0/20
Cultural normalization framing
0/20

AI vs Community

AI says Peak Gaming. What do users say?

AI verdict: Peak Gaming. Be among the first to challenge it.

Challenge the AI See most disputed titles

Community verdict

Pick the band you think fits. One vote per browser on this title. You cannot change it after you vote.

Loading community votes…

Why it received this score

Based on: Published title analysisConfidence: MediumLast updated: 2026-09-27

Key reasons

The dialogue is minimal and serves the atmosphere rather than any overt messaging.
Characters are deeply integrated into the narrative, with their roles feeling earned and organic.
The storytelling prioritizes emotional engagement and exploration over any ideological agenda.

View full breakdown

There are no significant alterations to the original lore or themes, maintaining the integrity of the original games.
The gameplay mechanics and narrative choices focus on player experience rather than contemporary political issues.

Score signals

Signal	What was measured	Strength	Impact
Message-first dialogue	How much the dialogue, monologues, or character interactions feel driven by overt messaging, moral lecturing, ideological framing, or making a point instead of serving the story naturally.	1/20	+1
Tokenistic characters	How much characters feel inserted or shaped primarily for symbolic representation, political signaling, or demographic checkbox value rather than narrative depth, organic fit, or strong characterization.	1/20	+1
Ideology over story	How much the overall storytelling prioritizes ideological framing, message delivery, social commentary, or activism-coded narrative choices over pacing, conflict, immersion, and entertainment.	1/20	+1
Protected protagonist pattern	How much the protagonist fits the protected-protagonist pattern (agenda-driven character construction) rather than competence fantasy. Score HIGH only when: competence appears unearned or unexplained; protagonist rarely faces consequences; antagonists exist mainly to demonstrate protagonist superiority; narrative treats protagonist as symbolically superior; plot shields protagonist from vulnerability. Score LOW when: competence is grounded in training, profession, or past experience; protagonist suffers damage or setbacks; real physical danger and survival tension exist (normal action storytelling). Do not penalize competence fantasy.	1/20	+1

AI cultural analysis

A short read on tone, themes, and messaging — not a plot synopsis.

AI read

The ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection excels in delivering a pure gaming experience, prioritizing story and emotional depth over any ideological messaging. The dialogue is sparse and atmospheric, enhancing the immersive quality rather than pushing a specific agenda.

Characters are crafted with care, reflecting their struggles and growth without feeling like tokens or symbols. The remastered collection retains the original themes and lore, ensuring that the essence of both games remains intact and untouched by modern ideological framing.