Many people looking for the art in the video game industry are looking for specific things they can take away from each game, a specific message whether posed narratively or thematically. I don't mean to imply Shadow of the Colossus is lacking something deeper in regards to a message, but it proves the most artistic element of video games as a medium, is all in the name; the visuals and interactivity, packaged as one. Mechanics and spectacle became effectively inseparable in Shadow of the Colossus due to the heavy reliance on the camera, placement of fur and everchanging hitboxes of the Colossi which are perfectly mapped to sync up with what you see, thus meaning the two most core elements of the medium are in harmony. This is all important as Shadow of the Colossus is a mechanically simple game reliant on puzzle-centric bosses where the most truly crucial element is how it makes you feel, yet it's separated from a "movie game" by the fact interaction is never really taken away from you. The most clear example of this in Shadow of the Colossus is how it uses R1 to force you to cling on for dear life; you cannot let go for a second or you need to restart the boss fights intended sequence which allows for some beautifully tense moments of hope and exhilaration that no other medium could ever possibly replicate. These are all simple technical descriptors of a game that quite simply cannot be described on pure technicality; it embodies everything that make video games my absolute favorite form of art in that you cannot climb a giant and describe it only through words or pictures. Memories form based off of experiences and not based off of descriptions, video games tell stories through experiences and the artistic merit is entirely about the importance that experience had to you in life rather than just an intended effect. You couldn't get the same feel of awe from someone telling you the story of their personal fight against a great Kaiju via climbing it, you have to do it.