God of War
Publisher: Sony Interactive
Release Date: April 20, 2018
Platforms: PS4
Rating: Mature
Genre: Action Adventure
OLD GODS, NEW TRICKS
Written by Joshua David Anderson
Sony has become known for taking risks on their exclusive games. From giving studios a chance to make games out of their wheelhouse like Guerrilla Games’ Horizon: Zero Dawn, to greenlighting more niche titles like Bloodborne and Dreams, the Playstation brand is not afraid to try new and different things. However, with the announcement that Sony Santa Monica Studio would be making a new God of War title, even the most diehard Sony fan was a little sceptical. God of War is absolutely a legacy franchise, but it is also the type of game that isn’t really in vogue anymore, with the hack-and-slash brawler feeling a bit old these days. Would this new God of War game be able to feel both relevant and true to its roots?
This new God of War does not reboot the story, nor does it undo any of the past games. However, it does take place in a new setting, with a new pantheon of gods to go up against. Set years after the first games, an older Kratos has left Greece and has taken up residence in snowy Northern lands. Mourning a recently dead wife, Kratos goes on a journey to spread her ashes on the top of a great mountain. Along for the ride is Kratos’ young son, Atreus, to whom Kratos does not have a close relationship with. The story is as much about these two characters developing together as it is exploring this new land. Against Kratos stands the powerful gods of Norse Mythology. With this change, Santa Monica Studio allows us to see a whole new story while still staying true to Kratos’ Greek past.
Along with a new land and new threats, Kratos gains a new weapon: The Leviathan Axe, which carries the powers of frost and has a cool ability to be recalled back to his hand a la a famous hammer held by a Son of Odin. The combat in God of War has been stripped down a bit, no longer built around huge strings of multi-button combos against hordes of enemies. The fighting is a bit slower here, with more weight behind the hits, and more specific moves to pull off. It feels a bit like Dark Souls, with large enemies needing to be dodged and weaved around before finding an opening to attack. The axe feels great, with the power to recall it back to your hand being immensely satisfying. However, you can also put away the hammer and wail on enemies with your fists, and Atreus has lots of combat usefulness, as his arrows can knock down flying foes and stun the larger ones. Additionally, there are many magical super moves you can use called Runic Attacks, which fill out the arsenal very well.
Beyond just having a well told story and combat that feels really good, God of War really nails all the stuff on the edge of a great game. The visuals are incredible, some of the best you can see on any console. The voice acting is top notch. There are plenty of collectables and side goals to accomplish, with some of the best parts of the game being the side quests. There is tiered loot to collect and equip, and plenty of world lore to learn about if that is your thing. God of War goes one step further though, in adding some truly awesome end game challenges to chase after. There are a few radically different areas of the game that are designed for after the story, if you still want more. There is a set of cool combat trials to throw your head against, a cool procedurally generated maze like area to explore and conquer, and a set of boss enemies to track down. This is where God of War really shines. If you enjoyed playing this game, the developers went out of their way to give you a bunch of stuff to do. It’s almost like things you would have found in DLC later on, but they just included it in the base game.
God of War is a fantastic entry in the series, a perfect starting point for new players but also being filled with everything a long time fan would want. Sony took a huge risk with this game, as it could have just been another “God of War” game, as the formula had been fairly defined. But by changing it up completely, Sony really has something special here. Not only do they have another killer exclusive, they have also shown a path for reviving an old game series that may be past its prime. God of War is hopefully the start of not only a new series for Kratos, but a new doorway for series from gaming’s past to be in the spotlight again.