Playstation 5, PC
In gruff moments of fatherly instruction, Kratos repeats the phrase “Be better” to his son Atreus. This happens in different contexts, but the lesson remains consistent: your decisions aren’t bound by precedent, and the decisions of others aren’t examples to follow—they just set standards for you to surpass. Sony’s Santa Monica studio apparently took that message to heart when developing the latest God of War. While previous games in this series established a winning formula of stylish action and epic set pieces, the team took this opportunity to improve; With surprising changes on all fronts, God of War forges a new identity and surpasses even its most acclaimed predecessors.
As a long-time fan of the series, this entry drew me in for very different reasons. The narrative fits the bill despite its simple premise: Kratos and Atreus must reach the top of the highest mountain in the Norse domain. Along the way, they encounter detours and surprises, but the exact beats of the story are less important than how they are conveyed. God of War brilliantly presents a desolate journey into a beautiful world, all through the lens of the relationship between a distant father and his eager son.
Interactions between Kratos and Atreus range from hostile to compassionate, and these exchanges offer plenty of room for players to breathe and dress. Atreus wonders what he might say to his late mother if given the chance – an exercise Kratos finds pointless. As Kratos elaborately rewrites the fable of the tortoise and the hare, Atreus scoffs at his lack of storytelling skills. Those quiet moments are interesting, slowly and believably closing the distance between two characters – a focus that’s very different from previous games. Between terse answers and long silences, Kratos conveys more than ever, cursing Olympus at the top of his lungs.
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That’s not to say that God of War has sacrificed its ability to provide incredible spectacle. An early encounter (against a mysterious foe known as The Stranger) sets the bar absurdly high, and a later cathartic sequence is my favorite moment of the series so far. Between these points and beyond, the adventure is punctuated by a steady flow of massive beasts, ancient architecture, and intense boss battles. The environments and characters look amazing, and a new cinematic camera perspective gets you close to the action and never cuts you off – a decision that proves hugely rewarding in big moments by giving you an intimate look. Despite this rather grounded approach to presentation, the scope and ambition of the storyline are breathtaking in both cutscenes and combat.
The Greek world may be gone, but Kratos is still a god of war, and his skills on the battlefield are suitably divine. He fires magical attacks and performs brutal executions to defeat a cunning assortment of enemies from Norse myth. The Ice-Infused Leviathan Ax is a drastic departure from the iconic Blades of Chaos Kratos once wielded, but it’s a well-balanced and fun tool of destruction. I like how it emphasizes a more calculated fighting style; Instead of zoomed-out, combo-driven encounters, Leviathan turns you into a tactician. You can’t cut through large enemies with it, so you’ll have to consider how you deal with your enemies. You can freeze one from afar by throwing your axe, then use your fists to stun and grab another, then call back Leviathan for an area of effect ice blast. This type of strategy gives many fights – especially one-on-one bosses – an engaging duel-like quality. Also, the “pop” of Leviathan magically flying back into Kratos’ hand is satisfying every time.
For the first few hours, I had my doubts about the emphasis on the ax and shield. In these opening segments, crowded melee combat is difficult to navigate due to off-screen attacks, which encouraged me to keep my distance — at least until I got comfortable with key mechanics like parrying. After that I came to quickly; The gradual unfolding of the combat system in God of War is a joy. While it may feel restrictive at first, you’ll soon find yourself quickly switching between all the tools and abilities at your disposal, including your fists, Spartan Rage, Leviathan, and more. Cooldown-regulated rune attacks offer a diverse and unique set of special moves, like a freeze ray or a mind-blowing explosion, and I’ve had fun experimenting with them and seeing which ones I wanted to fit into my regular rotation.
You spend experience to unlock cool new techniques, and it’s not just damage or range buffs; Some have a significant impact on your options, like Kratos, who adopts a secondary stance from which additional attacks are possible. I also leaned on Atreus as his arrows are crucial in knocking out many creatures. Some of these concepts are introduced too slowly, but on the other hand, I liked how God of War’s battles avoid stagnation through constant evolution.
Underlying all of your combat endeavors is a surprisingly sophisticated gear system that gives you the ability to customize your arsenal but also dangles ambitious goals. Many of your deeds offer materials and gear as rewards, and like an RPG, you’ll see the numbers next to your stats increase as you craft and equip new items. You’ll also see materials you don’t have for gear you want to craft, adding to the excitement when that item finally drops after completing a side quest or defeating a tough opponent. This level of upgrade might be less exciting than learning new monster-hacking moves, but it still provides a strong incentive to explore.
While not strictly an open world, the game features a large lake with various shores and islands available for free exploration. I loved systematically exploring new locations and acquiring crafting materials, enchantments, and other rewards. These excursions are mostly optional, but they’re the best way to ensure you have everything you need for gear maintenance. As a bonus, these diversions complement the world with some interesting NPCs, in addition to providing some fun (but not too challenging) puzzle-like scenarios. They can provide a nice break from the main story, but they’re always available so you don’t have to invest in them at the expense of narrative pacing.
God of War’s momentum rarely flags, and when it does, the inconveniences are short-lived. For example, you have the freedom to explore, but the map isn’t particularly helpful for tracking your position relative to things you’re interested in, and the fast travel system is oddly cumbersome and opens too late. This is more frustrating if you plan on doing a thorough post-game cover of collectibles and objectives (not a new game + this time), but that’s what kept my enthusiasm for cliff-climbing and ruin-dumping long past the 30 hours I’d spent on it haven’t muted the main story.
Years ago, Kratos killed the gods of Olympus in a bloody killing spree. Now, in the Norse kingdom, he has transformed into a different kind of god. He is calmer and more aware, influenced by his history but not constrained by it. The reinvention of Kratos serves as a narrative hook, but it also corresponds to the development of the series as a whole; Where God of War once relied on bombast and bloodlust, it now leaves room for strategy and nuance. It still has excellent action and plenty of jaw-dropping moments, but backs them up with a new level of depth and maturity. God of War learns from its past while also paving an exciting path for the future and proving to be one of the best games of this generation.
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Result: 9.75
Summary: God of War forges a new identity, surpassing even its most acclaimed predecessors.
Concept: A magnificent reinvention of the God of War series, adding new levels of depth to gameplay and storytelling without sacrificing epic moments
Graphic: The world and characters come to life with fantastic design and beautiful graphics. A more intimate camera increases the intensity of moments large and small
Sound: From the quiet tracks to the thundering climaxes, Bear McCreary’s score supports the plot and establishes an interesting tone
Playability: Despite a variety of different attacks, the controls make it easy to strategize in combat and use your full range of skills
Entertainment: A captivating experience from start to finish, with a mix of great narrative moments and captivating encounters. God of War is a fast-paced adventure that knows when to let the action simmer and when to boil it over
Repetition: Medium high
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