The Dad of War: God of War Review

On April 20th of 2018, Santa Monica Studio released God of War to a fanbase that had been waiting half a decade to get their hands on this next installment of Kratos’ legendary adventure. Within a few hours of release the public was breathing a huge sigh of relief, the much anticipated title had lived up to, and surpassed, the expectations of all who played it. Over the last week I finally got the chance to get my hands dirty with the critically acclaimed game, which had already become the fastest selling PlayStation game of all time. The short story is this: I came into this game with very little hype or expectations, and left it feeling I had just completed one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. The following review will cover the parts of the game that I felt made it stand out, including its story (with as little spoilers as possible!), progression system, combat, and of course Atreus.

The new God of War finds main protagonist Kratos far from his homeland of Sparta, battling his way through the Norse wilds and encountering the gods and beasts of viking lore. However, this time Kratos is not alone, as his son Atreus joins him on an epic quest to fulfill the last wish his mother Faye, Kratos’ late wife, and spread her ashes on the mountain of her homeland. The game starts just after Faye’s death as Kratos and Atreus burn her body and collect her ashes. Through their conversation the player learns of Faye’s last wish and thus the scene is set and the journey begins.

The story for this game is truly a masterpiece, with well developed characters, surprises at every corner, and an amazing and satisfying ending. To avoid spoiling such an experience for those who have not yet played the game, I will quickly touch on a few macro points that I felt made the story pop. The first thing I have to mention is the camera. The team developing God of War took a risk and decided they wanted their game to have a single, unbroken tracking shot. At no point in the game will you ever experience a loading screen, or even a cut between views or characters. The game transitions seamlessly from player controlled gameplay and combat to cutscenes, and this had a huge impact on my immersion into the main story and game as a whole. This approach to the players view of the game, coupled with the efforts of an extraordinary art and graphics team, created the groundwork for a truly incredible gaming experience. Seriously, the visuals in this game are incredible, with massive set-pieces and attention to detail down to how the characters move through mud and snow. But immersion can only get you so far without a good script, and God of War did not let down.

As I made my way through the story, I grew more familiar with Atreus, saw how Kratos had developed since the last title, and grew attached to a fantastic set of side characters. The dwarfs Brok and Sindri show up at multiple points in the games main story (and side quests), and manage to provide good comic relief while also adding to the player experience in useful ways, upgrading equipment and providing clues that will help on your quest. Characters like Freya, the “witch of the woods”, aid in your quest at multiple points and grow deeper with every encounter. Even the giant world snake that can be seen at all times when in the lake of the nine (seriously, he’s huge) becomes a character that is deeper than one would expect when considering you can’t understand anything he says. And then there is Mimir, a figure renowned for his knowledge, who ends up accompanying Kratos on his adventure (in a rather unconventional manner) and will often recite lore or provide insight into the game world for the player as you travel and explore. All an all, a gripping story which develops an extraordinary father-son team coupled with an exceptional cast of side characters, intense combat moments, and a stunning visual experience all make God of War a game deserving of the hype it has received.

One of the biggest worries I had when starting the game was Atreus, Kratos’ son, who is your follower through the entire game. Followers in games have produced mixed results, with some providing deep story elements and benefits to the player, and some just getting in the way. I am happy to say that Atreus fell into the first category. Not once did he trap me in a corner or create an obstacle to my gameplay. Often times when you are missing clues or interesting items he will point them out, and his combat skills improve (and can be improved) throughout the game. As the game progresses Atreus gains more tools. His shock arrows can stun enemies, and even chain between multiple enemies. A well timed shot from his bow can block or halt some enemies most powerful attacks, Valkyries being a prime example. And most importantly, his dialogue is engaging and meaningful, and only becomes annoying when it is supposed to be annoying as Kratos deals with being a dad.

Those who are familiar with the series know Kratos can deal out some massive damage as well. In previous games the blades of chaos have been Kratos’ tool of destruction, and while they make an epic appearance in this game, the first half of the game is dominated by the new leviathan axe. Both the axe and the blades of chaos are smooth and fun to use, with more attacks and combos available as you level up each weapon. The axe provides an interesting dynamic between ranged and close quarter attacks as you can throw the axe and recall it through the air to your hand, much like Thor’s hammer in the Marvel movies.

The enemies you fight are dynamic and have a range of abilities and weaknesses. Some enemies are more susceptible to the frost damage induced by the leviathan axe, while others are easily burnt to a crisp by the blades of chaos; a mix keeps both weapons relevant. The bosses in the game all offer cinematic moments and intense challenges. Fighting a Valkyrie without learning it’s attacks is a sure way to get killed, and opponents like Baulder offer some of the most visually stunning fight scenes in the game, again accentuated by the continuous camera shot. I can easily say this game had some of the most fun combat I’ve experienced in any game to date, which is important since the core gameplay mechanic IS combat!

How well you perform against various enemies in combat is impacted by how you have leveled up your weapons, armor, abilities, and even Atreus. You can utilize Brok and Sindri to craft better armor and improve your weapons and enchantments, and doing so is important when taking on more difficult enemies. Materials for crafting, enchantments, and armor pieces can be found throughout the game via defeated bosses or legendary chests. Rare materials such as Chaos Flame can be used to upgrade your weapons, which allows you to then spend XP to unlock more attacks and abilities for that weapon. Upgrading armor will improve it’s stats and often add enchantment slots, allowing you to increase your skills further.

Other than on weapons, the game has no set idea of level for Kratos. His level is directly determined by the gear he is wearing and the enchantments he has equipped. Taking off all gear will lower his abilities and overall level considerably, so pay attention to your gear and keep it upgraded! I felt the progression was paced well, with new gear showing up at proper intervals as I progressed through the main story. Right when my axe was close to reaching max level the blades of chaos were introduced, providing a new skill tree to pursue.

The last area of progression I wish to talk on is the expansion of the game world itself. This game did an amazing job slowly expanding the world and adding more for the player to do. When you first start exploring, the world is small and linear. As the game moves forward through the story specific events cause the water level in the lake of the nine to drop drastically, each time unveiling sunken ruins and passages that lead to areas not previously accessible. The brilliant thing about this approach is that the player never runs into a barrier or wall that blocks them, the inaccessible areas of the map are not reachable for a very logical reason that fits in with the story. As your power grows and the story gets deeper, the world becomes wider and provides more opportunity for the player to make their own path, and the mechanic for this just makes sense.

In summary, God of War lives up to the hype. I enjoyed every minute of gameplay and fell in love with the new characters. While side quests were limited, they all were meaningful and helped provided benefits for the player who decides to complete them. The single tracking shot camera created an immersive experience unlike any I have gotten in other games, and no loading screens! Atreus proved to be an amazing follower who contributed to gameplay and who I would be happy to see return in future titles. Most importantly, the combat was just plain fun, and some of the fights in the game provide insanely cinematic moments that will be stuck in my head for a very long time. If you have a PS4, this one is worth checking out!

#JustinFinger