Author’s Note
God of War came out five months ago on April 20. However, a new game-plus mode came out on Aug. 20. It restarts the game from the beginning, but with level progress you’ve already made and the gear that you have collected throughout your original play-through. I’ve played the game twice as of now, so I’ll be reviewing its current state.
Introduction
“God of War” is the fourth in the series of brutal third-person hack-and-slash games made by Santa Monica Studios and published by Sony Interactive as a Playstation exclusive. The first-ever “God of War” was released in March 2005 on the Playstation 2. Two years later, the sequel “God of War 2,” was released, followed by the third installment, “God of War 3” in 2010. It was a game series with mindless violence, greek mythology and god-killing that only the fans could understand. In 2017, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the premiere video game industry trade event, a trailer for “God of War” was shown off and Playstation 4 owners were stoked. The game was released on April 20, 2018 and sold 3.1 million copies in less than three days. It was a must-have for Sony’s flagship console.
Story
You play as Kratos, a fallen Spartan soldier who became the God of War after killing the Greek god he believed had wronged him. Throughout the series, he has killed every god in Greek mythology. Since traveling through the world of Norse mythology, Kratos has become older and has retired from being a god. He has started his own family with his wife by having a son, Atreus. However, sad times fell upon Kratos when his wife, Faye, died from illness, causing him to be the prime caretaker for his son. Together, they must take Faye’s ashes to Jötunheim. But on the way, they run into numerous Norse mythological monster encounters like trolls, ogres, strangers, dark elves and wolves. Although during the journey, Kratos gets to know more about his son slowly learning how to be a better father. There’s a lot of father and son bonding throughout.
Gameplay
The game play is brutal and extremely fun. It is a mix of “Dark Souls,” the “Batman Arkham” series and the “Legend of Zelda” games. Even with all the gaming influences, it still feels like its own original thing. You can attack with your leviathan axes, use your shield to block attacks or counter them, or just use neither and just uses your bare fists. There’s another special weapon in the game that I won’t spoil for you, but once you get it, it’s absolutely awesome. One new addition to the game is that every weapon is equipped with a skill tree that rewards you with different fighting skills. Also, you can upgrade your weapons by using perks, which you can acquire at blacksmith shops. There is also armor you can create by collecting items and rare materials. One major highlight of the game is playing as Atreus, who is a great sidekick to have. He can sneak up on enemies and hold them down while he conjures animal spirits to help attack and distract enemies.
The map design of the game is incredible. It starts out very linear, but gets bigger as you progress through the game. Exploring the set pieces are extremely satisfying, finding more stuff to do everytime I play. The developers did a good job of making sure every side quest felt different, as well as making sure there is always something new to do.
Conclusion
God of War is an absolute masterpiece and is a must have for any PS4 owner.
10/10
