REVIEW

God Of War Review

by Rob Pritchard, April 24th, 2018

When historians look back at the legends of Ancient Greece, many of them will recall the myths of Hercules, Achilles and Theseus. For fans of the PlayStation 2, they will have another hero in mind by the name of Kratos. The God of War series has been a prolific critical and commercial success since it was introduced in 2006, and now it is making its second appearance on PlayStation 4, following the remaster of the final game in the original trilogy. God of War, originally titled God of War IV, takes Kratos to a whole new location, with an all new set of challenges, a new pantheon of gods to interact with and the arduous task of being a father.

Following his departure from Greece at the end of God of War III, Kratos has been in hiding in the Nordic realm of Midgard, with only a Leviathan Axe to defend his home and his family. After the death of his beloved second wife, Kratos is left alone with the task of raising his son Atreus, as well as taking her ashes to a nearby mountain to honour her passing. When his safety is shattered by powerful beings who wish to dig Kratos out of his exile, the fallen god must prepare his son for the hardships that lie ahead, as well as defeat the deities that have placed a target upon his back.

From the very beginning, the story is filled with twists and turns that will shock and astound, with the central focus being placed on the volatile relationship between the father and son. Instead of playing the tortured protagonist this time around, Kratos now plays the role of a cautious parent and a strict authoritarian. The various arguments and reconciliations that ensue, particularly when Atreus succumbs to the rage that plagued his father are poignant, are well written and relatable to anyone who has been a parental figure. One of the early highlights is the arrival of a mysterious stranger that taunts Kratos to reveal himself. When the man threatens to eliminate his family, the former Greek god is forced into an intense fight filled with gore, blood and Dragon Ball styled fighting that takes place in various locations. What makes this fight truly remarkable is that there is no indication of when it will end, as the health bar only relates to that particular phase of the battle, and the seemingly indestructible enemy keeps returning for one more crack at eliminating the protagonist.

Like many current generation sequels, the gameplay style of God of War has shifted from its previous incarnations. The original games focused on an arcade style 3D beat em up akin to the Legacy of Kain series, interspliced with several puzzles and cut scenes detailing Kratos’s Grecian journeys. This time around, the action has shifted to a slower paced action adventure with open world exploration. Unlike many open world experiences, God of War is structured to allow you to access a small portion of the overworld, whilst still giving you the illusion of freedom to access small hidden areas that contain helpful bonus items and puzzles that are similar to the optional tombs found in the Tomb Raider reboots. This change is complimented by the addition of experience point systems and hidden object collection mechanics that have been popularised by the current incarnations of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. This change may alienate some of the series long time supporters, but the change in progression definitely works in the case of God of War, especially when facing larger enemies that require tactics rather than button mashing to be defeated.

One of the hallmarks of the God of War series were the various weapons that Kratos received from the ensemble cast of the Greek gods, such as the Blades of Athena, the Leviathan Axe and the Blade of Olympus. Most of these have been abandoned in the new game, with only the Leviathan Axe making a return as Kratos’s primary weapon. As well as experience points, it is possible to loot a limited supply of items that can be used to craft specially enhanced equipment. These optional powerhouse armourments can potentially have the ability to deal strong damage to foes with elemental weaknesses, alongside increasing your base stats, such as defence and vitality. These items can also provide unique abilities, with one of the most useful being the Warrior’s Protective Barrier, which can prevent Kratos from being injured whilst he is attacking a foe.

During enemy encounters, Kratos can order Atreus to fire his Talon Bow, which can help to hit a foe’s weak point during battle, or simply provide additional attack power when faced with a crowd of enemies. Like the Leviathan Axe, the Talon Bow can also be made stronger through upgrades, which allows players to choose between focusing on the strength of their close ranged attacks, opting to provide a boost in the damage that can be caused from a distance or even summoning spiritual allies that can act as auxiliary party members. Despite the lack of an interchangeable arsenal, it is now possible to upgrade your weapon using the experience gained from defeating enemies by visiting a pair of travelling blacksmiths. Both Kratos and Atreus’s primary weapons have a multitude of additional skills and enhancements, via the old reliable method of navigating a character specific skill tree. Kratos’s axe can be given ice magic, which allows you to freeze enemies and the slowing down the mechanism of certain drawbridges which impede your progress.

The graphics of God of War are some of the best that the system has produced to date. The attention to detail on the character models, as well as the various environments in Midgard is breath taking at every resolution. While previous games used camera angles that kept Kratos in the centre of the frame, this time around it hangs around the protagonist’s shoulder, giving you a sense of feeling more in control of Kratos’s superhuman strength. The frame rate runs almost perfectly smooth on the PS4 Pro, with only a few of the more intense boss battles providing hints of slowdown. The soundtrack is a mixture of intense orchestral arrangements and softer paced tracks for the emotional moments. One of the highlights is Memories of Mother, showcasing a haunting chorus that signifies the final journey of Kratos’s beloved wife.

Overall, God of War is a gaming masterpiece in every sense of the word. With its highly detailed graphics and an awe inspiring soundtrack, Kratos’s latest adventure is an immersive action packed experience that deserves every accolade that can be awarded. Very few games in this day and age could be given a label of absolute perfection, but in the case of God of War, all the criteria have certainly been met, and blown our expectations clear out of water.