The adventures of Kratos have always been a big cinematic event. It was interesting to see the PS4 entry looking so vastly different. Instead of the usual romp of climbing all over building sized monsters with quick time events popping like mad, this new outing has a much more grand scale more so focused on exploration and story. Even though it isn’t a numbered sequel however, it does certainly follow the timeline of the original games.
Set in a world of Norse mythology this time, Kratos is far away from ancient Greece. It seems he has grown older and had a son. Unfortunately the mother has since passed on and the story focuses on a coming of age story right at her funeral. As evil forces start to enter their land it’s clear that despite his sons unsure health, Kratos must venture out into the world with his boy.
What we quickly noticed is that the gameplay itself is quite comparable to the newer Tomb Raider games. That is a good thing since the new entries in that series have been quite enjoyable as well. Instead of having a bow and arrow though, Kratos has a magical axe that when thrown can be called back. This makes for some interesting combat since you can toss the axe to damage your foes, wait for it to land behind them, and then summon it back to hit them again on the return. Kratos’ son however does have a bow and arrow which you can even command to help add some variety to combat. This is neat since you’re not only aiming your axe but also the direction you tell Atreus, his son, to fire.
There are puzzles throughout including some rune lock chests that have bonuses to increase things like your health. There’s treasure to collect that you can spend on gear for both characters as well as equipment to find in the wilds as well. This really gives a good encouragement to wander around and explore each region. Many times throughout the adventure Atreus will encourage Kratos to do something else if he likes. Much of this includes interesting stories, some seeped in Norse myth, to venture out on. The quality of the writing is what will keep you coming back to this God of War outing. That and looking for more bonuses.
It’s certainly a collect-a-thon after you get out into the main hub of the game. You’ll want to complete more of the main story to get new abilities that will help with the Metroidvania-esque ways some parts are locked out by. Typically though backtracking does reward you and with the world being more of a hub than a linear path, it isn’t too difficult to wander back to previous areas. Eventually you’ll even be able to fast travel, but with so much dialogue between the characters it’s difficult to decide if you’d want to.
Many have praised God of War for growing up and changing. I personally think the change is fun and worthwhile, as is this outing, but I could have done with more epic boss battles. The content that is in the game, especially the foes you’ll encounter near the end as optional battles, do you give you an enjoyable challenge. It took me quite a bit to defeat my first and when I finally won it felt satisfying. There’s a lot of great content here, but I did miss those screen filling baddies that the series is known for. That was really the only stumbling point for me. The game really is a great outing and the ending does have a genuine fun surprise. Besides that, God of War left me feeling that I wanted more. I think part of that was in my head I’d worked out how the story was going to go, but then it just didn’t branch how I’d expected. So when everything concluded I was still anticipating more. The game does have a moment like that mid story too where it seems to be branching somewhere surprising, only to pull back. Maybe it’s just my own excitement getting the better of me and you won’t notice any of that though in your playthrough.
Don’t get me wrong, there was indeed more to do when I’d beaten the game. A lot more. There is a plethora of side quests and I’m not even sure that there aren’t more that I hadn’t unlocked. Plus there’s more to explore and collect as well. With countless hours you’re certainly getting your moneys worth. That and the story is genuinely touching and professionally written. Keeping the father and son interaction interesting throughout a long game certainly must have been a challenge and it is well done here.
God of War for PlayStation 4 is a great way to see the continuing story of Kratos. While it does diverge from the classic formula, the concept is wonderful and very enjoyable. With the success of this title, it would be no surprise to see a sequel in the works. All I’d really want is more of a focus on a variety of bosses and this would be a perfect production. This adventure is also at it’s best when actual Norse characters are involved. It’s truly the characters that aren’t the general fodder that make this game. Shifting the focus from the few big bad monsters and general fodder to those characters would be a welcome change for a continuation. This game took a lot to create, and there is a ton here, so I’m really not complaining. More so it’s what I’d like to see more of. It’s my eagerness on adding more of what makes this game so good.
Lastly I should note just how well the dialogue worked throughout. There are times when you’re out in a small boat and the characters just get talking or telling a story. When you dock, they actually stop their tale by noting that stories are only for the boat. I did actually hop back in the boat a few times to wrap up these tales. Otherwise there is a lot of back and forth throughout to really flesh out the world and build the characters. The real star of this game is the fact that such a long game has dialogue that doesn’t feel tired as it progresses.
It will be interesting to see where God of War goes after this game. Clearly it’s a success, both financial and critical. How the series evolves from here after all the feedback to this addition should be quite an exciting progression. This is a worthwhile outing and a great way to catch up on the continuing story of Kratos.
