GOD OF WAR [2018] PS5 REVIEW

🏆  MASTERPIECE  🏆

The positive:

💗 An epic adventure & a deeply emotional story

💗 Incredibly gorgeous visuals create a compelling world

💗 Kratos is now older and wiser, but still violent and brutal.

💗 Satisfying progression & ability upgrades with light RPG elements

💗 Rewarding exploration with constant dialogue, pieces of lore, and exposition

💗 The combat mechanics are marvelous technical & creative achievements

💗 The Father and Son dynamic is executed with masterful character drama

💗 Players feel like archeologists, discovering new places & unraveling their mysteries. 

💗 No cuts, the entire game is experienced with one continuous shot

The negative:

👎 It's so good that makes the wait for the sequel even harder

👎 Upon release, combat was dull at 30 FPS slideshows

👎 Had to wait until the Ps5 upgrade to be able to play at 60FPS

God of War was released in 2018 and took everyone by surprise as one of the best games of this generation. Kratos' next chapter propels the franchise into the sky and sets the bar for technical prowess on the Ps4 platform: Phenomenal visuals, rewarding exploration, and a compelling combat system make for an epic adventure and a deeply emotional story that should be experienced by every gamer. Kudos to Santa Monica Studio and their stunning achievement. 

NEW KRATOS NEW WORLD

Kratos is now older and wiser, but still violent and brutal. We see the God of War as a person for the 1st time, rather than an instrument of revenge and violence. Up until now, the antihero has been one-dimensional, seeking only vengeance and blood, fueled by rage and anger. This chapter focuses on his new life, in a far-distant land from the world he destroyed, as he took down the Gods of the Greek Pantheon on his quest for vengeance. Leaving behind his past as the Ghost of Sparta, and placing away his chained Blades of Chaos, he tries to form a family and live a quiet life as a Man. Santa Monica studios transitioned from Greek into Norse Mythology in a daring but successful attempt to reboot the franchise. Following the great flood at the end of God of War 3, Kratos departed Greece and entered the Norse regions.

A NEW DYNAMIC

God of War brings a simple story in a world of gigantic characters and deep lore. The gameplay and storytelling mechanics implemented to experience the Father and Son relationship between Kratos and Atreus are masterful. There's a lot of TLOU and Uncharted in its puzzly moments, you can tell Santa Monica took a page from Naughty dog book. The dynamic between these two is integrated seamlessly in both combat and story progression. Atreus is determined to prove he's ready to make the journey, despite being too young and the enormous pressure to live up to his father's high standards. Kratos, meanwhile, is an emotionally distant father who projects his own issues on other people. He feared becoming a bad father, so he choose to be an absent father. The game begins with the death of Atreus's Mother, forcing these two strangers to work together to fulfill her last wish. Their relationship evolves organically as they progress through the hard journey, and other characters influence their bond as they interact with them on this epic adventure. 

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

On the surface, the game changed from its fixed camera approach into a close-up 3rd person view with a rotating camera around the axis. But they did so much more.  The entire game is experienced with one continuous shot, with no interruptions. It is an astonishing achievement, with no loading screens, no CGI cutscenes, everything is generated within the games engine, making the transitions fluid. This cinematic commitment to Kratos’ POV enhances the focus on the emotional and personal story. You walk his path and this new perspective allows the player to become the God of War.

REWARDING COMBAT AND EXPLORATION

Upon completing the introduction, the linear adventure focused on fixed combat encounters and dramatic interactions between the characters, bursts wide open, leading us to a rewarding exploration of its world. The mythological setting imbues this world with mystery. Players feel like archeologists, learning more about the lore as they discover new places and unravel their mysteries. 

God of War is more RPG than you can tell at the start. Besides the skill trees, both Kratos and Atreus have customizable features that affect performance during combat. Elements like gear, upgrades, and stats are introduced. Enhancements can be bought or found in the world, gear has a rarity rating, and there are also "Runic attacks" that can be triggered during combat,  which work similarly to Mana-based attacks on old-school RPGs. The weapon upgrades are vital, as they unlock your progress down the respective combat skill trees. It's all integrated in a very creative way. 

CONCLUSION

God of War is a story about what it means to be a god, but also about what it means to be a man, to be a Father, to be a Son. It's about finding equilibrium, not only in yourself but also in your relationship with others.  It is also the best game I played. I have other favorites, but they do not excel in every way like this unique masterpiece does.