God Of War Review – A New Hope

E3 2016 opened up with the loud sounds of drums and a booming orchestra led by Bear McCreary that continued for 4 minutes, building up anticipation and tension of what was to come, which then transitioned into the world premiere of the new God of War. I don’t think there has ever been such a grandiose reveal ever since. Obviously, the expectations for it were just as high, and even looking back after 6 years, it still amazes me how it lived up to the hype while also setting a new standard for single-player Playstation games.

So, after 6 years, how well does it hold up?

Story And Setting

God of War opens with a close-up of Kratos’s grief-stricken face as he chops down a tree marked with his wife’s handprint. The camera pans as he is done chopping the tree to reveal his son, Boy (aka Atreaus), as Kratos wraps bandages around his forearms to hide his chain scars. After a brief boat ride, he uses the tree as a funeral pyre for his late wife, Faye.

Afterward, a hunt with Atreus introduces combat basics and their relationship, followed by the arrival of the main villain, Baldur. This encounter culminates into one of the most spectacular opening boss fights ever, showcasing the new combat system and Kratos’s vulnerability. 

Every character is portrayed by highly talented actors, but it’s Christopher Judge’s heartfelt performance as Kratos that truly makes this game shine.

Even after all these years later I still believe God of War (2018) has the strongest prologue ever put together in a video game. In the span of 30 minutes, the game sets up its story themes, central characters, main villain, and primary objective while also giving the player a taste of the base combat and potential boss fights. Throughout the game, God of War honors the themes it sets up and slowly builds upon it all the way to its conclusion.

Their journey to the highest peak takes them across Alfheim, Muselpheim, Nilfheim, Helheim, Midgard, and most importantly Jountenheim, while meeting characters like Mimir, Freya, Brok, and Sindri, who bring out different sides of our heroes and deepen their dynamic relationship. Kratos’s distrust of others contrasts with Atreus’s kindness, making their interactions intriguing as they continue their transformative journey.

We Must Be Better

While the journey to the highest peak across the realms serves as the backdrop, it’s not the heart of God of War’s story. The story of God of War is about change. It’s about believing in the inherent goodness within oneself and striving to become a better person.

Kratos is no longer the merciless god on a rampage to destroy a pantheon. He is older and wiser now, trying to learn from the mistakes of his past, so his son could be a better person than he was. He does not seek redemption for the crimes he once committed, but wants to save his son from meeting the same fate.

Even after all these years later I still believe God of War (2018) has the strongest prologue ever put together in a video game.

These small acts of kindness are impactful because they come from Kratos. It’s a fantastic subversion of the character that adds many layers to an already established character. That’s what makes God of War interesting because it doesn’t have to deal with establishing his character but rather developing it. And what better catalyst for this development than his own son?

Every character is portrayed by highly talented actors, but it’s Christopher Judge’s heartfelt performance that truly makes this game shine.

Gameplay

God of War takes a departure from the old-school crown-control combat to more grounded one-on-one encounters. Instead of his long-reaching blades, Kratos now uses his late wife’s Levithan Axe that’s imbued with frost effects. Each Axe chop is brutal and weighty, elevated by the crunchy audio design and gore-infested killing animations. While Axe is best used for singular enemy fights, it also comes with enough options for crowd control and ranged battles.

The combat remains grounded but leaves enough room for flexibility and expression with its runic attacks, directional inputs, parrying, skill trees, dodge attacks, stun gauge, Spartan Rage, and more. However, Axe is not the only tool under Kratos’s Arsenal, as he has bulky hands too.

While Axe is better for ranged attacks and single-target nuking, Kratos’s punches are better for building up the enemy’s stun gauge, which, upon filling, leaves them open for brutal finishers. 

In short, the gameplay and story of God of War rises to its highest point as Kratos falls to his lowest.

What I love is how these two combat styles transition between each other. Throwing an axe to freeze a distant enemy while rushing towards the same or another adversary helps utilize both styles. It’s these different dynamic combat options that make the combat interesting. His son “Boy” also plays his role by assisting him with semi-player-controlled ranged combat, which comes with its own skill tree and arrow types.

However, it is not completely without flaws. The encounter designs while excellent does suffer a bit from the lack of enemy types, and sub-bosses. The camera definitely serves the story well and I fully understand its commitment to more personal combat but it can feel a bit of a downgrade from the more panned-out God of War 3’s camera.

Likewise, Kratos’s arsenal, game puzzles, and main story bosses also suffer a hit, but when the story is that good, I am willing to look the other way.

The combat remains grounded but leaves enough room for flexibility and expression with its runic attacks, directional inputs, parrying, skill trees, dodge attacks, stun gauge, Spartan Rage, and more.

Halfway past the story, Kratos also picks up his blades again, but the way it’s executed has to be the most impactful moment in the God of War Franchise. The flame-imbued blades create a solid contrast with the Levithan Axe.

Echoes Of An Old Life

It wouldn’t be God of War without Kratos using its blades, but the way it’s handed over to us needs to be studied. Seeing Atreus falling ill, Kratos is tasked by Freya to visit Hellheim and retrieve an object that will help his son. It is a very solemn segment with minimal dialogue, as a shivering and nervous Kratos returns to his house to retrieve the blades—not to take lives, but to give one back.

This one segment alone says so much without saying anything. It’s one of those rare moments where gameplay and story evolution are in complete harmony.

The subtle changes in facial expressions and body language help say a lot without saying anything.

In short, the gameplay and story of God of War rise to its highest point as Kratos falls to his lowest.

The Primordial Realms Serve As A Breather

Muselpheim and Nibelheim are a great way to take a break from the story. Musepheim is comprised of 6 levels, with each one imposing a certain combat restriction for taking down waves of enemies. Nibelheim, on the other hand, is a time attack mode that tests how far you can go without dying in the mist.

Personally, I think these two modes are where the combat of God of War really shines, as the story doesn’t push you the same way these realms do.

The second distraction is the Valkyrie boss battles, with each one having a different set of attacks, and they get increasingly difficult as the story progresses. While the story boss battles are more about the presentation, Valkyries tests your skills and reaction timings, resulting in way tougher battles.

RPG Shinenegans That Don’t Blend Well

RPG systems have no business in action-adventure games, and God of War is no exception. I really don’t care about the +5 STRENGTH and -10 LUCK. These numbers and percentages don’t really bring anything new to the table. The armor variety also suffers because of it, as there are essentially three armors in the game reskinned about 20 or more times.

Their effects, however, do significantly change the combat, but it would’ve been better if a more organic and expanded skill tree was prioritized rather than this.

The navigation menu is also not the best and can give you a headache. The game also features RPG nature quests that can range from great to underwhelming without any solid reward system. These watered-down RPG systems are easily the weakest part of the game.

Visuals And Performance

I believe God of War is possibly the first time where the industry actually hit the metaphorical peak in realism. But don’t mistake hyper-realism for the lack of art direction. Each realm is brought to life with its own set of color palettes and visual effects. But where God of War truly shines is the animation work.

The subtle changes in facial expressions and body language help say a lot without saying anything. Without this caliber of animation work, God of War’s story would’ve been really hard to sell, and it absolutely delivers.

It is also one of the most optimized games on both PC and PlayStation. I have tried it on both PC and PS5 and had no problem in maintaining a smooth 60 fps. The PC port also comes with a plethora of graphical options, ensuring great performance and visual balance for all kinds of hardware.

Verdict

God of War is a masterclass in action-adventure, respecting its legendary lineage while also forging a new path for the franchise’s future. Whether you are in for the narrative, gameplay, or just the visuals, God of War does not disappoint.

This has been my God of War review. While you’re here, consider checking out some of our other articles. 

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