God of War is Absolutely Amazing (But Maybe Not a Masterpiece)
What makes a game a masterpiece? For me, the first criteria is that the game must be fun to play. It should be the kind of game where gameplay is enjoyable, varied and interesting enough to keep you playing. Second, it should provide a memorable experience. This could be through a great story or through some novel gameplay experience, but whatever it is, you should feel compelled to describe it to your friends and family. The final element is the presentation. Either beautiful, or unusual, or artistic, or realistic, the game’s visuals and audio should be striking and impactful. The entire experience should be memorable and cause reflection years later. To me, God of War doesn’t quite hit all these criteria, but it comes agonizingly close. While not quite a masterpiece, it’s definitely the best game I’ve played in 2018.
Atreus has a very emotional journey from defenseless child to young warrior. And Kratos journeys from the WORST FATHER IMAGINABLE to a barely tolerable father. Over the course of 20 gameplay hours, he goes from Jack Torrence to Homer Simpson.
The fourth (-ish) game in the God of War series reboots the franchise as boldly as the fourth Resident Evil or Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag did for their franchises. Much like Resident Evil 4, the action is now much closer to Kratos so that you spend most of the game looking over his shoulder rather than watching him from afar. Second, the action is also a little bit slower, at least initially, as Kratos’s lightning fast chain-axes have been replaced with a more deliberate – though equally violent – bone-breaking axe. He can smash enemies up close or hurl it at distance foes, wait for the smash, and summon it instantly back to your hand. Third, Kratos has also relocated from Greece to the colder realms of the Norse gods where he’s been living the quiet life of a mortal. Finally, and most importantly, Kratos is also joined now by his son Atreus, who proves to be as capable in battle as his dad. Atreus is the most important element of the new gameplay, and the game works because he is such a well-designed character.
What did the severed head say to the enormous snake? Find out in the new God of War for Playstation!
As Kratos, you begin the game gathering the ashes of your recently deceased wife. Her last wish was for Kratos and Atreus to scatter her ashes on one of the highest peaks in Odin’s kingdom and the awkward pair set out to do so. Kratos is kind of a distant, stern parent and is relationship with Atreus is strained when the game begins. Their quest to the highest peak quickly attracts the attention of the Norse gods and Kratos not only has to return to his past violence but also teach his son to be an incredibly violent warrior as well. Fortunately, Atreus is a great character. He can never be killed, he provides interesting dialogue, and – if you power up his skill tree – he can lay low enemies that give you trouble. The two spend the game meeting a small range of other characters (gods and mortals), exploring a large and beautifully rendered world, and developing one of the most nuanced and multidimensional paternal relationships I’ve ever seen in a game. The evolution of their relationship is deeply touching, which is kind of surprising given that the last time I saw Kratos he was jabbing out Poseidon’s eyes with this thumbs.
Jeremy Davies may be the most perfectly cast video game voice actor since Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy.
Still, you can’t finish the game without feeling a little let down. The game tells such a great emotional story that you can’t help but wish the physical battles were as epic as the emotional ones. Battles with typical enemies are fun but get a little redundant (even with a variety of powerups and attacks available). The God of War series is famous for its battles against gigantic monsters and this game largely avoids that convention. In fact, the game delivers surprisingly few large-scale battles – far fewer than any previous God of War title – which echoes the game’s more intimate feeling but also can feel a little lacking. The emotional journey of this story is epic, but the actual scope of the quest feels a bit more limited. You’ll quite a bit of time paddling around a lake, fighting some of the same enemies repeatedly, and revisiting the same worlds a couple of times. It’s beautiful, and fun, and I wish there was even more to do.
Oh great, this dude again. Can’t wait to crush his head with that pillar his carrying, just like I did with all his brothers.
THE BEST PARTS
The gameplay, the story, and the mid-act twist that opens up a huge variety of gameplay that game reviewers are militantly NOT SPOILING. And Kratos’ absolute inability to parent successfully is both hilarious and tragic.
THE WORST PARTS
Paddling around the same lake and encountering roughly the same enemies over and over can feel a bit redundant by the end of the game. This story is unlike any other, but the gameplay does get a little redundant.
OVERALL: BUT IT
Sure, it’s not in the same Pantheon as Resident Evil 4 or even God of War 3, but this game is beautiful, fun, hilarious and moving. There’s hours and hours and hours of fun, violent, funny and gorgeous gameplay here. Bring it on, Red Dead Redemption 2, you have your work cut out for you.
