Game Review: God of War

God of War was famous throughout the 2000’s for being a chaotic, bloody, adrenaline-filled trilogy that cemented Kratos the ghost of Sparta as one of PlayStation’s top mascots. Serving as one of the most compelling power fantasies, you had the ability to tear through the Greek pantheon of gods in the most brutal of fashions. After winning tons of awards and creating a legacy of violence and brutality, the series went on a notable hiatus after it’s prior prequel release God of War: Ascension. After enough time passed, the big question many people were having was after God of War 3 seemed to cap off Kratos’ revenge run pretty well, how do you bring him back to a modern generation? You couldn’t re-tread the same ground with how definitive the story concluded and where could you take his character beyond the violent and cold characteristics he was defined by during his initial run? 

These were all key questions Cory Barlog and his team at Santa Monica Studios had to grapple with for many years as they sought to not only bring Kratos into the new era of consoles but to re-define his place among gaming’s most recognisable characters. Those challenges were not without value in the end though, as the 2018 release of God of War took the franchise into a fresh new world and succeeded in evolving Kratos into a truly 3-dimentional character and in the end all it took was introduction of one small boy. 

Developed by Santa Monica Studios and published by Sony as one of their flagship PlS4 exclusives, the fourth main line God of War game, simply titled God of War released back on the 20th of April 2018.  Doing away with the Greek setting from his prior trilogy, this new entry set new ground by placing Kratos in the world of Norse Mythology. This change of setting wasn’t the only big factor the game had going for it either. In this game Kratos is a much older and restrained person and this shift in character dynamic stems from the introduction of his young son; Atreus. Atreus is your constant companion throughout this game and his presence alongside Kratos on this journey is an integral part of what makes this game’s overall experience so memorable from start to finish.

The story of God of War follows Kratos and Atreus soon after the death of Faye, the partner and mother of the two. Her last wish was for her ashes to be scattered atop the highest peak in all the realms. Despite initially having a fractured relationship, Kratos and his son must venture on this journey together and learn to overcome the difficulties between one another now that Faye is no longer there to mediate between them. This setup is what takes the duo on a journey across Midgard and the realms beyond to find a way to reach Jotunheim; the land of the giants. This journey will not be easy however, as dangers lurk around every corner and the father and son soon find themselves being tracked by another god called Baldur.  

This narrative setup is easily the games best element and that’s saying something because nearly every aspect of this game is near perfect, but the narrative wins the top spot. I think the idea of Kratos having a son and bearing the responsibility of raising him in the wake of his mothers passing is a fantastic plot thread to go with. All we’ve known of Kratos over the decades is his anger and violence. We know him as a cruel and cold killer who will go to any lengths to get revenge, damn the consequences. To see that type of person be challenged to grow and develop past that is an incredible plot beat all of its own, but to see them use it as a means of exploring fatherhood and the struggles there is such a smart route to go with. This isn’t an unrecognisable Kratos, we see hints of the anger and rage that he once had and how hard he is now trying to be better for his son. That farther son dynamic is the heart of the story and it never loses focus of that all throughout. The relationship between the pair is constantly fluctuating and it gives the player a serious quality of writing to explore the struggles fatherhood can bring. I’m no father myself but I’ve read how much this story meant to a lot of fathers so I can appreciate this core element of the story works to the utmost degree.  The world around them is also brilliantly realised too. There’s so much depth and lore to be explored in the surrounding environment and its collectables. There’s a consistent sense of quality behind the writing in this world and the characters who inhabit it too. Freya, Mimir, Baldur, Brok, Sindri; these are all characters that exist to support or challenge Kratos and Atreus throughout the game and they feel fully defined and fleshed out with their own personal stories that develop across the game. There’s not a single element of the story or wider world that doesn’t feel fully utilised towards the core goal of their father-son journey. It’s a perfect story in all aspects

On the gameplay end, the game feels just as polished. There’s a nice sense of progressive power that get’s given to you as you work through the story. Combat has very mechanical and thought out and you’re given a nice sense of freedom of how you can execute a playstyle which works to your benefit. Kratos’ main weapon is his Leviathan Axe; a weapon passed to him by Faye. Forged by dwarves, the weapon has an enchantment which allows its wielder to recall it to their hand whenever they wish. This mechanic makes for some really interesting gameplay setups, especially when you’re fighting the game’s plethora of enemy types. There’s a set of runic abilities you can tie to your weapons as well, which makes setting up key strategy for some fights even more flexible. It’s not just in the combat the axe is utilises consistently either. In the wider world you explore, the axe and it’s return mechanic are baked into the level design in such a smart fashion. 

It's an interesting thing when you look at the level design of the game. If you are following the story, you could argue the game design bases around a linear setup. Yet the wider world is always there for you to explore and you are actively encouraged to explore the Shores of the Nine to find new missions and better gear. It’s like a mixture of linear and open world level design but it all works very nicely to give the game a distinct feel when compared to other game. This world is filled with obstacles which you may not be equipped to deal with initially too, so it encourages you to venture further into the game to unlock new abilities to come back and use against them. It’s a very methodical game design and it never feels unfair or unjustifiable. That game design aspect and its ability to tie it into the narrative and world-building while never compromising the quality of either; it’s astounding to see.

It's rare to come across a game so consistent in every single element, yet God of War achieves everything it sets out to do in perfect fashion. Its narrative scope evolves the ghost of Sparta beyond a bloodthirsty killer into a man of moral complexity but more importantly a father. The journey he goes on with Atreus reflects a lot of emotion and heart beyond all measure. That core goal of reflecting fatherhood is consistent throughout all of the games compelling narrative too. The gameplay not only compliments this goal but it actively reinforces it with how tied together the father and son duo are when fighting. There’s just an overwhelming sense of quality in this game from beginning to end, it’s taken gaming forward in a lot of ways and it’s going to be interesting to see if and how Ragnarok can exceed it.