God of War

One of the greatest hits of video games. After it's release in 2005 for PlayStation 2 it quickly gained popularity and in the span of eight years, three more games continuing the main story and numerous more following the side-quests of the protagonist were produced.
To be honest I've never really cared much for the franchise before. I've just never seen the appeal of it. Yet now, thirteen years after it's first release, God of War came back and it absolutely stole my heart.

While the previous installments were all set in the Greece and were focused solely on Greek mythology, in the latest addition to the collection we move instead to the cold far away North. There the main protagonist, Kratos, the God of War, who got his title for slaying almost the whole Greek Pantheon because of personal vengeance, found himself a new family. After death of his beloved, Kratos, together with his son, sets out on the journey we control, fighting monsters, creatures from other realms as well as actual, flesh and blood, gods.

Initially I began watching a playthrough of the game purely because of it's rumored good scenery and the aura of fame surrounding it.
Much to my delight both was well-deserved. Not only did the graphics mostly stand up to my expectations but the level of gross and gruesome fighting, while still somewhat present, has thankfully significantly dropped.
Don't get me wrong you still smash and slash anything that crosses your path, yet the way of how this killing is presented has changed as Kratos' tries his best not to be the monster he had become in the past.
This fresh new take on the man-beast definitely adds some depth to the story and makes you think about what he'd been through and sympathize with him.

As far as the mythology is concerned, the game did a pretty good job on both delivering a great majority of the myths as they were and manipulating the rest to fit the plot seamlessly. Whether it was actually living playing a part of the legend or listening to one being told by another character, I for myself have to say I enjoyed every bit of lore I came across.
Same goes for the story itself which had me glued to the screen. It isn't merely a well written one. Based on how the dialogue and game elements are shaped it's more than evident that the game developers had all planned way beforehand and didn't just come up with a plot twist at the end. The clues to game's questions had been right under your nose the whole time. But you realize it only after you've finished the game. This makes second run much more enjoyable as you'll find yourself slowly figuring out all the pieces of the puzzle you had missed when you've played it before.



Although at first I had my doubts about it I must admit that God of War proves itself worthy (reference indeed) as it possesses overall quite impressive game design. For example the lack of loading screens which are instead masked by other in-game elements and therefore don't interfere with the smoothness of the gameplay. The developers using a single shot also meant that the cut-scenes don't simply "fade to black" or jerk awkwardly but are practically indistinguishable from the gameplay.
Kratos' son Atreus who follows him on his way isn't the usual everyday side-kick either. Even though he looks as if a single blow would strike him dead he can put up one hell of a fight. Well, under player's control of course. (...Mostly.)  But you'll see once you get to play the game. Not to spoil anything all I can add is that he genuinely feels like a character and not just a mindless puppet.
From well paced captivating narrative and it's balance with an opportunity to freely explore an open world, to the smallest of details such as astonishing voice acting and soundtrack, the game managed to raise the bar for all the other games to come.

All in all, the newest addition to the God of war series is a bit different than the rest, yes, but that is to be expected from a beginning of a new era. However if you let such a minor thing discourage you from playing it you'll be missing out on an amazing experience. To those who still hesitate I have two last statements that should nudge you in the right direction.
Firstly, you don't need to worry if you haven't played the previous games. You'll still understand what's happening in this one, I promise. And finally: Playing this game, you will feel like a god.

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