14 DAY TRIAL // 
The newest God of War game is taking the franchise into a completely different direction both gameplay- and story-wise. After “trashing” the Greek mythology over the span of seven previous installments, the folks over at Santa Monica Studio have decided to tackle the Norse pantheon.
Most of the combat and gameplay mechanics have been completely overhauled, like the fixed camera that's been replaced with a third-person over-the-shoulder free camera, as well as the addition of a companion.
The myriad of puzzles that made the previous God of War games unique are making a comeback in the latest installment in the series, but they're now more fun and interesting to solve. If you've played any of the previous titles, the only thing you'll recognize is Kratos, since most of the other aspects that made the God of War series so popular have been completely rebuilt.
It would be unfair to compare the new, modern God of War with any of the older games since they are so different, but there are definitely parts that will bring back some memories from the other titles. However, I'm not going to spoil it for you, so you'll have to trust me on this one.
Story
I'll try to be as generic as possible because the story is one of the major aspects that can make God of War a good or bad game, and I want this review for remain as spoiler-free as possible.
The new God of War is set in Midgard (the name for Earth), one of the nine realms in the Norse mythology, which is inhabited by humans. You play as Kratos, a god that has decided to run from the past and hide in the wilderness along with his wife and child, Atreus.
The game starts right after the death of Kratos' wife, the mother of Atreus, who's dying wish was to have her ashes scattered in the wind from the highest mountain peak. This is where your journey starts and, with few exceptions, it will remain the main objective of the new God of War game.
“I found it a bit weird at first to see Kratos having conversations with another person that he doesn't actually want to kill”
Unlike in the previous games, you'll not travel alone, as Atreus, your son, will be your faithful companion for the (almost) entire adventure. I found it a bit weird at first to see Kratos having conversations with another person that he doesn't actually want to kill.
The relationship Kratos and Atreus have starts cold, and it remains that way for the most part of the game. I'm still disappointed by how the developers chose to approach the kinship between the two main characters. It lacks synergy and after several hours of gameplay, I started to find Kratos' laconic conversation lines with his son absolutely ridiculous.
It feels like Kratos wants to push Atreus away to protect him from the dangers that come with being the son of god of war, but most of the time their conversations fall flat and rapidly become uninteresting.
If not for the rare Spartan Rage moments where Kratos is defending Atreus, I wouldn't even have thought they are father and son. I think this a major flaw in the script, even if the story is just an excuse to play the game. Perhaps the God of War series isn't renown for bringing great stories to life, but it feels like Santa Monica Studio wanted to change that. Unfortunately, I believe they failed.
Luckily, the pacing of the story makes God of War a very interesting journey. There's not a moment when you feel the game is dragging and the cinematics infuse it with enough andrenaline to get you through the next saving checkpoint.
The universe based on the Norse mythology is absolutely amazing and I don't think Santa Monica Studio could have made a better choice. If you're a sucker for history and mythology in general, you'll have a great time hunting for scrolls and transcripts that offer tidbits about Norse legends.
It takes about 20-25 hours to finish the main story on normal difficulty, but the game remains open after that since there are many other things to do if you're a completionists. There are some side quests that you're given by the two dwarfs that help you upgrade the Leviathan Axe, but to get more, you'll have to explore the world.
Yes, you'll be killing other Gods, but don't think for a second that you'll be fighting a fair of share of the Norse pantheon. And that's another major letdown that I'll have to stress out: why aren't we fighting more than three gods? Also, no, the World Serpent is not a boss you'll be fighting.
Anyway, the ultimate challenges presented after you finish the game are the legendary Corrupted Valkyries. You can only kill these bosses wearing some of the best equipment in the game, and even with that the fights will be pretty hard.
There are plenty things to do in God of War after finishing the story, so I don't believe Cory Barlog lied when he said it took more than 40 hours to complete all the activities in the game.
Gameplay
God of War is completely different than any of the previous titles. First off, Kratos is now using a magical battle axe – the Leviathan Axe, which can be upgraded in different ways. The weapon has two runic slots where you can add one light rune and one heavy rune. These allow you to perform light and heavy attacks that should be more powerful than the standard attacks.
Since the axe is magical, Kratos will be able to use it like a boomerang. Throwing an axe at an enemy and freeze it, then hitting it with your bare fists and your shield can be very fulfilling the first few hours.
The new God of War remains an action-adventure game, even if the developers have added some RPG elements like the skill tree for the Leviathan Axe, Shield, Talon Bow and the second weapon that Kratos will be able to use after the first half of the game. Mentioning the second weapon would be a major story spoiler, but I believe fans of the God of War series already know what's this all about.
These skills that you can unlock as you upgrade your weapons are supposed to give you the chance to unleash more devastating combos upon your enemies. It's true that the previous God of War games were a “mash button fest,” but the new one isn't supposed to be like that.
However, as much as I tried to use some of the skills that I've unlocked, they are simply not efficient enough to justify their use. Many of these skills give you special attacks that are meant for multiple enemies clustered together, but I have rarely seen more 2 or 3 mobs coming at you at the same time and from the same position.
Besides your frosty battle axe, Atreus will be with you to help you along the way. He's a skilled bowman that shoots light and shock arrows, but you have to push the “square” button every time you want him to shoot an arrow and temporarily stun an enemy or draw its attention from you.
The good news is you'll only have to do that when you want him to use his special arrows. Atreus will jump on the back of the enemy sometimes and allow you to hit them without fear of retaliation. He'll also turn some into pincushions, and you can also rely on him during boss or mini-boss fights with healing and revival (if needed).
I felt that the combat, while fluid and rewarding, gets repetitive pretty fast. That wouldn't be a problem if not for the same finishing moves and the same enemies. There are 5-6 types of trolls and just as many giants, which you'll be fighting. All look the same except for the color and name, and you will kill them with the same finishing move, using the same tactics.
The same goes for other types of enemies (draugrs, revenants, ogres). The lack of variety in enemies is obvious after the first half of the game, which leads to that repetitive combat that no one wants. Also, God of War games were always about gore, frenzy and murder, but that's not the case with the new one.
God of War combat is more about tactics and strategy then mashing buttons, which would not be bad at all if it was supported by the necessary skills to make fights more interesting instead of reducing them to the same 3-4 moves that you know are devastating against a certain type of enemy.
Graphics, music, and sound
This is where God of War really shines. The Norse landscapes are absolutely breathtaking and the music scores fits perfectly with what the game wants to deliver. God of War not only looks pretty, but it's an absolute masterpiece when it comes to graphics and art style.
I'm not sure if the soundtrack taken separately would make any waves, but combined with some story moments and the stunning landscapes, it's gorgeous. For a triple A title, the orchestration and the visuals are top-notch, but that's one aspect that I didn't think the folks at Santa Monica Studio will fail, and they didn't let me down.
Ultimately, God of War is a feast for the eyes and ears, another technological wonder that sits up above the standard alongside other amazingly good-looking games like Horizon Zero Dawn.
The Good
- Stunning visuals
- Great soundtrack
- Solid gear upgrade system
- Interesting depiction of Norse mythology
- Massive open-world free to explore
- Excellent challenges and puzzles
- A lot of optional content
- Dynamic combat system
The Bad
- Story could have been better
- Few epic fights in story mode
- Strong characters, but relationship falls flat
- Combat can become repetitive
- Skill tree can use some improvements
Conclusion
The story could have been better, even though God of War was never about the story. I have been slightly disappointed by the ending, and I believe many will feel a bit bitter that they haven't been able to meet, let alone fight, the arch-villain of the game.
Despite the fact that it's a game about gods, there are just five gods appearing in the game, and you'll only fight three of them. The God of War series is popular for its epic boss fights, but you won't have too many in the new game.
Despite these shortcomings, I believe the God of War series is in good hands, and I wouldn't want anyone else touching it but Santa Monica Studio. Here is hoping greater times are coming to Midgard in the not so distant future.
