Latest ‘God of War’ boasts excellent gameplay and story
The Ghost of Sparta Kratos returns to form in Santa Monica Studios’ PlayStation 4 exclusive title “God of War.”
After “God of War: Ascension” was released in 2013, the series took a hiatus until it was announced at E3 2016, where it received universal acclaim from those in attendance. Gamers were also eager to get their hands on this game knowing that it’s a sequel to “God of War III.” The series has changed from the action hack-and-slash to a more over-the-shoulder free-camera with a new combat system. The change made some feel uneasy, but after a play through everything is all good as it makes its mark on the PS4 era.
Kratos and his son Atreus set out to carry his second wife Faye’s ashes to the highest peak of the mountain in the Nine Realms. On their journey, they soon discover that Midgard is afflicted with a phenomenon known as “Desolation” where undead creatures now plague the land. Along the way, Kratos comes to grips of becoming a father and struggles to tell his son of his true nature, which is what the game is about at its core.
In the previous games, Kratos wasn’t much of a fleshed-out character, just a guy who was real angry at the gods and goes on a bloodthirsty rampage. Here, he is much more fleshed out as you can see the struggle he faces opening up to his son as he hides his true nature from him. This adds a father-son dynamic that gets you more hooked on the game as the story progresses. There are twists you won’t see coming that will make you not want to put your controller down. Although the game isn’t open-world, you can search around the area for collectables and glyphs that Atreus can help transcribe for you, which adds more to the lore of the game.
Kratos this time around has a new weapon, the leviathan axe, which he can use to throw at enemies freezing them into place and call back to him at his command. Combat is much more dynamic as you must defend yourself and not go in blindly attacking foes as some require a strategy to defeat them. Atreus aids you in combat by using his hunting knife, bow and arrows that can stun your enemies to pull off a devastating finishing move. You can upgrade your weapons and Atreus’ gear by going up to dwarves named Brok and Sindri where you trade in XP points, hacksilver and certain steel that you find within the game.
The game has zero microtransactions, and all currency is earned completely as you play the game, which is a breath of fresh air. When asked if the game was to have microtransaction, director Cory Barlog said, “no freakin’ way,” as he shows he cares about gamers and wants them to have the best experience possible. What he does with this game’s story is excellent and it makes gamers forget that they are playing a video game, which Barlog should be commended for.
If you own a PS4, “God of War” is much more than a game, it is an experience that will go down as not only one of the greatest games on the PS4, but also one of the greatest of all time. What Barlog and Santa Monica Studios did reminds gamers why we love gaming so much.
Gameplay: A+
Story: A+
Graphics: A+
Soundtrack: A+
Overall: A+
