God of War (2018)

 

The God of War returns towards mysterious new lands in the north, and the direction is simply epic.

Kratos and his son Atreus from his second wife are on a lengthy quest to scatter her ashes on the highest peak of all of the realms to be found. In order to do this, they will have to overcome numerous challenges.

God of War, or basically GoW 4 if you would ask me, introduces a new formula and perspective for the series, as this game is no longer a hack and slash platform jumping game, but instead a way more cinematic and involved third person action game.

Similar to Resident Evil 4, it takes giant bold steps by refusing Kratos to jump freely, and although the action might be less chaotic, it still can be hectic and challenging, and perhaps even more emotionally, as Atreus acts as your assisting partner in battle.

Going from Greek mythology towards Norse mythology in this new entry is a brilliant move, because almost all of the major figures with the former had been featured already, and now, Kratos is introduced to many new kinds of Gods and creatures including Giants, although only a handful of important figures actually are encountered.

About halfway through, Kratos and Atreus will get insightful advice and lore narration from a talking head called Mimir, who enriches the background stories of tales who have gone, and tales which might still happen, as it's implied that a sequel would still take place in this world connected by Yggdrasil.

Most of the Norse realms are available to explore, such as Midgard, Helheim and Jotunheim. Others are locked in place by the fatherly god Odin, again, implying a sequel is possible, not to mention that after the game's ending, Ragnarok is coming.

Kratos will first combat and fight throughout the adventure with the Leviathan Axe, a mighty weapon which is icy and can also act like a boomerang. As Atreus becomes handy with a bow and arrows, two dwarven brothers assist them by crafting and upgrading their equipment.

Skill trees are also available, and when their main weapons get a temporary boost as you progress through the chapters, more skills unlock. The battles are fun to go through, and optional ones can be quite challenging, especially if you go for the Corrupted Valkyries, or venture through Muspelheim.

Eventually, Kratos's past comes back to haunt him, but as a counter measure, he returns towards his home, and then he recovers his trusty Blades of Chaos in order to take on his enemies, of which the main one is Baldur, a very cocky and annoying guy.

God of War is a magnificent strong video game, with some of the prettiest graphics around of this current generation. Santa Monica Studio can be proud of themselves, and perhaps the other heavy benefit of this is simply the father and son relationship between Kratos and Atreus.

Rating: 8.4