BENGALURU: The God of War series made a name for itself on the PlayStation 2, and grew to be one of the biggest hits on that platform. In 2010, God of War III continued that trend on the PS3 and brought the main storyline to a close. Eight long years later, we’ve got a new God of War game on the PS4; but a lot has changed.
Kratos is back, but he’s not the same. A lot of time has passed since the events of God of War III, and those toll of those intervening years can be seen in the visibly older Ghost of Sparta. As the game begins, Kratos appears to have forged a new life for himself in a new land; but then, the death of his wife leaves him in sole charge of their young son, Atreus, and tasked with carrying out her final request. As you might imagine, that request winds up requiring a journey of no little length and inevitable conflict.
When compared to older God of War games, it feels like the writing too has been affected by the passage of time - this game is noticeably more mature and grounded in its storytelling. While the earlier entries were fairly straightforward romps in search of vengeance, God of War is at its heart the story of a father and son who don’t exactly know who they are to each other. Now, you needn’t worry that the combat and adventure portions of the game have been ignored in pursuit of this emotional depth; those aspects of the gameplay are alive and well. However, this new incarnation of God of War does have a certain gravitas to it, which makes for a pleasant change.
God of War doesn’t forget its roots however, and it provides some of the most satisfying action-adventure gameplay in recent memory. In some ways, it’s reminiscent of the Demon’s/Dark Souls formula, especially considering the tighter third-person viewpoint, but the combat has a flavour all its own. Kratos’ new weapon, the Leviathan Axe, is basically the axe counterpart of Mjölnir and is a ton of fun to play with. The inclusion of Atreus as a supporting character both in puzzle-solving and in combat also allows for some interesting combos and interactions. All in all, God of War more than delivers on the gameplay front - even once you’re done with the main storyline, you’ll want to come back and finish all the optional side activities you missed.
In another first for the series, God of War features a heavy emphasis on exploration and open-world elements. You’ll often be given chances to head off the beaten path and delve deeper into the ancillary quests. While some of these optional paths are just better than others, they all serve to further immerse you in the world - which, simply put, is magnificent and one of the most awe-inspiring settings out there.
Though much has changed in this God of War, I’m happy to say that some crucial things have stayed the same. The cinematic moments, the appetite for the truly epic, the willingness to dive deep into mythological waters - you’ll find all of that here, but now it’s blended with an older and more mature Kratos. And that combination has resulted in one of the best games of 2018.