God of War

System: PlayStation 5
Rating: 90/100
Playtime: ~27 Hours

Continuing with the theme of playing through games I've missed, I finally got around to playing God of War. I originally started with the Ragnarok just releasing, but time slipped away and I've gotten back to it now.

I originally played through the first God of War when I got it in the remastered PS3 copies, but never made it passed that. It was thus a very interesting journey to see the newer, "softer", version of Kratos. Starting off with a similar version to what I was used to, I enjoyed the progression leading up to the game's conclusion. The relationship between Kratos and Atreus was it's own version of touching, seeing the two grow together.

The moments like the few big boss fights would have to be described as "epic", starting off with the first clash that you have at the house. These were some of my favorite moments throughout the game, with the finish of the final fight touching on the relationship of the two main characters, showing how far we'd come.
The middle of the game hit a rough patch where I didn't love the writing of Atreus, but I can definitely understand the purpose of what they did. I felt like the writing was a bit on the nose, but it still served it's purpose.

Originally I thought that the combat was going to be a significant weak point for me, but after messing around in the settings I found the option that worked best for me, and I'd recommend that if you're struggling to click with it.

The navigation was also a mixed bag for me. I actually enjoy games that go in a different direction than a mini-map with a line directing you where to go; like the wind in Ghost of Tsushima. This game, however, was difficult for me to follow with solely the compass, and the map was confusing to me until embarrassingly late into my run. These are issues that are going to be on a player by player basis, and may not effect your experience.

amazing game; a little more subdued and less absurd than its predecessors but the endearing father-son dynamic makes up for this jarring tone shift. in fact, I think I actually enjoy the tone of this game more because it feels more authentic and nuanced than the mindless thrill ride attributed to its predecessors - not to say this game doesn't have its spectacle, it absolutely has its moments.

also, the combat is fucking amazing... the combat is very methodical and strategic blah blah blah.. also Kratos's axe has a real weight to it

the looting, crafting, and armor/weapon system fucking suck though. the needlessly complicated user interface amplifies this problem - everything is so cluttered and unintuitive to find.

overall a super fucking good game, very excited to play its sequel

Pros:

Immersive combat.

Lore and story delivered strongly.

The diversity choice of weapons and moves available.


Cons:

Same bosses over and over and over again.

So much fun, I found myself completely immersed in the world and story, despite the fact that the mythology is only really a backdrop in this game. The actor for the boy did a great job, and you could really feel Kratos' progression as a character. Combat-wise, everything felt great with the exception of some unnecessarily difficult outlier parts, and I would totally play this one again. Probably my second favorite God of War game after 3.

A transformação da franquia - da apoteose destrutiva do III para uma história de tom pessoal e intimista - é tão orgânica que nos faz esquecer do Kratos de uma década atrás.

Esse reboot-sequência é brilhante porque entende o que é God of War e como revitalizar a IP sem perder identidade, ao mesmo tempo em que dá a ela profundidade e constrói sua própria catarse, agora de caráter mais emotivo e maduro.

“God of War” is a welcome soft-reboot of a franchise that started to grow stale after “Ascension”.

The early portions of the game are disorientingly relaxed, with Kratos enjoying nature walks and boat trips in an open map full of collectibles and even a bunch of side-quests. We have skill trees to unlock, equipment to upgrade, and materials to collect like in an action RPG.

The combat system has a considerably slower pace and lower number of enemies on screen, but got more technical and varied. Atreus works as a supporting character: his bow and arrows being incredibly useful, and his warnings help you avoiding damage on several occasions. However, I was disappointed by the little variety of enemies: we have the same few monsters rehashed throughout the game in different colors and elements (fire/ice). We are also missing the epic boss fights, with creatures first introduced as mid-bosses usually becoming regular enemies as we progress.

It's hard to think of it as a traditional "God of War" entry, but I can't deny that I enjoyed the experience. The focus on narration and world-building gave a new depth to the series, and technically we are obviously in front of one of the greatest technical achievements on Play Station 4. After a dozen hours, the gameplay and plot start to get a little repetitive, but the action eventually kicks in with new locations, additional weapons, and faster plot development until we finally reach an epic final boss in true "God of War" spirit.