Kratos' journey into the world of Norse mythology is possibly the best thing to happen to the franchise since the original God of War
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Redefining an iconic game is a risky move, but God of War has managed to do just that, moving from Greek Mythology to Norse in the best way possible. The game starts with Kratos and his son Atreus gathering up wood to build a pyre for his wife. Kratos is visibly older and a lot more mature. They set out on a journey to fulfill his wife's dying wish, to spread her ashes on the highest peak.
The game is still about killing hulking monsters, but there is a huge focus on the relationship of Kratos with his son and the game is better for it. The relationship progresses over time from being a concerned parent to a trusting father as you navigate through the journey. Atreus also gets more useful in combat as the game progresses and Kratos learns to trust his abilities over time.
Christopher Judge has done such a great job with the voice acting on Kratos that you will feel emotion, concern and depth just from the way Kratos speaks to his son. These emotions are often transferred to you when you hurriedly look around to make sure Atreus is close by and safe, which he usually is.
Graphically, the game is a masterpiece, everything just looks beautiful. The environment — be it dark or bright — has character. This is intensified by the sounds that further the mood. Even the character art is impeccable. Kratos seems like he has seen some hard times and his son seems like a person, who has lived in the forest, though both seem like they need a bath.
The pace of the game is a lot slower than you are used to. The perspective and the camera angles, even the puzzles, challenge you to wait, observe and enjoy the beautiful world that has been created for this game. This doesn't mean the violence has been subdued. Instead, the combat is surprisingly fluid and Atreus is a very useful companion, who manages to distract as well as eliminate foes depending on how you use him. There are times you will need to go to his rescue, but they are few.
Being a GOW game, there are huge monsters you can take down, but even the run of the mill undead and nightmares can be just as fun and challenging. At no point, will you feel like the combat is a chore or a grind. To help along the changes, Kratos also has a new weapon, the Leviathan axe. It is also probably his best weapon yet, you can add things to the socket in the weapon to increase some of its feature or give it new ones. The axe works a lot like Thor's hammer, which means you can throw it at stuff and just stick out your hand to will it back.
The game also lets you upgrade everything that Kratos and Atreus are wearing to make them faster, stronger and even more lucky. The experience earned fighting monsters can be used to add new moves to your list. The game also features a lot of puzzles. While most are simple, there are a few that are frustrating, though the rewards earned from them are always worth the effort. GOW also has a lot of optional areas that you can explore for extra rewards, or completely ignore and come back for them later. This increases the replayability of the game, adding to the 30-odd hours of gameplay it already features.
If you own a PS4 buying a copy of God of War is a no brainer, the game is a worthy contender for game of the year and by far the best title in the series. Everything in the game from the music, to the voice actors to the environment has been thought about and executed flawlessly.
God of War
Rating: 5/5
Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: PS4
Price: Rs 3,999
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