God of War (PS4) Review

Name a better duo.

 The last time we saw Kratos was back in 2013's God of War: Ascension. While the game had its moments, it definitely signaled that the series needed some form of change. Now five years later, Kratos is back and looking better than ever on his debut outing on the PS4, God of War. Taking exile in Norse lands, an aging Kratos alongside his son, Atreus, must reach the peak of the nine realms in order to scatter the ashes of his late wife. I didn't know what to expect from God of War ever since it was announced, it was billed as a reimagining of the series and after I saw some gameplay footage, I wasn't a fan of the changes to combat. However, that wasn't the case when I actually played the game and I have to say, it's easily one of the best action games of the year. 


 The infamous God of War Kratos, now seeking exile in Norse lands, embarks on an adventure to reach the top of the nine realms in order to scatter the ashes of his late wife and mother of his son, Atreus. Kratos is joined by his son, though their relationship is on the edge to say the least. For a character so fueled by revenge seven games ago, Kratos is a surprisingly tame character this time around in the sense that he's much wiser and aiming to be a better man than he once was. Atreus, a fledging hunter, sees his father as cold-hearted despite attempting to please him on multiple occasions. However, the pair slowly start to warm up to each other throughout the journey in many well-delivered story scenes, which results into some of most heart-warming moments in recent years. The supporting cast are interesting, though not on the level of the main duo, with each having their own interesting stories. One aspect that I didn't like was the constant build up with some of the Norse gods such as Thor and Odin was a wasted opportunity as they would have made for some thrilling and memorable boss fights, something the game surprisingly lacked in execution.

The story is engaging with surprise twists and

developed main leads.

 As a new starting point for the series, the gameplay system receives a major overhaul. You control Kratos as battles his way through the top of the Norse realms alongside his son, Atreus. This time around, Kratos uses an axe called Leviathan which can be thrown at enemies and summoned back instead of his iconic Blades of Chaos (though that doesn't mean they're completely ignored either). While it packs a punch, the axe is slower and will take a bit to get used to. Kratos also carries a foldable shield in his arsenal that's helpful with blocking enemies attacks and projectiles. Parrying enemies at the right moment with the shield, leaves them with a huge opening in which you can quickly them down. The combat is fast and brutally satisfying as dealing the final blow with a charged heavy attack always feels fun to pull off. However, I that some enemy variety was needed as fighting the same grunts, brutes, ogres got old very quickly after a while.

 You'll come across runes which are often dropped upon beating enemies and optional quests. These runes give small stats increases such as extra health and strength and even upgrade Kratos' weapons as well, though you can equip up to three in his armor. Also, some of the more powerful runes grant light and heavy special attacks Kratos can use and can be upgraded to dish more damage. The Spartan Rage mechanic from previous games is back and when in a bind, Kratos can enter a brief berserk state where he can bare-handedly beat the crap out of enemies while gaining increased stats and health recovery at the cost of depleting the rage meter. I found myself abusing it when fighting the bigger enemy types and occasional groups of armored enemies as taking on them by regular means often takes a bit of patience and time.

The combat remains fast and chaotic, though

it feels more refined this time around.

 Atreus plays a supporting role in the gameplay by shooting arrows at enemies. It's not much at first but as you progress through the game, Atreus will get a hold of shock arrows which can stun enemies, allowing Kratos to deal a finishing blow. He can also get the jump on enemies and distract them long enough for you finish them off. He isn't completely useless as he can an aid in solving the game's many puzzles and even point out some points of interest such as materials and treasure when exploring, he was a huge help on multiple occasions during my playthrough. An aspect that caught the attention of many players when the game was originally showcased was the new camera system. Instead of the old fixed camera of previous games, an over the shoulder camera is placed behind Kratos. Since the camera is zoomed into Kratos, he'll be exposed to attacks from all directions. Thankfully, you can quickly turn Kratos around by pressing down the D-pad down and Atreus will often shout  warning when enemies are about to attack you. There's even an indicator pointing out oncoming enemies for good measure.

 God of War, like most games these days, includes some RPG elements such as experience that will unlock new skills to upgrade Kratos and Atreus' weapons. In addition to experience, you'll be needing "Hacksilver" in order craft and buy better gear at the blacksmith, run by the a pair of dwarf brothers. To craft some of the neat armor you'll come across halfway through, the game will encourage to explore the huge world in order to find the materials needed for said equipment. On the topic of exploration, there's a handful of locales from simple isles to entirely optional areas with their own bosses and rare loot to obtain.

You'll need better gear and skills if you want to make 

it through some of the game's tougher bosses.

 The central area of the game called the Lake of Nine is explored via boat. Scattered throughout the lake are nearby isles that offer side quests and some hidden treasures to collect. You'll come across kindred spirits that will grant you side-quests that offers some insight to the premise offers some interesting bits of exchanges between Kratos and Atreus, so you'll definitely be compelled to take them on. Certain treasure chests will offer Kratos permanent health and rage boosts should he collect three pieces of each. It's essential if you're getting surrounded by enemies or going against some of the game's tougher optional bosses too. Also, there are some high-leveled enemies to look for in case you need some decent loot and extra experience as well. I liked that when I was exploring, I came across an optional settlement with a dragon chained to it and had me slowly piecing out the mystery behind townspeople's disappearance. Hell, there's even optional realms to explore-- though only partially-- that grant you a chunk full of experience, gear, and upgrades though at the cost of battling tougher than usual enemies. All in all, the game rewards you with going out of your way to explore some of its optional areas though I felt that it was pretty lifeless at times with the lack of more inhabitants.

There's a ton of secrets that the pair can uncover.

 There's no doubt that God of War is certainly among the top best looking games on the PS4 right now. The art team of Santa Monica Studio did a terrific job in crafting the game world as the character models, backgrounds, and visual effects were all neatly executed. Some of the sceneries early on were just breath-taking as the amount of detail and vibrancy of the environments is outrageous. The game also runs surprisingly well despite the 30fps framerate. While the voicework itself is top-notch, it's Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic that provide the most commendable and convincing performances as Kratos and Atreus, respectively. That and the game's soundtrack blends with the Norse premise and accompanies the massive spectacles of the gameplay well.

There's no doubt that God of War boasts some of

the most breath-taking sceneries on the PS4.

 God of War is an engaging ride from start all the way to it's conclusion. It was great seeing Kratos back again with a fresh setting on modern hardware. The gripping narrative, accompanied by the faced-paced gameplay and stunning visuals were all highlights of a game that's had years of care and effort put in. While it didn't reach "make you fall in love with gaming again" levels for me, I can still say that God of War is easily the best Santa Monica game and a top pick for one of the best PS4 games out in the market. It's a brutally satisfying game to play and action fans would be making a huge mistake overlooking it.