God of War
2018
Audio: German, Russian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Polish, English · Subtitles: Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Czech, Hungarian, Dutch, English, Japanese, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Korean, Polish
- role-playing (rpg)
- hack and slash/beat 'em up
- adventure
- action
- fantasy
- historical
- single player
The story
God of War is the sequel to God of War III as well as a continuation of the canon God of War chronology. Unlike previous installments, this game focuses on Norse mythology and follows an older and more seasoned Kratos and his son Atreus in the years since the third game. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive… and teach his son to do the same.
What it’s like
Long, unbroken over-the-shoulder shots follow a bearded man and a boy through misty pine forests, frozen lakes and grey stone halls, with the camera rarely cutting away from the action. Light shifts from pale snowfall to smoky torchlight and the glow of runes, and the palette runs mostly to cold blues, moss greens and ash, broken by flashes of amber fire. Hand-to-hand combat has a heavy, weighted feel: axe throws return with a satisfying thud, and the sound design of crunching ice, roaring wind and a sparse, mournful string score swells during battles. The pace alternates between slow, quiet walks where a father and son trade wary silences and bursts of brutal, cinematic fighting. Violence is frequent and visceral, with bloody melee, dismemberment and grim bosses, though the camera stays close and the gore is more weighty than gratuitous. Emotionally the tone is heavy and restrained, with a grieving, hard man slowly learning to be a parent. Best suited to players who want a story-driven action adventure with a melancholic edge and a patient, character-first journey.
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