GOD OF WAR
God of War Review
Kratos makes an epic comeback as The Nine Realms' greatest dad.
Jonathon Dornbush
By Jonathon Dornbush
Updated: 14 Apr 2018 3:37 am
Posted: 12 Apr 2018 5:01 pm
Some of the best films of all time are those whose different strengths all work in concert to create a unified, engrossing whole. The Shining, The Social Network, and Jaws are all excellent examples of films made up of strong individual parts complementing each other to form a fantastic work of art. That is absolutely true of God of War – its musical score elevates story moments, which flow seamlessly into fantastic action gameplay, which facilitates exploration and puzzles that reward you with a deeper understanding of its characters and its expansive and beautiful world. God of War is a masterful composition of exceptional interlocking parts, deliberate in its design and its foreshadowing, which pays off in unexpected ways in both the gameplay and story.
Set in a new, Norse mythology-inspired world and starring a familiar but thoughtfully reimagined character, God of War’s fish-out-of-Greek-water tale is a nonstop whirlwind of emotions. It’s all framed by one continuous camera shot that never cuts away or takes the focus off of the heart of it all: Kratos’ relationship with his young son, Atreus. But the story also encompasses an indelible supporting cast, a gorgeous world consistently rewarding to explore, and immensely satisfying combat.
God of War works from minute one thanks to the simplicity of its plot.
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God of War works from minute one thanks to the simplicity of its plot. Kratos and Atreus – who start as, at best, acquaintances – begin their journey having just gone through the loss of Kratos’ wife, whom Atreus bonded with much more than his father. The two set out to the tallest point in all the realms to carry out her final wishes.
The setup is Journey-like in its visual nature – I saw the peak in the distance and knew I’d get there eventually – but as similar stories have taught me, the path is never a straight or easy one. A number of obstacles, both natural and god-made, extend the adventure to around 25 hours’ worth of terrifying threats, beginning with the first major encounter in the opening hours.
Every God of War Review
<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/18/god-of-war">Reviewed by: Ivan Sulic</a><br>
Date: March 18, 2005<br>
The platforming elements need to take hints from Sands of Time and the puzzles could do with a little more thought and a little less block pushing. Everything else is nearly perfect.
12 IMAGES
<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/12/god-of-war-ii-review">Reviewed by: Chris Roper</a><br>
Date: February 12, 2007<br>
God of War II may in fact be the best action game ever made. It outdoes the original God of War in every way, even if only by a tiny bit as the first was so good to begin with. It's an evolutionary step rather than a revolutionary leap, but it has basically perfected the formula that the original set up. If you own a PlayStation 2 (or PS3) and don't mind excessive amounts of blood, you absolutely must play this game. If you don't own a PS2, find someone who does and sit yourself down in front of their TV for 12 or so hours as you'll otherwise be missing out on one of gaming's most intense and engaging experiences available.
<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/06/27/god-of-war-betrayal-review">Reviewed by: Levi Buchanan</a><br>
Date: June 27, 2007<br>
When I saw Kratos being recast as the hero of a 16-bit-style side-scroller, I raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. Would the essence of this badass come through on the smallest screen? The answer is a resounding – and bloody – yes. He rips it up with his chain swords, tearing mythic monsters limb from limb just like the PS2 games, splattering crimson across column after column. Have no fear, this is no watered-down God of War experience. It's the real deal third game in the killer franchise and if you are any kind of God of War fan, you'll put aside whatever grudge you might have against mobile gaming and seek out this download ASAP.
<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/02/18/god-of-war-chains-of-olympus-review">Reviewed by: Chris Roper</a><br>
Date: February 18, 2008<br>
God of War: Chains of Olympus is a stellar achievement on the PSP. It plays perfectly into the franchise's storyline and offers up the same level of intense action as its console counterparts. It's also the best looking title on the system, without question. Engaging from start to finish, Chains of Olympus is a mandatory purchase for anyone who owns a PSP and doesn't mind getting a little blood on their hands.
<a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/11/13/god-of-war-collection-review">Reviewed by: Chris Roper</a><br>
Date: November 13, 2009<br>
The God of War Collection is now the definitive way to play the original two PlayStation 2 titles, and for folks who somehow never owned a PS2 and who don't have a backwards-compatible PlayStation 3, this marks the first time that they've been able to play them. At $40 for two of the best action games ever made, and the perfect precursors to next March's God of War III, this is a collection that you shouldn't pass up.
If you’ve played the previous games in the series – seven of them, counting two PSP games and one mobile game – you know that Kratos lived a long life of loss, triumph, and plenty of god-killing in ancient Greece. While that history certainly informs who he is now, the character we encounter here has started a new chapter, having found love, a family, and a full bushy beard in this world of Norse mythology. But he is still a stranger to this place, and is forced to rely on the son he barely connects with to decipher its languages and guide him when the swing of an axe or the imprint of his boot on an undead foe won’t do the trick.
That relationship, and how it evolves and changes over the course of the story, is one of God of War’s most captivating qualities. Here are two people with demonstrably different personalities, one of them young and still innocent, the other old and as blood-soaked as they come, both grieving over the same woman in different ways. Kratos loves his son but is cold at first. He seems disappointed in his lack of skill and stomach for combat, referring to him mostly as “Boy,” and rarely making eye or physical contact with him. (He will, of course, unflinchingly beat the life out of anyone who threatens his son, which appears to be the only way he knows how to express affection.) Kratos’ uncertainty of how to relate to a boy he’s both looking to turn into a survivor and yet afraid may turn out like him is devastating to watch.
Sharp dialogue made me see myself in both Kratos and Atreus' shoes.
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Their dichotomy plays out in stirring, realistic moments throughout the story. I was surprised by how often I saw myself in both Kratos and Atreus’ well-worn shoes. I’ve told important people in my own life some of the very things they say to each other, and I’ve thought (but been too afraid to speak aloud) many others, making God of War’s relationships feel real and cuttingly honest. Other games have tackled parent-child relationships, but I can’t remember a father-son dynamic so successfully developed and used to ground a fantastical adventure.
This depth and complexity is something entirely new to Kratos, and this new God of War transforms him from the previous games’ flat embodiment of the bloodthirsty warrior cliche into someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of my favorite protagonists in recent media. He’s now voiced by Stargate SG-1’s thunderous baritone Christopher Judge, who can say so much with a single word or grunt. He gives the long-running character’s stoic dialogue both an intimidating gravitas and nuance you can hear as he grapples with the needs of his son, his internal fears and pain and, of course, the
