God of war is the baby of Sony and one of the highest selling games of all time. It's a playstation exclusive and has millions (maybe billions) of fans worldwide.
Prior to this PS4 version, I had actually played the game on both PS3 and PS2. However, this one promised to stretch the capacity of a Playstation 4 and that's frankly what if offered.
The storyline
Unlike previous editions where Kratos relied on his trusty badass sword, this time he heavily relied on a battle axe.
Also, unlike the past where his swords rained fire on foes, the battle axe was imbued with frost magic. The axe was a memento from his wife who was a giant.
According to myths and legends or marvel universe, the giants use frost magic. So it was no surprise to me when I found out that Faye was a giant.
Also, it was rather interesting that Atreus turned out to be Loki. Assuming we go by the general theme of this story, isn't he going to be adopted by Odin?
Anyway, unlike MCU though, Thor and Odin are presented as bloodthirsty assholes that just craving for a fight.
Anyway, the story followed the journey of Kratos and Artreus into Jouteinheim, the land of the Giants. The plan was to get to the peak and spread the ashes of Faye, the wife of Kratos.
Just as you'd expect it, nothing is ever straightforward in the life of Kratos. That simple task sent him and his son on adventure that went deep into Norse mythology.
A different Kratos
I think the most notable change in this game, especially when compared to previous others is the fact that we got to see a completely different side of Kratos.
Naturally, he still retained his brute and violent abilities but his actions were more calculated and didn't come from anger.
His usual fiery temper was replaced by a wild old sage who constantly advices his son. At the end, we find that the experience actually brought the two characters together and strengthened the bond between them.
The gameplay
I'm not much into the tech stuff of the game, so I can't comment too much on the gameplay. However, I can comment on my experience.
On the plus side, it felt like a high effort game, with brilliant designs and attention to details.
I played mine on a 1080p screen throughout but it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The game had many picturesque scenes and sometimes, the cinematic interludes could suck you into the storyline like it's a movie you're watching.
I think my only problem with the game was the fact that I had to fight with R1 and R2 on the controller. For a racing or first person shooter, it makes sense. It for a combat game like this, not so good.
At the end of the game, those buttons in my controller stated feeling worn out. I think going back to using ∆ and "square" would be better for heavy and light attacks respectively.
Ragnarok is coming
At the end of the day, the game set the tone for a sequel that was originally suppose to come out this year but will be out early next year.
At the end of the adventure, there were more questions than answers. However, a lot of those answers will be answered in Ragnarok and maybe we could even see a flashback that shows Faye's face.