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REVIEW: GOD OF WAR (PS4)

26/4/2018

26 Comments

 
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I've been a father almost as long as I've been an adult. My eldest daughter was born about two weeks before my 19th birthday, so being a parent has - for more than half my life - defined me. It wasn't why I later fell in love - and chose to settle down - with somebody who also had three daughters, but it is why having three step-daughters felt like the most natural thing in the world. 

It's interesting to note that, as the average age of gamers creeps up, there are more games being made which are specifically about parenthood. Pretty much, I think that's why I connected so unexpectedly with The Last of Us. Indeed, when The Last of Us was released in 2013 I'd been hit hard with Empty Nest Syndrome. I related to Joel losing his daughter, and wanting to protect Ellie. I related to how that can often feel like a thankless, desperate, task. 

They slip through your fingers, and have to go their own way, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

My kids were all adults, suddenly, and I felt as if my purpose - my entire reason for existing - had been taken away from me. It's probably no coincidence that I started this site the following year; I needed to rediscover who I was away from being a parent. Heck, the first couple of years of this site were full of self-reflective blog posts, which were essentially a case of me working some of that out.

I always figured I'd love it when my kids grew up, and I got some of my freedom back, but really... it was rubbish, and the transition from being a dad of children to being a dad of adults was harder than I'd expected. I'm over it now, mostly, but - just between us - I'm counting the days down until I'm a grandfather. 

Anyway. What does any of this have to do with this new God of War reboot? Well, it's all about being a dad, see. Also: a god with a bad case of regret and guilt and stuff.

So, all about being a dad then...
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INSPECTOR NORSE
This new God of War is not a great deal like the old God of War. Pretty much everything I loved about God of War has been removed, or changed beyond recognition. For starters, if you're a big fan of Greek mythology, you'll be disappointed to hear that this time you'll be dealing with the Norse gods. It's a superficial change, but setting the game in Midgard - here on Earth, effectively - informs the approach overall.

The pace of the combat - which previously had been fluid and over-the-top - has been given greater weight. Everything feels heavy; your movement, your weapon - even the story is portentous and none-more-solemn. 

Whereas previously you were equipped with a pair of ridiculous blades-on-chains, now you're given a massive axe. Yes, you can throw it and recall it Thor-style - and you can upgrade it for some beautifully devastating magical effects - but the combat feels, at a fundamental level, more realistic.

You're also equipped with a shield, and when weapon and defence are used together, there's a rhythm to the battles which is much more considered and strategic than the series has been known for. It's more focused on timing than the previous games' cartoonish violence. 

Those moments where the camera pulls back, depicting Kratos as a tiny figure in an enormous landscape, dwarfed by monsters the size of tower blocks? Well, now the camera pretty much stays at shoulder level throughout. Yes, the locations are still epic in scope, some of the monsters are still massive, but how that is shown is - like the combat - quite literally grounded.

The other big changes are more obvious. After an initial, linear opening - that lasts a good few hours - the game suddenly opens up. It's the first open-world God of War, and initially it's bewildering. If you're used to the series funnelling you through the adventure, be prepared for a shock.

Secondly, gone is the series' over-the-top tale of revenge. Gone are the dubious sexxus mini games. In their place is a quieter, more thoughtful story about a grieving husband, and his relationship with his son.

Indeed, Kratos's relationship with his boy ("BOY!!"), Atreus, is more than just a narrative device; you can also issue orders to him during combat (he's armed with a bow, and his abilities can also be upgraded). Plus he helps in the solving of puzzles and accessing different areas... Indeed, it's all a bit The Last Of Us-y, but with slightly less likeable and relatable characters. 
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THE THING
​So, here's the thing. This new God of War is a really good game. It plays like a more forgiving Dark Souls, it boasts some beautiful production design, a ton of content, and it's almost flawless in what it sets out to do.

Almost.

The upgrade system is a confusing faff. The open world - and some of the puzzles within it - often left me feeling like I'd missed something. And really... I have to be honest and say that I missed the old style.

The thing I loved about God of War is that it was an arcade game. This wants to be something different. Everything about it screams that it wants to be taken seriously. It wants to be epic, but grown-up. It wants to be realistic and grounded - as grounded as a game about a god fighting massive monsters can be anyway.

In striving for depth I actually found it quite off-putting; the chilly relationship between Kratos and Atreus never really got beneath my skin, and some of the battles were just a chore. By swapping out over-the-top fluidity for slower and more considered combat, boss fights and mowing through wave after wave of enemies can become a grind. There are even moments where the game takes control away from you for a cinematic cut-scene mid-ruck, which just underscores that you're not really in control. 

It all works, and you'll get your money's worth... it just isn't really the same series that I used to love. For me, God of War was always a silly romp. Now they seem to be trying too hard to be taken seriously, and I'm irritated by the way in which people seem to be bending over themselves to applaud this. Introspective characters does not necessarily equate to good characters. Too often it makes them remote and dull.

"Oooh, yes. Aren't video games all sophisticated and that these days?! Aren't WE all mature now?" 

Oh, grow up.

SCORE: 6,712 particles of enjoyment out of 10,000
26 Comments
John Veness
26/4/2018 10:19:29 am

Your comments about Empty Nest Syndrome gave me a lump in the throat. I'm a decade or two away from that (we started late), and thought I was looking forward to more gaming time, but maybe it won't be so great.

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Mr Biffo
26/4/2018 11:24:23 am

At least you didn’t have... A LUMP IN YOUR PANTS!!!!’n

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John Veness
26/4/2018 11:32:37 am

Flirt.

:)

Super Bad Advice
26/4/2018 10:34:12 am

Now I just want a game called Inspector Norse

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Inspector Morse the Porous Norse Horse
26/4/2018 12:08:52 pm

Inspector Morse the Porous Norse Horse - of course!

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Dr. Budd Buttocks, MD
26/4/2018 01:25:46 pm

There is a tune called "Inspector Norse", and very good it is too (if scandinavian disco is your thing). The thought of it juxtaposed with Kratos' humourless scowling and moping is amusing.

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Robobob
26/4/2018 08:07:05 pm

But what would Lewis say?

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DEAN
26/4/2018 11:06:28 am

So what you're saying is that this isn't a game for daddies?

Good to know but it begs the question - what is?

Chuckie Egg - Is Chuckie even a feller? - let's take a 'ganders'....

It is my belief that Chuckie is the farmer collecting the eggs. These eggs are unlikely to contain embryos and as such Chuckie cannot be a daddy (foster parent or guardian).

Note to self - if I kept chickens, I'd let them keep their eggs. I don't even like eggs but that's beside the point. I'd probably sit up at night and keep a fox watch.... Which sort of makes me a hero when you think about and as we know ALL dads are heroes (stop being horrible and thinking of Fred West; this is hard enough as it is) so, in some way, I'd be like a daddy to my harem of hens and they'd see me as a right proud cock.

I'm enjoying this!

Okay, so let's say I had 3 hens - Matilda (Maddy), Kirsten (Kirsty) and Doreen (Doreen) and they established a pecking order (as they're prone to, or so I understand) - by name alone, I think I could probably judge the exact hen sequence. Hey, why don't you try and I'll tell you if you're right or wrong!

Do you like eggs?

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Starbuck
27/4/2018 07:45:04 pm

Sorry to be pEGGdantic, but it's Henhouse Harry, not Chuckie. pEGGdantic!

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DEAN
28/4/2018 09:48:51 am

Egg on my face now!

Who the cluck is Chuckie then?

Andrew Gillett
26/4/2018 11:14:43 am

You're *our* dad now.

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Mr Biffo
26/4/2018 11:23:37 am

Sinister...

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Andy K
26/4/2018 12:25:58 pm

Can we all get a lift to the cinema and some money for popcorn?

Mrtankthreat
26/4/2018 01:37:05 pm

I watched a bit of someone playing this on Twitch last night and the fact that you're character is off centre is really off putting. I don't get why this is a trend now. When did it start? It didn't bother me in Resident Evil 4 which I think might have been the first but every other game that's done it annoyed me. It just feels wrong.

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gamera
26/4/2018 03:39:44 pm

If there has ever been an 'over the shoulder' game with the player dead centre, it must have been very early. Guy over one side=you can see things

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Mrtankthreat
26/4/2018 05:01:24 pm

Yeah, I get why it's done but I guess it's the whole over-the-shoulder look I don't like. I'd rather just a normal 3rd person perspective with the character in the middle. I don't know what it is about it that annoys me though.

oishiiniku
28/4/2018 02:52:38 pm

The God Of War camera feels closest to the one used in The Last of Us, but I don't think it works that well in a game where you are fighting multiple enemies up close. TLOU has a lot of melee combat, but typically you are only engaging one enemy at a time for takedowns etc. In God of War you are often facing a bunch of enemies and constantly rotating the camera to try and keep them all onscreen. Most other melee-heavy 3rd person games keep the camera centered and pulled back so you have a better view of the area around you. Not sure why this game chose to be closer in, probably because it feels more cinematic.

Spiney O'Sullivan
26/4/2018 03:15:35 pm

This review is sort of what I was concerned about with this game. It looks gorgeous, appears to have an open world and solid-looking combat, and even an engaging story, but it also doesn't look much like the God of War games that I had enjoyed. Those games were fast, fluid, and brutal, as well as incredibly cinematic in part due to the linearity of the game design and the camera not being under the player's control. The chain-blades also made zero sense, but were also just really cool. In fact "just make it really cool" seemed to be 90% of game's design philosophy (the other 10% being "also sometimes go from cool to so nasty that the player can't quite believe that this is happening". I still can't forget the eye-gouging thumbstick click moment in one of them). I'll still probably get this and enjoy it, but it seems almost like it doesn't need to be a God of War game for anything except brand recognition.

It's a lot like Assassin's Creed: Origins, which changed things up to be more like Dark bloody Souls and The Witcher, and while it's a great game that I came to really enjoy, I'm not really sure it's the Assassin's Creed game I really hoped for.

At this point, someone needs to just make an open bloody world Dark bloody Souls Battle bloody Royale and then we can just declare games over and done with as the pinnacle will finally have been reached.

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for real
26/4/2018 04:54:34 pm

You should play Dark Souls

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Spiney O’Sullivan
26/4/2018 09:17:22 pm

Why bother when every other game has decided it should also be Dark Souls?

for real
27/4/2018 09:01:14 am

They are either really bad at it or it is a mistaken preconception that they are copying DS

Col. Asdasd
27/4/2018 09:07:21 am

Yeah, the critical adulation has been interesting. This is the first place anywhere that has said anything slightly negative, and it's not just the press - Eurogamer is getting mauled in every comment section about the game for not giving it an 'essential' rating despite a glowing review.

However, in my gut, I've been wondering if it really is all that. I've watched quite a bit of gameplay footage and the world just looks dour and joyless. It's cool that a lot of people seem to be enjoying it though - right now the industry needs single player games to perform well and thrive, so whether this is exactly my cup of tea doesn't bother me too much if it puts down a marker.

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colincidence link
27/4/2018 02:41:58 pm

I guess, in a decade or so, there'll be loads of games about being a grandparent.

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oishiiniku
28/4/2018 09:19:26 am

I'm relieved to finally read a review that mirrors my own experiences with God Of War. I've been so perplexed by the universal acclaim for what is a technically impressive, but dull and derivative game.

I also agree that 'mature' doesn't necessarily equate to good or enjoyable. Most of the game's (frankly incredible) production values are focused towards making it as serious and worthy as possible, but often at the expense of it being fun. I think there's still an inferiority complex within pop culture where the people making and consuming it feel like it's regarded as immature and niche, despite the fact that much of it is completely mainstream now. Any game/movie etc. that appears to be a sign of pop culture 'growing up' immediately gets elevated to a higher level of critical response. I really hope we get over this obsession with so-called mature pop culture sooner rather than later. I'm tired of everything defaulting to gritty and grounded, especially when it comes to video games. It's as tiresome and pretentious as someone who's obsessed with being seen as 'cool'.

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MrDrinks
29/4/2018 01:53:09 pm

The sound in this game is amazing at adding to the atmosphere, if you have decent stereo headphones or a nice surround system then for the love of God please don't play this through the stereo speakers on a TV. I don't think they're using Dolby Atmos (otherwise it would be plastered in logos), but whatever they're using is incredibly effective at placing objects in 3D space around you and not just for gimmicks like Jump Scarer 4.

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Ben
29/4/2018 10:45:14 pm

Been playing this for a few days, yes its inspirations and references are a little transparent, yes its undeniably derivative and no, this us not the 'God of War' of yore, but my goodness me, it's flipping fantastic. Youd have to be a pretty joyless husk not to get a great deal of enjoyment out of it, it's frequently jaw dropping.

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