“This staggering reimagining of God of War combines all the hallmarks of the iconic series – brutal combat, epic boss fights, and breathtaking scale – and fuses them with a powerful and moving narrative that re-establishes Kratos’ world“

The recent God of War games are seen very highly as exquisite gaming and cinematic experiences. My only experience with the series is playing as Kratos in Mortal Kombat (2011) and PlayStation All-Stars on the PS3. I remember watching a friend of mine play God of War (2018) during my senior year of college, and I snagged it sometime after for free on PS Plus. I picked up a physical copy at a local game store for $10 back in March. After my not-so-pleasant time with Dead Island Definitive Collection, I decided to make the last title of my recent backlog quest a good one. And it did not disappoint.

For those who also know nothing about the story and only that Kratos somehow ended up in Norse mythology, this tale is about old man Kratos and his son Atreus. The mother has passed away and it was her wish that her ashes be spread at the highest mountain within Midgard. Thus the two are set on a journey of father/son bonding and learning about this new world of magic, giants, and gods that spreads to realms beyond Midgard.

When this game has its epic moments, they are truly epic. The music is *chef’s kiss*, whether it’s mid-boss fight or walking into a new realm for the first time. Speaking of fights, the combat in this game is pretty fun. You have skill trees for Kratos’ new weapon the Leviathan Axe, shields & melee combat, Atreus’ bow skills, and the awesome Blades of Chaos. Landing death blows is so satisfying and each new skill unlock is like “oh I can’t wait to tear these guys up”.

From what I have heard, the original games are very linear. In 2018 though you have quite a bit of exploring you can do. 2 or 3 realms are not unlocked through the main story, there are health and Spartan Rage upgrades to unlock, valkryies to fight, armor to find etc,. I explored here and there in Midgard, but overall focused on the plot.

My only complaint is that sometimes when transitioning into or out of cutscenes, character models sort of stutter with their movements. Very minor in light of all the pros, but I did notice it at points. Regardless, I can see why this game is one of the PlayStation Hits. I’ll get Ragnarok after this year most likely – there are too many games coming out later this year!