Even if you’re not a connoisseur of video games, the God of War game franchise is full of brilliant, albeit bloody, games that deliver. The game series has everything; a riveting plotline, brilliant character development, and an amazing character arc; the gameplay is incredible, it offers a medley of emotions, and there is even gore for all the hardcore gamers out there. What’s not to love? And the best part is that the new reboots are just as amazing as the old games. Personally, my love for console gaming is because of this game so I might come off as a little biased; however, the independent reviews share my views.
The first God of War game, created by Santa Monica studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 console and got rave reviews. The game went on to sprawl across 14 games over a span of nearly two decades and enjoyed great success as a PlayStation-exclusive game. Moreover, the new reboots look fantastic on the PlayStation, but the studio changed its distribution as they are now available for PC through Steam. Sorry Xbox, it’s not your turn yet! God of War is an action-adventure hack-and-slash game that has enthralled its players, generated a huge fandom, and brought financial success to everyone who worked for it. And let’s not forget the merch! The game has spawned everything from T-shirts to songs, and there are even rumours that Amazon is looking into a tv-series! The graphics, the challenging gameplay, and one of the best storylines are the main reasons this game turned into one of the most memorable and successful games in its genre.
There are hardly any games in the franchise that have been scored poorly by any well-known gaming sites, with almost all the games winning some award, the 2018 reboot winning Game of The Year, and even a few BAFTAs. God of War manages to hold its own against veterans such as Capcom’s Devil May Cry, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed, THQ Nordic’s Darksiders, Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors, and many more. Over the years, each individual God of War game has found its way into the top lists of the year or decade without fail. The storyline that unfolds over these 14 games starts with the journey of Kratos, the protagonist and the titular God of War in ancient Greece. For the first 12 games, Kratos slashes and cuts his way across every mythological being in Greece, including the entire pantheon of Olympian gods, whom he is fated to destroy.
The games tell the story of a man driven by revenge for the death of his brother. Enslaved by his own bloodlust and thirst for power, he accidentally kills his wife and daughter. Then, consumed by rage and guilt, he destroys Greece and finally sacrifices himself to set things right. God of War 3 left the ending ambiguous enough so that when the 2018 reboot dropped, fans went crazy. The reboots are a direct successor to God of War 3 and are designed around Norse mythology. The first game in the reboot did not disappoint as Kratos hacked and slashed his way through the mythological beings in the Norse lands as well. However, one incredible difference between the originals and the reboot is the character development of Kratos, who changes from a man blinded by rage and anger to a father and husband who is ashamed of his bloody past and has grown wiser and understands the cost of war.
The new voice actor for Kratos is Christopher Judge, of Stargate SG1 fame, who is well known for his deep voice. Judge truly brings the character of Kratos alive in the reboots while the character of Atreus is voiced by American actor Sunny SuljicHe is a newcomer to the gaming industry and holds a few acting credits to his names, such as 1915 and The Killing Of A Sacred Deer. He rose to prominence because of his voice acting in the God Of War reboot.
The God of War (2018) reboot starts with Kratos mourning his second wife's death. We discover that he has since retired from his God of War ways, moved to Midgard, settled, started a family, and even has a son, Atreus. On the request of his late wife Faye, the father and son duo set out to scatter her ashes from the highest peak in the nine realms, which unbeknownst to them, lies in the Norse realm of Jotunnheim.
As with the originals, the reboot offers an interesting take and detailed look into the elements of Norse mythology. There are dwarves, elves, and trolls coupled with five new areas to explore, including Alfheim, Midgard, Helheim, Muspelheim, and Niflheim. The story follows the father-son duo who travel through these realms, fighting monsters and bonding as they attempt to reach the highest peak in the nine realms. The amazing script of the game sees Kratos struggle with his past and his attempts to hide his status as a god from his son, while Atreus deals with feelings of rejection and trying to understand who he is and his acceptance of his status as a half-god, half-frost giant.
The gameplay of the reboot incorporates a few new elements. There are new weapons, namely the Leviathan Axe, which is the primary weapon for both reboots, and you no longer play alone; the character of Atreus works alongside you during battles or puzzle-solving missions. You can partly control the character by instructing him to shoot arrows. However, the trademark weapons of Kratos from the original games, the Blades of Chaos, are also there, and there is a new option for two kinds of shields. In this way, the reboots, as with the originals, offer players a chance to choose their gameplay style.
One of the better changes to the reboot is the fleshing out of the characters a bit more and a bigger, more supportive cast. Kratos isn’t alone like he is through the original; he even seems to have developed a sense of dry humour. The storyline of God of War and the ending was set up beautifully, with fans dying for the sequel. And now, finally, their wishes have been granted.
God of War Ragnarök, the sequel to the 2018 reboot released less than a month ago, on the 19th of November, to rave reviews. The gripping storyline, its incredible gameplay, and the fact that the game’s graphics look outstanding on the PS5 have made this game a winner. Ragnarök has broken PlayStation’s sales records, hitting 5.1 million copies sold in the first week. The story is moving, the gameplay is engaging, the graphics stunning, the location brilliant, and the character arcs and development have incredible finesse. I don’t want to be ‘that person' and give away spoilers for a game that’s just dropped, so I’ll leave it at this: even if you have never played the originals, play the reboot! It is hands down one of the very few types of media out there where the reboot feels like it did justice to the original and managed to outshine it. So our suggestion is, try it, Boy.
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