God of War
The return of Kratos is glorious. The new adventures of our Spartan God is a more complete and longer experience. We were surprised at the change in direction when news came out on the new game in the series but after playing it the consensus is that this is by far the best game in the PS4. The changes to combat and exploration are a blessing. It breathes new life into this long running franchise. The story is the best in the series in its pacing and character development. God of War (IV) is what the PS4 was meant to produce.
Without dwelling too much information in order to avoid spoilers we will dwell little on the story. Kratos survived the events after killing Zeus. He is redeemed in a way by creating a new family only to lose another wife. This time he has a son, Atreus, and both are tasked to carry the ashes of their departed family member to a magical peak. Along the way forces try to stop the duo for reasons that will not be spoiled here. What we can say is that the narrative is perfect. It never bogs you down and the continual character development is one of the strongest in games within the last five years. It also helps that the voice characters do a fantastic job creating the atmosphere that we get lost in. The journey pays off in a subtle but beautiful way and time cannot go fast enough for us to continue yet another story of Kratos.
God of War is one of, if not the best, looking games of this entire generation. The only game that can compare to its visuals is last year's Horizon. The amount of detail that went through this production is staggering. Kratos is beyond great and the little details cannot be praised enough. For example, when Kratos goes in rage mode the details on his muscles and veins are outstanding. The monsters are great looking and the environments vary in beauty. The central part of the game takes place in the Lake of Nine and while its a huge body of water, the locales are very detailed. The great thing about this series is the variety of the locations. When you reach Alfheim, you will be greeted to a color palette not used before in the series. Even the Witche's home is full of colorful vegetation that brings life to Kratos's adventure. The animation of Kratos and Atreus are well executed and it is a joy to watch them fight. If you have a PS4Pro I could just imagine the greater treat you will get from watching this tale unfold.
The music of God of War seems more mature and slow but majestic. The three beat tone to the beginning of its theme is a classic and some of the themes are so beautiful that I think it will grow on you the more you hear it. The sounds of weapons hitting are good but the top notch voice acting and great lines make this a complete package. The voice actor of Kratos has changed but is a great welcome. Kratos sounds wiser and grumpier of course due to the passage of time but it makes sense. The voice acting of all of the characters are pitch perfect. Not since The Last of Us can we say that every character had great voice acting. The tones also are not one dimensional. Freya's motherly characteristics to the bantering and jokes provided by the dwarf brothers, creates a more personable experience.
The combat as mentioned earlier has changed. First, the camera is now over the shoulder in semi third person. This allows the player to see more of what is in front of them and changes combat. The most approriate comparison is to the combat of the Souls series of FromSoftware. Kratos does not jump so you will have to learn how to roll around and block in order to protect yourself from enemy attacks. You can now target and enemy and focus fighting one at a time or taking several enemies at once. This creates a need for strategy as some enemies are immune to certain attacks.
Solo or not your main character is accompanied by a cute companion that is called a Palico. It is basically a very cool cat that fights along side you, harvests items and even heals items for you. As you progress through the game you can provide your Palico with better weapons and armor like yourself. One note though, it helps until two to three more people join your multiplayer session. If you only team up with one person both of you will fight with your Palicos since the max number of hunters on a team is set to four.
The world is so beautiful and each locale is a sight to see. The animations of the creatures are fantastic even jaw dropping, especially the first time you see monsters fight each other for being in each others' territory. The music really hits a high and frantic melody when fighting the big monsters. All is quiet and then the music gears up when battle commences. The music is really great and exhilarating. The final boss theme is an instant classic. The character voice acting is good and not entirely corny. I will definitely pick up the official soundtrack.
Monster Hunter World will go down as an instant classic and will definitely be in the running for several awards in 2018. A breathtaking world awaits that hosts uniquely beautiful and terrifying monsters. Playing it solo is a great challenge but teaming up with friends or unknown warriors give it a unique feeling of comradery when a giant monster is taken down. The RNG is fair and not pointless as other recent games. The game is just fun and the smart system of item collecting will have many people hunting to get the armor or weapons they want. Capcom hit it big with Resident Evil 7 in 2017. They started 2018 hitting a home run with Monster Hunter World. May you continue exploring the new world!
Grade: 10
Pros:
- Gorgeous looking game.
- Kratos and Atreus relationship
- Music
- Great story-telling
Cons:
- N/A
Update!
God of War is the 2018 Game of the Year. Additional accolades:
2014 Game Awards
1st Place Overall Game of the Year
1st Place - Best Graphics
1st Place - Best Music/Sound
1st Place - Best Action Game
1st Place - Best Story
1st Place - Best PS Exclusive