God of War

God of War is the continuation of Kratos' adventures in the third-person slasher genre. The events unfold in the mountainous snowy regions of Scandinavia, where the local gods do not like outsiders. Therefore, as soon as they find Kratos, they attack with great force. The game's action shifts between the series' main character and his son. Kratos teaches his son to be not a boy, but a warrior, incapable of showing pity and compassion. They must get out of Scandinavia, encountering not only enemies but also various allies along the way. Kratos can use the massive "Leviathan" axe, as well as a special shield capable of withstanding even the most powerful blows. Additionally, Kratos' son, Atreus, will have a bow, allowing this character to destroy enemies from a distance.

The third-person action game God of War, released in 2018, rebooted the series while continuing the events of previous games. Sony Santa Monica seamlessly introduced new plot ideas and new enemies, created the gameplay from scratch, and reworked the map design, thanks to Kratos moving to Scandinavia, where he started a family and had a son named Atreus.

A new engine played its role in the positive changes in God of War, significantly improving the overall quality of graphics, offering realistic model animations and colorful effects, as well as 4K resolution support. The project is made exclusively for PS4 and is single-player, but in photo mode, you can take a screenshot or selfie at any moment for posting on social networks.

Many years have passed since the revenge on the gods of Olympus. Kratos lives as a hermit in a land of snowy mountains and deep valleys with coniferous forests and cold lakes, having calmed his Spartan rage. Unafraid Scandinavian gods walk the earth, unaware that the son of Zeus, who slaughtered all the Greek gods, lives among them.

When filling the game world, the developers were inspired by various stories, myths, and legends, transferring the pantheon of Scandinavian gods, monsters, and huge creatures, as well as locations: the player will visit some of the nine worlds of Scandinavian mythology. This influenced the level design — they became bigger and much more spacious, with secret passages and hidden areas, but it is still not an open world.

The script of God of War is straightforward and does not contain branches or plot twists; the first playthrough will reveal all the details of the story. But, unlike previous parts, the plot is meticulously crafted and has become an important part of the game: the writers set up intrigue and maintain it until the very end, creating many questions at the beginning and gradually providing answers, constantly keeping the player's attention.

Years of hermitage have benefited Kratos — he is no longer a soulless revenge machine; he has a logical mindset, and his character has softened, as he is a father, not always caring, but responsible for his child. The appearance of Atreus did not turn the story into a sappy adventure about "teenage problems," which films and games of recent years abound in.

On the contrary, the plot of God of War raises themes of father-child relationships, the difficulties of establishing contact with a child, the complexities of upbringing, and Kratos' attitude towards various things. The script also reveals the emotions of the heroes, showing the progression of their characters. Вместо количества, разработчики сконцентрировались на проработке историй отца и сына, интересных деталях и важных нюансах.

Из динамичного слэшера с QTE-моментами God of War стала размеренным экшеном, в котором нужно думать над тактикой боя, а не просто долбить по кнопке. Геймплей предлагает различные варианты ударных связок с применением оружия, щита, перекатов и уклонений.

Новое оружие Кратоса — топор 'Левиафан' — обладает другой физикой замаха и удара, чем предыдущие клинки, а магическое свойство позволяет Кратосу возвращать топор к себе в руку после броска. Замораживающий эффект оружия постоянно применяется в бою, позволяя раскалывать врагов или бить по площади волной льда. Свой вклад в дело уничтожения монстров привносит и Атрей, использующий лук и разные виды стрел, подходящие для различных боевых ситуаций. Ему можно отдавать команды.

Как в настоящей RPG, в God of War можно экипировать героев разной амуницией со все более высокими параметрами, прокачивать свое оружие и открывать новые способности. Только сюжетное прохождение God of War займет не менее 20 часов, поиск всех секретов и решение квестов займет почти 60.