God of War

God of War is a continuation of Kratos' adventures in the slasher genre from a third-person perspective. The events unfold in the snowy mountainous region of Scandinavia, where the local gods do not like outsiders. Therefore, as soon as they find Kratos, they attack him with great force. The gameplay shifts between the main character of the series and his son. Kratos teaches his son to be not a boy, but a warrior, incapable of showing mercy and compassion. They must find a way out of Scandinavia, encountering not only enemies but also various allies along the way. Kratos will be able to use the massive Leviathan axe, as well as a special shield that can withstand even the most powerful blows. Additionally, Kratos' son named Atreus will have a bow, allowing this character to take down 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 redesigned the maps, thanks to Kratos moving to Scandinavia, where he started a family and has a son named Atreus.

A new engine played a significant role in the positive changes of God of War, greatly improving the overall quality of graphics, offering realistic model animations and vibrant effects, as well as supporting 4K resolution. 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 sharing on social media.

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 pacified his Spartan rage. Unfazed Scandinavian gods walk the earth, unaware that the son of Zeus, who has slain all the Greek gods, lives among them.

In filling the game world, the developers were inspired by various stories, myths, and legends, transferring the pantheon of Scandinavian gods, monsters, and huge beasts, as well as locations: the player will visit part of the nine worlds of Scandinavian mythology. This is reflected in the level design — they have become larger and much more spacious, with hidden passages and secret areas, but it is still not an open world.

The script of God of War is straightforward and does not contain branching paths or plot twists; the first playthrough will reveal all the details of the story. However, unlike previous installments, the plot is well-developed and has become an important part of the game: the writers establish intrigue and maintain it until the very end, generating 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 machine of vengeance; he has a logical way of thinking, 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 are abundant in movies and games of recent years.

On the contrary, the plot of God of War raises themes of father-child relationships, the difficulties of establishing contact with a child, the challenges of parenting, and Kratos' attitude towards various things. The script also reveals the emotions of the characters, showing the progression of their personalities. Instead of quantity, the developers focused on developing the stories of the father and son, interesting details, and important nuances.

From a dynamic slasher with QTE moments, God of War has become a measured action game where you need to think about battle tactics rather than just mashing buttons. The gameplay offers various options for attack combos using weapons, shields, rolls, and dodges.

Kratos' new weapon—the 'Leviathan' axe—has different swing and strike physics compared to previous blades, and its magical property allows Kratos to return the axe to his hand after throwing it. The freezing effect of the weapon is constantly applied in battle, allowing you to shatter enemies or hit in an area with a wave of ice. Atreus also contributes to the monster-slaying effort, using a bow and different types of arrows suitable for various combat situations. He can be commanded.

Like in a true RPG, in God of War, you can equip heroes with different gear that has increasingly higher stats, upgrade your weapons, and unlock new abilities. Just the story campaign of God of War will take at least 20 hours, while finding all the secrets and completing quests will take almost 60.