God of War Reignited My Love for Gaming
Here’s how it happened
Do you remember what it feels like to be hooked by a game? To be mesmerized by its world and excited with almost everything that happens? That feeling of wonder and curiosity that made you constantly think about it and eager to play it?
When was the last time you really felt that way?
If you’re anything like me, odds are you’ve played some good or even great titles lately. But can you recall the last time you picked up a game and you got so into it that you forgot about the outside world for a minute? A game that made you forget about your worries, about doing the dishes and making dinner, about project dead-lines and how you still haven’t fixed that leak in the bathroom sink?
Enter God of War, the newest title from Santa Monica Studios, and the latest game in a beloved and popular PlayStation series. This installment is both a continuation of the epic story of Kratos as it is a soft reboot in the overall direction and tone of the series.
Much like myself, this is a more mature God of War and is now showing some wrinkles and a lot more character and emotion than its predecessors.
A change for the better?
The latest God of War is quite different from the previous titles, not just in the way the story is told and the emotional weight it carries, but also in the way combat works. How was this received by the fans? Was this a change in the right direction?
The 94/100 score on Metacritic seems to say so, as do the countless perfect or near-perfect reviews.
But I’m not here to write a review.
Instead, what I want is to tell you how God of War challenges the status quo of today’s gaming scene, how it affected me, and how you too can rekindle that long-lost spark of love for gaming by experiencing a game like this.
That game doesn’t have to be God of War, but damn, it really should be.
I don’t want to be dismissive about the other great titles in recent memory. Some of them, such as Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us and Uncharted 4 were remarkable and even count themselves among my favorite. But such games are few and far in between and it had been quite some time since I had played something that made me feel like a kid again — genuinely curious and excited. If I am to be completely honest, there were times that I doubted that could still happen.
I thought that maybe I had outgrown games. Perhaps I got too old, too picky or too cynical to be able to enjoy the magic that you can find in this medium of entertainment.
I kept trying and I kept playing and I did enjoy a few titles here and there, but for some time that feeling was gone. That’s when I started playing God of War, and by the gods, everything changed.
Single-player magic
In today’s gaming world, a good single player game is not that easy to find. In fact, there’s been a worrying trend in recent times which proclaims that single-player games are a dying breed.
Although that’s a whole other interesting topic on it’s own, for now I will just say that God of War not only proves that there’s still a market for good single-player games, but that great ones can reach the top-charts and the best selling lists, and more importantly, that gamers still desire to play and have these kind of experiences.
If you’ve been waiting for that epic journey, then it’s time to dust off your dual-shock controller. The gods have answered.
Feast for the eyes
This thought stayed with me throughout the entire game. The PS4 is near the end of it’s lifespan now and that means the hardware within is not very powerful by today’s standards. Looking at God of War though, you wouldn’t know it.
“I can’t believe this is running buttery smooth on my PS4”.
Besides having among the best graphics I have seen on any PS4 title, God of War runs at a steady pace with no perceivable frame drops in any location no matter what is happening on the screen.
Detailed character models, amazing environments, great lighting and effects all lead to one of the best looking games I have played — all while running smooth as silk, while feeling remarkably poised and polished. All of this, mind you, on a standard PS4 — it looks even better on the PS4 Pro.
The first time you see the World-Serpent is both humbling and awe-inspiring.
Oh, and the music and sound effects are utterly faultless as well.
Surprising, delightful combat
Throw your frost axe and pin one of your enemies to the wall. Now jump into a flurry of hard-hitting punches on the hellish fiend in front of you. A pack of wolves suddenly appear and try to nab you from behind, but with your god-like senses and reaction speed, you turn around just in time, parrying their attack and opening them up for a counter-attack — all while you recall your axe, jump in the air to grab it and descend upon them with the wrath of Sparta — whoever let the dogs out is going to be sorry. A huge troll is now coming towards you. It’s time to throw your axe again.
Yeah…throwing your axe never gets old.
Don’t worry if all of the above sounds like gibberish. God of War has a surprisingly deep combat system which is ear-to-ear-grin-inducingly fun and easy to pick up but with a high enough skill-cap to make you feel that you have grown and became a master at arms by the end.
Personal journey
Of all the previous God of War titles, this is definitely the one that hits closer to the chest. The story here is more emotional and told in a much more personal tone. The way the camera has been implemented in the game helps with this as well, as it never loses focus on Kratos, bringing you closer to everything that is happening, to the point where you are experiencing the events right alongside Kratos himself.
Don’t worry if you haven’t played any of the previous titles, as this is an entirely new story set in a new environment. This is something that I am always aware of myself when picking up a game that is or looks like a sequel.
Discover an ancient world
Besides the main quest there are many side-quests you can choose to take on as you progress through the story. Unlike many titles that introduce monotonous side-quests as a way to extend a game’s duration, side-quests contribute to fleshing out the world in God of War. The story is so interesting, the cast of characters so charming and the lore is so attractive that you’ll actually find yourself exploring as many side-quests as you can in order to find out more about the vikings and the everlasting conflict between gods and giants.
At no point do side-quests feel like a chore. In fact, it is possible to ignore them completely, but then you’ll also be left out of some exciting secret boss fights, some intriguing pieces of lore and some excellent loot.
Side-questing is done so well that this is the only title on PS4 where I actually got all the trophies. Not because I’m a completionist and not because I have time to waste, but because it was genuinely fun and sometimes very challenging.
Perfection?
No, God of War isn’t perfect — then again, is any game perfect? The chase for perfection is something we’re all tempted to consider — especially when a game becomes known at least in part for “perfect” review scores —but having said that, some experiences can certainly come close.
God of War would benefit from having more enemy variety and more boss encounters, as well as a few more armor sets and a New Game Plus mode — oh wait, they’re already working on that. But when I actually have to stop and think and nitpick at where a game could improve, then I believe it’s close enough to perfect.
“Above all else, players first”
Lastly, I want to say a few words about Santa Monica Studios.
If you check their official website you’ll find their motto at the bottom of the page and it reads: “above all else, players first”.
If that doesn’t say a lot about the mindset of a company, then I don’t know what does. And in today’s micro-transaction-loot-box-filled gaming scene, it really is a joy to see a studio putting the players first. Best of all? You can feel this in the games they make, and you can definitely feel it in God of War.
I don’t believe I have ever seen the creative director of a game outright record his reaction to reading the reviews and sharing them with the world. This touching and personal moment exemplifies just how much love and dedication Cory Barlog and his team have poured into this project.
If this article is a love letter to God of War, then it’s also safe to say that God of War is Santa Monica Studios’ love letter to us — perhaps specifically to that curious child inside each of us who lives for this kind of magic.
As Kratos very much emphasizes on more than one occasion “we must be better”. Truly, Santa Monica Studios is leading by example here because this new God of War is indeed better. Not just better than previous titles but better than the industry-standard is nowadays and even better than the high hopes I had created for it.
I still haven’t fixed that leak in the bathroom sink, but I have a good excuse: God of War has kept me busy, and it’s rekindled my love for video games. It gives me hope for the future, too — especially the role that single-player games might continue to have as experiences that continue to drive the medium forward.
If you are in the same boat as me — and you haven’t really been enjoying gaming as much recently — give God of War a try. It’s just so utterly wonderful that it’s almost guaranteed to get your pulse going. You won’t regret it.
If you too have felt that you haven’t really been enjoying gaming as much as before and you’re wondering if you could ever get that feeling back, then give God of War a try. You won’t regret it.
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Are there any titles you can recommend that reconnected you to gaming? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
