Kugelblitz104
BACKER
2021
a blend of so many fantastic ideas into one incredible, memorable, and jaw dropping experience. So so much to love about this game. The combat and guns are chunky, brutal and incredibly satisfying, each with their own distinctive feel and worthwhile perks. Enemies felt navigable while still threatening. The stealth is stellar, keeping with arkanes well crafted levels that change realistically and interestingly between time periods. normally useless data logs are turned into important, detailed clues that both deepen the world-building and are useful to furthering your quest. The mysteries of blackreef cut so much deeper than it's time loop and I'm incredibly excited to learn more about this world and it's characters as I continue playing. the invasions are so incredibly fun, and while it's stressful to be invaded (I failed the final mission thrice because of an invasion) it's incredibly gratifying to overcome an opponent with real skill and interesting plays and traps. your playtime as colt informs your playtime as julianna as well traveled routes become spots to watch or lay traps. your knowledge of both attacker and defender weave into one another so seamlessly as this living world you're tasked with exploring and controlling becomes a battlefield of two equally powerful hunters scouring for each other. It's fantastic.
the aesthetic and sound design/soundtrack of this game are all incredible. everything is infused with this 70's 80's aesthetic that gives everything so much more energy and personality.guns feels powerful, like one shot could blow someones head to pieces.
the characters in this game are phenomenal, each target has mountains of personality, and colt and julianna's discourse is funny, interesting, and provides more insight into the mysteries of blackreef. every character is masterfully voice acted.
I can't find anything to dislike about this game. even after finishing, I plan to continue discovering it's mysteries, controlling it's world, and especially invading other players
the aesthetic and sound design/soundtrack of this game are all incredible. everything is infused with this 70's 80's aesthetic that gives everything so much more energy and personality.guns feels powerful, like one shot could blow someones head to pieces.
the characters in this game are phenomenal, each target has mountains of personality, and colt and julianna's discourse is funny, interesting, and provides more insight into the mysteries of blackreef. every character is masterfully voice acted.
I can't find anything to dislike about this game. even after finishing, I plan to continue discovering it's mysteries, controlling it's world, and especially invading other players
First game to let me thingamabob my way out of a situation
This game definitely has alot of flaws:
- bad camera
- extremely buggy
- inconsistent platforming
- lack of enemy/weapon variety
but goddammit if it doesnt have alot of charm and whimsy that kept me pushing through the bullshit. The one weapon you're unfortunately locked into is pretty fun, esp when you can stick it into some trash and it turns into a hammer. So many little things add up to create a game thats greater than the sum of its parts in so many ways. Also, alot of those issues are fixable. This game has a fantastic setting, and its story and characters are fun and kept me hooked....get it? Buy in a few months once all the bugs are fixed.
- bad camera
- extremely buggy
- inconsistent platforming
- lack of enemy/weapon variety
but goddammit if it doesnt have alot of charm and whimsy that kept me pushing through the bullshit. The one weapon you're unfortunately locked into is pretty fun, esp when you can stick it into some trash and it turns into a hammer. So many little things add up to create a game thats greater than the sum of its parts in so many ways. Also, alot of those issues are fixable. This game has a fantastic setting, and its story and characters are fun and kept me hooked....get it? Buy in a few months once all the bugs are fixed.
2020
A lot to say about this game. First, I played this game when it came out on PS4 and was completely turned off by the bugs and abysmal performance. But after a year of dedicated fixes, patches, and new content, I came back for the free trial for new-gen consoles, and the difference was night and day.
The first thing I noticed that was remarkably different than the PS4 version was just how stellar this game looks on the PS5. I played on the performance mode and still, the game looks incredible. The aesthetics of bright neon lights and shiny chrome let the lighting tech shine and everything blends together to put this game up there with Horizon: Zero Dawn in terms of the best-looking games of this generation. I also absolutely adore the design of Night City, the setting of the entire game. Night City is a contender for best open-world environment ever. The city is layered and deep, with high roofs and low undergrounds. Pieces of the city are built on top of other parts, it has an impressive sense of verticality where other open-world cities feel flat and one-dimensional. Different regions of the city feel aesthetically distinct, and traveling between them felt like going to a new city entirely. Gangs that control the local area make their presence known with graffiti and random encounters with the police. Night City feels like a city where things happen with or without you interfering. At times random explosions or gunfire would go off in the distance, creating an atmosphere of disorganized chaos. Even the Badlands, the space outside the city, is made visually distinct with solar panels, wind turbines, and other things that populate the wide desert space. I love the design of all the characters and enemies, with varying levels of cyberware creeping into their design. Weapons have this incredible futuristic yet retro feel, where they feel like futuristic weapons designed by people in the 80s. Cars look amazing, and I love that all of them have a modeled interior, it adds a lot to the game. Cyberpunk's aesthetic is what sets it apart, and by far its strongest aspect.
Combat feels great, I never got bored in over 30 hours of playtime. All of the guns sound amazing, each having their own powerful punch. Power weapons are similar to guns you'd have in any other game, with the ability to ricochet that makes them feel interesting to use. However, the weapons I had the most fun with were tech and smart weapons, with environment piercing and tracking bullets respectively. The gun pool here is great, with each weapon feeling distinct and powerful in its own right. Melee weapons also feel great, with a good selection of perks that allow you to run around chopping people's heads off with a katana as a completely viable option, or picking people off with throwing knives. Another great aspect is quickhacks, which if properly invested in, can allow you to clear an area without even drawing your weapon. Quickhacks offer some cool options like detonating a grenade in someone's pocket or forcing them to commit suicide by hacking the cyberware in their body. The breach protocol hacking minigame is also cool, allowing you to get some quick cash or debuff your enemies. Stealth also felt pretty good, with a good selection of options to dispatch enemies quietly, although its best paired with quickhacks and silent weapons. Coming up behind an enemy and dispatching them with the same exact animation every time can get stale. Driving also feels pretty good, I like that the cars feel weighty and difficult to control if you're not careful, but it did make me more prone to using fast travel.
The writing of this game is much better than I expected. The main story kept me engaged with some really good beats and a fantastic ending. I really appreciate that there isn't a "best" ending, each ending is really just different and can make you feel differently depending on what you value as a character, but each have you leave Night City, but not before it takes a piece of you with it. Each ending is dissatisfying in a different way, cementing this theme that Night City takes and takes and doesn't give back. I think the characters are all really well written, they all feel like real people just trying to make it in a city that doesn't cut anyone any slack. I especially like the dynamic you develop with Johnny Silverhand over the course of the story. He never stops being bitter and cold, but its because of all that he's been through, and by the end he develops a soft spot for V, the main protagonist. I also loved of the other characters, specifically Takemura, Panam, and Judy. I think this game strikes a good balance of keeping one singular story thread that you can go down, while still allowing for lots of choice in how you go down that path. There are certain missions that everyone has to complete, but their outcomes can be different depending on how you completed the mission. It feels less like a traditional open world game and more like a real tabletop RPG, where you're on a predetermined campaign, but how the stories smaller moments end up and how the campaign ends are up to you. Cyberpunk is not afraid to cut you off from content entirely if you don't select the right dialogue choices in some key places. I would have appreciated more integration of skill checks, they provide for some really good flavor text and role playing capability, but I only came across a few instances where a skill that I had changed the outcome of a quest. Those few instances are really cool tho, and I would have loved to have seen more.The quest design and writing for all the smaller side jobs is also excellent, each feels distinct and feels like a real job you'd get as a mercenary in this kind of city. There were some quests that really impacted me and made me think about what the best option would really be, and what option my character really would pick. Even gigs, smaller offshoot quests that are supposed to be smaller opportunities to get some quick money, have interesting backstories and oppurtunies to change the outcome through dialogue.
Cyberpunk 2077 is finally the game it should have been at release, and for those who were interested in it before, should give it another shot. I am throughouly impressed with the game CDPR managed to put out, and even more impressed that they've been able to fix it in such little time. I'm excited for the new content they have coming, and I encourage anyone who's been holding off on this game to give it another shot.
The first thing I noticed that was remarkably different than the PS4 version was just how stellar this game looks on the PS5. I played on the performance mode and still, the game looks incredible. The aesthetics of bright neon lights and shiny chrome let the lighting tech shine and everything blends together to put this game up there with Horizon: Zero Dawn in terms of the best-looking games of this generation. I also absolutely adore the design of Night City, the setting of the entire game. Night City is a contender for best open-world environment ever. The city is layered and deep, with high roofs and low undergrounds. Pieces of the city are built on top of other parts, it has an impressive sense of verticality where other open-world cities feel flat and one-dimensional. Different regions of the city feel aesthetically distinct, and traveling between them felt like going to a new city entirely. Gangs that control the local area make their presence known with graffiti and random encounters with the police. Night City feels like a city where things happen with or without you interfering. At times random explosions or gunfire would go off in the distance, creating an atmosphere of disorganized chaos. Even the Badlands, the space outside the city, is made visually distinct with solar panels, wind turbines, and other things that populate the wide desert space. I love the design of all the characters and enemies, with varying levels of cyberware creeping into their design. Weapons have this incredible futuristic yet retro feel, where they feel like futuristic weapons designed by people in the 80s. Cars look amazing, and I love that all of them have a modeled interior, it adds a lot to the game. Cyberpunk's aesthetic is what sets it apart, and by far its strongest aspect.
Combat feels great, I never got bored in over 30 hours of playtime. All of the guns sound amazing, each having their own powerful punch. Power weapons are similar to guns you'd have in any other game, with the ability to ricochet that makes them feel interesting to use. However, the weapons I had the most fun with were tech and smart weapons, with environment piercing and tracking bullets respectively. The gun pool here is great, with each weapon feeling distinct and powerful in its own right. Melee weapons also feel great, with a good selection of perks that allow you to run around chopping people's heads off with a katana as a completely viable option, or picking people off with throwing knives. Another great aspect is quickhacks, which if properly invested in, can allow you to clear an area without even drawing your weapon. Quickhacks offer some cool options like detonating a grenade in someone's pocket or forcing them to commit suicide by hacking the cyberware in their body. The breach protocol hacking minigame is also cool, allowing you to get some quick cash or debuff your enemies. Stealth also felt pretty good, with a good selection of options to dispatch enemies quietly, although its best paired with quickhacks and silent weapons. Coming up behind an enemy and dispatching them with the same exact animation every time can get stale. Driving also feels pretty good, I like that the cars feel weighty and difficult to control if you're not careful, but it did make me more prone to using fast travel.
The writing of this game is much better than I expected. The main story kept me engaged with some really good beats and a fantastic ending. I really appreciate that there isn't a "best" ending, each ending is really just different and can make you feel differently depending on what you value as a character, but each have you leave Night City, but not before it takes a piece of you with it. Each ending is dissatisfying in a different way, cementing this theme that Night City takes and takes and doesn't give back. I think the characters are all really well written, they all feel like real people just trying to make it in a city that doesn't cut anyone any slack. I especially like the dynamic you develop with Johnny Silverhand over the course of the story. He never stops being bitter and cold, but its because of all that he's been through, and by the end he develops a soft spot for V, the main protagonist. I also loved of the other characters, specifically Takemura, Panam, and Judy. I think this game strikes a good balance of keeping one singular story thread that you can go down, while still allowing for lots of choice in how you go down that path. There are certain missions that everyone has to complete, but their outcomes can be different depending on how you completed the mission. It feels less like a traditional open world game and more like a real tabletop RPG, where you're on a predetermined campaign, but how the stories smaller moments end up and how the campaign ends are up to you. Cyberpunk is not afraid to cut you off from content entirely if you don't select the right dialogue choices in some key places. I would have appreciated more integration of skill checks, they provide for some really good flavor text and role playing capability, but I only came across a few instances where a skill that I had changed the outcome of a quest. Those few instances are really cool tho, and I would have loved to have seen more.The quest design and writing for all the smaller side jobs is also excellent, each feels distinct and feels like a real job you'd get as a mercenary in this kind of city. There were some quests that really impacted me and made me think about what the best option would really be, and what option my character really would pick. Even gigs, smaller offshoot quests that are supposed to be smaller opportunities to get some quick money, have interesting backstories and oppurtunies to change the outcome through dialogue.
Cyberpunk 2077 is finally the game it should have been at release, and for those who were interested in it before, should give it another shot. I am throughouly impressed with the game CDPR managed to put out, and even more impressed that they've been able to fix it in such little time. I'm excited for the new content they have coming, and I encourage anyone who's been holding off on this game to give it another shot.
2024
The idea of constantly repairing and improving your car while driving through dangerous territory is awesome, and this game executes it well. Everything is so tactile and requires you to manually move pieces throughout the world using your tools. (I actually think this game would be incredibly cool in VR for that reason.)
Unfortunately, the mechanics of maintaining your car are not enough for this game to stand on. The gameplay loop is interesting at first, as you collect the many different resources the game requires to craft different parts, but by a certain point you realize that the entire game requires you to drive somewhere, loot, repeat. The atmospheric horror starts out strong, but the lack of any real threat makes it forgettable by the end of the first act. Most of the anomalies are lacking in flair, like electric clouds or buzzsaw in the ground, and all of them are extremely easy to avoid once you understand how they work.
This game is missing something key, whether it be a tangible threat or another system stacked on top to make the car system work that much better. This system would work well if incorporated into an FPS or survival horror game with an actual monster chasing you. Imagine how much more terrifying a chase would be if your car suddenly decided to conk out, and you had less than a minute to fix it. I wanted to love this game but its just missing something key that's holding me back from diving into it.
Unfortunately, the mechanics of maintaining your car are not enough for this game to stand on. The gameplay loop is interesting at first, as you collect the many different resources the game requires to craft different parts, but by a certain point you realize that the entire game requires you to drive somewhere, loot, repeat. The atmospheric horror starts out strong, but the lack of any real threat makes it forgettable by the end of the first act. Most of the anomalies are lacking in flair, like electric clouds or buzzsaw in the ground, and all of them are extremely easy to avoid once you understand how they work.
This game is missing something key, whether it be a tangible threat or another system stacked on top to make the car system work that much better. This system would work well if incorporated into an FPS or survival horror game with an actual monster chasing you. Imagine how much more terrifying a chase would be if your car suddenly decided to conk out, and you had less than a minute to fix it. I wanted to love this game but its just missing something key that's holding me back from diving into it.
2024
pretty sad that in this game about cherishing the friendships you have because you have frighteningly little time on this earth that I spent the last 4 in-game months almost exclusively going to the arcade not because I wanted to, but because it was the only thing of value left to do. I love the combat and characters but this game shot itself in the foot by maintaining the pacing from the original.
I really wanna love this game and it is really technically impressive, but it's just SO BORING
I am conflicted on this one.
Insomniac continues to impress on the gameplay side. Traversal, combat, and stealth all have welcome additions. Web wings are incredibly fun and intuitive to use, and the PS5's improved loading times let you move through New York faster than ever before. The super slingshot move and Hunter Drone missions stand out in particular for how fun they are to use and play.
Combat has more options and a more streamlined approach to gadgets and abilities. The gadget wheel is gone, thank god, and the gadgets have been changed to be more focused on giving you advantages in combat that change how you play rather than just being a "defeat the enemy in front of you" button. The parry is also a nice addition, giving you more advantages but being harder to time. I felt myself using the parry more when I was higher in health and could afford to miss the timing and the dodge when I was hurting and needed to be more evasive, which felt appropriate. Some of the cues can be hard to see sometimes, especially when the enemy attacking you isn't on screen and you have to rely solely on the audio cue. The only egregious example was a fight with a character who used a lot of blue particle effects mixed with a blue indicator that an attack was unparryable, creating a frustrating combination. The particular focus on air combat is exciting, as air combat is really what differentiates Spider-Man from other games using the same type of combat system. You have more tools and more ways to stay in the air, and enemies have more ways to counter you while in the air, keeping things fresh. Combat felt best in rooms with tall ceilings where I could stay in the air for 70-80 hit combos without ever touching the ground. The abilities are also a nice touch, although I will say that Miles' abilities feel noticeably better than Peter's, but not to an extent where I felt especially weak fighting as Peter.
Unfortunately, the story feels somewhat weak. The spectacle is definitely there in spades, but the smaller character moments don't hit nearly as hard as the ones in Spider-Man PS4. I attribute this to somewhat poor pacing, this game's story feels very rushed, especially when compared to the first. I still thoroughly enjoyed the story, but I was expecting more time with some of the characters. I feels like even 20% more time would have been enough. I also feel like Miles got a little shafted, as this is way more Peter's story than his. At many points during the story, it feels like he has little to do relating to the main plot, and we're thrown into his shoes for about 30 minutes while the writers promise they haven't forgotten about him and then we're thrown back into Peter's side of the story. He definitely plays an important role, but he feels less like a 2nd main character and more like a supporting role.
I still highly recommend Spider-Man 2, especially for the new gameplay changes, but the story left me wanting a little more.
Insomniac continues to impress on the gameplay side. Traversal, combat, and stealth all have welcome additions. Web wings are incredibly fun and intuitive to use, and the PS5's improved loading times let you move through New York faster than ever before. The super slingshot move and Hunter Drone missions stand out in particular for how fun they are to use and play.
Combat has more options and a more streamlined approach to gadgets and abilities. The gadget wheel is gone, thank god, and the gadgets have been changed to be more focused on giving you advantages in combat that change how you play rather than just being a "defeat the enemy in front of you" button. The parry is also a nice addition, giving you more advantages but being harder to time. I felt myself using the parry more when I was higher in health and could afford to miss the timing and the dodge when I was hurting and needed to be more evasive, which felt appropriate. Some of the cues can be hard to see sometimes, especially when the enemy attacking you isn't on screen and you have to rely solely on the audio cue. The only egregious example was a fight with a character who used a lot of blue particle effects mixed with a blue indicator that an attack was unparryable, creating a frustrating combination. The particular focus on air combat is exciting, as air combat is really what differentiates Spider-Man from other games using the same type of combat system. You have more tools and more ways to stay in the air, and enemies have more ways to counter you while in the air, keeping things fresh. Combat felt best in rooms with tall ceilings where I could stay in the air for 70-80 hit combos without ever touching the ground. The abilities are also a nice touch, although I will say that Miles' abilities feel noticeably better than Peter's, but not to an extent where I felt especially weak fighting as Peter.
Unfortunately, the story feels somewhat weak. The spectacle is definitely there in spades, but the smaller character moments don't hit nearly as hard as the ones in Spider-Man PS4. I attribute this to somewhat poor pacing, this game's story feels very rushed, especially when compared to the first. I still thoroughly enjoyed the story, but I was expecting more time with some of the characters. I feels like even 20% more time would have been enough. I also feel like Miles got a little shafted, as this is way more Peter's story than his. At many points during the story, it feels like he has little to do relating to the main plot, and we're thrown into his shoes for about 30 minutes while the writers promise they haven't forgotten about him and then we're thrown back into Peter's side of the story. He definitely plays an important role, but he feels less like a 2nd main character and more like a supporting role.
I still highly recommend Spider-Man 2, especially for the new gameplay changes, but the story left me wanting a little more.
Still the peak of the franchise. I have never felt faster in a game than when driving a car at 258 mph in this game. Also, the lack of an open world actually makes it more bearable to go from race to race.
There's a reason this type of 3D platforming died
2019
Loved this game to death but never ask me to explain it's plot to you.
2019
I want so so desperately to love this game. I loved Borderlands 2, the gunplay was tight and fun, and the villain was expertly written. Borderlands 2 certainly had problems with bloat but it was a great game. Borderlands 3 has some pretty big problems. For one, the gunplay remains tight and fun. Guns feel great and unique and almost always fun to use. The skill trees are interesting and change up your playstyles in interesting ways. Unfortunately this games biggest problem is the writing. Tyreen and Troy Calypso will go down in history as some of the most ANNOYING antagonists in history. Yes I know they're supposed to be annoying but it's not in an endearing way. Handsome Jack made me angry. The Calypsos make me feel dread and embarrassment. The other characters arent any better. Personalities in this game range from cardboard cutouts to incredibly annoying flanderizations of what were once well written critiques on corporatism or just genuinely funny characters. I couldn't stomach this game for more than a few hours
2018
This review contains spoilers
When starting this game, I initially thought that this game was a reimagining of the series rather than a continuation. So many elements have changed from previous God of War games, but over time it's made explicit that this is the same Kratos, which makes it even more interesting. This game presents a different Kratos, one that's grown after the events of the previous games and taken time to reflect on his actions and how he wants to preserve his legacy. Not only have the characters grown, but the series has as a whole.
The most noticeable change has been the change to a different pantheon of gods, the Norse gods. This setting fits the themes of God of War perfectly, as the gods in this universe are just as spiteful, vengeful, and bitter as the gods in the greek pantheon. This version of the Norse pantheon has a few critical differences; for instance, Loki, a normally pivotal character, is not present, at least not in the way that you would expect. Its setting is interesting, and listening to Mimir's tales about the characters and stories of the world was an excellent way to flesh out this setting. The story is excellently paced, and explores these characters and relationships in a way that adds to previous games' stories while still standing up on it's own two feet. This game examines how Kratos feels about the events of all the previous games, and how he wants his son to be better than himself, while still struggling to have the emotional maturity to keep himself from making some of the same mistakes of his own parents. Atreus' story is our proxy for new players, thrilled to learn more about this world but frustrated by his stunted relationship with his father and his struggles to improve it. He desperately wants to connect with his father and emulates his father's bad qualities but is scolded by his father for not learning the lessons Kratos is trying despite not knowing what he has done wrong. Atreus is also surrounded by other broken relationships, Brok and Sindri, Balder and Freya, and Odin and the other gods. Atreus doesn't know what a healthy relationship looks like until he learns how to truly connect with his father at the end of the game.
Combat is another drastic change, with the new Leviathan Axe feeling powerful and weighty while still remaining nimble and maneuverable. Throwing the axe never lost its charm, and the fact that even something that seems so small is polished to a mirror shine reflects how every detail in this game is so meticulously crafted. The camera can be a challenge to control at times, but I never found it unmanageable to control, and it helps that there are danger indicators. It can be frustrating to be hit by a projectile that you couldn't see and wasn't warned of, but it doesn't happen enough to bring the experience down. The moves you unlock in the skill tree are actually additive to the experience, and it helps that move new moves are contextual, which makes them easier to remember and execute when appropriate. (i.e., rather than learning new button combos, it's easier to remember that an AOE attack is tied to a dash or a button hold.) (SPOILER, skip to next paragraph) The Blades of Chaos make a triumphant return and still feel like they fit into this version of God of War. Their focus on AOE attacks gives them a distinctive feel and makes them feel useful even when, by the time you get them, your axe is fully upgraded. Unarmed combat also feels great and is still useful for stunning opponents.
This game is not without flaws. The lack of fast travel until later into the game makes backtracking mandatory in some places. The side quests are nothing to write home about either; I can't think of a single one that isn't entirely skippable without losing anything. There's a group of endgame bosses that are fun but repetitive. There are also two optional realms, Musphelheim and Niflheim, which provide endgame challenges and new gear. Musphelheim is combat challenges, like killing a certain amount of enemies in a limited amount of time. Niflheim is a dungeon that changes enemies and hazards each time, but not layout, not quite approaching a rouge-like experience. While they don't add much, I do appreciate that endgame activities are present for those who finished the game and wanted more.
The gear and skill tree system aren't great, but they are designed in such a way that they can be mostly ignored if you wish, but become a necessity on higher difficulties.
Overall, God of War (2018) is an excellently paced, great-feeling, new and refreshing experiencing, and one I look forward to recommending and replaying. There are certainly things that bog down the experience in some places, but nothing that makes this experience any less worth having. Certainly one of the best games on the PS4 and an easy recommendation for anyone.
The most noticeable change has been the change to a different pantheon of gods, the Norse gods. This setting fits the themes of God of War perfectly, as the gods in this universe are just as spiteful, vengeful, and bitter as the gods in the greek pantheon. This version of the Norse pantheon has a few critical differences; for instance, Loki, a normally pivotal character, is not present, at least not in the way that you would expect. Its setting is interesting, and listening to Mimir's tales about the characters and stories of the world was an excellent way to flesh out this setting. The story is excellently paced, and explores these characters and relationships in a way that adds to previous games' stories while still standing up on it's own two feet. This game examines how Kratos feels about the events of all the previous games, and how he wants his son to be better than himself, while still struggling to have the emotional maturity to keep himself from making some of the same mistakes of his own parents. Atreus' story is our proxy for new players, thrilled to learn more about this world but frustrated by his stunted relationship with his father and his struggles to improve it. He desperately wants to connect with his father and emulates his father's bad qualities but is scolded by his father for not learning the lessons Kratos is trying despite not knowing what he has done wrong. Atreus is also surrounded by other broken relationships, Brok and Sindri, Balder and Freya, and Odin and the other gods. Atreus doesn't know what a healthy relationship looks like until he learns how to truly connect with his father at the end of the game.
Combat is another drastic change, with the new Leviathan Axe feeling powerful and weighty while still remaining nimble and maneuverable. Throwing the axe never lost its charm, and the fact that even something that seems so small is polished to a mirror shine reflects how every detail in this game is so meticulously crafted. The camera can be a challenge to control at times, but I never found it unmanageable to control, and it helps that there are danger indicators. It can be frustrating to be hit by a projectile that you couldn't see and wasn't warned of, but it doesn't happen enough to bring the experience down. The moves you unlock in the skill tree are actually additive to the experience, and it helps that move new moves are contextual, which makes them easier to remember and execute when appropriate. (i.e., rather than learning new button combos, it's easier to remember that an AOE attack is tied to a dash or a button hold.) (SPOILER, skip to next paragraph) The Blades of Chaos make a triumphant return and still feel like they fit into this version of God of War. Their focus on AOE attacks gives them a distinctive feel and makes them feel useful even when, by the time you get them, your axe is fully upgraded. Unarmed combat also feels great and is still useful for stunning opponents.
This game is not without flaws. The lack of fast travel until later into the game makes backtracking mandatory in some places. The side quests are nothing to write home about either; I can't think of a single one that isn't entirely skippable without losing anything. There's a group of endgame bosses that are fun but repetitive. There are also two optional realms, Musphelheim and Niflheim, which provide endgame challenges and new gear. Musphelheim is combat challenges, like killing a certain amount of enemies in a limited amount of time. Niflheim is a dungeon that changes enemies and hazards each time, but not layout, not quite approaching a rouge-like experience. While they don't add much, I do appreciate that endgame activities are present for those who finished the game and wanted more.
The gear and skill tree system aren't great, but they are designed in such a way that they can be mostly ignored if you wish, but become a necessity on higher difficulties.
Overall, God of War (2018) is an excellently paced, great-feeling, new and refreshing experiencing, and one I look forward to recommending and replaying. There are certainly things that bog down the experience in some places, but nothing that makes this experience any less worth having. Certainly one of the best games on the PS4 and an easy recommendation for anyone.
2022
Flips the past games on their head, even more than the previous game. Love the direction this series is going in, especially because it's so different, and the characters are all so compelling in their own right. The story is fantastic, combat is excellent. Burdened by chatty side characters, but nothing that kills the experience, and something I imagine could be changed with a patch.
This game doesn't really crush any expectations. It's pretty much exactly what you'd expect it to be. It's an average MCU movie plot with combat that involves holding down both triggers and boring environmental puzzles while the Guardians never stop talking. That being said, the story is well written, it won't knock your socks off but it's never particularly boring or poorly paced (except near the end.) I also really enjoy the way that party combat works in this game, each party member's moves are accessible with a specific sequence of button presses. It's something I'd like to see doven into more deeply, and certainly what makes the combat feel good. Overall, if you don't already love the Guardians of the Galaxy, this game isn't something that can really do that for you. I have a hard time recommending this to anyone who isn't a fan of the IP already, but if you are, get it on sale.