When I discovered Youtube as a child I began to traverse the site during the renowned "Countdown" era, where anyone and everyone tried as desperately as they could to tell whatever "Top 10" their brain could muster. It was through these videos that my pure Nintendo heart would discover not only the games of old but also the games out of my reach, like Shadow of the Colossus, Final Fantasy, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear, and most relevantly God of War. The greatest irony I find in playing God of War (2018) now is that a series that I used to find to be nothing but senseless and brash violence, is now something I respect for not only it’s restraint, but also for its subtelty.
The juxtaposition between the epic battles/turbulent lore, and the serenity of the now decrepit Midgard speaks volumes towards the main theme of control. A concept which is not only felt through the dynamics and tones of the narrative but also in the combat, which heavily punishes the player for attempting to act without any sense of thought or strategy. When compounded by the deceptively sizable amount of side content, it all makes for an extremely satisfying and rewarding gameplay experience. Though it isn’t without its flaws, as the game almost feels baked in a lowkey sense of tedium derived from the consistently shallow puzzle mechanics and constantly expanding world which baits my sense of exploration to a fault.
It’s only natural that a game called “God of War” has effective and meaningful gameplay, but what equally impresses me is just how equally natural the narrative flows...most of it at least. The story starts off powerfully and really ignites your journey in so much purpose and intrigue, each event, each storybeat that follows perfectly illustrates and develops the deafening silence of grief and poor communication that Kratos and Atreus share. It is not only a coming of age story for Atreus, but equally one for Kratos (of a different kind of course), and the way the two interact on their own interconnected emotional journeys is graceful and subtle. Yet as the game goes on, the different detours that block your path begin to stop feeling organic and slowly begin to feel more and more artificial, even to the point of ridicule. By the end, the game does grant the player an awesome battle and appropriate conclusion, but they lack the feeling of being truly climactic.
Luckily for me God of War (2018) was written with a sequel in mind, and I’m excited to finally be able to experience this series as it releases unlike when I was a kid. And with how well 2018 setup Ragnarok both lore-wise and thematically, I seriously doubt it won’t be incredible.
The juxtaposition between the epic battles/turbulent lore, and the serenity of the now decrepit Midgard speaks volumes towards the main theme of control. A concept which is not only felt through the dynamics and tones of the narrative but also in the combat, which heavily punishes the player for attempting to act without any sense of thought or strategy. When compounded by the deceptively sizable amount of side content, it all makes for an extremely satisfying and rewarding gameplay experience. Though it isn’t without its flaws, as the game almost feels baked in a lowkey sense of tedium derived from the consistently shallow puzzle mechanics and constantly expanding world which baits my sense of exploration to a fault.
It’s only natural that a game called “God of War” has effective and meaningful gameplay, but what equally impresses me is just how equally natural the narrative flows...most of it at least. The story starts off powerfully and really ignites your journey in so much purpose and intrigue, each event, each storybeat that follows perfectly illustrates and develops the deafening silence of grief and poor communication that Kratos and Atreus share. It is not only a coming of age story for Atreus, but equally one for Kratos (of a different kind of course), and the way the two interact on their own interconnected emotional journeys is graceful and subtle. Yet as the game goes on, the different detours that block your path begin to stop feeling organic and slowly begin to feel more and more artificial, even to the point of ridicule. By the end, the game does grant the player an awesome battle and appropriate conclusion, but they lack the feeling of being truly climactic.
Luckily for me God of War (2018) was written with a sequel in mind, and I’m excited to finally be able to experience this series as it releases unlike when I was a kid. And with how well 2018 setup Ragnarok both lore-wise and thematically, I seriously doubt it won’t be incredible.
3 Comments
YOU GET ME!
I remember going through Top 10 videos hoping there would be a Mario entry so I could understand it lmao. Those were the days
Your_ResidentGuy
2 years ago