“Ten years, Athena! I have faithfully served the gods for ten years! When will you leave me of these nightmares?”
God of War (2005) gave ME nightmares for a while. It was a game I have been trying to finish for a little over two years now. I found it so painfully challenging that I almost abandoned it altogether.
If not for God of War (2018)… I may have never returned to this. And what a mistake that would have been.
Though I had always love the story in this game, I found the puzzles, combat, and overall experience far too challenging and frustrating to be enjoyable. While I had similar troubles upon my return, I also had the pleasure of dying enough to change my difficulty. Something I didn’t know was possible.
So, after a simple change, I absolutely breezed through this game. Not because it was easy… but because the experience felt more balanced and enjoyable. It became the game I always wanted it to be. Though the puzzles were just as hard, the combat wasn’t nearly as irritatingly grinding as it used to be.
And that, is one of my biggest complaints. The difficulty that the game starts you off with is just cruel. It’s normal… but never have I played a game where normal feels this hard. Perhaps that’s apart of the appeal or the “souls like experience”. Well… all that did was make me want to stop playing.
Though it’s a bit drab by todays standards… this game still managed to kick a ton of ass. An awesome final battle and some really memorable in game moments brought the experience way up for me. Some things feel pretty clunky still, the controls aren’t always responsive, there’s too much button mashing, and the hack in slash can be in excess… but when things are working, they are working like crazy.
A brutal experience, yet a rewarding one. What a series. I can’t wait to play God of War II next.
God of War (2005) gave ME nightmares for a while. It was a game I have been trying to finish for a little over two years now. I found it so painfully challenging that I almost abandoned it altogether.
If not for God of War (2018)… I may have never returned to this. And what a mistake that would have been.
Though I had always love the story in this game, I found the puzzles, combat, and overall experience far too challenging and frustrating to be enjoyable. While I had similar troubles upon my return, I also had the pleasure of dying enough to change my difficulty. Something I didn’t know was possible.
So, after a simple change, I absolutely breezed through this game. Not because it was easy… but because the experience felt more balanced and enjoyable. It became the game I always wanted it to be. Though the puzzles were just as hard, the combat wasn’t nearly as irritatingly grinding as it used to be.
And that, is one of my biggest complaints. The difficulty that the game starts you off with is just cruel. It’s normal… but never have I played a game where normal feels this hard. Perhaps that’s apart of the appeal or the “souls like experience”. Well… all that did was make me want to stop playing.
Though it’s a bit drab by todays standards… this game still managed to kick a ton of ass. An awesome final battle and some really memorable in game moments brought the experience way up for me. Some things feel pretty clunky still, the controls aren’t always responsive, there’s too much button mashing, and the hack in slash can be in excess… but when things are working, they are working like crazy.
A brutal experience, yet a rewarding one. What a series. I can’t wait to play God of War II next.