God of War (2018 video game)

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God of War
Single-player

God of War

Windows port released in January 2022. It is the eighth installment in the God of War series, the eighth chronologically, and the sequel to 2010's God of War III
.

Unlike previous games, which were loosely based on

Atreus. Following the death of Kratos's second wife and Atreus's mother, Faye, the two embark on a journey to fulfill her request that her ashes be spread at the highest peak of the nine realms. Kratos keeps his troubled past a secret from Atreus, who is unaware of his divine nature. Along their journey, they come into conflict with monsters and gods of the Norse world
.

Described by creative director

Facebook Messenger
and follows Atreus on his first adventure. Three days before God of War's release, a smartphone companion app called Mímir's Vision was made available, providing additional information about the game's Norse setting.

God of War received universal acclaim from critics for its story, world design, art direction, music, graphics, combat system, and characters, in particular the dynamic between Kratos and Atreus. Many reviewers felt it had successfully revitalized the series without losing the core identity of its predecessors. It was named

prequel comic series that began publication in November 2018 and concluded in June 2021, while a live action television series is currently in development for Amazon Prime Video. A sequel, God of War Ragnarök, was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
in November 2022.

Gameplay

God of War is a

dwarves who were turned into dragons—in addition to battling one called Hræzlyr, a story-based boss battle.[10][15]

Atreus
.

The player controls the character

magic. The axe can be thrown at enemies and magically summoned back to his hand, similar to Thor's hammer Mjölnir. Larger enemies have precision targets which stun the enemy if hit. The weapon can also be thrown at objects in the game world to freeze or move mechanisms, or trigger damaging explosions, until returned to Kratos's hand. The axe has standard light and heavy attacks. Over time, it can be upgraded with runes to allow for light and heavy magical "runic" attacks. This provides players with a variety of options to cater to their own play style.[17] Another new weapon that Kratos utilizes is the collapsible Guardian Shield, which appears as a vambrace on his left forearm when not in use. The shield can be used offensively or defensively, similar to the Golden Fleece in previous games.[18] Kratos also utilizes hand-to-hand combat, a feature originally introduced in Ascension.[7] The Blades of Chaos, infused with fire elemental magic, are acquired later in the game via a plot device and perform in a similar manner as in previous installments—they are a pair of blades attached to chains that can be swung around in various maneuvers. The weapon can also be upgraded with magical runic attacks.[19]

As in the earlier games, there is a "Rage" ability, this one called Spartan Rage. Like in previous games, the Rage ability has a meter that gradually fills during combat. With this ability, Kratos uses powerful bare-handed attacks, as opposed to weapons, to greatly damage enemies. The game also features

health and Rage, respectively. These meters are replenished by green and red orbs dropped by downed foes and found throughout the game world. For the magical runic attacks, instead of collecting blue orbs to replenish the ability (like in the previous games), there is a cooldown timer for each ability.[22]

Atreus. One button is dedicated to Atreus, and its use depends on the context. For example, if the player needs assistance, they can look at an enemy and press the button, and Atreus will shoot an arrow at the enemy.[25] Over the course of the game, Atreus helps in combat, traversal, exploration, and puzzle-solving. When facing a large number of enemies, he distracts the weaker ones as Kratos fights the stronger ones.[21] If too many enemies gang up on Atreus, he is briefly stunned, but he cannot be knocked out or killed. Atreus also acquires new skills, armor, and runic attacks, as well as special light and shock arrows for his bow. Atreus's runic attacks summon different spectral animals with different abilities. For example, one summons a pack of wolves that attacks enemies, while another summons the squirrel Ratatoskr, who will dig up health and rage orbs.[22]

Synopsis

Setting

While the first seven games were loosely based on Greek mythology, this installment is loosely inspired by Norse mythology, taking place at least 150 years after God of War III (2010).[26] Six of the nine realms of Norse mythology can be explored. Predating the Vikings,[25][27] most of the game takes place in ancient Scandinavia in the realm of Midgard, which is inhabited by humans and other creatures. It is the same realm in which the Greek world existed. As more dangerous creatures began appearing, many humans fled. Other realms visited as part of the story include Alfheim, the mystical home of the light and dark elves; Helheim, the icy land of the dead; and Jötunheim, the mountainous land of the Giants. Optional explorable realms include Niflheim, a realm of poisonous fog with a maze-like structure of rewards; and the fire realm Muspelheim, featuring the six Trials of Muspelheim—completing each trial grants rewards and advances Kratos and Atreus closer to the top of a large volcano, facing off Göndul, one of the nine Valkyries.[28] Access to the other three realms—Asgard, home of the Æsir gods; Vanaheim, home of the Vanir gods; and Svartalfheim, home of the dwarves—has been blocked by Odin, the ruler of Asgard and the Æsir gods.[29] At the center of the realms is the mythical tree Yggdrasil, which connects each realm. Although each realm is a different world, they exist simultaneously in the same space. Travel to and from realms can be done by using the Bifröst from a root of Yggdrasil contained within Týr's Temple at the center of the Lake of the Nine. The temple was created by its namesake, Týr, a peaceful God of War who traveled to other lands and learned about their mythologies; it was told that Odin had him killed as he believed Týr was secretly aiding the Giants and would try to overthrow him.[26]

Characters

The game's protagonists are Kratos (now voiced by Christopher Judge) and his young son Atreus (Sunny Suljic). Kratos is a warrior originally from Sparta who became the Greek God of War and is a son of Zeus. After ending up in ancient Scandinavia following his war against Olympus, he met his second wife, Laufey (addressed as Faye), who died from an unknown cause shortly before the start of the game. She bore their son, Atreus, who at the start of the game does not know about Kratos's past or his divine nature but can hear other beings' thoughts. The main antagonist is the Æsir god Baldur (Jeremy Davies), the half-brother of Thor, whose sons Modi and Magni (Nolan North and Troy Baker, respectively) assist him. Baldur's parents are Odin, the Allfather and King of the Æsir, and the Vanir goddess Freya (Danielle Bisutti), the former Queen of the Valkyries. Freya tried leaving Odin after he began corrupting her Vanir magic, but he in turn stripped her of her Valkyrie wings, banished her to Midgard, and cast a spell on her that prevented her from causing harm to others and from leaving the realm. She then hid her identity under an alias, the Witch of the Woods. To protect her son from a prophecy that foretold his death, Freya cast a spell of immortality on Baldur, which also prevented him from feeling pain or pleasure. The effects of the spell caused Baldur to greatly resent his mother. The only thing capable of harming him was mistletoe, a fact which Freya kept secret.[30]

Other characters include Mímir (Alastair Duncan), who claims to be the smartest man alive, and the Huldra Brothers—Brok (Robert Craighead) and Sindri (Adam J. Harrington)—dwarves who appear at various points in the world and assist Kratos and Atreus by forging new gear. Weapons forged by the Huldra Brothers, including Thor's hammer Mjölnir, were used by the Æsir gods. They also forged Kratos's Leviathan Axe, which originally belonged to Faye, who also gifted Kratos her Guardian Shield.[16] The spirit of the Greek goddess Athena (Carole Ruggier)[c] makes a cameo appearance, and Zeus (Corey Burton)[d] appears to Kratos as an illusion in Helheim.[30]

Plot

Many years after defeating the Olympian gods,[e] Kratos lives with his son Atreus in the realm of Midgard and is often abrasive towards him. After cremating the body of Faye, Kratos is confronted by a stranger with godly powers. The two battle and Kratos seemingly kills the stranger, after which Kratos and Atreus begin their journey to honor Faye's last wish: to scatter her ashes at the highest peak in the nine realms. Along the way, they encounter the kindly Witch of the Woods, who recognizes Kratos's godhood.

Kratos and Atreus find their path blocked by impenetrable black mist; the Witch instructs them to travel to Alfheim and secure its magical light to extinguish the mist. Successful, they reach Midgard's peak and overhear a conversation between the stranger—revealed to be Baldur—and his nephews, Modi and Magni, as well as the imprisoned Mímir. After they leave, Kratos and Atreus confront Mímir, who reveals the highest peak is actually in Jötunheim, but the Giants have blocked travel there. Knowing of another passage, Mímir instructs Kratos to behead him and have his head revived by the Witch of the Woods, whom, upon resurrection, he reveals to be the goddess Freya. Kratos's longstanding hatred of gods causes him to distrust her, but both Freya and Mímir warn him that he must tell Atreus about his true nature.

Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir are attacked by Modi and Magni. After Kratos kills Magni, Modi flees but later ambushes the trio. Kratos fends him off, but Atreus collapses, overcome by illness due to the contradiction of a god believing himself to be mortal. Freya instructs Kratos to retrieve the heart of a specific troll in Helheim; however, his frost-based Leviathan Axe is useless in the icy realm. Kratos returns home to unearth his old weapons, the fiery Blades of Chaos, and is haunted by Athena's spirit. After retrieving the heart, he has a haunting vision of Zeus. Freya revives Atreus, and Kratos tells him they are gods. Atreus becomes increasingly arrogant and, against Kratos's orders, murders a weakened Modi, who was beaten by Thor for not avenging Magni. At Midgard's peak, Kratos and Atreus are ambushed by Baldur, resulting in Jötunheim's portal being destroyed. Their battle descends to Týr's Temple, and the group ends up in Helheim.

Atreus makes amends with Kratos. They learn of Freya and Baldur's familial relationship and the spell of invulnerability she cast on him. Returning to Midgard, Mímir realizes another way to reach Jötunheim, but needs his missing eye. After obtaining it, the group are attacked by Baldur once more, but Freya intervenes to protect her son. Baldur is pierced by Atreus's mistletoe arrow, breaking Freya's spell. Baldur is defeated and attempts to strangle Freya, causing Kratos to kill him. A grief-stricken Freya vows to avenge Baldur's death, blaming it on Kratos, and leaves with Baldur's corpse. Kratos tells Atreus about his own past and how he killed his own father. Atreus laments this cycle of violence, and Kratos tells him they should not repeat the mistakes of their predecessors.

Kratos and Atreus reach Jötunheim. They find an abandoned temple with a mural depicting their adventures, showing that the Giants, renowned for their gift of prophecy, had foretold their journey. They discover Faye was a Giant who had decided to stay in Midgard, meaning Atreus is half Giant, one-quarter god, and one-quarter mortal. Their fight with Baldur is shown, revealing he sought Faye the whole time under orders from Odin, unaware she was dead and Atreus was referred to as Loki by his mother and the Giants. Kratos chooses to ignore a covered mural depicting what appears to be him dying in Atreus's arms. They fulfill their promise and spread Faye's ashes at the peak. Afterward, Kratos reveals to Atreus that his given name was that of a compassionate Spartan comrade. Returning to Midgard, they retrieve Mímir, who warns them Baldur's death has caused the three-year-long Fimbulwinter to begin nearly a century earlier than prophesized, meaning Ragnarök is soon to follow.

In a secret ending, Kratos and Atreus, along with Mímir, return home and slumber. Atreus has a vision of Thor arriving at the end of Fimbulwinter to confront them.

Development

Photograph of the God of War developers at the 2019 Game Developers Choice Awards
The Santa Monica Studio team behind God of War at the 2019 Game Developers Choice Awards

Development on the next God of War began in 2014. This was confirmed by

2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) with a gameplay demo that confirmed the setting. The demo showed a fully bearded Kratos teaching his son how to hunt. The pair also battled a troll. The end of the demo showed the title God of War and confirmed it was in development for the PlayStation 4 (PS4).[1][7] The E3 announcement also confirmed that Barlog had returned to the series as game director for the new installment. Since the original 2005 game, Barlog had been a major contributor in the development of the series, previously most notably as the director of God of War II (2007); this installment was his fifth God of War game.[25]

Barlog said the game was titled God of War with no numeral or subtitle because, although it was a continuation of the series, "we ... [reimagined] everything."[26][24] Head of Santa Monica Studio, Shannon Studstill, and Barlog said that Sony Interactive Entertainment had to be convinced to do another God of War game as many people at Sony wanted the series to "sleep and rest" due to the lackluster response to the previous game, Ascension.[33] In explaining why Barlog was brought back, Studstill said he knew the series very well, "and bringing in someone that understands that history is the respect the franchise deserves."[11] Barlog responded, "You gotta know the rules to break the rules."[11] Series creator David Jaffe was also considered but was unavailable.[34]

In explaining the transition from Greek mythology to Norse mythology, Barlog said: "It's kind of this BC–AD change over kind of thing. We're moving and starting from zero and kind of moving forward on that."[26][24] In adapting the Norse myths, Barlog said there were many different translations and interpretations, and the writing team read the Prose Edda to learn how the myths were translated and told. Just like they did with Greek mythology in the previous games, they found ways to parallel path things from the Norse myths to fit their story.[35] Before settling on Norse mythology, Egyptian mythology was also considered. Barlog said that half of the team was for it, but because Egypt has "a lot more about civilization – it's less isolated, less barren", he decided on the Norse setting to keep the game focused on Kratos. Barlog explained further: "Having too much around distracts from that central theme of a stranger in a strange land."[27] To explain why Kratos was now in the Norse world, Barlog said that different cultures' belief systems coexisted, but they were "separated by geography", suggesting that Kratos traveled from Greece to Norway (Scandinavia) after the conclusion of God of War III.[36] Clarifying the conclusion of that game, Barlog said that Kratos did not destroy what was believed to be the entire world, but only the portion ruled over by the Greek pantheon.[10] Barlog also said the newer game predated the Vikings, taking place in the time when their gods walked the Earth.[25][27]

Most of the development team that worked on the original God of War worked on the new installment.

platforming challenges found in the previous installments were cut because of the camera being closer to Kratos.[11] Although the previous installment, Ascension, introduced multiplayer to the series, the team decided to forgo it and focus on the single-player experience.[5] In changing the gameplay, Studstill said, "I felt like, in order to reinvent, we really needed to turn a lot of things around."[37] With regard to the camera change, Barlog said they wanted a more intimate and player-controlled experience.[9]

The entire game can be played in a single shot with no camera cuts; there are no loading screens and no

Resident Evil 7's "strong vision" from a team making "bold decisions, and actually hav[ing] the audience follow them." Barlog noted how there was initial disagreement over the camera distance. He wanted it close whereas the combat team wanted it further away, like the Assassin's Creed and Batman: Arkham games; he eventually convinced the team to go with a close camera.[41]

Explaining Kratos's axe, lead gameplay designer Jason McDonald, who had worked on the series since the original game, said the axe was chosen because they wanted a more grounded direction for the game. Initially, they were unsure how to make it unique. After they came up with the concept of throwing the axe and having it return to Kratos, "things started to fall into place."

Odin's ravens. Brok and Sindri's quests were made into dungeons while the others were used for exploration. The developers also had to find the reasons that would motivate Kratos to undertake these quests. For Brok and Sindri, it was to obtain more powerful gear, but for the wayward spirits, it was because of Atreus's naiveté and kind-hearted nature, as well as opportunities for Kratos to teach him life lessons.[15]

Unlike the previous games, Santa Monica did not make a demo specifically for public release. Barlog explained that doing so would have delayed the game by a couple of months.

PlayStation 4 Pro, which was released a few months after God of War was announced.[47] Players with a Pro have the option to favor resolution or favor performance when playing the game. Favoring resolution runs the game in 4K with checkerboard rendering at a target frame rate of 30 frames per second (fps), while the performance option runs the game at 1080p and targets 60fps.[48] In late December 2016, Barlog confirmed the game was playable from start to finish,[49] and later said its story would take 25–35 hours to complete (significantly more than the previous four main installments, which each took an average of 10 hours to complete).[50]

A new trailer was shown at

went gold on March 22.[52]

Characterization

A photograph of actor Christopher Judge; he did the voice and cinematic motion capture for Kratos in the game.
Christopher Judge does the voice and cinematic motion capture for Kratos in the game, replacing longstanding voice actor T.C. Carson, who had voiced Kratos since the original 2005 game and also did the motion capture for him in 2013's Ascension.

During early development, there was talk of having a different protagonist for the game. Some of the team said that Kratos was "annoying" and felt Kratos's story had run its course. Barlog said it took a lot of convincing to keep Kratos.[6] Referencing the Nintendo character Mario and the Mario games, Barlog said that like Mario, "Kratos is intrinsically tied" to the God of War series.[25] In regard to the new changes, Barlog said that:

I knew I didn't want to simply reboot the franchise, starting over with a retelling of the origin story. I wanted to reimagine the gameplay, give players a fresh perspective and a new tactile experience while delving deeper into the emotional journey of Kratos to explore the compelling drama that unfolds when an immortal demigod makes a decision to change.[53]

Barlog explained that Kratos had to change his cycle of violence and learn to control his rage. He said Kratos had made many bad decisions, which led to the destruction of

The Shield and 24 planned for the show, particularly starring Emperor Palpatine in an emotional and sympathetic origin story that depicted his fall into villainy after being wronged by a heartless woman.[54] The bond between Kratos and his son is at the heart of the game. Barlog said, "This game is about Kratos teaching his son how to be a god, and his son teaching Kratos how to be human again."[21] Referencing the Marvel Comics character Hulk, Barlog said that in regards to Kratos, "We've already told the story of The Hulk. We want to tell the story of [Bruce] Banner now."[21] One of their goals was to make Kratos "a more nuanced and interesting character."[55] In changing the narrative focus, Studstill said, "I think we inherently knew the franchise needed to evolve in that emotional beat and be something meatier for the older generation of gamers."[55]

Christopher Judge, best known as Teal'c from Stargate SG-1, replaced Terrence C. Carson as the voice of Kratos; Carson had voiced Kratos since the original God of War. Commenting on the change, Carson said, "Sony went in a new direction."[56] Carson later explained that he understood the reason for the actor change and that Judge's casting made sense for what Sony was wanting to do. He also said that losing acting jobs is part of the business, but he did feel a lack of respect as he was not contacted by anyone at Sony to be informed of the change.[57]

In explaining the actor change, Barlog said that the way the previous games were made, they were able to have someone else do the motion capture instead of the voice actor. Although Carson had done the motion capture for Kratos in Ascension, Barlog said the actor change was made because of the type of camera work they wanted to do. For the new camera work, they needed someone who was closer to Kratos's size to do the motion capture along with a child. Carson was unsuitable for this because he was much shorter than Kratos, who is over 6 feet (180 cm) tall: "Offsetting [Carson's height] for the size of a child, it turned out it was going to be almost impossible to try and actually shoot them and go in and redo the animations."[58] Judge was chosen because he was 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) and had the build of a professional football player. He was also chosen because of the chemistry with his then-10-year-old co-star Sunny Suljic, whose opinion was also sought in making the decision; out of all the auditions, he liked Judge the most. The two bonded well, and Judge described his time with Suljic as time he had missed with his own children. In stepping into the role of Kratos, Judge took it as an opportunity to add something new to the character. He researched the character and Carson's performance but decided not to imitate it. Since Santa Monica was going in a new direction, he decided to start fresh. Judge was thrown off when he first read the script, saying it "was a real script," and not just "a way to get into battles," which is why he decided to take the role.[58] He said, "it was really this great story of this relationship and this crazy mythology."[58] While Judge did all of Kratos's motion capture for the cinematic scenes, stuntman Eric Jacobus did Kratos's combat motion capture; Jacobus was found by God of War's animators on YouTube. Instead of going directly to Santa Monica to audition, he recorded and submitted an audition tape and was hired immediately.[59] Former WWE wrestler Shad Gaspard also performed some of the motion capture for Kratos; Gaspard's body was digitally scanned as the model for Kratos's new look in the game.[60]

During E3 2016,

escort mission wherein the artificial intelligence causes a problem for the player. Their goal was for Atreus to enhance Kratos's capabilities without becoming a liability. This resulted in the developers having Atreus act freely unless the player uses a button to issue specific commands to him.[23] Atreus was also designed to call out enemy locations during combat. Since the camera is closer to Kratos, some enemies might be difficult for the player to see. Lead gameplay designer Jason McDonald said that it took a lot of iterations with the enemies and Atreus to make it all work together.[42]

Early in development, it was suggested that Atreus be cut, or his role significantly reduced because of the many developmental challenges and their costs. Barlog stated the game could have worked without Atreus, but it would have been completely different, likening it to the 2013 film All Is Lost. Barlog said that with just Kratos, it would have been "one character who talks to himself occasionally, but generally, it will be very silent and everyone will talk in old Norse, so that you won't understand anything anybody's saying."[64] After hearing Barlog's case, Sony gave him the freedom to incorporate Atreus. Lead level designer Rob Davis also noted that Atreus allowed for "significant gameplay and storytelling opportunities that might not otherwise [have been] possible."[64] After God of War was revealed at E3 2016, it drew comparisons to Naughty Dog's The Last of Us (2013), a game that also featured a father-child type story and gameplay. Barlog felt it was "fantastic" to be compared to that game and found it odd that some people considered the similarities a negative thing. Although he did not directly state they were influenced by The Last of Us in developing God of War, he did say, "I think we're all inspired by each other."[65] He did, however, use The Last of Us as an example to show the development team how an in-game companion could work without the game becoming an escort mission.[6]

Soundtrack

God of War (PlayStation Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedApril 20, 2018 (2018-04-20)
GenreContemporary classical music
Length1:19:00
LabelSony Classical Records

God of War (PlayStation Soundtrack) was released on April 20, 2018, by

SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs. Ideas of folk music, mythology, Nordic ethnic instruments, vocal writing, and classical thematic development were discussed; McCreary correctly guessed that the discussions were about a new God of War. McCreary met with Barlog early on to discuss his narrative vision for the game. After meeting with him, McCreary felt the franchise was in good hands because God of War II, which Barlog also directed, was his favorite installment.[67]

During the initial discussions, McCreary realized he needed to compose completely new music for the game and not reuse any previous music from the series.

viola da gamba, which is an ancestor of the modern cello. The Stranger's theme, found in the track "Deliverance", uses a Hardanger fiddle.[70]

The first theme composed for the game was "Memories of Mother". McCreary said the theme itself was not originally for Atreus's mother Faye, but for Kratos himself. His initial drafts were different variations of this melancholy tune. After the game had gone into full production, McCreary and the development team realized it was "too sad and lyrical to represent Kratos." McCreary stepped away from this theme and focused on writing a new one, or what he called the Kratos Theme, which he felt was more representative of the character: "masculine, relentless, and badass".[68] He spent several months working with Barlog, Scaturro, Leary, Sony music director Chuck Doud, and the rest of the development team to make this new theme. McCreary described it as "arguably one of my most structurally satisfying and catchy melodies."[67] After further scoring, McCreary realized that Faye would require a theme, and his original one was "exactly [what] I needed." This melody was woven throughout several scenes and is featured as prominently in the game as Kratos's theme.[68] The three-note Kratos theme is most obviously heard in the title track, "God of War".[70]

When it was decided that God of War would be revealed at E3 2016, Sony wanted McCreary to perform his original score with a live orchestra at the press conference. McCreary opened the show with the new main theme before the unveiling of God of War and performed the gameplay demo's music live during the presentation.[67] On January 13, 2017, a live recording from E3 2016 of God of War's overture was released for a limited time free of charge. Barlog released the overture as a thank you to fans for God of War's E3 2016 trailer reaching fifteen million views on YouTube.[71]

Release

The game was released worldwide on April 20, 2018, for the PlayStation 4.

God of War #0 by Dark Horse Comics.[72] The Collector's Edition came with many of the same items, minus the ring, the keychain, the carvings of the horse and troll, and the exclusive shield skin. The Digital Deluxe Edition came with all the digital content, minus the exclusive shield skin. U.S. and Canadian customers also received a Kratos and Atreus pin for pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe Edition. Pre-orders at select retailers received three skins for Kratos's shield. Pre-orders from GameStop or EB Games also received the "Luck of Ages XP Talisman", granting increased XP and Hacksilver gains and increased ability to trigger perks.[73]

In addition to the special editions of the game, a Limited Edition PlayStation 4 Pro bundle was available the same day as the game's release. The bundle included the standard base game, a PlayStation 4 Pro console decorated with the runes on Kratos's axe, and a similarly themed

DualShock 4 controller with the God of War logo.[74] Additionally, an official tabletop card game titled God of War: The Card Game was released by CMON Limited on October 25, 2019. Created by Alexandru Olteanu and Fel Barros, players take on the role of the Norns, the Fates of Norse mythology, as they try to prevent Ragnarök with different combinations of characters and events from the game, providing many variations to completing the card game.[75][76][77]

Prior to launch, Barlog confirmed that God of War would not have microtransactions, a feature that had become prominent with other games and criticized.[78] He also confirmed that the game would not have post-release DLC, like an expansion pack. He said he had pitched an idea for DLC, "but it was too ambitious". His idea was similar in scope to that of The Last of Us: Left Behind and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, large standalone expansions for The Last of Us (2013) and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016), respectively. He said it would have been too big to be DLC, warranting its own standalone release.[79]

Post-launch, Santa Monica supported the game with

backwards compatible with PlayStation 4 games; these games see a performance boost when playing on the PS5. To further enhance the playing experience of God of War on the PS5, Santa Monica released an enhancement update on February 2, 2021, allowing the game to be played at 60 fps with checkerboard-rendered 4K resolution.[84]

As part of Sony's larger efforts to port their first-party exclusive games to

Windows, Santa Monica Studio announced in October 2021 that God of War would be released for Windows on January 14, 2022. The port, handled by Jetpack Interactive with supervision by Santa Monica, includes additional graphic options support for Windows, including Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology and ultra-widescreen support. This in turn marks the first main entry in the series to release on a non-PlayStation platform.[85][86] According to Santa Monica's Matt DeWald, they had considered what options they could use to port their games to Windows, particularly as they used a non-standard game engine, and worked closely with Jetpack to determine the scope and technical issues associated with the port.[87]

God of War: A Call from the Wilds

God of War: A Call from the Wilds is a

Facebook Messenger. To help further promote God of War, Sony partnered with Facebook to develop the play-by-web game, which released on February 1, 2018. Completing the game unlocks downloadable concept art. The short story follows Atreus on his first adventure in the Norse wilds. After archery training and learning runes with his mother, Atreus ventures into the wilderness after telepathically hearing the voice of a dying deer; he finds it covered in blood and stays with it during its final moments. A couple of draugr appear and Atreus attempts to fight them but is injured. He is saved by his father, Kratos, who was out hunting. The two then battle a revenant before returning home.[88][89][90]

God of War: Mímir's Vision

God of War: Mímir's Vision is a smartphone companion app that was released on April 17, 2018, for Apple and Android devices. Using alternate reality, it provides a background for the Norse setting of God of War.[91][92]

Raising Kratos

Raising Kratos is a YouTube documentary of Santa Monica Studio's five-year process in making the game, showing the "herculean effort" that went into reviving the franchise. The documentary was announced on April 20, 2019, the one year anniversary of the game's launch, and was released the following month on May 10.[93][94]

Tie-in books

The Art of God of War

The Art of God of War
AuthorEvan Shamoon
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series
ISBN
978-1506705743

The Art of God of War is a book collecting various pieces of artworks created for the game during its development. It was written by Evan Shamoon and published by Dark Horse Comics on April 24, 2018.[95]

God of War – The Official Novelization

God of War – The Official Novelization
AuthorJames M. Barlog
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series
ISBN
978-1-78909-014-7

An official novelization of the game, written by Cory Barlog's father, James M. Barlog, was released on August 28, 2018, by Titan Books.[96] An audiobook version is also available, narrated by Alastair Duncan, who voiced Mímir in the game.[97]

The novel retells the events of the game, but unlike the series' previous two novels, this one closely follows the source material with a few notable exceptions. The game never revealed how or why Kratos ended up in ancient Norway, or how much time had passed since the ending of God of War III, but the novel gives some indication. Kratos chose to leave ancient Greece to hide his identity and change who he was.[98] At some point after leaving Greece, he battles some wolves and is saved by a cloaked female figure, presumably Faye.[99] Later, during their journey, Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir see a mural with the wolves Sköll and Hati. This causes Kratos to have a flashback to the initial battle and makes him wonder if they dragged him to this new land and if so, why.[100] There was also some retconning; at the end of God of War III, Kratos had the Blades of Exile, but this novel says he had the Blades of Chaos after killing Zeus. It is also mentioned that he tried several times to get rid of the blades, but by fate they kept returning to him. (For example, he threw them off a cliff, but they washed up on shore near him.) Sometime after ending up in Norway, he decided to hide them under his house and never use them again. This moment was said to have occurred 50 years before the start of the current story. When Kratos does recover the Blades of Chaos, he hears Pandora's speech about hope from God of War III.[101]

In the game, Kratos sees one last image on the mural in Jötunheim. It seemingly shows Atreus holding Kratos's dead body, but in the novel, this mural is partially broken and does not show the corpse that Atreus is holding.[102] Brok and Sindri also reveal why they made the Leviathan Axe for Faye; she had come to them as the last Guardian of Jötnar and needed a weapon to protect her people. The Huldra Brothers crafted the Leviathan Axe for her to be Mjölnir's equal. Mímir also mentioned that Faye, or rather Laufey the Just, thwarted many of the Æsir's plans, including freeing slaves, and Thor could never find her.[103] Kratos's Guardian Shield is never mentioned, and Modi does not ambush the three, resulting in Atreus falling ill; Atreus instead falls ill shortly after their first encounter when Kratos kills Magni.[104]

God of War (comic book series)

A four-issue comic series titled God of War was published monthly from November 2018 to February 2019 by Dark Horse Comics. Written by Chris Roberson with art by Tony Parker, the miniseries takes place shortly before the events of the game. Issue #0 was included digitally in the game's collector's editions.[105][106] A second four-issue series from Dark Horse titled God of War: Fallen God was published monthly from March to June 2021—it was originally to begin publication in June 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking place before the first series, Fallen God covers the timespan from God of War III to the beginning of the first comic series.[107][108] Both series were collected as trade paperbacks in May 2019 (Volume 1) and December 2021 (Volume 2), respectively.[109]

God of War: B Is for Boy

God of War: B Is for Boy
AuthorAndrea Robinson
IllustratorRomina Tempest
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series
ISBN
978-1-68383-889-0

God of War: B Is for Boy is an "ABC storybook for adults" in which the story of the game is retold in an abridged format with illustrations. The title comes from Kratos referring to Atreus as "boy" for most of the game. It was written by Andrea Robinson, with the illustrations being provided by Romina Tempest. It released on September 1, 2020, by Insight Editions.[110]

God of War: Lore and Legends

God of War: Lore and Legends
AuthorRick Barba
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series
ISBN
978-1506715520

God of War: Lore and Legends is a tome that recreates Atreus's journal from the game. The book features expanded lore that was written in collaboration with the writing team of the game. It was written by Rick Barba and published by Dark Horse Comics on September 9, 2020.[111]

Reception

Reviews

God of War received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic,[112] tying it with the original God of War for the highest score in the franchise.[126] It has the fourth-highest score of all-time for a PlayStation 4 game, and the highest score for an original, non-remastered PlayStation 4 exclusive.[127] It was the highest rated PlayStation 4 game of 2018 until the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in October, which pushed God of War to second.[128] It is also tied with the Xbox One version of Celeste for the second-highest score of 2018 regardless of platform.[129] God of War received particular praise for its art direction, graphics, combat system, music, story, use of Norse mythology, characters, and cinematic feeling. Many reviewers felt it had successfully revitalized the series without losing the core identity of its predecessors.[130]

The story was well praised. Nick Plessas of

Game Revolution, Jason Faulkner praised Santa Monica for creating a sequel that new players would be able to understand without having played any of the previous games, while at the same time providing story references to those past games that returning fans would appreciate. Speaking of the relationship between Kratos and Atreus, Faulkner wrote that, "Watching the two grow throughout their journey is incredibly rewarding," equating it to that of Ellie and Joel from The Last of Us or Lee and Clementine from Telltale Games' The Walking Dead.[117]

In terms of the game's combat system, Plessas said that unlike previous games, which often relied on the player to use many combos in a sequential fashion, this game is "more about individual moves strung together in response to the assortment of enemies being fought." Although that difference may be small, he said that the independent attacks of the axe "feature benefits and drawbacks players will need to understand and master to be as effective as possible." Furthermore, although the axe is "conceptually simple", it is "mechanically fascinating". It "succeeds as both a versatile means of dismembering foes and as a key element in puzzle solving." He felt the axe and all of its features was "distinctly rewarding to use" and that it had more versatility than all of the weapons in many other games.[115] Juba said the Leviathan Axe is "a well-balanced and entertaining tool of destruction." He liked how it "emphasizes a more calculated style of combat; instead of zoomed-out, combo-driven encounters, Leviathan makes you a tactician." He also enjoyed how the combat system gradually unfolded through the course of the game; although seemingly restrictive at first, he noted players will be rapidly alternating between weapons and skills.[116] While some reviewers greatly enjoyed the ability to call the Leviathan Axe back to Kratos's hand,[116][121] Chris Carter of Destructoid felt it got old after a while.[114] Atreus's implementation was praised; Plessas said Atreus is "surprisingly useful" and that he "lands in the perfect spot on the spectrum between independence and reliance."[115] Faulkner noted that, "The interplay between Kratos ax, fists, and shield, and Atreus's bow makes for an impressive fighting system."[117] Despite its different approach to combat, compared to the previous games, GamesRadar+'s Leon Hurley felt the game was "every bit as brutally unflinching as previous games."[119]

Writing for

Polygon, Chris Plante praised the camerawork as a technical marvel, noting the seamless nature of the game shifting from cinematic back to the gameplay.[122] Juba said the decision to shift the camera closer to Kratos "[proved] immensely rewarding during big moments by giving [the player] an intimate view."[116] Faulkner, however, claimed "it can be difficult to control the camera and keep a bead on the enemies you're fighting."[117] In his review for IGN, Jonathon Dornbush felt the intimacy of the camera makes all the emotions "more real and impactful."[121] Speaking of the game's visuals, Faulkner said the game looks amazing, "and with 4K and HDR this game goes a step beyond what even games like Horizon Zero Dawn showed us was possible on this platform."[117] Brown noted that "God of War is a technical and artistic showcase. It is without a doubt one of the best-looking console games ever released."[118] Dan Ryckert of Giant Bomb claimed that games like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Horizon Zero Dawn "made great cases for a PS4 Pro and a 4K television, but God of War's visuals are a bigger selling point than anything I've seen on Sony's platform to date."[120]

Despite the game's grandeur, Plessas felt that the boss fights "do not hit quite the same frequency as they did in the past few games." However, the few boss fights in the game "do the series proud".[115] As to the vast world of God of War, Faulkner said that, "The great thing about the exploration in God of War is that you can participate in it as little or as much as you want." He said an excellent design decision is that during main plot points, the game keeps the player on task, while in between, the player can explore, allowing God of War "to have the best of both worlds".[117] Plessas noted that although the puzzles require thought, they were not "hair-pullingly" difficult as some were in previous games.[115] Juba also found that the puzzles were not too challenging, saying they were fun.[116]

Plessas felt that the RPG elements present in the game make this installment "unique" compared to previous entries. He said the game allows players to "specialize Kratos to meet the specific task at hand, or develop a build that best suits a preferred playstyle." Although this did not make the game easier, he felt it did make it more manageable.[115] Juba noted that although this type of upgrading "may be less exciting" compared to previous games where Kratos just learns new moves, it still "provides a powerful incentive to explore."[116] Ryckert was disappointed by this type of customization. He felt the presentation was "half-baked" and that some materials were confusing as there was little explanation given for their use. He did, however, say it was "cool" to see new armor on Kratos.[120]

In terms of flaws, Plessas said that "God of War is so good that its most egregious failing is not letting fans play more of it", as New Game Plus was not an option at the time of the review.[115] Juba said that "God of War's momentum rarely falters, and when it does, the inconvenience is brief." One example he gave was the map, saying that although players have freedom to explore, it can be difficult to track Kratos's position. He also felt the fast-travel system was "weirdly cumbersome" and that it opens up too late in the game.[116] Although he enjoyed these features, Faulkner noted some players may dislike that God of War has a lack of player agency, and players have to explore the majority of the game on foot or by boat since the fast-travel feature is unlocked late in the game.[117] Brown felt that if anything in God of War was a letdown, it was the final fight against Baldur: "He's great from a narrative standpoint, unraveling in a manner that changes your perspective, but it's the fight itself that leaves you wanting. There are plenty of big boss battles and tests of skill throughout the course of the game, yet this fight doesn't reach the same heights, and feels like it was played a little safe."[118] Hurley said his only criticism was that, "You can occasionally find yourself unsure if you're doing something wrong, or don't have the right equipment yet."[119]

Sales

During its release week in the United Kingdom, God of War became the fastest-selling entry in the franchise, selling 35% more physical units than God of War III.

best-selling PlayStation 4 game.[85] By March 2022, the PC version had sold 971,000 units, giving a total of over 20.4 million units sold.[140] By November 2022, the game had sold 23 million units.[141]

Accolades

God of War won

Push Square,[159] Slant Magazine,[160] Time magazine,[161] Variety,[162] and VideoGamer.com.[163] The game was named among the best games of the 2010s by Areajugones,[164] BuzzFeed,[165] GameSpew,[166] GamesRadar+,[167] Gaming Age,[168] GamingBolt,[169] The Hollywood Reporter,[170] IGN,[171] Metacritic,[172] Slant Magazine,[173] Stuff,[174] and VG247.[175] It was voted as the winner of IGN's Best Video Game of All Time.[176]

The game was nominated for Game of the Show, Best PlayStation 4 Game, and Best Action Game at IGN's Best of E3 2016 Awards.[177] It won the award for Game of the Year, Best PlayStation 4 Game, Best Action-Adventure Game, Best Art Direction, and Best Story at IGN's Best of 2018 Awards.[155][178][179][180] It was a runner-up for Best Graphics,[179] and was nominated for Best Music.[181]

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2016 Game Critics Awards 2016 Special Commendation for Graphics Won [182]
Golden Joystick Awards Most Wanted Game Nominated [183]
The Game Awards 2016 Most Anticipated Game Nominated [184]
2017 Golden Joystick Awards Most Wanted Game Nominated [185]
The Game Awards 2017 Most Anticipated Game Nominated [186]
2018 The Independent Game Developers' Association Awards Best Action and Adventure Game Won [187][188]
Best Audio Design Nominated
9th Hollywood Music in Media Awards Original Score - Video Game Nominated [189][190]
2018 Golden Joystick Awards Best Storytelling Won [191][192][193]
Best Video Design Won
Best Audio Design Won
PlayStation Game of the Year Won
Ultimate Game of the Year
Nominated
The Game Awards 2018 Game of the Year Won [194][195]
Best Game Direction Won
Best Narrative Nominated
Best Art Direction Nominated
Best Score/Music Nominated
Best Audio Design Nominated
Best Performance (Christopher Judge) Nominated
Best Action/Adventure Game Won
Gamers' Choice Awards Fan Favorite Game Nominated [196][197]
Fan Favorite Action Game Nominated
Fan Favorite Single Player Gaming Experience Nominated
Fan Favorite Character of the Year Nominated
Fan Favorite Male Voice Actor (Christopher Judge) Won
Fan Favorite Male Voice Actor (Jeremy Davies) Nominated
Fan Favorite Female Voice Actor (Danielle Bisutti) Nominated
2019 46th Annie Awards Character Animation in a Video Game Nominated [198]
17th Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project Nominated [199]
22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Game of the Year Won [200][146]
Adventure Game of the Year Won
Outstanding Achievement in Animation Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction Won
Outstanding Achievement in Character (Atreus) Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Character (Kratos) Won
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design Won
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction Won
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Won
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design Won
Outstanding Achievement in Story Won
Outstanding Technical Achievement Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards 2018
Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing Won [201][202]
SXSW Gaming Awards Video Game of the Year Won [203][204]
Excellence in SFX Nominated
Excellence in Animation Nominated
Excellence in Gameplay Nominated
Excellence in Technical Achievement Nominated
Excellence in Narrative Nominated
Excellence in Visual Achievement Won
Excellence in Design Won
19th Game Developers Choice Awards Game of the Year Won [205][151]
Best Audio Nominated
Best Design Nominated
Best Narrative Nominated
Best Technology Nominated
Best Visual Art
Nominated
15th British Academy Games Awards Best Game Won [206][142]
Artistic Achievement Nominated
Audio Achievement Won
Game Design Nominated
Music Won
Narrative Won
Performer (Christopher Judge) Nominated
Performer (Danielle Bisutti) Nominated
Performer (Jeremy Davies) Won
Performer (Sunny Suljic) Nominated
2019 Webby Awards Best Music/Sound Design Won [207]
ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards 2018 Video Game Score of the Year Nominated [208]
2019 Nebula Awards Game Writing Nominated [209]
2022 The Steam Awards Game of the Year Nominated [210]
Outstanding Story-Rich Game Won

Sequel

Following God of War's announcement in mid-2016, Barlog confirmed that it would not be Kratos's last game.[4] He also said that after the Norse era, future games could see the series tackling Egyptian or Maya mythology,[33] and although the 2018 installment focused on Norse mythology, it alluded to the fact there are other mythologies co-existing in the world.[211] Barlog also said he liked the idea of having different directors for each game, as had happened with the Greek era, and that although he might not direct another God of War, he would still be at Santa Monica to work on future games.[10]

A sequel, God of War Ragnarök, was officially announced at the PlayStation 5 Showcase event in September 2020 and was originally scheduled to be released in 2021.[212] However, the game was delayed, in part, due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[213] and released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5,[214] marking the first cross-gen release in the series.[215] Barlog stepped down as game director and became a producer and creative director, while Eric Williams, who had worked on every previous game in the series, assumed the role of game director. Taking place three years after the 2018 installment, Ragnarök concluded the Norse era of the series.[216]

Television series

In March 2022, it was reported that a

Amazon Studios in association with PlayStation Productions, and it will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. It is being written by Fergus and Ostby, with Judkins serving as showrunner, who will all also be executive producers. Other executive producers include Barlog, PlayStation Productions's Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan, Santa Monica Studio's Yumi Yang, and Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee. Santa Monica Studio's Jeff Ketcham will serve as a co-executive producer. The series will adapt the Norse era, beginning with the events of the 2018 installment.[219]

Amazon Studios's Head of Television, Vernon Sanders, assured that the series would stay true to the game. Implying that there could be multiple seasons, Sanders also said that the "emotional core" of the first season, and series as a whole, would be the father-and-son story.[220] Qizilbash stated that they would apply the same amount of care that they did with the highly acclaimed The Last of Us TV series adaptation, stating that they would be telling the whole story of the game, as without the time constraints of a film, they have multiple episodes to be able to tell the story.[221] By January 2024, writing was underway on the series.[222]

Notes

  1. ^ Windows version ported by Jetpack Interactive
  2. ^ Colloquially referred to as God of War 4, God of War IV,[1][2][3] God of War PS4,[4][5] or God of War 2018[6]
  3. ^ Carole Ruggier had previously voiced Athena in the original God of War (2005) and God of War II (2007), but was replaced by Erin Torpey in subsequent games.
  4. ^ Corey Burton reprised the role, having previously voiced Zeus in God of War II (2007), God of War III (2010), and God of War: Ascension (2013).
  5. ^ As depicted in God of War III (2010)
  6. ^ Games like Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015) and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (2017), both in development around the same time as God of War, utilized similar one-shot techniques.[39]

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Works cited

External links