God of War (2018 video game)
God of War | |
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Single-player |
God of War
Unlike previous games, which were loosely based on
Described by creative director
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
Gameplay
God of War is a
The player controls the character
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
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
Development on the next God of War began in 2014. This was confirmed by
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.
The entire game can be played in a single shot with no camera cuts; there are no loading screens and no
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."
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.
A new trailer was shown at
Characterization
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
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,
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) | |
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Soundtrack album by | |
Released | April 20, 2018 |
Genre | Contemporary classical music |
Length | 1:19:00 |
Label | Sony Classical Records |
God of War (PlayStation Soundtrack) was released on April 20, 2018, by
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.
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.
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
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
As part of Sony's larger efforts to port their first-party exclusive games to
God of War: A Call from the Wilds
God of War: A Call from the Wilds is a
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
Author | Evan Shamoon | |
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Country | United States | |
Language | English | |
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
Author | James M. Barlog |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series |
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
Author | Andrea Robinson |
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Illustrator | Romina Tempest |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Series |
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
Author | Rick Barba | |
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Country | United States | |
Language | English | |
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
Aggregator | Score |
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USgamer | [123] |
The Guardian | [124] |
The Telegraph | [125] |
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
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
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.
Accolades
God of War won
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'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
- ^ Windows version ported by Jetpack Interactive
- ^ 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]
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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).
- ^ As depicted in God of War III (2010)
- ^ 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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