Originally I think I would have put this game solidly as a four, or four and a half stars. Now though, I'm just not too sure of that. This game has some pretty bad pacing issues that result in playing catch-up on actual important plot bits. The RPG mechanics completely fail to engage me in any way, but if I want to do some of the side content, you have to engage with the system.

The main premise of the story is great with many great moments. The gameplay is still awesome as well. Those issues just really stood out while playing this time.

I don't know why I waited so long to play this one, but wow, what a game. A risky reinvention of the beloved God of War formula that works in almost every way. The combat feels so darn good, and pushes you to experiment. Throwing the axe has to be one of the best feeling mechanics in gaming period.

The world is one of the most beautiful ones you will see in gaming, and is so fun to just exist in. The story is simple but so personal to these characters, and it wraps up perfectly. Even the side quests feed back into the overall theme.

Its unfortunate that this game did not get just a bit more time in the oven, as the only real downfall of this game is the repetitive enemy types. This is literally the single problem I have with this game, but it is strongly felt by the end.

I think I am in agreement with mostly everyone when I say this game is really really good. I already liked the franchise and really like God of War 3 (mostly because of the awesome spectacle of boss fights), but they have been able to take the awesome elements from the old series and totally up both the gameplay and narrative aspects. The narrative is another great exploration of the father-son dynamic that is prescient in videogames, and it really brings a human element to the character of Kratos (allowing the player to empathise with the character they are playing in a way which most previously more difficult to do). The gameplay isn't perfect, but is at least a stark improvement to the hack and slash gameplay of the original trilogy that had become boring at this point. Glad it got game of the year and hope other studios look over and see that some people are still putting effort into their games.

Despite some irritating plot contrivances, a frankly unimportant upgrade and skill system, complicated world building jargon and it being a bit too long, God of War 2018 is a beautiful game with incredibly compelling characters and themes. Combat is simple yet vicious, weighty and satisfying. This game is less about the specific moves you do and more about just slashing through bad guys using whatever cool moves you want. There’s a certain flow to the combat that just feels so, so good, and the tight gameplay & combat going hand in hand with the story keeps you moving forward. This story has so many moving parts and stuff that honestly isn’t that important, but ultimately it sports an important message about owning your past, learning from it and choosing who you are. Kratos and Atreus are so charming and endearing right from the get go. Any time you get to see Atreus’ naive personality against Kratos’ brutal honesty and stoic demeanor is a treat. These two characters learn from one another, they grow together, they bring out the best in each other, and that’s shown in gameplay and cutscenes. Some of the best parts of the game are Kratos and Atreus (and later Mirmir, who becomes an instant favorite) just sitting in a boat, chatting. This story is so good, that the whole reason I’m playing it is just so I can see these two characters bond and get closer, and for a video game to pull that kind of motivation off is nothing to snuff at. I do wish that God of War would just trim the fat a little bit. Skill trees, a crafting system and upgrades that seemingly change the gameplay in absolutely no noticeable way can sometimes distract from the meat of the game and what's really there. This is the kind of game where you just focus on the experience and don’t want to get bogged down by menu after menu. That said, it’s simply a game I don’t think I’ll ever forget, and one that I feel changed for the better after playing.