"By the gods... what have I become?"
Sony's flagship franchise didn't start slow. It was an explosion of a brazen subversion, featuring the most angry gonzo of a man that defied all connotations of the typical underdog narrative. Wrought in deep layers of tragedy lies a curious character broken by his own lust for power and neck deep in personal anguish. His bloodlust and indulgence were made into a riveting narrative device. Santa Monica overindulges where most would exercise caution, crafting ceaseless processions of a bald Spartan rampaging through the ancient seas and the land of Greece. His unflinching killing spree stems from the very ounce of humanity within him. A shattered past of seismic guilt reveals itself piece by piece via fragmented cutscenes. It is these haunting memories, bloodlust and tits where you find the very fascination that acts as the primary gel between the player's interest and Kratos' hard-boiled emotions. The writing and world-building are both stellar and hilarious, in mere seconds it builds intrigue from its opening and as the game continues it creates a vivid picture of Athens at war with a moronic double-digit IQ God of War Ares, stupid white women and endless "foreshadowing" that is as subtle as a brick to a face. At one point it just outright tells you what's gonna happen in the next game. Like woah, he's chained by his weapons! The painting says Zeus will fight a mortal man! Wonder what any of that could mean 😲 The gameplay leverages DMC's ingenious hack n slash design and dungeon aesthetics, offering enough experimentation, spatial range, brute damage, and combos to keep the game fresh for its short duration. Enemies are by and large engaging and varied, whilst platforming is funny because you get to control Kratos tiptoe his way over ceilings, ropes, and beams of wood, which never gets old. Puzzles, if anything, are both clever and fit the narrative context. There's just one instance where it got lazy and just put Tetris and called it a day. The gameplay offers enough leeway for newcomers to not be overwhelmed, but it is still challenging enough that it doesn't turn into simple button mashing (some sections, however, can get really, really annoying. Like the Siren one.) Pandora's Box deserves an entire essay on how great it is. The level designs are also far more elaborate than I ever expected, capturing an immense level of depth, intricacy, and scale. You're rewarded handsomely for being demonic. Killing civilians gives you health. You throw a man to his entrail-ridden doom because you don't like his tone (and you return to do it once more because you really hate his swag.) You get to drag and fry a chicken, I mean a living human for gaining passage. It's all very wholesome and is accompanied by an epic orchestral soundscape that makes you feel like a tragic bald mortal with anger issues and zero moral consciences.
Thus the game with a transgressive angry bald Spartan as the protagonist became one of the most popular games of all time.
Overindulgence might be the key people.
7/10
Sony's flagship franchise didn't start slow. It was an explosion of a brazen subversion, featuring the most angry gonzo of a man that defied all connotations of the typical underdog narrative. Wrought in deep layers of tragedy lies a curious character broken by his own lust for power and neck deep in personal anguish. His bloodlust and indulgence were made into a riveting narrative device. Santa Monica overindulges where most would exercise caution, crafting ceaseless processions of a bald Spartan rampaging through the ancient seas and the land of Greece. His unflinching killing spree stems from the very ounce of humanity within him. A shattered past of seismic guilt reveals itself piece by piece via fragmented cutscenes. It is these haunting memories, bloodlust and tits where you find the very fascination that acts as the primary gel between the player's interest and Kratos' hard-boiled emotions. The writing and world-building are both stellar and hilarious, in mere seconds it builds intrigue from its opening and as the game continues it creates a vivid picture of Athens at war with a moronic double-digit IQ God of War Ares, stupid white women and endless "foreshadowing" that is as subtle as a brick to a face. At one point it just outright tells you what's gonna happen in the next game. Like woah, he's chained by his weapons! The painting says Zeus will fight a mortal man! Wonder what any of that could mean 😲 The gameplay leverages DMC's ingenious hack n slash design and dungeon aesthetics, offering enough experimentation, spatial range, brute damage, and combos to keep the game fresh for its short duration. Enemies are by and large engaging and varied, whilst platforming is funny because you get to control Kratos tiptoe his way over ceilings, ropes, and beams of wood, which never gets old. Puzzles, if anything, are both clever and fit the narrative context. There's just one instance where it got lazy and just put Tetris and called it a day. The gameplay offers enough leeway for newcomers to not be overwhelmed, but it is still challenging enough that it doesn't turn into simple button mashing (some sections, however, can get really, really annoying. Like the Siren one.) Pandora's Box deserves an entire essay on how great it is. The level designs are also far more elaborate than I ever expected, capturing an immense level of depth, intricacy, and scale. You're rewarded handsomely for being demonic. Killing civilians gives you health. You throw a man to his entrail-ridden doom because you don't like his tone (and you return to do it once more because you really hate his swag.) You get to drag and fry a chicken, I mean a living human for gaining passage. It's all very wholesome and is accompanied by an epic orchestral soundscape that makes you feel like a tragic bald mortal with anger issues and zero moral consciences.
Thus the game with a transgressive angry bald Spartan as the protagonist became one of the most popular games of all time.
Overindulgence might be the key people.
7/10