Depending on who you are, God of War 2018 is either a bastardized attempt to reinvent the series and its signature perpetually-angry misogynist lead by stripping it from its hack-n-slash roots in favor of a slower, more 'generic' gameplay style, or its the kick in the pants that the franchise needed to shake up its stale formula in lieu of something new with a deliberate, crafted vision and a stronger, more focused narrative. Of course, there are nuances to these viewpoints and the space between them, but generally, these are the loudest extremes you'll find in online discussions about this game.
Personally, I lean further towards the latter, although I can appreciate where the former is coming from. Indeed, Kratos gains a renewed purpose and lease on life in this soft reboot in the form of his plucky, ever-curious son, Atreus, as they journey across Norway together, centuries(?) after Kratos wiped Greece off the map. It's a narrative premise that's easy to be cynical about going into it—trying to make Kratos empathetic by giving him 'dad feels' does come across as a pretty transparent decision from the outset.
However, something I very much appreciate about GoW2018 is that it never really tries to redeem Kratos—it simply tells you who he was, shows you who he is now, and how he interacts with his son and those he meets along their journey together, allowing you to come to your own conclusions about him.
It's a great thing too, since I went into this game back when it was released somewhat bitterly after having just played God of War 3 and seeing a certain moment (if you know, you know) towards the end playout where Kratos pretty much crosses the point of no return as a 'redeemable' character, try as they very much did.
Instead, 2018 is very much Atreus's story, with Kratos playing the stern, powerful mentor who wishes to guide him along a more righteous path than his own. It's simple yet truly compelling storytelling from start to finish. The cast of characters you meet along the way only helps to sell that journey further, with Mimir being my personal favorite, dropping sagely wisdom, weaving tales, and dropping one-liners at appropriate intervals.
Yes, the combat is indeed a slower, more deliberate affair than its hack-n-slash past, appealing less to combo perverts and more to action-RPG fanatics. While it's clearly not a souls-like, it does take some appropriate cues from those games in terms of enemy encounters and combat strategy. It all works extremely well, and you can tell that it's the aspect that took the most time and effort to craft out of all. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you've heard, this does not apply to enemy variety, with generally one new enemy type for each different realm you visit that then gets mixed in with the other ones. It doesn't spoil the experience, and it still keeps you on your toes, sure, but it does start to get a bit too familiar as the game goes on.
What's a bit more of a mixed bag in GoW2018 however, is the game's insistence on being a 'one-take wonder', which is to say that the entire game is made to look as if it's all in one, unbroken shot, with all the pros and cons that could come with such a decision. While yes, I do find that it aids the narrative and helps to sell it as a narrative and thematic 'journey' that the leads are embarking upon, the gameplay also suffers for it somewhat. Namely, fast travel is still fast(er), but it isn't instantaneous and can start to feel tedious, especially if you're grinding side quests.
This decision also means it is privy to frustrating disguised loading screens, such as squeeze-throughs and other less-fun traversal obstacles. Granted, sometimes these are there more to funnel the player into a particular area than load the next one, but in a game with a 'done in one-take' design ethos such as this, it's clear what they're meant for here.
Regardless, God of War 2018 is still a strong reinvention and compelling action-RPG on its own, as it has been since its release. There's room for improvement, for sure, but the foundation they have here is something for Sony Santa Monica to be proud of (as they well are).
9/10
Personally, I lean further towards the latter, although I can appreciate where the former is coming from. Indeed, Kratos gains a renewed purpose and lease on life in this soft reboot in the form of his plucky, ever-curious son, Atreus, as they journey across Norway together, centuries(?) after Kratos wiped Greece off the map. It's a narrative premise that's easy to be cynical about going into it—trying to make Kratos empathetic by giving him 'dad feels' does come across as a pretty transparent decision from the outset.
However, something I very much appreciate about GoW2018 is that it never really tries to redeem Kratos—it simply tells you who he was, shows you who he is now, and how he interacts with his son and those he meets along their journey together, allowing you to come to your own conclusions about him.
It's a great thing too, since I went into this game back when it was released somewhat bitterly after having just played God of War 3 and seeing a certain moment (if you know, you know) towards the end playout where Kratos pretty much crosses the point of no return as a 'redeemable' character, try as they very much did.
Instead, 2018 is very much Atreus's story, with Kratos playing the stern, powerful mentor who wishes to guide him along a more righteous path than his own. It's simple yet truly compelling storytelling from start to finish. The cast of characters you meet along the way only helps to sell that journey further, with Mimir being my personal favorite, dropping sagely wisdom, weaving tales, and dropping one-liners at appropriate intervals.
Yes, the combat is indeed a slower, more deliberate affair than its hack-n-slash past, appealing less to combo perverts and more to action-RPG fanatics. While it's clearly not a souls-like, it does take some appropriate cues from those games in terms of enemy encounters and combat strategy. It all works extremely well, and you can tell that it's the aspect that took the most time and effort to craft out of all. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you've heard, this does not apply to enemy variety, with generally one new enemy type for each different realm you visit that then gets mixed in with the other ones. It doesn't spoil the experience, and it still keeps you on your toes, sure, but it does start to get a bit too familiar as the game goes on.
What's a bit more of a mixed bag in GoW2018 however, is the game's insistence on being a 'one-take wonder', which is to say that the entire game is made to look as if it's all in one, unbroken shot, with all the pros and cons that could come with such a decision. While yes, I do find that it aids the narrative and helps to sell it as a narrative and thematic 'journey' that the leads are embarking upon, the gameplay also suffers for it somewhat. Namely, fast travel is still fast(er), but it isn't instantaneous and can start to feel tedious, especially if you're grinding side quests.
This decision also means it is privy to frustrating disguised loading screens, such as squeeze-throughs and other less-fun traversal obstacles. Granted, sometimes these are there more to funnel the player into a particular area than load the next one, but in a game with a 'done in one-take' design ethos such as this, it's clear what they're meant for here.
Regardless, God of War 2018 is still a strong reinvention and compelling action-RPG on its own, as it has been since its release. There's room for improvement, for sure, but the foundation they have here is something for Sony Santa Monica to be proud of (as they well are).
9/10