god of war game review
Test: God of War: A game blessed by the godsReinventing a series is never easy. What to keep, what to take away? Make sure not to offend the fan while trying to offer him something new, fresh. A daring bet, but often necessary. God of War dares, better, he goes to the end of his vision even if it attracts the wrath of some who would absolutely want to see in him only a new episode built around the same assets: a Hollywood staging, a frantic action and a revenge hero. If in some ways, we find these ingredients in God of War, the game of Santa Monica Studio goes further, much further. Thus, like a Resident Evil 4, this new segment of the epic of Kratos breaks certain conventions established since the beginning of the saga and if it is a safe bet that the episode will be subject to much debate and critics, evidence is self-evident, we are dealing here with an authentic masterpiece.
Notes:
In order to preserve all the surprises that this episode has in store, we will knowingly avoid certain parts of the story, but also certain elements of gameplay.
We also tested the title on PS4 Pro and normal PS4. The version was provided by the publisher.
To achieve this result, five years will have been necessary. Five years during which Cory Barlog and his teams will have overhauled everything, from gameplay to scenario through to the direction of the game. However, everything in God of War is balancing act as it retains the essence of series while seeing further. Indeed, beyond the technique and the artistic aspect making this episode one of the most beautiful games of the PS4, the title never denies its origins or even what happened in the previous ones opus. However, it would have been simpler to wipe out the past and reboot the saga except that the ingenuity here is due to the fact that Barlog has cleverly used the mythology of the series to mix it with the Nordic one in order to make Kratos a central actor, as much in Midgard as in the eight other worlds constituting the kingdom of Odin. Logic therefore that the developers wanted more to be interested in the character by developing his personality.
THE LAST OF ZEUS
Despite his divine nature, it was obvious to be interested in the human side of Kratos as well as the desire to tell a deeper and just as intense story through Kratos' quest for redemption and the initiatory journey he is going to to undertake with his son Atreus following the death of his wife. If it was feared that this aspect was ultimately only an awkward rehash of The Last of Us, the way the scenario was thought out surprised, the latter being followed naturally even interspersed with very many clashes against ogres, trolls and other legendary creatures. Intelligent, the narration oscillates at every moment between emotion, brutality and humor, through excellent dialogues playing most of the time on the playful reactions of Atreus contrasting with those more contained of Kratos. However, this God of War never pours into easy emotion (despite certain obligatory passages) and even finds a personality that suits him perfectly.And this is where the genius of the scriptwriters is located who knew how to find the right balance between tasty dialogues, often very funny, poignant scenes, but also epic passages using an incredible scene, one of the strong points of the series since its inception. In fact, for a little over 25 hours (necessary to complete the main story), we are witnessing a balanced adventure whose goal is not to redefine a character, but indeed to explain how his past does must not influence his present and the future of his son. Therefore, the quality of the game is also due to what Cory Barlog sought at all costs to question a credible development for Kratos while allowing itself some ellipses which may frustrate some. How long was it between God of War III and God of War? How did Kratos meet his wife? How did she manage to calm the bubbling fury he had accumulated over the years? None of this is clearly explained to us except that through certain reflections by Kratos on the gentleness, intelligence and strength of character of his wife, an image is created in the player and we end up having the impression of know his half. Yes, the story of God of War contrasts with that of the other opuses, because we are talking here about a family story, education so that Atreus does not repeat the mistakes of his father. If you hope to discover a story of gods, go your way. Certainly, the latter are present, however they do not constitute the central element of the story despite the journey of our heroes punctuated by confrontations against some of them.
No, God of War is indeed an entire episode dedicated to the Spartan and his son, to his new life and having managed to make him more human, despite his divine nature, was no easy task. Struggling constantly against this rage and this anger dormant in him (symbolized by Homeric and violent jousts at will), Kratos seeks this time a kind of redemption through Atreus which he will try to protect by hiding his past in order to preserve it from 'a future that brought him to the man he is. Here too, everything makes sense and we will note on this subject that the reactions of the child remain credible, both in his outbursts of joy than in anger or his propensity to stand up to his father and even to tickle him about his nature solitary.
We also salute the quality of the secondary characters like Brok and Sindri, two dwarves with opposite personalities who will offer us their talent as blacksmiths, but also and above all Mimir. The latter brings a breath of fresh air and perfectly complements the starting duo in order to transform it into a trio with perfect alchemy. It should also be mentioned that in addition to being the thinking head (literally as well as figuratively) of the group, Mimir will never be stingy with small well-felt reflections on Kratos before becoming a real guide by telling several Nordic legends to perfect the knowledge of Atreus, but also of the player. Clever and very representative of this God of War where everything is linked, scenario as gameplay.
AN EVOLUTION WITH MEANING
It is, moreover, the coherence of the universe that commands respect. Everything in God of War makes sense, everything is interconnected and thought out in order to prolong the pleasure of the game. So just the gigantic hub that forms the Lake of Nine will open the way to several side quests which, without being exciting , will allow you to visit new places as sublime as those glimpsed during the main quest. We will also welcome the way to bring these little extras, either through the dwarfs asking for services, treasure maps, specters asking for our help or Atreus very often pushing his father to go explore. Logical considering the impetuosity of the boy and practical to remind the player that there is no hurry, that he has time to go at his own pace. As a kind of leitmotif, this God of War likes to take its time thanks to a more open, more contemplative universe or more difficult fights requiring the players to use all the subtleties of gameplay to get out of it without too many bumps.Thus, without presenting itself as an open world (which it is not), God of War offers a huge playground that we love to discover, visit, appreciate especially when around a few strokes of the oar, we enter a magnificent cave or land on a hidden beach leading to a port that still bears the marks of past wars. Although the system of dimensional gates would undoubtedly have benefited from being a little better thought out, let us recognize that passing or passing by certain environments does not interfere. Indeed, in addition to the beauty of the places never ceasing to amaze, obtaining new powers and abilities will allow us thereafter to access places previously inaccessible. A great classic, but which is done here inside a universe that we like to (re) discover again and again offering moreover a much longer lifespan than that of the previous opus.
NORDIC MYTHOLOGY FROM THE WEST
It was enough to allow the artists of Santa Monica to give free rein to their vivid imagination. If the bestiary seems slightly less consistent than those of other opus, most creatures impose, from the troll through the werewolf or the vagabonds, stuck in their armor and lethal to the point of making each of these meetings pieces of anthology. Of course, this also goes through special effects and staging skillfully using slow motion in order to accentuate the fury of Kratos and the power of his shots.Drawing on all that is concealed in the Nordic cosmogony, the developers have created a masterpiece captivating with its sumptuous panoramas and its interiors with marked tones embellished by sublime plays of light. Whether in Midgard, Helheim, Muspellheim, the enchantment is constant and crossing the ice in an icy expanse before an immense giant lying for centuries has something to mark the spirits. We thus find all the strengths of the saga which is adorned in addition to a much more contemplative dimension going wonderfully to the displacement system allowing to travel at its own pace, mainly in a boat, to take advantage of each place available to us or waiting for us to dock there.
RETHINK A GAMEPLAY
If the artistic aspect is therefore difficult to criticize and history, logic and mastery will surely be subject to fiery debates, what about the gameplay? Here too, the developers have only improved what already existed even if it will be necessary to accept the camera system which swaps the overall plans for a closer angle in order to literally immerse the player in action. However, if it is undeniable that the choice is surprising for a God of War, everything works perfectly. Already thanks to the indications of Atreus (then Mimir) who will inform us vocally about the presence of enemies behind our back. In addition to the rapid turnaround which will be one of the solutions for turning around, dodging will be another, just like the counter with the help of our shield. On this subject, this movement will have to be mastered very quickly because although it is possible to block most of the attacks, said counter allows to gain the upper hand on his opponent in order to place devastating combos. We also salute the system of arrows in yellow / red / purple colors (enemy presence, imminent attack and projectiles), always legible and very practical. Finally, if the impression of lack of responsiveness can hug us the first few minutes, it will take a few scuffles to feel comfortable with the gameplay.However, to fully enjoy the gameplay, it will be necessary to know how to analyze enemy patterns and above all to take advantage of unarmed and ax combat by constantly switching between the two to use the associated attacks or to be able to touch certain enemies insensitive to your weapon . Once we understand this, the clashes become exquisite, confusing for the old stranger broken in the series, but enjoyable, especially after a few hours of play when we start to unlock the skill trees at our disposal.
To do this, it will nevertheless be necessary to assimilate the system in which the evolution of weapons, of our equipment (torso, arms and legs) and the acquisition of the skills of Kratos and Atreus are here also connected. At first, you will have to collect materials and money from chests, by completing quests or eliminating enemies. We deplore all the same that certain materials are sometimes difficult to find for lack of information, especially when it comes to crafting some loots (too many), epic and legendary in mind. This will then be used to improve the level of your ax or the bow of Atreus. Once this is done, you will be able to unlock more and more skills (also requiring materials and EXP) which will be usable in combat. I would like to emphasize once again the usefulness of Atreus during brawls. Indeed, your son will assist you by unlocking certain passages during the adventure or by recovering experience thanks to his ability to decipher runes. He can also in the middle of a fight stun your opponents with his arrows or outright attack them by climbing on them. Very quickly, its presence becomes essential as the game is much more difficult than in the past even in Normal. I let you imagine what it can give in God of War, 4th and last level of difficulty. Bet won for Cory Barlog therefore because on the sidelines of the story justifying the presence of the child without ever giving us the impression of imposing it on us, its usefulness in combat is real even saving, especially when it obtains the possibility of bring us back to life after buying a resurrection stone.
In fact, Atreus does not curb the bestiality of the games, on the contrary, it offers the brutality of the finish moves and other sequences of his father a hint of "tactics" all proportion kept. By obliging us to correctly use each skill, the Rage mode (progressively rising while fighting with bare hands) and the abilities of the offspring, each confrontation becomes an exciting or even sometimes testing ordeal as certain enemies (including the color of the life bar) is proportional to their resistance) put pressure on us. So yes, the gameplay has evolved, it will be difficult to rally all the fans to its cause, however it does not deny its primary nature, this savagery, this ferocity that shows through with each blow.
FALSE OR REASONABLE?
Although qualifying God of War of all possible and unimaginable superlatives is tempting, and even taking into account its few ultimately unimportant faults, playing it is still the best way to realize the work done by Sony Santa Monica. Whether we are in phase or not with the orientation of this new component, one thing seems certain: it is impossible to love video games and to completely refute (except under false pretenses) this title. Never deviating from its guideline (and until its incredible end), intelligently supporting each choice of gameplay, playing with the expectations of the players (by giving them or not what they expect), this God of War marks a major milestone in the series and for beat'em all in general. Never feeling bound by the genre that defines it, this episode overcomes the limitations that the series had imposed on itself (for technical and style reasons) and dares to tell us a story covered in blood, guilt, but also of tenderness and hope. The best thing is that he gets there and that once the last page of this incunabula is closed, the urge to leaf through his suite mechanically embraces us. A sign from the gods certainly, but above all from those who do not deceive ...The notes
+ Positive points
Visually sumptuous
A very interesting reappropriation of Nordic mythology
More discreet soundtrack, but still perfectly used
Excellent lifespan (25h in a straight line, 40h with side quests)
The Kratos / Atreus relationship, poignant and funny at the same time
Mimir's character
A stunning sequence timeless storytelling
Excellent gameplay evolution
Several epic passages
An end auguring a very exciting potential sequel
Negative points
An overflow of equipment
Difficult to know where to find certain materials to craft epic and legendary loots
Kratos slices, cuts, but strikes above all in the heart of the player. Alternately fierce, contemplative, moving and funny, God of War redefines the eponymous series without refuting its past to which it is intimately linked by its history. No doubt this opus will not bring all the fans in agreement because according to expectations, the story of Kratos and Atreus will probably speak to you more or less. However, beyond the choices made at all levels by the developers, God of War exudes sincerity and remains a gigantic piece of bravery moved by its amazing narration and its fierce desire to evolve its hero while proposing an incredibly generous adventure . God of War had left its mark on the PS2 and PS3, this new component imposes itself on PS4 as the best beat'em all of the machine and incidentally the best current representative of the genre, nothing less.
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