Okay, so it’s more than a little weird to see the guy who’s guilty of, in no particular order, ripping off a guy’s legs and pummeling him to death with them, incinerating an innocent soldier to solve a puzzle and gouging out the eyes of the guy who created the universe — furrow his brow and struggle with the challenging role of… solo dad.
But here we are, 13 years into the gory reign of Kratos, star of the PlayStation’s long-running God of War series, watching the Ghost of Sparta dropping curt, motivational dad-nuggets on Atreus, his bow-wielding, eager offspring.
“Do not be sorry, BOY.”
“Be better.”
That this feels both honest and natural is one of the most shocking things about God of War, Santa Monica Studios’ reimagined sequel to Kratos’ story for the PlayStation 4. Not only is this a beautifully staged, balls-out action game with tons of customization and role-playing strategy elements, but it actually (gasp!) tells a deep and moving story as well. Now that’s a Herculean first.
Having slaughtered nearly every possible deity and demigod in the Greek pantheon over the course of six major PlayStation releases (two on the PlayStation 2, two on the PlayStation 3 and two on the PlayStation Vita), a now heavily bearded Kratos has retreated into Norse territory, where he and his young son Atreus are living in seclusion, mourning the recent loss of his second wife. Naturally, his rage-fueled and bloody past catches up with him, putting him and Atreus on the run to fulfill his wife’s dying wish.
God of War on the PS2 was blood-soaked and entertaining, but its most memorable accomplishment was creating a real sense of scale, even though its action was largely on rails — you’d be clinging to a wall in a burning village and see an enormous enemy wreaking havoc in the distance, foreshadowing your next boss battle. God of War on the PS4 manages the same type of thing in a very different way. The game is shot in a single, over-the-shoulder camera view that never breaks away — not for a single second — immersing you in a gorgeous, detailed world that rewards patient, painstaking exploration. And not just to find the trunks with various talismans and trinkets that amp Kratos into an even more unstoppable killing machine. Careful poking around leads to major story paths and boss fights that the all-axes-blazing crowd will completely miss as they sprint toward the next throwdown. Hanging around to hear the ends of NPC conversations — or the Norse tales spun by the disembodied NPC who becomes your sort-of spirit guide — enfold you deeper in the lore of a meaningful adventure. If you really want to feel at one with the Midgard wilderness, dial up the game’s immersive mode, which drop-kicks the HUD the way Kratos drop-kicked wolves in God of War 3.
Atreus, meanwhile, isn’t just some annoying sidekick you’re stuck having to babysit. Not only can he and his arrows distract enemies, giving you a chance to divide and conquer (or pummel and pulverize, if you prefer), but against certain foes, he’s the only one who can even inflict damage. He’s also the only one who can read the Nordic runes painted on the rocks you’ll pass. Let’s hear it for the value of a classical education.
Most of the Kratos-loving crowd is here for the bone-crushing action, and they certainly won’t be disappointed — the Ghost of Sparta wields his Leviathan Axe like Mjolnir, whipping it around the battlefield like he’s rocking a deadly game of Ultimate. They may even appreciate the way Kratos drags ass after multi-stage boss battles, echoing the exhaustion/exhilaration you’ll feel after surviving them yourself. The fun’s in the details, and it’s also in the destruction.
Santa Monica Studios waited a whopping five years between God of War games — that’s enough for like six Assassin’s Creed games — and that patient, back-to-the-drawing-board gestation has given us not just the best game in the series, but one of the best games on the platform.
God of War is rated M and available for PlayStation 4 at $59.99.
