God of War - Playstation 4

One of the best (if not the best) games of this console generation so far.This is a dark, mature action adventure game that will last around ~20-30 hour game (with no filler content) depending on how much you explore, and difficulty level you selected with emphasis on quality over quantity.The game has a very nice pacing/progression system that feels very natural. The game does not hand hold you, or set you to your own devices; rather gives you enough information to figure things out on your ownDifferent from past God of War (GOW) games is that, this game is a over shoulder 3rd person view vs isometric view (camera with birds eye view panning in and out). The camera is very tight fixed, and behind kratos making it more grounded and personal. Entire game is pretty much one-shot (assuming you don't get any game over screen).The game has beautiful environment and the lighting is very impressive. It runs1080p 30fps on PS4 (original or slim)4k 30fps, and performance mode 1080 60fps (dips at times) on the PS4 ProIf you play on PS4 pro it's preferred you play at 30fps. The combat this time around is less combo based than past games, and more methodical as it's more about precision hits, quick turns*, and dodging; being aware of your surroundings due to the fixed over the shoulder view. So 60fps is not really necessary unless maybe you're playing on the hardest difficulty mode.* For quick turns there's a learning curve to keep form being disoriented during right corridors.Sound is amazing. Get your headset or home theater system ready because you're in for a treat as the game has really nice surround sound option. Does not support 3D audio in the PlayStation Platinum headset which is disapointing. Hope they add it in, in the future.Music typical for GOW games with drums, string instruments and orchestral vocals that really gets you pumped upThere are some audio ques that help unlock hidden items so keep an ear outInteraction/dialogue with kratos and his son feel very real and not dialed in or exaggerated. very nice banter between the two and other characters as well-Story:As mentioned before, very mature yet dark. The story is more narrative driven and has more character development than past games where you're just full of rage and kill everything in sight. Each character has complex motivations in what they're set out to doTakes place in Norse mythology instead of GeekThe main plot is that Kratos' wife has died and she wants her ashes spread from the highest mountainKratos takes his son with him on this journey and through a bonding experience they both grow stronger as they reach their final destination. the journey isn't that simple as it seems as there are twist and turns along the way and enemies they have to faceYou do get some insight on how Kratos reach this land after GOW3, but it's sprinkled throughout instead of one long expositionSide quests brings out lore of the game and also way to upgrade your skill treeThere are boat sections in the game where Kratos gives his son life lessons, conversely his son gives inside knowledge of the world he learned through observation/what he learned from his mother; which makes you more invested in the characters.-GameplayThe combat has a lot of layers/options to it.Instead of Quick Timed Events (QTE) there's a stun meter which which needs to be filled up for kratos make his signature final finishing moves on enemies. Feels very natural as you don't get a huge button prompt the middle of the screenI like how the core combat is mapped to the trigger buttons instead of the face buttons making combat feel more naturalThere's a skill tree that cater to how you want to play: defensive, offensive, focus on physical or magical attacks, range vs close combat, master a weapon over the other, etcYou can upgrade weapons and armor by collecting materialsKratos' main weapon this time around is the leviathan axe (very similar to Thor's (Marvel movies/comics) weapon Mjolnir) instead of his chained blades of chaos. You can throw the axe and have it call back to you like a boomerang. You can swing and throw the axe at enemies and fun to master as you have to judge the timing of when the axe will return to you as without your axe you may only have your bare fists to do battle till it comes backThere is some strategy involved especially in the higher difficulty settings. Some enemies are super effective against certain weapons/skills you have to be aware ofKrato's son comes along with you on the journey and is able to help with by stunning/detract enemies with an arrow which you can control the activation. Overtime as he becomes more experienced in combat more options are available. He'll also yell out tips when needed** or jump onto enemies to slow them down. Also you can view his journals after you defeat an enemy to find out hidden weaknesses**Seeing the camera is so tight, he'll give you tips you are not able to see at times due to blind spotsArmor and clothes can be crafted, purchased, or upgraded via dwarf blacksmiths in game . It changes krato's physical appearance in game. Some armor/clothing piece has slots for enchantments which effects statsEnemies attack you gorilla style as they can attack at anytime they want instead of gathering up in a circle and attacking one by one. Each enemy have different variety of skills, health, size, weakness and speedThere are backtracking at times that builds on exploration. Also the environments sometimes change when going back making the location feel different yet the same. There's also hidden areas you cannot access until you get a particular item giving the game this somewhat of a metriod-mania style to itThrough mini objectives like kills specific about of enemies to get exp rewardsSide quest gives you glimpse of story narrative, exp gain and or material. It doesn't feel like fetch quests or something you have to do to directly upgrade your character . There's no fluff and the side quests does not feel tacked on as it feels necessary, yet optionalYou'll naturally stumble onto some side quests as the map only shows an overview of the land with a compass that points you to your main objective. Fast travel is limited, making exploration in the forefront. There's not too many side quests making it feel open and direct at the same timeAs of this review, this is best PS4 game in my opinion. Sets a new standard for video games

For those of us who waited 8 long years to the follow up of what happened to Kratos after God Of War III your patience has been well rewarded in God Of War (Or Chronologically God Of War IV). My hat goes off to Both the Staff and Game Director, Craig Barlow of Santa Monica Studios for realizing that they needed to re-invent the God Of War Franchise but kept the previous history of the previous entries of the franchise, So going into the new game you can still have the feeling of the original narrative (which is mentioned frequently in this game) but move into the undiscovered mythology of the Norse Gods Lore which does not feel it had been retreaded (Basically where the franchise had gotten stale in both narrative and game mechanics by God Of War: Ascension).Narrative Background: About 15 to 20 years in the aftermath of the events of God War III we find Kratos cutting down a tree to make a funeral pyre for the mother of his 12 year old son Atreus who had passed away due to unknown circumstances just prior to beginning the game. Shortly after Kratos had started the funeral pyre, Kratos takes Atreus on a hunt to judge if he is ready to help carry out his mothers last request to take her ashes to the tallest peak of the Norse lands for her final resting place. Returning back to their home and failing to pass his fathers test a stranger mysteriously turns up at their doorstep revealing he is aware of Kratos's past and demands he turns over something that had been promised to him. After dealing with the stranger in familiar Kratos fashion, Kratos decides to go through with his mates last request earlier than he had wanted to, despite feeling his son was not completely ready for journey, leaves their home and travels to Midgard to complete his mates request and keep his son safe from this new threat. During the journey Kratos is forced to reconcile his past while trying to insure not to pass on the same mistakes to his son.Game Mechanics: As mentioned in the description the Game Mechanics of God Of War have been COMPLETELY re-invented from literally the ground up. The old "Side Scrolling" mechanics with the fixed camera has been completely removed (It was already looking dated by GOW III) and replaced with a third person system, so be prepared to re-learn the Dual Shock controls. Leveling and skills was also rebuilt as well to not only include Kratos but Atreus, along with buying improvements for either character with XP or Hacksilver (The in game money) found through out the game which can be redeem through 2 dwarf brothers that can buy improvements to your weapons and armor. Another big change is that the game is now Open Ended (After reaching Midgard) to where you can deviate from the main quest at any time to do side quests (Similar in vein to the Fallout and Fry Cry Franchises along with another one of Sony's other releases Horizon Zero Dawn) which is encouraged. Another addition to the new game is the active participation of your supporting character (Again similar in vein to both Naughty Dogs The Last Of Us and Irrational Games Bio Shock Infinite) which will aid you in battle and become more useful the more you upgrade him.1st play through: For you veteran gamers out there I would heavily recommend playing on the default setting especially in lieu of having to relearn the control layout, for the causal gamer I would recommend playing the "Narrative Experience" (Similar to Horizon Zero Dawn) which will emphasize on more of the story than challenge.Questionable Mini Games: For you God Of War Veterans that did or did not know already the "Sex" Mini Games are not present, so if you are a perv buying the game just for that reason then you will sorely be disappointed. Besides with the Father and Son Narrative Santa Monica Studios is going for it would not have fit anyways.Overall: Even if you have not played the previous titles in the God Of War franchise (and especially if you have) I can not put into words how much I recommend this game. The new Game Mechanics with the great narrative makes this game a must have.