NOTE: Our review has now been published.
The release date of the hot new God of War game is approaching, and critics seem impressed. The PlayStation exclusive is the first new entry in the series since God of War: Ascension on PS3, and it’s bringing some interesting changes to the hack and slash adventure game, including a revamped combat system and a greater focus on character development.
God of War still has Kratos as the main character, just like the other games in the series. This time, Kratos has moved to Midgard (Scandinavia) as he starts a new family and learns to control his anger. For much of the game, Kratos is accompanied by his son, Atreus, who helps him fight enemies and learns from him along the way.
Check out what some critics have to say about the new God of War below, and look out for A9K’s review soon. God of War launches exclusively on PS4 on April 20th.
IGN – 10/10
“I expected great action from God of War, and it delivers that handily. But I didn’t expect it to be a thrilling journey in which every aspect of it complements the others to form what is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s a game in which Kratos, a previously one-note character, becomes a complex father, warrior, and monster, embattled both on the field and within his own heart about how to treat his son; one in which the world opens up and shifts, offering rewards in both gameplay and knowledge of its lore that I treasured with each accomplishment. The obvious care that went into crafting its world, characters, and gameplay delivers by far the most stirring and memorable game in the series.”
GameSpot – 9/10
“In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It’s a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come.”
Polygon – 10/10
“A decade ago, director Cory Barlog helped establish the God of War franchise as an iconic gory and debaucherous video game romp. While its antihero, Kratos, had pathos (he killed his wife and daughter in a fit of rage, his skin forever grayed by their ashes), it served little dramatic purpose, rather existing as a grimdark excuse for his god-slaying and orgy-having ways. Barlog–now older, a father–has returned to the series with a bundle of talented designers, many of whom served on the earlier games, to make good on that rich but neglected potential at its core. There’s still plenty of gore, but the now the guts have meatiness.”
Game Informer – 9.75/10
“Years ago, Kratos killed the deities of Mount Olympus in a gory rampage. Now, in the Norse realm, he has remade himself into a different kind of god. He is quieter and more deliberate, affected by his history but not constrained by it. Kratos’ reinvention serves as a narrative hook, but it also parallels the series’ evolution as a whole; where God of War once relied on bombast and bloodlust, now it leaves space for strategy and nuance. It still has superb action and plenty of jaw-dropping moments, but it supports them with a new level of depth and maturity. God of War learns from its past while clearing an exciting path for the future, and emerges as one of the best games of this generation.”
Eurogamer – Recommend
“Like Kratos, the god of fury who must learn not to fear his son, this is a strange beast, really. The latest technology and astonishing craft and artistry are employed to deliver a game of extremely simple pleasures–a wash of new pseudo-ideas that cannot hide the fact that the basics remain unfixed because they were not broken. God of War dresses things up, in other words, but it is ultimately the same deal it always was. As is the way with myths, I guess. As is the way with gods.”
US Gamer – 5/5
“God of War starts ‘new’ and finds its footing before it begins to blend in the ‘old’. And it works. By the time everything finishes up, Sony Santa Monica has set God of War on a new path. It’s a strong one that hints at further adventures in other places, even if players won’t be going there anytime soon. When God of War: Ascension dropped, the series felt trapped in what came before, but with God of War 2018, the possibilities seem endless.”
