If you want me to briefly summarize God of War, the only word that comes to mind is epic. For over 30 hours, you'll accompany Kratos and his son Atreus on an adventure that will take you from the calm waters of Midgard to the bone-chilling cold of Helheim; from battlefields where giants and gods clash to caves filled with the foul stench of vile creatures emerging from Hel. Along the way, you'll witness many legends from Norse mythology and stir up dust on cursed lands that should never be trodden. Most importantly, when you complete this extraordinary epic, you'll reflect on the adventure you've experienced and say to yourself, “This is one of the best games I've ever played.”

If you've been following God of War's press cycle, you might think you know many of the game's features and story details. After spending dozens of hours with the game, I discovered many side quests, activities, story details, and gameplay mechanics that developer Santa Monica Studio kept secret. To avoid spoiling your enjoyment of the game, I don't want to delve too deeply into the story in this article. All you need to know is that Kratos and Atreus are compelled to climb the highest peak in the Nine Realms for a reason.

God of War is a “complete” game in every sense of the word. What surprises me most is that a series with such a unique main character and action-packed gameplay could produce such a successful game despite taking such a different path. Two features cement this change. The first is the storytelling that brings Kratos and his son's adventure to our screens.

Kratos is not a paragon of perfection. He is a wounded soul who carries the traces of his past life (literally) on his shoulders. When he left one mythological realm behind and arrived in another, his sole aim was to live a quiet, peaceful life. Although he managed to fulfill this wish for a while with his wife Faye and son Atreus, for certain reasons, he finds himself alone with Atreus, with whom he has been unable to establish a father-son relationship. Atreus is a child trained by his mother, who knows how to fend for himself despite his young age. However, his relationship with Kratos consists solely of obeying his orders.

The Song of Blood and Ice

The second defining feature I mentioned above is in the game's combat mechanics. Forget the old games' Kratos with his camera set meters back, and the absurd combat sequences where you kill dozens of enemies at once. The new God of War isn't interested in that. One of the most important features of this game is how it portrays Kratos and Atreus's adventure and the bond between them in the most raw and impactful way possible. To achieve this, the combat mechanics and camera need to be a bit more personal. Now the camera is right behind Kratos, and the fights feel more personal. This personal touch is also supported by the game's “single-take” camera style. After pressing New Game at the start of the game, the camera doesn't cut away during cutscenes or loading screens. The entire game gives you the feeling that you are playing through the eyes of someone witnessing Kratos and Atreus' adventure firsthand. This choice wonderfully supports both the storytelling and the combat mechanics.

About 60% of the game takes place in the mortal realm of Midgard. The remaining portion involves visiting different realms and stepping foot on lands that have become the stuff of legends. I don't want to mention which realms you visit or under what conditions, as for me, the most enjoyable parts of the game were my visits to these realms. But don't expect a massive game area like the one in Midgard from every realm. Without going into too much detail, I can say that the game area in Midgard is detailed and encourages exploration.

The main area you'll find yourself in after the first five hours of the game is packed with challenges, side quests, surprises, and story fragments. Here, you can take on side quests from Brok and Sindri, enter previously inaccessible secret areas, search for loot on stranded ships; chase legends straight out of Norse mythology; or rescue creatures in need of your help. I estimate that doing everything in Midgard would take only about 30 hours.


In my opinion, this game is a masterpiece. I really wanted to play it back when I didn't own a PS4. It's not just about the gameplay; there's a ton of other stuff behind it. The actors, the development process, the overall GoW lore...
But that's a topic for another post :D