The mythical and the visceral forging a violent spectacle of rage
God of War is a most barbarous take on the same sort of stylish action Devil May Cry pioneered. Opening with a sensational battle against one of myth’s fascinating creatures, the Hydra, the game immediately illustrates the kind of journey it has in store. Finding strength in the brutality of its animation, grit in its acoustics, and awe in its aesthetics, it is a complete experience. From its alpha to its omega, God of War is an exceptionally produced epic.
The story follows Kratos, a man tortured by his past and in service of the Gods of Olympus. Sickened by his servitude to Ares, the God of War, the tormented Kratos has decided to embark on a most brutal journey for his chance at redemption, to fell him. Violent and visceral as the action is, the quality writing is surprising, if full of angst. Kratos is effectively portrayed as an embodiment of the impulsive wrath, but a level of sympathy he probably doesn’t deserve is captured and displayed through his tragic backstory, which further stresses the lurking profundities surrounding his lust for vengeance.
Capturing the game’s raw brutality, the Blades of Chaos are weapons attached to chains branded and tied around Kratos’ forearms. They are his primary weapon throughout the game as he’s been cursed to wield them in the name of the gods. While it all sounds glum, they are quite fun to whip around at the hordes of soldiers, harpies and cyclops predestined to be left in your wake. Magical abilities supplement the action and other weapons can be acquired throughout Kratos’ journey, providing you more fun tools to play with, but by and large the combat is about using the Blades of Chaos effectively. The core gameplay doesn’t quite measure up to the best the genre has to offer, but it is certainly a worthy member of the discussion. Fights can be mashed out, but there’s still some technical bits to exploit and combos to execute.
Blended into the action are a healthy number of quick time events, which are for the most part used appropriately. It can be a drag to have to mash on buttons to open so many doors, but the prompts often give those more dramatic set piece moments that extra bit of punch to drop some jaws.
Outside of the action and set pieces, some of the more traditional adventure gameplay takes place. Breaks in the action come in the form of simple puzzles and simple platforming sections that will have Kratos climbing up cliff faces or crumbling buildings. There are plenty of opportunities to root around for upgrades to your weapons, magic or health. It’s a largely linear affair, but a finely tuned and properly paced one.
Even though it is well-paced, and that it’s interesting to learn about Kratos, and fun to look at as well as play, it’s hard to imagine God of War not falling apart without its ties to the ancient myths of Greece. It’s a treat to experience such ancient legends in such a well-realized new imagining. The setting is so integral to the experience in the way that it bleeds into the story, the themes and the gameplay, it pushes God of War forward as shining example of its importance.
Whether it’s the narrative or the gameplay, it’s all heavily bolstered by the game’s backdrop of Greek Mythology. Seeing and interacting with the Greek pantheon stresses God of War’s its epic qualities. Be it exploring ancient Greece, poking a cyclops in the eye or clipping a harpy’s wings, God of War brings to life the classic works of Homer. Clashing with the Hydra is just the right sort of spectacle to set the stage for what God of War has to offer. It’s the mythical and the visceral coming together to forge a marvel of rage and violence in all their splendor.
