God of War (2018 video game)

God of War is a third-person action-adventure video game. It features an over-the-shoulder free camera, a departure from the previous installments, which featured a fixed cinematic camera (with the exception of 2007's two-dimensional side-scroller Betrayal).[6] Cinematographically, the game is presented in a continuous shot, with no camera cuts or loading screens.[7] Although the previous main installment, Ascension (2013), introduced multiplayer to the series, this installment is single-player-only.[4] Regarding the level structure, director Cory Barlog said "it's open, but it is not an open world."[8] Due to its openness, a fast travel feature is unlocked later in the game.[9] Swimming, an ability in previous games, was cut;[10] players instead use a boat to traverse bodies of water.[9] Unlike previous games, which allowed players to jump freely at anytime, jumping can now only be done at designated areas, such as at a rockface or ledge. Throughout the game, players battle Norse mythological foes, like dark elves, wulvers, draugrs,[11] as well as Gullveig and the revenants, beings warped by seiðr magic, among many others.[12] Valkyries appear as optional boss battles. Among the many side quests, players can free the imprisoned dragons Fáfnir, Otr, and Reginn—dwarfs who were turned into dragons—in addition to battling one called Hræzlyr, a story-based boss battle.[9][13]

A GIF showing Kratos throwing the Leviathan Axe to magically freeze an enemy draugr in place, allowing Kratos to easily attack it. The in-game HUD can be seen in the bottom left and right corners. The left shows information for Kratos, such as his health and what runic attacks are equipped. The right shows similar information for Atreus.

The player controls the character Kratos in combo-based combat and puzzle game elements. The gameplay is vastly different from previous games, as it was completely rebuilt.[8] A major change is that Kratos no longer uses his signature double-chained blades, the Blades of Chaos, as his default weapon. Instead, he uses a magical battle axe, called the Leviathan Axe,[14] which is infused with ice elemental magic. The axe can be thrown at enemies and magically summoned back to his hand (like Thor's hammer Mjölnir). Larger enemies have precision targets, and throwing the axe at those targets stuns the enemy. The weapon can also be thrown at environmental objects to trigger a damaging explosion. It can freeze objects and some enemies in place for puzzle solving until the axe is summoned back to Kratos' hand. The axe has standard light and heavy attacks. Over time, it can be upgraded with runes to allow for magical runic attacks, with one slot being for a light magical attack and the other for a heavy one. This provides players with a variety of options to cater to their own play style.[15] Another new weapon that Kratos utilizes is the Guardian Shield. When not in use, it folds up and appears like a vambrace on his left forearm. When summoned, the shield can be used offensively or defensively, similar to the Golden Fleece in previous games.[16] Kratos also utilizes hand-to-hand combat, a feature originally introduced in Ascension.[6] The Blades of Chaos, infused with fire elemental magic, is acquired later in the game via a plot device and performs in a similar manner as in previous installments—it is a pair of blades attached to chains that can be swung around in various maneuvers. The weapon can also be upgraded with magical runic attacks.[17]

As in the earlier games, there is a "Rage" ability, with this one called Spartan Rage. Like the previous versions, the Rage ability has a meter that gradually fills during combat. With this ability, Kratos uses powerful bare-handed attacks, as opposed to weapons, to greatly damage enemies. The game also features role-playing video game (RPG) elements.[6][18] There are crafting resources for the player to find that allows them to create new or upgrade existing armor with better perks.[19] Players also accumulate a currency called Hacksilver, a key component in crafting and purchasing new items. Experience points (XP) are used for learning new combat skills.[18] Throughout the game world, players find chests containing random items, such as enchantments for improving armor and weapons, as well as the Hacksilver currency. There are also two special items, Iðunn's Apples and Horns of Blood Mead, which increase the maximum length of the health and rage meters, respectively. These are replenished by green and red orbs dropped by downed foes and found throughout the game world.[20] Quick time events have changed from previous games.[8] Enemies display two meters above their heads, one for health (the color of which indicates the enemy's difficulty) and the other for stun. Filling the stun meter helps to defeat more difficult enemies. When the stun meter is full, a grab-prompt will appear. Depending on the enemy, Kratos may rip it in half or grab them and throw them into other enemies, among other possible outcomes.[21]

Although the game is played entirely as Kratos,[22] there are times when the player may choose to passively control his son, Atreus. One button is dedicated to Atreus, and its use depends on the context. For example, if the player needs assistance, they can look at an enemy, press the button, and Atreus will use his Talon Bow to shoot arrows at the enemy.[23] The arrows have little effect on an enemy's health, but do increase the stun meter.[21] Over the course of the game, Atreus helps in combat, traversal, exploration, and puzzle-solving. When facing a large number of enemies, he distracts the weaker ones as Kratos fights the stronger ones.[19] If too many enemies gang up on Atreus, he is knocked out for the remainder of that combat. Atreus also acquires new skills, armor, and runic attacks, as well as special arrows, such as lightning arrows, for his Talon Bow, which only has one slot instead of two. Atreus' runic attacks summon different spectral animals with different abilities. For example, one summons a wolf that attacks enemies, while another summons the squirrel Ratatoskr that will dig up orbs for the health and rage meters.[20]

The Santa Monica Studio team behind God of War at the 2019 Game Developers Choice Awards

Development on the next God of War began in 2014. This was confirmed by Santa Monica Studio's creative director Cory Barlog at the first annual PlayStation Experience on December 6, 2014. Barlog said the game was in very early development, and it would not be a prequel, but possibly a reboot.[28] In April 2016, Polygon reported that concept art of the next installment had been leaked. The images showed Kratos in the world of Norse mythology; a concept originally considered by series creator David Jaffe after Kratos eliminated the Greek gods.[29] The game's official announcement came at the 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) with a gameplay demo that confirmed the concept art to be true. The demo showed a fully bearded Kratos with a son; Kratos was teaching the boy how to hunt. The pair also battled a troll. The end of the demo showed the title God of War and confirmed it was in development for the PlayStation 4.[1][6] The E3 announcement confirmed Barlog had returned to the series as game director for the new installment. He was a major contributor to the development of the God of War series since the original installment in 2005, notably as the director of God of War II (2007). This new installment was his fifth God of War game.[23]

Barlog said the game was deliberately titled God of War with no numeral or subtitle because although it is a continuation of the series, "we are reimagining everything."[24][22] Head of Santa Monica Studio, Shannon Studstill, and Barlog said that Sony Interactive Entertainment had to be convinced to do another God of War game as many people at Sony wanted the series to "sleep and rest" due to the lackluster response to the previous game, Ascension.[30] In explaining why Barlog was brought back, Studstill said he knew the series very well, "and bringing in someone that understands that history is the respect the franchise deserves."[10] Barlog followed up with "You gotta know the rules to break the rules."[10] Series creator David Jaffe was also considered but was unavailable.[31]

In explaining the transition from Greek mythology to Norse mythology, Barlog said: "it's kind of this BC–AD change over kind of thing. We're moving and starting from zero and kind of moving forward on that."[24][22] Before settling on Norse mythology, Egyptian mythology was also considered. Barlog said that half of the team was for it, but since "there's a lot more about civilization – it's less isolated, less barren", he had to make the decision and decided on the Norse setting because they wanted the focus to stay on Kratos: "Having too much around distracts from that central theme of a stranger in a strange land."[25] To explain why Kratos was now in the Norse world, Barlog said that different cultures' belief systems coexisted, but they were "separated by geography", suggesting that Kratos traveled from Greece to Norway (Scandinavia) after the conclusion of God of War III.[32] Clarifying the conclusion of that game, Barlog said Kratos did not destroy what was believed to be the entire world, but only the portion ruled over by the Greeks.[9] Barlog said the new game predates the Vikings; it is the time when their gods walked the Earth.[23][25] It was also confirmed that this would not be Kratos' last game.[4] Barlog said future games could see the series tackling Egyptian or Mayan mythology,[30] and although this game focuses on Norse mythology, it alludes to the fact there are other mythologies co-existing in the world.[33] Barlog also said he liked the idea of having different directors for each game as had happened with the first seven. He said that although he might not direct another God of War, he would still be at Santa Monica to work on future games.[9]

Most of the development team that worked on the original God of War worked on the new installment.[24] They claimed they matched the new gameplay with the same level of accessibility as the previous installments.[8] It was confirmed that the game would not feature any morality system or branching story; all players have the same story experience. The developers also confirmed that some of the more controversial mini-games found in previous entries (such as the sex mini-game) would not return.[24] The enemy count was increased to up to 100 enemies on-screen; God of War III and Ascension had up to 50.[24] Some gameplay characteristics such as jumping, swimming, and instant-death platforming challenges found in the previous installments were cut because of the camera being closer to Kratos.[10] Although the previous installment, Ascension, introduced multiplayer to the series, the team decided to drop it and focus on the single-player experience.[5] In changing the gameplay, Studstill said, "I felt like, in order to reinvent, we really needed to turn a lot of things around."[34] In regard to the camera change, Barlog said they wanted a more intimate and player-controlled experience.[8]

The entire game was done in a single shot with no camera cuts; there are no loading screens or fade-to-black between gameplay and cutscenes.[19] Barlog said about forty percent of the team did not originally agree with this decision due to the increased work and production to implement the feature, especially since this was the first time that a one-shot technique was being used for a three-dimensional AAA game. This meant Barlog had no examples to show if this would work or was a good idea. (The only other game to fully utilize this technique was the indie game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, which also began development in 2014 and was released eight months before God of War.[35]) After the game was finished and the team got to play through it, Barlog said they finally understood his vision and said it was a feature they should use from now on.[36] Barlog had originally pitched the idea for a one-shot camera while he was at Crystal Dynamics working on 2013's Tomb Raider, but was turned down. Sony, however, was much more supportive of Barlog's creative ideas.[37]

Explaining Kratos' axe, lead gameplay designer Jason McDonald, who had worked on the series since the original game, said the axe was chosen because they wanted a more grounded direction for the game. Initially, they were unsure how to make it unique, like how the double-chained blades were. After they came up with the concept of throwing the axe and having it return to Kratos, "things started to fall into place."[38] McDonald said that combat with the axe is a little slower than the blades, "but it's just as fluid and just as brutal as it's ever been."[38] Barlog took inspiration from Dark Souls (2011), which influenced the game's combat system, particularly its gameplay loop and strategic decision-making,[39] as well as the game's approach to storytelling.[40] In addition, designers Anthony DiMento and Luis Sanchez revealed how God of War's level design and exploration was influenced by Bloodborne (2015). They wanted to "just have the world breathe a little bit" and expand upon player discovery by including "micro-loops where you're unlocking paths, unlocking shortcuts" that gave purpose.[41] DiMento said that a team dedicated to focusing on the game's exploration was formed. One challenge was creating quests in a world that did not have non-playable characters outside of the core narrative. DiMento said, "I set out to create a quest giver that was light-weight, but also flexible enough to be used in multiple locations, while providing a varied suite of quest activities." This resulted in the "wayward spirits" (ghosts with ties to the world) found throughout the game. Having the spirits tell their stories "made [the world] feel more alive". The developers ended up with a four-tiered system for side quests: the top tier quests were from the characters Brok and Sindri, the next level from wayward spirits, then treasure maps and artifacts, and the bottom tier were milestones, such as destroying all of Odin's ravens. Brok and Sindri's quests were made into dungeons while the others were used for exploration. The developers also had to find the reasons that would motivate Kratos to undertake these quests. For Brok and Sindri, it was to obtain more powerful gear, but for the wayward spirits, it was because of Atreus' naiveté and kind-hearted nature, as well as opportunities for Kratos to teach him a lesson.[13]

Barlog and lead level designer Rob Davis were also influenced by the Resident Evil series, particularly Resident Evil 4's "combination of poised camera exploration and scavenging" and Resident Evil 7's "strong vision" from a team making "bold decisions, and actually have the audience follow them." Barlog also noted how there was initial disagreement over the camera distance. He wanted it close whereas the combat team wanted it farther away like the Assassin's Creed and Batman: Arkham games; he eventually encouraged the team to go with a close camera.[42]

Unlike the previous games, Santa Monica did not make a demo specifically for public release. Barlog explained that doing so would have delayed the game by a couple of months.[43] He also confirmed the game was built for the standard PlayStation 4[43] but would "benefit from the power" of the PlayStation 4 Pro; an updated version of the PlayStation 4 that can render games in 4K and was released a few months after God of War was announced.[44] Players with a Pro have the option to favor resolution or favor performance when playing the game. Favoring resolution runs the game in 4K with checkerboard rendering at a target frame rate of 30 frames per second (fps), while the performance option runs the game at 1080p and targets 60fps.[45] In late December 2016, Barlog confirmed the game was playable from start to finish,[46] and later said its story would take 25–35 hours to complete. This is significantly more than the previous four main installments, which each took an average of 10 hours to complete.[47]

A new trailer was shown at E3 2017, featuring new gameplay, cinematics, and characters. In it, Kratos was shown using a shield that he could use offensively and defensively. At one point, Kratos finds a Greek vase with himself on it, wielding his infamous double-chained blades. During the trailer, an unnamed woman warned Kratos about the Norse gods, as they knew what he did to the Greek gods, while a pair of wolves were also shown. The trailer ended with Kratos and Atreus encountering the World Serpent. Atreus was able to translate what it said, which was that it wanted to help the pair. It was confirmed that the game would release in early 2018.[16] Until the game's launch, Santa Monica included a section on the God of War website titled "The Lost Pages", detailing some of the lore of God of War's Nordic world.[14] In January 2018, the game's release date was confirmed for April 20, 2018. A trailer was also released that showed that the character Mímir from the mythology would have a role in the game.[48] God of War went gold on March 22.[49]

Characterization

Christopher Judge does the voice and cinematic motion capture for Kratos in the game, replacing longstanding voice actor T.C. Carson, who had voiced Kratos since the original 2005 game, and also did the motion capture for him in 2013's Ascension.

During early development, there was talk of having a different protagonist for the game. Some of the team said that Kratos was "annoying" and felt Kratos' story had run its course. Barlog said it took a lot of convincing to keep Kratos.[50] Referencing the Nintendo character Mario and the Mario games, Barlog said that like Mario, "Kratos is intrinsically tied" to the God of War series.[23] In regard to the new changes, Barlog said that:

I knew I didn't want to simply reboot the franchise, starting over with a retelling of the origin story. I wanted to reimagine the gameplay, give players a fresh perspective and a new tactile experience while delving deeper into the emotional journey of Kratos to explore the compelling drama that unfolds when an immortal demigod makes a decision to change.[51]

Barlog explained that Kratos had to change his cycle of violence and learn to control his rage. He said Kratos had made many bad decisions, which led to the destruction of Olympus. He wanted to know what would happen if Kratos made a good decision. The birth of Barlog's own son influenced the idea of Kratos' character change.[51] The canceled live-action Star Wars television series was also an influence.[52] The bond between Kratos and his son is at the heart of the game. Barlog said, "This game is about Kratos teaching his son how to be a god, and his son teaching Kratos how to be human again."[19] Referencing the Marvel Comics character Hulk, Barlog said that in regards to Kratos, "We've already told the story of The Hulk. We want to tell the story of [Bruce] Banner now."[19] One of their goals was to make Kratos "a more nuanced and interesting character."[53] In changing the narrative focus, Studstill said, "I think we inherently knew the franchise needed to evolve in that emotional beat and be something meatier for the older generation of gamers."[53]

Christopher Judge, best known as Teal'c from Stargate SG-1, replaced Terrence C. Carson as the voice of Kratos; Carson had voiced Kratos since the original God of War. Commenting on the change, Carson said, "Sony went in a new direction."[54] Barlog explained that the way the previous games were made, they were able to have someone else do the motion capture instead of the voice actor. Although Carson had done the motion capture for Kratos in Ascension, Barlog said the actor change was made because of the type of camera work they wanted to do. For the new camera work, they needed someone who was closer to Kratos' size to do the motion capture along with a child. Carson was unsuitable for this because he was much shorter than Kratos, who is over 6-feet tall: "Offsetting [Carson's height] for the size of a child, it turned out it was going to be almost impossible to try and actually shoot them and go in and redo the animations."[55] Judge was chosen because he was 6-foot-3 and had the body of a professional football player. He was also chosen because of the chemistry with his then-10-year-old co-star, Sunny Suljic, who plays Kratos' son Atreus; Suljic's opinion was also sought in making the decision, and out of all the auditions, he liked Judge the most. The two bonded well, and Judge described his time with Suljic as time he had missed with his own children. In stepping into the role of Kratos, Judge took it as an opportunity to add something new to the character. He researched the character and Carson's performance but decided not to imitate it. Since Santa Monica was going in a new direction, he decided to start fresh. Judge was thrown off when he first read the script, saying it "was a real script", and not just "a way to get into battles."[55] He said, "it was really this great story of this relationship and this crazy mythology."[55] While Judge did all of Kratos' motion capture for the cinematic scenes, stuntman Eric Jacobus did all of Kratos' combat motion capture; Jacobus was found by God of War's animators on YouTube. Instead of going directly to Santa Monica to audition, he recorded an audition tape and they hired him immediately.[56]

During E3 2016, GameSpot mistakenly reported that Kratos' son's name was Charlie, which Barlog laughingly denied.[57] In January 2017, after a fan downloaded the God of War overture and saw the track's details that said, "An introduction to Kratos and Atreus", Barlog confirmed on Twitter that Atreus was in fact the son's name.[58] Barlog said Atreus was unaware that Kratos was a demigod and did not know about his past.[4] They did not reveal details of Atreus' mother before the release because she was a critical part of the story.[24] Barlog said that during gameplay, Atreus would be "like magic, an additional combat resource, and [the player is] training him and teaching him."[23] The developers said Atreus would not be a burden during gameplay.[14] The team experimented with several different approaches for Atreus to ensure he was an empowering presence. Barlog said he did not want the game to be an escort-mission where the A.I. caused a problem for the player. Their goal was for Atreus to enhance Kratos' capabilities without becoming a liability. This resulted in the developers designating a command button for Atreus as well as for him to act freely.[21] During combat, Atreus was also designed to call out enemy locations. Since the camera was closer to Kratos, some enemies might be difficult for the player to see. Jason McDonald said it took a lot of iterations with the enemies and Atreus to make it all work together.[38]

Early in development, it was suggested that Atreus be cut, or his role significantly reduced because of the many developmental challenges and their costs. Barlog stated the game could have worked without Atreus, but it would have been completely different, likening it to the 2013 film All Is Lost. Barlog said that with just Kratos, it would have been "one character who talks to himself occasionally, but generally, it will be very silent and everyone will talk in old Norse, so that you won't understand anything anybody's saying."[59] After hearing Barlog's case, Sony gave him the freedom to incorporate Atreus. Lead level designer Rob Davis also noted that with Atreus, it allowed for "significant gameplay and storytelling opportunities that might not otherwise [have been] possible."[59] After God of War was revealed at E3 2016, it drew comparisons to Naughty Dog's The Last of Us (2013), a game that also featured a father-child type story and gameplay. Barlog felt it was "fantastic" to be compared to that game and found it odd that some people considered the similarities a negative thing. Although he did not directly state they were influenced by The Last of Us in developing God of War, he did say, "I think we're all inspired by each other."[60] He did, however, use The Last of Us as an example to show the development team how an in-game companion could work without the game becoming an escort-mission.[50]

God of War (PlayStation Soundtrack) was released on April 20, 2018, by Sony Classical Records. It was composed by Bear McCreary, who is best known for his work on television shows like Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead.[61] McCreary was called into Santa Monica Studio in November 2014 to meet with music producers Peter Scaturro and Keith Leary to discuss "a secret project"; McCreary had previously collaborated with Scaturro and Leary on 2011's SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs. Ideas of folk music, mythology, Nordic ethnic instruments, vocal writing, and classical thematic development were discussed; McCreary correctly guessed that the discussions were about a new God of War. McCreary met with Barlog early on to discuss his narrative vision for the game. After meeting with him, McCreary felt the franchise was in good hands because God of War II, which Barlog also directed, was his favorite installment.[62]

During the initial discussions, McCreary realized he needed to compose completely new music for the game and not reuse any previous music from the series.[63] He said that although he loved those games, he "would not describe them as emotionally dynamic."[64] Based on his memory of the earlier games' music, however, he was inspired by their sounds, such as "deep choirs, pounding drums, and shrieking brass", and reinvented them for the Nordic setting.[63] To ensure the music represented the setting, McCreary spent months researching and listening to Viking folk music,[64] which resulted in him using "exotic instrumentation and languages from various Northern European folk traditions."[63] He also wanted the score to be huge and varied, "full of peaks and valleys, tiny incantations and gigantic set pieces."[64] The main Kratos theme in particular features low orchestral instruments, an Icelandic choir, deep male vocals, powerful female vocals (in particular Faroese singer Eivør Pálsdóttir), folk percussion, and Nordic stringed instruments, like the nyckelharpa and hurdy gurdy.[62] The track "Witch of the Woods" uses a renaissance and baroque instrument called a viola da gamba, which is an ancestor of the modern cello. The Stranger's theme, found in the track "Deliverance", uses a Hardanger fiddle.[65]

The first theme composed for the game was "Memories of Mother". McCreary said the theme itself was not originally for Atreus' mother Faye but was for Kratos himself. His initial sketches were different variations of this melancholy tune. After the game had gone into full production, McCreary and the development team realized it was "too sad and lyrical to represent Kratos." McCreary stepped away from this theme and focused on writing a new one, or what he called the Kratos Theme, which he felt was more representative of the character: "masculine, relentless, and badass".[63] He spent several months working with Barlog, Scaturro, Leary, Sony music director Chuck Doud, and the rest of the development team to make this new theme. McCreary described it as "arguably one of my most structurally satisfying and catchy melodies."[62] After further scoring, McCreary realized that Faye would require a theme, and his original one was "exactly [what] I needed." This melody was woven throughout several scenes and is featured as prominently in the game as Kratos' theme.[63] The three-note Kratos theme is most obviously heard in the title track, "God of War".[65]

When it was decided that God of War would be revealed at E3 2016, Sony wanted McCreary to perform his original score with a live orchestra at the press conference. McCreary opened the show with the new main theme before the unveiling of God of War and performed the gameplay demo's music live during the presentation.[62] On January 13, 2017, a live recording from E3 2016 of God of War's overture was released for a limited time free of charge. Barlog released the overture as a thank you to fans for God of War's E3 2016 trailer reaching fifteen million views on YouTube.[66]

The game was released worldwide on April 20, 2018, for the PlayStation 4.[48] In addition to the standard base game, there were three special editions: the Stone Mason Edition, the Collector's Edition, and the Digital Deluxe Edition. Only available in the United States and Canada, the Stone Mason Edition came with several physical items, including: the base game in a SteelBook case, a 9-inch (230 mm) statue of Kratos and Atreus created by Gentle Giant, 2-inch (51 mm) carvings of the Huldra Brothers, a horse, and a troll, an exclusive lithograph, a cloth map, a stone mason's ring, and a keychain of Mímir's head that talks. There was a variety of downloadable content (DLC), including an exclusive shield skin, as well as an armor set and another shield skin for Kratos, a PlayStation 4 dynamic theme, a digital artbook, and God of War #0 by Dark Horse Comics.[67] The Collector's Edition came with many of the same items, minus the ring, the keychain, the carvings of the horse and troll, and the exclusive shield skin. The Digital Deluxe Edition came with all the digital content, minus the exclusive shield skin. U.S. and Canadian customers also received a Kratos and Atreus pin for pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe Edition. Pre-orders at select retailers received three skins for Kratos' shield. Pre-orders from GameStop or EB Games also received the "Luck of Ages XP Talisman", granting increased XP gain, increased Hacksilver gain, and increased ability to trigger perks.[68]

In addition to the special editions of the game, a Limited Edition PlayStation 4 Pro bundle was available the same day as the game's release. The bundle included the standard base game, a PlayStation 4 Pro console decorated with the runes as on Kratos' axe, and a similarly themed DualShock 4 controller with the God of War logo.[69] Among the digital content in the collector's editions was God of War #0 from Dark Horse Comics. The four-part miniseries began publishing monthly with Issue #1 in November 2018. Written by Chris Roberson with art by Tony Parker, it takes place between the events of God of War III and the 2018 game.[70][71]

Game Director Cory Barlog confirmed that God of War would not have microtransactions post-launch, a feature that had become prominent with other games and criticized.[72] Barlog also confirmed there would not be any post-release DLC, like an expansion pack. He said he had pitched an idea for DLC, "but it was too ambitious". His idea was similar in scope to that of The Last of Us: Left Behind and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, large standalone expansions for The Last of Us (2013) and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016), respectively. He said it would have been too big to be DLC, warranting its own standalone release.[73]

Since launch, Santa Monica has supported the game with patch updates to address software bugs. As well, the developers have added new features along with these free updates. A Photo Mode was released as part of update patch 1.20 on May 9, 2018. It allows players to take customized in-game screenshots. Players can adjust the field of view, depth of view, filters, borders, the visibility of characters, and the ability to change the facial expressions of Kratos and Atreus.[74] A New Game Plus mode was released as part of update patch 1.30 on August 20, 2018. To access the mode, players must have completed the game at any difficulty level. The mode itself can be played at any difficulty, but enemies are at a higher level with new maneuvers. All obtained items carry over to New Game Plus, and there are new resources to further upgrade gear, which also have new rarity levels. The option to skip cutscenes was also added.[75][76][77]

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic 94/100[92] Review scores Publication Score Destructoid 10/10[93] EGM 9.5/10[94] Game Informer 9.75/10[95] GameRevolution [96] GameSpot 9/10[97] GamesRadar+ [98] Giant Bomb [99] IGN 10/10[100] Polygon 10/10[101] The Guardian [102] USgamer [103]

God of War received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic,[92] tying it with the original God of War for the highest score in the franchise.[104] It has the fourth-highest score of all-time for a PlayStation 4 game, and the highest score for an original, non-remastered PlayStation 4 exclusive.[105] It was the highest rated PlayStation 4 game of 2018 until the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in October, which pushed God of War to second.[106] It is also tied with the Xbox One version of Celeste for the second-highest score of 2018, regardless of platform.[107] God of War received particular praise for: its art direction, graphics, combat system, music, story, use of Norse mythology, characters, and cinematic feeling. Many reviewers felt it had successfully revitalized the series without losing the core identity of its predecessors.[108]

The story was well praised. Nick Plessas of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) said the story's most memorable moments were the interactions between Kratos and Atreus. He also noted, "there is often some comic relief to be found when Kratos' curtness and Atreus' charming naivety collide."[94] He felt the presence of Atreus showed a side to Kratos not seen before, and that Kratos had evolved emotionally: "The rage and pain of his past is in constant conflict with his desire to spare his son from it, which comes across in even the most subtle actions and words, demonstrating the effort he is putting in." Plessas said Atreus' character was similarly complex. He commented it is easy for child characters "to succumb to a number of annoying child archetypes," but Atreus is more like a young man who is doing his best in an adult world.[94] Game Informer's Joe Juba similarly praised the story, particularly the relationship between Kratos and Atreus: "The interactions of Kratos and Atreus range from adversarial to compassionate, and these exchanges have ample room to breathe and draw players in." Juba said that Kratos conveys more character than in any previous game.[95] Peter Brown of GameSpot felt that although Kratos and Atreus were enjoyable, it was Mímir who stole the show. He also said that regardless of which character the player meets, the cast of God of War is "strong, convincing, and oddly enchanting."[97] Writing for Game Revolution, Jason Faulkner praised Santa Monica for creating a sequel that new players would be able to understand without having played any of the previous games, while at the same time providing story references to those past games that returning fans would appreciate. Speaking of the relationship between Kratos and Atreus, Faulkner wrote that, "Watching the two grow throughout their journey is incredibly rewarding," equating it to that of Ellie and Joel from The Last of Us or Lee and Clementine from Telltale Games' The Walking Dead.[96]

In terms of the game's combat system, Plessas said that unlike previous games, which often relied on the player to use many combos in a sequential fashion, this game is "more about individual moves strung together in response to the assortment of enemies being fought." Although that difference may be small, he said that the independent attacks of the axe "feature benefits and drawbacks players will need to understand and master to be as effective as possible." Furthermore, although the axe is "conceptually simple", it is "mechanically fascinating". It "succeeds as both a versatile means of dismembering foes and as a key element in puzzle solving." He felt the axe and all of its features was "distinctly rewarding to use" and that it had more versatility than all of the weapons in many other games.[94] Juba said the Leviathan Axe is "a well-balanced and entertaining tool of destruction." He liked how it "emphasizes a more calculated style of combat; instead of zoomed-out, combo-driven encounters, Leviathan makes you a tactician." He also enjoyed how the combat system gradually unfolded through the course of the game; although seemingly restrictive at first, he noted players will be rapidly alternating between weapons and skills.[95] While some reviewers greatly enjoyed the ability to call the Leviathan Axe back to Kratos' hand,[95][100] Chris Carter of Destructoid felt it got old after a while.[93] Atreus' implementation was praised. Plessas said Atreus is "surprisingly useful" and that he "lands in the perfect spot on the spectrum between independence and reliance."[94] Faulkner noted that, "The interplay between Kratos ax, fists, and shield, and Atreus' bow makes for an impressive fighting system."[96] Despite its different approach to combat, compared to the previous games, GamesRadar+'s Leon Hurley felt the game was "every bit as brutally unflinching as previous games."[98]

Writing for Polygon, Chris Plante praised the camerawork as a technical marvel, noting the seamless nature of the game shifting from cinematic back to the gameplay.[101] Juba said the decision to shift the camera closer to Kratos "[proved] immensely rewarding during big moments by giving [the player] an intimate view."[95] Faulkner, however, claimed "it can be difficult to control the camera and keep a bead on the enemies you're fighting."[96] In his review for IGN, Jonathon Dornbush felt the intimacy of the camera makes all the emotions "more real and impactful."[100] Speaking of the game's visuals, Faulkner said the game looks amazing, "and with 4K and HDR this game goes a step beyond what even games like Horizon Zero Dawn showed us was possible on this platform."[96] Brown noted that "God of War is a technical and artistic showcase. It is without a doubt one of the best-looking console games ever released."[97] Dan Ryckert of Giant Bomb claimed that games like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and Horizon Zero Dawn "made great cases for a PS4 Pro and a 4K television, but God of War's visuals are a bigger selling point than anything I've seen on Sony's platform to date."[99]

Despite the game's grandeur, Plessas felt that the boss fights "do not hit quite the same frequency as they did in the past few games." However, the few boss fights in the game "do the series proud".[94] As to the vast world of God of War, Faulkner said that, "The great thing about the exploration in God of War is that you can participate in it as little or as much as you want." He said an excellent design decision is that during main plot points, the game keeps the player on task, while in between, the player can explore, allowing God of War "to have the best of both worlds".[96] Plessas noted that although the puzzles require thought, they were not "hair-pullingly" difficult as some were in previous games.[94] Juba also found that the puzzles were not too challenging, saying they were fun.[95]

Plessas felt that the RPG elements present in the game make this installment "unique" compared to previous entries. He said the game allows players to "specialize Kratos to meet the specific task at hand, or develop a build that best suits a preferred playstyle." Although this did not make the game easier, he felt it did make it more manageable.[94] Juba noted that although this type of upgrading "may be less exciting" compared to previous games where Kratos just learns new moves, it still "provides a powerful incentive to explore."[95] Ryckert was disappointed by this type of customization. He felt the presentation was "half-baked" and that some materials were confusing as there was little explanation given for their use. He did, however, say it was "cool" to see new armor on Kratos.[99]

In terms of flaws, Plessas said that "God of War is so good that its most egregious failing is not letting fans play more of it", as New Game Plus was not an option at the time of the review.[94] Juba said that "God of War's momentum rarely falters, and when it does, the inconvenience is brief." One example he gave was the map, saying that although players have freedom to explore, it can be difficult to track Kratos' position. He also felt the fast-travel system was "weirdly cumbersome" and that it opens up too late in the game.[95] Although he enjoyed these features, Faulkner noted some players may dislike that God of War has a lack of player agency, and players have to explore the majority of the game on foot or by boat since the fast-travel feature is unlocked late in the game.[96] Brown felt that if anything in God of War was a letdown, it was the final fight against Baldur: "He's great from a narrative standpoint, unraveling in a manner that changes your perspective, but it's the fight itself that leaves you wanting. There are plenty of big boss battles and tests of skill throughout the course of the game, yet this fight doesn't reach the same heights, and feels like it was played a little safe."[97] Hurley said his only criticism was that, "You can occasionally find yourself unsure if you're doing something wrong, or don't have the right equipment yet."[98]

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• God of War U.S. PlayStation website
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