God of War is one of the most celebrated franchises under the PlayStation umbrella and has gone through major changes. While series like Ratchet and Clank have largely remained the same, GoW went from being a character-action game to something of an RPG with big open-world elements.
It’s a change fans have mixed opinions about, and we can’t help but agree. Did this series change for the better? Or did it become like every other AAA game?
The original God of War series didn’t invent character-action games, but it did make them popular. Sony’s action-packed series starring Kratos proved that powering through enemies with raw strength and quick-time events was a recipe for success. Collecting red energy to power up your Blades of Chaos for more attacks was addictive, and the massive boss fights were pretty epic.
After God of War 3 and Ascension came out on PS3, fans thought this series had done everything it could. Most fans agreed that some change was needed to keep Kratos fresh, since he was still a pretty beloved character. What happened next shocked everyone, with some arguing the change might have been drastic.
When we finally saw Kratos again, he had grown a beard and had suddenly become a father again. The character was now in Midgard, showing a change in mythology along with appearance. Most concerning of all, he had the standard Sony over-the-shoulder camera that was popular in The Last of Us.
Sony had rebooted God of War. Not in its continuity, but its gameplay and tone.
Rather than continuing his streak as an angry madman, Kratos was now a remorseful giant trying to be a father. The world was also more toned down, with characters who had a deeper connection with Kratos and his son, Atreus. More importantly, the gameplay was slower, focusing more on exploration, though combat was still a huge part of the experience.
click to enlargeOn paper, this was the correct way to reboot God of War. Making Kratos more regretful of his actions in the previous series makes sense and helps craft a more relatable story for him. The “one-shot” camera used throughout this adventure helped make everything feel more cinematic.
Fans of the series have also argued that this change robbed the series of its identity. While the writing was much better, the themes of family and revenge made it too much like The Last of Us. The combat was still good, but it felt like a faster version of Dark Souls, even though it still had quick-time events. Big boss fights were also few and far between, which robbed the series of some of its spectacle.
Completely changing a game isn’t always a bad thing, and the rebooted God of War did win over many fans. Many enjoyed how this version played and told its story. But seeing it play like every other AAA game in the market was disappointing.
The rumors surrounding a remaster of these God of War games are perfect timing, since character-action games are coming back. It will be interesting to see if the reception to these affects how Kratos’ next game ends up being like.
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