Summary
God of Warisone of the most legendary video game series. The sheer number of amazing games on one of Sony’s most recognized IPs is truly mind-boggling, with Kratos' adventures to take out the gods standing in his way being a blast to witness. The first iteration of this character made him out to be an angry, self-serving warrior out for revenge after facing numerous tragedies. However, as the gaming industry evolved, it was clear that his character needed to be multi-faceted to make the narratives of these titles all the more engaging.
This results in two wildly varying halves of Kratos' journey that can either split fan opinion down the middle or help them understand the depth and nuance of Kratos' character. The narratives in eachGod of Wargame are a joy to experience, and fans can’t help but get invested in Kratos' adventures as he tears through the mythological worlds that fail to house his rage.
It was clear that Santa Monica Studios was still finding its footing withthe firstGod of War, but the game was an undoubted success despite some issues cropping up here and there. The narrative may be one of the weaker ones in the series, but looking at the story on its own merit instead of making comparisons reveals just how many promising things are present in this story. From its very introduction,God of Warpaints a haunting portrait of Kratos who falls prey to his rage and accidentally kills his wife and daughter in the process.
This curses the warrior’s existence, who is forced to repent by being coated in the ashes of his family as he becomes a tool for Olympus' gods. Throughout the game, his enduring hatred for Ares is palpable and leads to one of the greatest boss fights in the series, which is bursting with emotion.
WhenGod of War 2came out, fans were floored by the game’s amazing graphics and gameplay improvements over the first title. As one would expect, the narrative of this game was also a major step in the right direction, with Zeus himself serving as an antagonist, who causes Kratos' death and sends him to the Underworld. Players control a vengeful Kratos who fights his way to the realm of the living, only for a bombshell to arrive his way at the finale.
Mere moments away from killing Zeus, Kratos is shocked when Athena throws herself on Kratos' blade to prevent Olympus' destruction. It’s here that Kratos finds out about his godly heritage — he’s the son of Zeus who was targeted by his father to prevent the cycle from repeating. Clearly, this didn’t work out, and Kratos teams up with the Titans towage war on Olympus.
After scattering Faye’s ashes in Jotunheim, it was clear thatRagnarokwould take things in an epic direction. Teasing Thor’s appearance was a taste of things to come, with Odin stealing the show in the early moments of the game before an epic encounter with the God of Thunder. This sets the stage for another epic adventure where Kratos and Atreus strive to stop Ragnarok from coming to pass while trying to understand Odin’s motivations.
As expected, the father-son duo have arguments on several occasions, with Atreus choosing to carve his own path as he goes to Asgard and tries to understand what Odin wants. Eventually, the heroes realize that, instead of avoiding the inevitable,they need to trigger Ragnarokand bring the fight to Odin if they wish to stop his ambition of laying waste to the world. While the narrative ofRagnarokis quite epic, a lot of it hinges on avoidable misunderstandings. Moments of poor pacing may also prevent this title from reaching the same narrative heights as its predecessor, but fans of the new duology will find these to be minor issues in the grand scheme of things.
God of War’s debut on the PS3 came in the form of one of the greatest games in the original trilogy that fans still remember fondly to this day. The sheer scale of the boss fights coupled with the satisfactory conclusion to Kratos' adventures in Greek mythology make it clear why this finale deserves all its praise. The Titans betray Kratos early on, angering him to the point where he goes on a warpath and proceeds to kill almost every divine being that stands in his way.
Despite Kratos' one-dimensional anger dominating most of this tale, most fans will notice how human this protagonist feels by the end of the game compared to his first two adventures.His voluntary sacrificeto distribute the energy of hope from Pandora’s Box to the citizens of Greece is a valiant one that shows his capacity for kindness, making his character in the reboot all the more believable.
After an absence that lasted many years, fans were treated to a modern take on Kratos that was widely celebrated by the masses. It was clear that Kratos' one-dimensional character would not be a great fit for a story-heavy title, which is why Santa Monica Studios focused on a mature version of this character who struggles to be a parent while coming to terms with his past. Intending to scatter his late wife’s ashes as she wished, fans embark on a personal and emotional journey that is paced to perfection.
Baldur serves as a perfect antagonist who tries to goad Kratos into channeling the hatred of his past over and over again. However, Kratos fights these urges and tries not to give into his hateful past, only to realize at the very end that killing is justified if ithelps break the cycle of hatred. After admitting his past to Atreus and making him realize the lessons he must learn, the duo finally reach Jotunheim and accomplish their goal. It serves as the cherry on top of one ofGod of War’s greatest narratives that propelled the series to the mainstream once again.
