God of War (2018 video game)

God of War
Standard edition and PlayStation Hits cover art, depicting Kratos and his son Atreus on Midgard's waters
Developer	Santa Monica Studio Jetpack Interactive (PC)
Publisher	Sony Interactive Entertainment
Producer	Brian Westergaard Elizabeth Dahm Wang Sean Llewellyn Chad Cox Eric Fong
Director	Cory Barlog
Programmer	Florian Strauss
Designer	Derek Daniels
Artist	Luke Berliner Dela Longfish Rafael Grassetti Nate Stephens John Palamarchuk Timo Pihlajamäki
Writer	Cory Barlog Matt Sophos Richard Zangrande Gaubert
Composer(s)	Bear McReary
Series	God of War
Platforms	PlayStation 4 PC
Release	PlayStation 4: April 20, 2018 PC: January 14, 2022
Genre(s)	Action-adventure, hack and slash
Mode(s)	Single-player

God of War is a 2018 action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. A PC port developed by Jetpack Interactive was released in 2022. It is the sequel to 2010's God of War III, successor to 2013's God of War: Ascension, and the fifth main installment in the God of War series.

In contrast to previous entries which were inspired by Greek mythology, God of War is influenced by Norse mythology and takes place in ancient Norway in the realm of Midgard. God of War follows protagonist Kratos (Christopher Judge) and his son, Atreus (Sunny Suljic). The two embark on a journey to fulfill the final request of Kratos' second wife and Atreus' mother, which is to spread her ashes over the highest peak of the nine realms. Concurrently, Kratos has to deal with his troubled past as he tries to raise and bond with Atreus, and evade the gods and monsters from Norse mythology.

Director Cory Barlog described the title as a reimagining of the series, with notable deviations from the previous games' gameplay formula. God of War presents an over-the-shoulder free camera in contrast to the fixed camera of is predecessors, and prominently utilizes the usage of a magical axe called Leviathan instead of Kratos' traditional double-chained blades. Additional gameplay elements include several role-playing mechanics and systems, and the usage of Atreus as an assistant character during combat. Unlike the linear design of past God of War games, it includes a more open-ended world design in which the player can complete side quests and challenges, a design termed "wide linear" by Santa Monica Studio.

Development of God of War began in 2014 with Barlog's return to Santa Monica Studio; it is notably the first time a major installment in the series is headed by a returning director, as Barlog previously directed 2007's God of War II. Barlog and the team envisioned the game as a chance to revamp and reinvent the series after the disappointing reception of Ascension. God of War is the first three-dimensional AAA video game to featured a single shot camera, a decision Barlog insisted on to provide a more intimate experience. The story was developed around Kratos and Atreus' relationship and the former's character development. The title was officially announced at E3 2016, following earlier confirmation by Barlog in December 2014.

God of War was released to critical acclaim, and has since been considered among the greatest video games ever made. It was praised for its narrative, characterization, acting performances, visuals, world design, presentation and combat system. Many publications felt it had successfully revitalized the series without losing its core identity. The game won multiple year-end accolades and Game of the Year awards, including from The Game Awards, D.I.C.E., GDC Awards and BAFTA, becoming the first and only title to be awarded from all four institutions. A significant commercial success, God of War sold over 23 million copies by October 2022, making it one of Sony's best-selling titles in its history. It was followed by 2022's God of War Ragnarök.

Gameplay

God of War is an action-adventure hack and slash video game presented from a third-person perspective, in which players control protagonist Kratos with limited input to command his son Atreus. Unlike previous entries in the series which used a fixed-angle camera from different positions to portray their action, 2018's God of War uses an over-the-shoulder camera in a continuous shot, including in cutscenes without camera cuts or loading screens. Despite this shift, God of War retains several elements of its predecessors, including close-ranged, combo-based combat confined to specific arenas, environmental puzzles, and boss fight encounters. God of War is entirely single-player, forgoing the multiplayer mode introduced in 2013's God of War: Ascension.

Combat in God of War has been overhauled to accommodate the new camera perspective. Kratos starts out with the Leviathan Axe, a magical battle axe that uses ice as its magical attribute.

Synopsis

Plot

Centuries after his destruction of the Olympians, an older and emotionally closed Kratos lives with his son Atreus in Midgard, the mortal realm. Kratos' wife Faye passes away, and the two cremate her body. Shortly afterwards, Kratos is confronted by a mysterious man with godly strength known only as "the stranger". The two battle and Kratos seemingly kills the stranger before checking on Atreus. The two then set off on a journey to fulfil Faye's last wish: to scatter her ashes at the highest peak in the nine realms.

On their journey, father and son meet the Huldra Brothers, Brok and Sindri, two dwarven blacksmiths who were the ones who crafted Faye's Leviathan Axe, and the Witch of the Woods, a kind but enigmatic woman who is aware of Kratos' godhood. On the Witch's advice, Kratos and Atreus venture into Alfheim to secure magical light that can clear their current obstacle, a dark mist that blocks the path to the peak of Midgard.

Reaching the highest mountain in Midgard, the duo eavesdrop on a conversation between the stranger - who turns out to be the god Baldur, his nephews Magni and Modi, and Mímir, who was imprisoned there by Odin a century ago. Kratos confronts Mímir after the three Asgardians leave, and Mímir reveals that the highest peak in the nine realms is located in Jötunheim, whose entrance was blocked by the Giants to avoid Asgard's wrath. Mímir is aware of another passage, and encourages Kratos to behead his head and have it revived by the Witch, who turns out to be the exiled goddess Freya. A distrustful Kratos hurries to leave Freya's hideout, though both her and Mímir warn him that he must reveal his true nature to Atreus.

The duo, now accompanied by Mímir's head, are ambushed by Magni and Modi. Kratos manages to kill Magni and scare off Modi, who later attempts to attack them again.

Release

Upon Barlog's return to Santa Monica Studio in August 2013, he first acknowledged the game as a "freaking huge" project which "live up to the standards" established within the studio, though at the time the project was not identified as a God of War game. Barlog would later confirm that the project was indeed a God of War game at Sony's PlayStation Experience in December 2014; at the time Barlog said the game was early into development and declined to share further details, hoping to share further details within two years. Screenshots and concept art of the game were leaked in April 2016, revealing a Norse mythology-inspired setting and a redesigned Kratos.

God of War was officially announced at Sony's E3 conference in June 2016, debuting with a live orchestra scored by Bear McCreary and a gameplay demo that presented the game's new camera perspective, gameplay alterations and Atreus. Santa Monica Studio later chose not to show the game at PlayStation Experience 2016, although Barlog promised to share new details when the studio is ready. A new trailer showcasing new plot details and characters premiered at Sony's E3 conference in June 2017.

The game was rumored to launch in 2017, although at E3 2017 Sony announced it would launch in early 2018. In January 2018, it was announced God of War will launch on April 20. The game was released on the PlayStation 4.

A port for Microsoft Windows, developed by Jetpack Interactive, was announced in October 2021 and released on January 14, 2022.

Reception

Reviews

• MetaCritic: 94/100
• OpenCritic: 94/100
• Destructoid: 10/10
• Easy Allies: 10/10
• Edge: 8/10
• EGM: 9.5/10
• Eurogamer: Recommended
• Game Informer: 9.75/10
• Game Revolution: 10/10
• GameSpot: 9/10
• GamesRadar: 5/5
• Guardian: 5/5
• IGN: 10/10
• PlayStation LifeStyle: 10/10
• PlayStation Universe: 9.5/10
• Polygon: 10/10
• Push Square: 10/10
• VideoGamer: 9/10

God of War received universal critical acclaim upon its release, and was recognized as one of 2018's best titles. On MetaCritic, the game holds a score of 94/100 based on 118 scored reviews; it ties with 2005's God of War as the highest-rated installment in the franchise, and was 2018's second highest-rated video game behind Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2. On OpenCritic, God of War holds a score of 94/100 with a 98% recommendation rate based on 224 reviews, with the site consensus declaring "God of War is simply a masterpiece. One of the best games of this console generation."

PC version

• MetaCritic: 93/100
• GameSpot: 9/10
• PC Gamer: 9/10
• VGC: 5/5
• WindowsCentral: 10/10

The Windows version of God of War also attained high critical acclaim, holding a score of 93/100 on MetaCritic.

Legacy

God of War and its usage of a one-shot camera influenced the presentation of Motive's Dead Space remake. The game and its predecessors were also cited as an inspiration for the 2023 Square Enix title Final Fantasy XVI, with the 2018 installment's world design serving as a particular influence.

The 2018 redesign of Kratos featured in a crossover in Fortnite as an available skin for purchase. References to God of War and its motifs appeared in other PlayStation Studios titles, including Days Gone (2019), Ghost of Tsushima (2020), Astro's Playroom (2020), Sackboy: A Big Adventure (2020), Horizon Forbidden West (2022) and The Last of Us Part I (2022).