THE GOD THE DAD & THE UGLY
God of War’s entrancing story of a gentle son and his grieving berserker father taking on a slew of monstrous foes reaches fresh heights on this wonderful PC port
GOD OF WAR (PEGI 18) PC ★★★★★
AS A console player I’ve always been a bit jealous of PC gamers.
While the hardest choice console users ever have to make is Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo – PC gamers have to choose from the plethora of gaming machines available – and the better the computer, the more eye-watering the price.
But the results often speak for themselves. While more powerful consoles mean better gameplay and graphics, a high powered PC can elevate a game to something truly majestic.
Which is absolutely the case with God of War.
Released exclusively on the PlayStation back in 2018, this was a coming of age story for one of the most unusual characters.
Kratos, hero of the ultra violent, ultra slick God of War games of the early 2000s, returned in a much more human form for an adventure that truly changes you.
Now, months ahead of the release of its highly anticipated sequel – God of War: Ragnarök – PC gamers can finally get their hands on the next chapter of Kratos’ story.
Retired to the snowy wilds of Midgard, Scandinavia, Kratos stands older, calmer, wiser, mourning the recent loss of his wife and now the sole parent to his young son, Atreus.
The pair set off to scatter her ashes on a distant mountain. The Norse gods however, have very different plans.
Creating this game, developer Santa Monica Studio threw out the God of War rule book. Gone are Kratos’ signature double-chained blades, replaced with the magical Leviathan Axe which swings out and can be recalled to his hand, à la Thor’s Mjolnir, with the touch of a button. The fixed camera perspective has been dropped in favour of an over-the-shoulder free camera, and RPG elements have been introduced to mix up the hackand-slash action. On the PC, God of War has never looked better, with the port providing a host of meaningful visual enhancements. The game supports play on ultrawide monitors – such as 21:9 aspect ratio – and has up to 4K resolution. Textures look smoother, colours look richer, environments look deeper and at no cost to gameplay responsiveness.
And while fans have been quick to praise the quality of the port, they have also fallen in love with the story.
The relationship between Kratos and Atreus, and how it evolves during their journey is captivating. Thrust into single parenthood, and still grieving for the woman he loved, the old warrior is initially cold towards his son, visibly irked by his lack of skill and annoyed he has no stomach for combat.
As the story unfolds, you can see Atreus develop. From the teary-eyed youngster who reluctantly hunts deer for food, he becomes an impressive fighter – his well-placed arrows giving dad a tactical advantage on the battlefield.
For all its differences, at its core this is still very much a God of War game.
The fighting is visceral and brutal, with foes ranging from the frozen undead, trolls and ogres to monstrous creatures which loom out of the wilderness.
The close quarter combat is deliberate and exhilarating, every blow feels vital, the axe making short and satisfying work of your enemies.
While you can only play as Kratos, you can at certain points command Atreus to fire at specific targets to help you out, but the boy does surprisingly well under his own steam, his arrows scoring headshots, and even jumping into the melee to choke out foes with his trust bow.
Of all of God of War’s achievements, it is the father-son relationship which is the most impressive. It is rich, loving and its growth doesn’t come at the cost of the game’s thumb-achingly superb gameplay.
This remains a modern day gaming masterpiece.
The close quarter combat is deliberate and exhilarating, every blow feels vital...