God of War

To say that God of War is a masterpiece almost feels like an understatement; Sony Santa Monica have created something truly special with their Norse mythology reboot of their originally Greek God focused game. God of War is framed by one continuous camera shot; it presents players with an incredibly stunning, cinematic world, action packed adventure, and a story that is unlike anything we've seen from God of War before. Gameplay and cutscenes blend together seamlessly, and leaves you breathless by its final scene.

The trouble I had when I faced God of War only comes from the fact that I had just spent 70+ hours in the turn-based JRPG that is Persona 5. It didn't take much time at all to get into incredibly satisfying axe combat, or pressing down on the D-Pad to turn 180 degrees, because once I was in it; I was there. Combat is fluid, it feels right, and only gets better with the introduction of upgrades, and a spoiler that I'll be leaving out of this review. Between the flinging of my Leviathan axe towards enemies, or the satisfying feeling of it flying back to me, and the use of Atreus' bow, the combat in God of War is unlike anything I've enjoyed in a long time. Maybe it's because the previous 70 hours of my life I've been totally absorbed into turn-based combat, but I don't recall the last game I played that truly felt this good in a fight.

As someone who considers themselves quite a fan of Norse mythology, I adore the interpretations that God of War presented us with; there were character portrayals I wasn't a fan of but in general I'm really very pleased with how Sony Santa Monica handled the mythos I adore so much - to go into detail about what I didn't like would only spoil some crucial parts of the story so I'll leave them out; but there are points throughout the story that should pique the interest of those who are familiar with the Norse tales. Once Mimir joined my party, God of War really began to feel 'real' to me; Mimir joining you on your adventure brings so much to world of God of War, and an gives an understanding to the player about what the Norse lands are like. The tales he tells as you sail on your boat, depending on where you've been, or things you've seen are incredible. When you leave the boat, Mimir will end the story there, and then dive right back into it when you jump back into the boat. This little detail alone, excluding the story itself, was enough to really embed God of War as a masterpiece.

Now the actual story of God of War really blew me away; it sits next to The Last of Us as a tale that left me breathless repeatedly, with shocking revelations, and a story that twists and turns in the most brilliant ways. There are bits and pieces throughout the story that give small hints about where the story will end, but even though it was sitting in the back of my mind, I was still left in shock. The side quests are fun, and never really feel like a chore - and the open world itself is something I'm still going back to explore, despite already having done everything.

The Valkyries are an optional series of end game bosses, who put all of my experiences with Souls games to shame. In Norse myth, Valkyries are the choosers of the slain; they decide on who may die, and who may live, and bring the brave to Valhalla. The Valkyries we see in God of War have been corrupted, and it is our job to bring them back to their normal state. The Valkyrie designs are as breathtaking as the rest of the game world, with each design differing depending on their location.

The Valkyries, the environments, the gameplay, soundtrack, and story, all just build up into this incredible bundle of perfection for me. God of War gives me everything I could have ever wanted in a game, and truly deserves the title of masterpiece. On one final note I'll say this; once you've finished the main story, go back home. It'll leave you wanting more like no other game has before.