Presentation
God of War does not merely move Kratos from Greek mythology to Norse mythology. The 2018 episode above all changes the distance between the player and his character.
The camera moves in closer over Kratos's shoulder and accompanies his journey almost continuously. This decision transforms combat as much as narration. Silences, glances, and hesitations become more visible, while the transitions between exploration, fights, and narrative scenes seek to maintain almost constant continuity.
This closeness accompanies the relationship with Atreus. The boy directly takes part in combat through his arrows and abilities, but his presence goes far beyond that of a gameplay companion. He comments on places, translates certain information, talks about what he knows of the world, and constantly pushes Kratos to communicate more than he would like.
Mythology is thus transmitted during the journey rather than only in side texts. The conversations between Kratos, Atreus, and later Mimir give movement an important narrative function.
Combat is also profoundly transformed by the Leviathan Axe. It can be used in melee, thrown at an enemy or an element of the scenery, then called back directly into Kratos's hand. This simple mechanic gives a lot of personality to the fights, which have become more close, heavier, and more centered on positioning.
God of War also introduces more exploration and RPG progression. Its regions stay directed, but some spaces open up gradually and can be revisited. Armor, runes, enchantments, and skills add customization, at the risk of sometimes complicating a formula whose best mechanics remain relatively simple.
The game therefore modernizes almost the entire series without erasing its history: Kratos changes because he must now live with what he has been, not because the past has disappeared.
Key Takeaways
- God of War moves Kratos to Norse mythology while keeping his Greek past in the character's continuity.
- The relationship between Kratos and Atreus is the true center of the story.
- The Leviathan Axe redefines combat, notably through its throw and recall.
- Atreus directly takes part in the fights and in discovering the world.
- The close and almost continuous camera reduces the separation between narration, exploration, and combat.
- The game introduces more exploration and RPG systems, without becoming a traditional open world.
Conclusion
The best decision of God of War is probably never to pretend that Kratos can simply change continent and start his life over.
His Greek past is not an old save the scenario can forget. It influences how he raises Atreus, his fear of talking about himself, and above all his conviction that part of what he has been could be passed on to his son.
This worry gives their relationship its strength.
Kratos did not naturally become a patient father just because the game wanted to make him more likable. He gives orders when he should reassure, stays silent when he should explain, and sometimes treats learning as military training because he does not know many other ways to help someone grow up.
Atreus keeps this clumsiness constantly visible.
The camera change participates in the same movement. Kratos was once often a spectacular silhouette amid monumental settings. Here, the player stays close enough to see the man behind the warrior. The violence has not disappeared; it simply has fewer places to hide what it has produced.
The Leviathan Axe is probably the other great success of this reinvention. Its weight, its throw, and its recall give the fights an immediate identity. When Atreus, parries, movement, and the axe start working together, the system finds a precision that makes the amount of statistics shown in the menus almost secondary.
Not all additions are equally convincing, however. Equipment, rarities, and materials sometimes give the impression of a more cumbersome RPG layer than necessary, while the variety of enemies does not always match the game's general ambition.
But these flaws remain secondary compared to the coherence of the change.
God of War does not turn Kratos into someone totally different. It simply gives him a problem that anger and power cannot solve.
He knows how to destroy monsters, survive gods, and wield a weapon with almost absurd precision. Learning to talk to his son demands more effort from him.
And it is precisely for this reason that the 2018 episode manages to make Kratos interesting in a way other than by what he is capable of killing.
Good to Know
- God of War was released on April 20, 2018 on PlayStation 4.
- The game is developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
- It moves Kratos to Norse mythology without erasing the events of his Greek period.
- The adventure is an entirely solo experience.
- A PC version was released in January 2022.
- God of War won Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, and Best Action/Adventure at The Game Awards 2018.
