God of War (2018) - Redemption. God of War (2018) - Leviathan's Redemption in action

From a crazy slasher, the God of War series has turned into an action-packed action game in which fights with monsters do not come to the fore, but the attempt of the protagonist Kratos to become a good father. And this transformation is the best thing that has happened to the series in all 13 years of its existence.

Our rating of the game: 9.5 out of 10.

After leaving Olympus, Kratos moved north to Scandinavia, where he started a new family. But even there the hero did not find peace: his wife died, before her death, asking to dispel her ashes on the highest mountain. Kratos, along with his son Atreus, immediately after the funeral, goes on a long journey - this is how the forty-hour God of War begins.

At first, God of War seems like a pretty straightforward game. Kratos and his son move forward through narrow copses and small caves, occasionally deviating from the route to find another secret chest. Over time, however, the geography of travel heroes becomes much wider.

Firstly, there are new directions, some of which are directly related to the plot, and some are dedicated to secondary missions. Secondly, as the story progresses, Kratos gains new abilities. They allow you to open previously inaccessible parts of the levels. So you will often have to return in search of new adventures. Although if you don't care much about leveling and exploring the world, then you can safely skip this part and move purely on the plot.

The pumping system encourages a detailed study of Midgard (namely, where the action of the game takes place). For the first time in the series, Kratos can change armor and upgrade it from time to time. In addition, various pieces of equipment can be enchanted. Enchanted shoulder pads, bracers and other equipment not only change the appearance of the main character, but also significantly affect the gameplay.

Pumped equipment strengthens Kratos' blows, speeds up the recharge of his abilities, increases resistance to enemy blows, and stuff like that. You need to select armor in accordance with how you play and what is important to you at the moment. The same goes for Atreus: the boy's equipment affects his abilities in battle.
By killing enemies, Kratos gains experience points for which you can buy new abilities. There are many of them, and they are tied to the level of the weapon. Thus, the game forces both weapons and the main character to be pumped so that there is no imbalance.

Atreus also has skills: over time, the boy will greatly influence the course of the battle. He distracts some enemies, tries to fight them on his own - in a word, from a simple companion he turns into a real assistant. Evolution is also shown in the plot. Kratos' son becomes less timid and even gets into an argument with his father from time to time. The boy has his own opinion, which makes him an increasingly interesting character.

The combat system of God of War has changed beyond recognition. Kratos has a fast punch and a strong one. Also a block. From time to time, you can ask Atreus to shoot an enemy with a bow to distract or stun. Added to this are different combinations of strikes and abilities. Skills can be changed - they depend on the enchantment that is inserted into the weapon.

The ax used by Kratos is generally worthy of a separate description. It is very similar in mechanics to Thor's hammer: it can also be thrown at enemies and then returned. This adds depth and variety to the gameplay. Many puzzles are built on the same ability.

God of War is not an easy game. A battle even with several opponents can end with the death of the main character, if you just hit random buttons. You need to constantly use all sorts of tricks and combinations. Some enemies often require a special approach.

In a very extreme case, Kratos can enter the battle rage mode: the hero becomes almost invulnerable for a while and inflicts many quick blows. This special move needs to be used wisely: it's best to save it in case the fight gets really tight.

Directing can be considered another advantage of God of War. First, fights with huge trolls or ogres end with a fantastic scene where Kratos climbs on the enemy and tears his mouth open. Everything happens quickly and incredibly brutal.

And secondly, the whole game seems to be filmed in one shot. Gameplay flows seamlessly into cut scenes and back. No mounting glues, no transitions. A similar technique was used in Metal Gear Solid V, but in God of War it looks even better. The camera is never static, it constantly twitches a little, following the hero. Looks unbelievable.

The example of God of War clearly shows the evolution of video games and the maturation of the industry. 13 years ago in the era of the PlayStation 2, Kratos crushed the heroes of ancient Greek myths right and left, and everyone was fine. The fact that the hero takes revenge for the family did not particularly bother anyone. Kratos' motivation was indicated in passing, the action came to the fore.
God of War 2018 is different. The main focus is now on the relationship between Kratos and Atreus. The journey to the top of the mountain is an opportunity to show how their family relationship will develop over time.

And here is everything that parents face in real life. A certain disappointment in your child, his whims, attempts to teach what you know yourself, and timid attempts to accept your child as he is.

In order to understand the new God of War, it is not at all necessary to have a teenage son in addition to the PS4. All the topics that the game raises will be clear to anyone. In addition, they are not very original: we have seen all this in different variations in many books and films. Even The Last of Us plays on the same field, although the context is slightly different there.

In addition, Atreus knows little about Kratos and his past. The son is not aware of the whole history of the ancient Greek gods, he does not suspect that his dad is actually a god. At the same time, the players know everything. And the authors turn this storyline into one of the main ones.
God of War is an example of what video games could be in 2018. These are big, interesting stories of incredible beauty, which, even in the context of a battle with mythical creatures from Scandinavia, tell about family, fatherhood and the fact that children should be better than their parents.

We are trying to figure out why the game has so many dozens in the press

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Kratos is probably the most notorious anti-hero in the history of the gaming industry. Who in general could feel sympathy and empathy for him? An aggressive, cruel and brutal character knew only one method to achieve his goals - brute force. BUT sometimes tore off limbs and gouged out eyes just for fun. It's amazing that this Spartan Marquis de Sade somehow could not only acquire a lady of the heart, but even make a son with her, and not to prop up her doors, or whatever he used to do there.

Yes, Kratos is no longer a cake! Now he is an exemplary family man, faithfully fulfilling the last will of his wife, and part-time caring dad, raising a boy. This is the first thing catches the eye in the new ... Immediately after the setting, the combat system, the camera, the menagerie, attention to detail, storytelling, much deeper characters, and thousands of other changes that made hercompletely different game.

All these stories about the great and terrible revenge on the gods of Olympus in the past. The story has become much more spacious, and the player gets much more freedom than before. Kratos spends a lot of time with his son in the fresh air, canoeing and joining the Scandinavian culture. H you know, these boring everyday life of a culturologist: the study of runes, the destruction of graves, Scandinavian ass kicking and listening to reference lectures from one severed head, which he carries on his belt like a bunch of keys.

The measured tone of the storyline went to the benefit of the game.The writers have enough space to inscribe unusual and memorable characters in the story. I don’t want to spoil too much, so we won’t list them, but sometimes it turns out in the greatest number funny in a good way dialogues.

Although Kratos has become more wise and experienced, at first it seems that he has not abandoned his sadistic habits. He treats his own son like a yard dog, and He hardly even calls him by his first name. But everything is not so simple: he wants to raise from Atreus a real man, devoid of weaknesses. Several times the Spartan still tries to give vent to feelings and awkwardly hug the boy, but then quickly pulls himself together and weighs him another podzhopnik for behaving like a woman. This backbiter, by the way, is a walking gameplay mechanic that plays the role mobile encyclopedia and personal translator. Well, he's pretty good with onions.

The combat system has also been rewritten literally from scratch, and the changes lie not only in the change of weapons. Battles have become more contact. Now you need not to thoughtlessly strike combinations, but to strike them judiciously. Well, that is monitor the location of opponents, do not let yourself be surrounded, parry and dodge attacks, and generally master timings, because enemies hit very hard. In general, the combat could be called typical for games of the current generation, if not for one weighty but: incredible tactile sensations of impact from each blow, after which you begin to involuntarily empathize with mutilated enemies.

In addition, the ax can be repeatedly improved as it progresses and can be equipped with various runes that allow you to freeze enemies, knock them down or even turn into some kind of laser gun, which makes the fights a little more varied.You can improve not only weapons but also equipment, which, in addition to growing characteristics, sometimes gives unique abilities. For example, Atreus can sew pants in which he learn to jump on the backs of enemies and choke them with a bow.

The insanely beautiful world of the game is fraught with many secrets and mysteries. Puzzles are common and some of them solvable only with a certain set of skills. Because of this, it's not always clear why the hell you're stuck. Is the puzzle so difficult, or do you just lack the skills? Go ahead and come back here later? What if it doesn't work? Was it possible to solve it? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

This is worrisome, because I really don’t want to miss a drop of content, so painstakingly worked out about the environment . Take some crabs that fussily burrow into the sand at the sight of the protagonist. Or those tiny frogs k, which are animated better than some characters from other games. Santa Monica has reached some transcendent technical level, for which she wants to sing praises. But you don't particularly like it when games are praised, do you? Then let's fight: does not support 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, so you still won’t be able to fully enjoy the technology.

To sum up, it cannot be said that the game has something incredibly innovative to offer you. Everything that you will see here, in one form or another, was found in other games of this generation, but here it is brought to integrity and perfection. Such perfection that after meeting with you are taking a serious risk: many other games against its background lookinconspicuous hunched dwarfs.

Corey Balrog and Sony Santa Monica were able to literally reinvent the wheel and give players, perhaps, not only the best part God of War, but also one - no matter how loud it may sound - from the best games of our time.

Do you have PS4? Planning to play God of War? Maybe even buy a console for her? Tell us, we're interested!

God of War PS 4 full walkthrough. God of War - Description of the passage, secrets, general tips, character development.

Welcome to the step by step guide and Walkthrough for God of War, where you will find information about various aspects of the game. You will find in particular tips and general tips to help you understand the rules of the game. The manual also contains messages related to game mechanics, that is, a description of elements such as the interface, controls, or character development.

God of War PS 4 full walkthrough and guide

The God of War guide also contains a detailed walkthrough of the story campaign and various side missions. There was also a way to solve various puzzles and descriptions of places related to secrets and finds.

Next part of God of War focuses again on the adventures of Kratos known from the previous parts. After the bloody exploits of the past years, he finally decides to hide in the winter, in the north, where he starts a family. However, the past is captured by the protagonist, who, along with his young son Atreus, is forced to face many dangers again.

Have fun and enjoy reading!

The guide also contains information regarding the mechanics and operation of the game, including things related to, among other things, control, inventory, skills, or various secrets. The publication is updated on a regular basis, so we invite you to visit daily.

• control
• Menu and inventory
• Upgrading weapons and armor
• Runic attacks
• Can you continue playing after completing the story campaign?
• What worlds are available in the game and how to unlock them?
• Is there a fast travel system in the game?
• Is there a manual record of game status?
• Can Kratos and Atreus die?

God of War Game Mechanics

God of War is a title that offers the player many possibilities related to the skills and development of two heroes, among other things. Following are the important elements of the game.

God of War main and side missions

• God of War -
• God of War - New Destiny: Witch, Great Snake
• God of War - Magic Chisel Seasons Puzzle Boss Battle (Magni and Modi)
• God of War - Behind the Closed Door: Destroying the Seal
• God of War - Disease: Helheim, boss fight (Bridge Keeper), Wickrey Hel
• God of War - Black Rune: Temple of Tyra, Trap, Boss Fight (two trolls)
• God of War - Return to the Top: Gura, Pradoni, Baldur
• God of War - Escape from Helheim: boat, bonfires
• God of War - Road to Jotunheim: Tyr's chamber, traps, chains
• God of War - Jotunheim at your fingertips: Serpent's Inner Boss Fight (Baldur)
• God of War - Between Worlds: Jotunheim Tower
• God of War - Mother Donkeys: World of Giants, Funeral
• God of War - Homecoming: Midgard and Intelligence
• God of War - favor, additional tasks
• God of War - Free Dragons

Update coming soon.

God of War PS 4 Complete Walkthrough: Secrets

There are many different elements in God of War. From various types of chests (norn and legendary) containing valuable items and improvements to the protagonist, through artifacts ending in various jobs. Below are links to individual pages with secrets and seekers.

- Explore a lot - try not only to follow the main path leading straight to the goal, but also spend some time. As a rule, there are many sides around the main passages leading to interesting places. In general, you will find additional enemies in them, but also a lot of silver and other items (such as artifacts).

- Do not forcibly explore - while you are campaigning, you may not be able to unlock a passage or walk to a valuable chest, for example. If after a few attempts this art fails, continue with the storyline. Thanks to this, you gain access to many new places and places that are not initially available.

It is also worth adding that during the game you will encounter, among others, characteristic red and blue plants that block passages and access to some boxes. Don't worry about them, because during the game you will get the opportunity to destroy them.

- Listen to the instructions of the son - a young man can be useful in many situations. The son of Kratos will inform his father, in particular, about threats during combat (for example, that someone falls behind him), but also during reconnaissance.

Sometimes it is enough to spend some time in one place to hear from a shrewd young man, for example, a hint of a hard-to-find treasure.

- Use the bestiary - you will find in it not only descriptions of the enemies you meet, thanks to which you can learn their history, but, above all, strengths and weaknesses. It's worth getting to know them especially when you're having trouble defeating an enemy.

- Pay attention to the threat indicators - these are special markings that appear around the hero (outside Kratos' field of vision) during the battle. They report various dangers associated with adversaries:

• Indicator "White / Gold" - informs about the approaching enemy (be ready to defend or dodge).
• Red indicator - nearby enemy is moving (evading or blocking).
• Purple Indicator - Indicates an incoming missile or other ranged attack (it's best to dodge at this stage).

- Be aware of the difficulty levels - although you decide the difficulty level before you start playing, there is no problem to change it during the game itself. This can be especially useful when the game is too difficult for us to handle.

To change the difficulty level, go to the menu (Options button and then the triangle), select Settings, Game, and then change the difficulty level (this includes loading the last checkpoint).

- Restore your health - remember that in God of War, Kratos' health is not self-renewing. To do this, use special green dots or special items that you can get during the adventure. The level of health is especially important during fights - if this is not enough for you, then the duel can be easily lost.

Please note that it takes some time to refresh the health in green dots, when opponents can deal additional damage to Kratos. The standard of living is symbolized by a green bar in the upper left corner of the screen.

Leviathan in action

- Develop heroes - try to regularly invest in upgrades and skills of new equipment. If you don't, at some point it will turn out that the character statistics are too weak, and you will have big problems in almost every subsequent encounter.

If you are interested in advancing to the next levels, the opponents will not be such a big threat. In addition, upgrading equipment and investing in new armor will increase the Kratos multiplier, due to which the hero will advance to a higher and higher level of experience.

- Complete additional tasks, work and look for secrets - these are the best ways to quickly get experience points and silver, which are necessary for the development of Kratos and Atreus.

That's why it's often worth stopping a bit during the story campaign, and it will take some time, for example, to complete side missions or search for different types of spots. It will certainly pay off in the future.

Control in the third part of the God of War cycle is no different from similar games. We can check them at any time. To do this, simply select "Options" from the menu and then use the last item in the list, i.e. "Display Control".

Below is a description of the individual default keys. Remember that you can change this setting at any time. To do this, simply go to the Gameplay tab in the Options menu. Then decide if you want to use the default settings or vice versa.

God of War PS 4 Complete Walkthrough: Control

Here is the control in default mode:

Hero Movement - Left Analog
Launch - pressing the left analogue
Camera movement - right analogue
Tracking with the camera - pressing the right analogue
Dodge-X
Interaction - O
Ax Summon - Δ
Son's activities - □
Sięgnij / Snooze - D-Pad (right arrow)
Guidance - L2
Block/Pair - L1
Strong Attack - R2
Light Attack - R1
Map - Touch Pad
Pauza Menu - Options

In the menu (inventory) you will find all the important information grouped into many different items. The messages found here are related, among other things, to weapons, character development, and descriptions of navigation and missions. To open the menu, simply press the "Options" key on the pad.

God of War PS 4 full walkthrough: menu

Below is a description of the items available in the menu. It is worth remembering that we switch between individual tabs using the L1 and R1 buttons. Within a particular tab, navigation is done using arrows.

• Weapons (1) - A tab associated with the weapons of Kratos and Atreus. In the first case, this is the Leviathan ax and information about it, as well as space for any upgrades you can use on it. The second tab refers to Szpon, the arc used by the protagonist's son. Here you can also view information about it and check which call pages it can use.
• Armor (2) - same as in the case of weapons, but this time related to defensive and therefore any kind of armor elements that can be used by heroes. It should be remembered that protective clothing is divided by Kratos into several parts related to the torso, arms and thighs. Atreus' position is easier because the boy only uses a one-piece hazmat suit.
• Skills (3) - A tab where you can check all information related to Kratos and Atreus' own and undeveloped abilities. More information about them can be found in a separate section of the Skills guide.
• Map (4) - shows visited areas and important places and the current location of the heroes. Secret statistics are also marked here. The map can also be launched directly from the game level by touching the touchpad.
• Objectives (5) - You will find information related to the main and additional missions, as well as various types of results, such as artifacts.
• Code (6) - a place where information about the game world is collected, which you collect during the game. They cover various areas, such as information about monsters and their weak points (bestiary) or information about ancient history that you will find in information tags.
• Resources (7) - here you can quickly check the purchased resources and valuable items. They are required to create and purchase new weapon items for merchants.
• Experience Points (8) - Called XP (Experience Points). They are needed to unlock new skills and develop heroes. You get them by completing main and secondary missions, finding secrets and participating in battles.
• Silver (9) is the main currency in the game, needed to upgrade weapons or buy new items from vendors, among other things. You get it by exploring the game world. Silver is most commonly found in crates and on dead bodies, but you can also get them for a variety of purposes.
• Quick Menu (10) - Icons show where you can get them. You can start the map by pressing the touchpad, go to the main menu (from which you can exit the game, but also where you can save the current game or change the difficulty), reach the triangle and leave the inventory by pressing the wheel.

During the journey, you will come across various items and materials that will allow you to upgrade Kratos and Atreus' weapons and their defense elements, which have been divided into several parts (including torso, arms, legs, etc.).

Weapons and equipment can be upgraded at the gnome shops you encounter during the adventure. If you have the required amount of raw materials and cash, it is enough to select this improvement and use it.

Before you do that, it's worth knowing exactly what this modification offers. They affect many different factors, which are described below.

• Strength (1 in the picture above) is an attribute that increases the damage dealt while releasing standard attacks.
• Runes (2) - Increase damage from runic attacks and elements.
• Defense (3) - Reduces damage dealt by enemies.
• Vitality (4) - Increases maximum health and reduces damage dealt by enemies.
• Happiness (5) - increases the chances of activating assets (special bonuses related to weapons and equipment), and gains more experience points and silver.
• Cooldown (6) - reduces the resumption of rune attacks, summoning and cooldown of talismans.

God of War PS 4 Complete Walkthrough: Runic Attacks

Secrets in the form of sarcophagi with upgrades for Kratos.

When exploring the game world, you will find runic gems (mostly ). They allow you to strengthen your weapons by adding different types of attacks. The first one you will find in one of the chests at the beginning of the adventure and it will be Dotik Hel.

To select a manual attack, go to the "Weapons" tab (1 in the picture below). Then select Leviathan (Kratos Ax - 2) or Claw (Atreus Arc - 3). A weapon miniature will appear on the left, with sockets (4) at the bottom. Hover over a given slot and select the X key. Then select an attack from the menu of interest to you.

Note that each attack is accurately described (5). In addition to explaining the word and the key combination needed to activate it, you'll also find information about damage dealt, freeze, stun, and cooldown.

If you have enough experience points, you can improve rune attacks - more information about how to improve them can be found in the table on the right side of the screen. There you will find information about what the upgrade provides and how much it costs.

As you advance in the game, you will receive further runic attacks (so it is worth exploring the visited lands and places). At the same time, you can use two attacks of this type, so always choose the ones that best suit your play style or that will work best in your fight.

Can you continue playing after completing the story campaign?

Yes. After finishing the game with the main thread, nothing will stop you from continuing the game to find all the secrets and seekers or complete additional tasks.

What worlds are available in the game and how to unlock them?

You start the game in God of War in the largest world - Midgard. It is also the largest place, divided into several large regions. You will gradually gain access to other worlds. Some of them will be unlocked during the story campaign, others will be available after special tasks, and the rest will not be able to be visited (perhaps they will become available in an expansion or continuation of the game).

Here is a list of worlds and how to unlock them:

• Midgard - available from the very beginning of the game.
• Alfheim, Helheim, Jotunheim - these worlds will become available as the story progresses.
• Muspelheim, Nilfheim - to unlock them, you must first complete additional tasks, which consist of finding fragments of special discs (each disc consists of four parts). As soon as they are found, the worlds will become available.
• Asgard, Vanaheim and Svartalfheim are worlds that are currently unavailable.

Is there a fast movement system in God of War?

Yes. It is based on the so-called mystical gates, which you first open access to a certain part of the game. With progress, more and more mystical gates will appear in the lands. By interacting with them, you will activate them, which will allow you to make a quick trip from one gate to another.

Initially, their number is quite small, and the journey can only go to the temple of Taira. However, over time, their number will increase and the possibility of fast movement between all open mystical gates will open.

Is there a manual record of game status?

Yes. God of War uses two types of game save methods - automatic and manual. The first occurs quite often and in many places, for example, after reaching a certain place, discovering a new place, or after a collision.

However, if you want to use the manual way to save the game, go to the symbols menu (options key), then to the main menu (triangle), and then select the save game option. Select a seat and confirm it with the X button. Remember that the number of slots is limited, and when all of them are full, you will have to overwrite the current one.

Can Kratos and Atreus die?

If during the battle the opponents bring the belt of Kratos to zero, the hero dies and the game ends automatically. Then you can use Restore Last Game Record or use the guide.

There is also a special object, the resurrection stone, which you can buy from vendors. Using it after Kratos' "death" will allow Atreus to revive his father with little health to continue the fight.

As for Atreus, the boy cannot die during the fight. However, remember that enemies can stun him and take him out of the fight for a while. Sometimes they get a guy and, for example, they start to suppress him.

If you help him get out of trouble and face a rival who is trying to destroy Atreus, you will protect him from fainting.

The new God of War is a masterpiece for all time. Yes, it sounds terribly trite, but you can’t argue with the facts. Now the leaders of large gaming companies will have to reconsider their attitude to life. A project without multiplayer, by definition, cannot be insanely popular? Oh, hardly. In raw alphas, where a hundred people must kill each other without explanation, let Chinese cheaters play. And we advise you not to miss the real Game in any case - with meaning and gameplay, and not with a solid randomness and bugs.

Metroidvania on a AAA budget

Metroidvania has become a very common genre in recent years, but the specificity is that only indie offices work in it. The new God of War is an absolutely unique metroidvania with a budget worthy of Nordic giants. This wise decision allowed Sony in one fell swoop to get rid of not only all competitors, but also to reduce self-repetition to a minimum. God of War is Horizon Zero Dawn starring Kratos instead of Ala? No, not at all.

Instead of a completely open world in which, with the ferocious chiseling of the jump button, you can get anywhere even over sheer mountain textures, Santa Monica Studio chose to make a series of interconnected locations teeming with caches and alternative paths. A huge plus is absolute seamlessness: there is not a single loading screen in the game. Even portals transport you for kilometers after a second flash.

Of course, sometimes it comes to the ridiculous: the mighty Kratos, who breaks rocks with his bare hands in cinematics, cannot get around a small boulder. However, this is a necessary sacrifice for such a structure of locations. After all, this is metroidvania, not Red Faction. That is, you have to break your head a little, and not all the walls around.

Accordingly, many gameplay principles work like in Castlevania: Symphony of The Night, Metroid or even Guacamelee! (Well, what? Kratos is quite like a Mexican luchador in terms of complexion). If you see an unknown magical barrier, do not try to use everything on it: most likely, later in the story you will be given some kind of gadget that opens this branch.

From slasher to Dark Souls

In hot Greece, Kratos left not only the ardent antics of his youth, but also his slasher roots. Now, in terms of combat, this is a rather slow and thoughtful ARPG a la Souls. Larger mobs telegraph their most powerful attacks, a trifle is needed to distract attention, His Majesty Roll (and Prince Regent Block) is present - in general, everything is as it should be. Unless there is no stamina, because Kratos has it endless.

However, a lot depends on the level of difficulty. On average, it’s quite possible to remember youth and play with smaller mobs in the “same” God of War: no parry and dodge, furious spam of a light attack, occasionally a heavy one as a finisher. And the draugs scatter like leaves underfoot. At maximum, the action turns into Bloodborne: one missed hit from a seemingly innocent creature - and 3/4 hit points are gone.

And here builds come to the rescue, which our somewhat aged Greek demigod could not even dream of before. Of course, Kratos has only one weapon - an axe, but it can be modified: choose light and heavy super moves, change handles, and so on. And in terms of armor, in general, there is a wealth of choice: to attack, to defend, to restore ... everything is limited only by your imagination and how ready you are to be distracted from a fantastic plot for the sake of collecting resources.

Modifications are not only Kratos himself. It is also quite possible to dress up a son, upgrade a bow, teach new skills and even combat magic. And all this is not an empty phrase, because we are not talking about a brainless bot, but about the best companion in the entire history of the gaming industry.

Greek-Norwegian wrestler

Yes, that's right, without any exaggeration. The cutesy Elizabeth, who can only _occasionally_ throw a clip of ammunition for a rifle or a healer, now has a place exclusively in NSFW videos. Atreus is Santa's real little helper. He will never get stuck in a stone or in a step, he will always tell the brutal bat what to do, and will translate to him, an illiterate Greek, the Nordic runes, which Maman once taught from the locals.

Well, in combat, it’s generally irreplaceable. Electric wolves (this is magic), electric arrows, suffocation, a sharpening in the throat: a minor boy, at the beginning of the journey, embarrassed to kill a defenseless deer, matured surprisingly quickly. At the same time, he did not become rude, did not lose his curiosity and sense of humor, of which his father - a settled corruption of Greek goddesses - is completely devoid of. No, really: without Atreus, this fascinating journey would have been one and a half times more boring.

In summary: many (including us) feared that the new God of War could turn into one endless and painful, like hellish torture, escort mission. No. This is not true. Atreus is never a burden and always a help. Moreover, the mobs are not able to break the kid completely - just knock him out for 2-3 seconds. But that's not all: for just a thousand silver, you can buy a cheat item for your offspring, which will raise Kratos immediately after dying in battle. Continue, if expressed in the language of arcades.

Mexican Nordic Pantheon series

The change in setting has benefited the franchise. Yes, and how not to change it, if in his native Greece Kratos killed literally everyone - he even cleaned Zeus's snout? And in Scandinavia, the gods and demigods are still fresh - not beaten. In principle, the winner of the Hellenic pantheon was not going to conflict - he lived modestly in a hut in the forest, when suddenly ...

Yes, it will not be possible to tell further without spoilers, so we will not deal with it. Just trust me: the game is definitely recommended to all fans of Nordic mythology. Everyone who has read the Edda (or just some scraps on the Internet) knows: the Nordic gods are not some kind of saints. They are very similar to ordinary people - they always quarrel and fight. Kratos, of course, falls into the very center of a new celestial mess.

Developers from hot Santa Monica (which is in Los Angeles) obviously spent more than one month in dusty libraries and traveling around the snowiest Scandinavia. Soaked in the local spirit for the most do not indulge, and now we, gamers, taste the divine nectar of their creativity. Historical (i.e. mythological) realism and fantasy of the authors are combined in perfect proportion.

Gap mouth, expensive, high quality, beautiful. We work with any material: from werewolves to dragons

You won’t get far on fantasy and enthusiasm alone, but, fortunately, there is also heavy artillery in the form of Sony’s gigantic budget. Everything looks incredibly expensive/rich, especially on PS4 Pro and 4K TV. Yes, there are beautiful northern locations in Horizon Zero Dawn, but there Guerilla had to make a number of sacrifices associated with the complete openness of the world.

Here, the developers, starting from the limited structure of metroidvania locations, were able to build truly monumental theatrical scenery, like a defeated ice giant the size of the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station. Yes, he only has nose hairs reminiscent of the most developed creepers in the Amazon basin, which, under the influence of a harsh wind, flutter according to all the laws of physics! And this is not just a backdrop: you will get to a gigantic cold corpse and will climb on it for a long time. majestique.

Well, conflicts in terms of artistry and staging are unparalleled. For each enemy - even for small flying "eyes" - there are personal finishing moves. Wolves and dragons are torn apart by their mouths, dark elves (more correctly, elves) rake with their own tridents, trolls get an ax right in the throat, and Kratos effortlessly crushes giants like cockroaches with stone totems weighing several tons.

For everyone and everyone

We love bile, subjective criticism and other harsh negativity, but in a state of some discouragement we have to admit: Santa Monica Studio managed to make a game for everyone. Do you want a story slasher for 30 hours? Turn on the normal and break through the main quest. Are you a masochist? Set the maximum difficulty level - get your portion of Souls, where even an ordinary draug (Nordic zombie) will require a personal approach.

Maybe you are a perfectionist maniac, an unsurpassed master of achievements? Please, there is entertainment for you too: explore all possible branches and secrets, and then the game will easily stretch for 70+ hours, if not more (especially at the maximum difficulty level).

Neighing lovers will find blacksmith dwarves here, always bickering over their craft. Connoisseurs of the serious, on the contrary, will appreciate the development of the father-son relationship, in which Kratos first only criticizes the offspring, and then begins to recognize his success in battle. Fans of Norse mythology will refresh their knowledge by following the development of the plot and reading the diaries of Atreus.

Negative moments? I need to stretch my memory ... At first, the author was afraid that the increase in maximum health was hidden exclusively in complex side caches with riddles, as is done in the new Zelda. But then it turned out that grinding and upgrading equipment add hit points, and the search for divine apples is a purely optional activity.

What else? One particular fight tied to a timer (Santa Monica, haven't you heard that timers _not_ in racing sims are the worst solution in the history of the game industry!?), but other than that, nothing. So even here you are at a loss. It is no longer about how to improve, but how to continue the already Perfect Game. Maybe send Kratos (or matured Atreus, so that in stealth with a bow) somewhere to the mythical Slavs? And what - the direction after the "Witcher" is popular, and Geralt of Rivia is on a well-deserved rest.