God of War Review
Kratos returns older, quieter and far more interesting. This is a masterclass in reinventing a franchise without losing its punch.
Rebooting a series defined by screaming and quick-time executions into a measured, intimate story was a colossal risk. God of War doesn't just pull it off, it becomes one of the finest action-adventures of its generation.
Developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, it launched on PlayStation 4 on April 20, 2018, and reached PC on January 14, 2022. Creative director Cory Barlog has described it as a reimagining of the franchise rather than a reset: Kratos has left Greece behind for the Norse realm of Midgard, the fixed cinematic camera has been replaced by an over-the-shoulder view, and the rage-fuelled demigod of God of War III is now an older man trying to raise a child.
The axe changes everything
Combat is built around the Leviathan Axe, which you hurl and recall like Mjolnir. That single mechanic gives every fight a satisfying rhythm of throw, punch and recall, and the upgrade paths let you tune Kratos to your taste. It feels phenomenal from the first swing to the last.
The toolkit around it is smartly layered. Runes slotted into the axe unlock light and heavy runic attacks, the collapsible Guardian Shield turns defence into a weapon of its own, and bare-fisted brawling fills an enemy's stun meter until a brutal grab finishes the job. Atreus is no escort mission, either: he fires arrows on command, distracts weaker enemies while you handle the big ones, and grows into runic summons such as a spectral wolf pack. Later, a familiar weapon returns to widen the moveset further, and it is handled with real showmanship.
A story about fatherhood
Underneath the spectacle is a quiet story about a grieving father trying, and often failing, to connect with his son Atreus. The famous single-take camera never cuts away, which keeps you locked into their relationship as it slowly thaws. It is genuinely affecting.
The premise is simple: after the death of Kratos's wife Faye, father and son set out to scatter her ashes from the highest peak in the nine realms. Kratos keeps his godhood and his past hidden from a boy who does not know what he is, and that secret hangs over every conversation. The supporting cast is superb. Baldur is a relentless, unsettling antagonist, the dwarven smiths Brok and Sindri provide bickering comic relief, and Mímir, the self-proclaimed smartest man alive, becomes the best travelling storyteller in years. Bear McCreary's thunderous score gives the whole journey its weight.
A world that opens up
God of War is not an open world, but it gives you far more room to roam than the older games ever did. The Lake of the Nine sits at the centre of the map, with Týr's Temple rising from its waters, and travel to other realms runs through the Bifröst from a root of Yggdrasil inside it. Paths branch off into optional areas and side quests, and that optional content is worth the detour: hunting down the Valkyries delivers some of the toughest boss fights in the game, while freeing the imprisoned dragons adds memorable set pieces.
The flip side is that some areas ask to be revisited more often than their layouts justify, and a handful of mini-boss templates are recycled late on. It never sinks the pacing, but on a second playthrough you notice where the seams are.
What's changed since launch
Santa Monica has supported the game well. Photo Mode arrived with update 1.20 in May 2018, and New Game Plus followed with update 1.30 that August, carrying your gear into a harder run where enemies gain new moves. PlayStation 4 Pro owners could already choose between 4K-targeting resolution and 60fps performance modes, and a February 2021 update let PlayStation 5 owners play at 60fps with checkerboard 4K.
The biggest change was the PC release. As Santa Monica Studio announced on PlayStation.Blog, the port offers true 4K on supported hardware, unlocked frame rates, NVIDIA DLSS and Reflex, and 21:9 ultrawide support. The work was handled by Jetpack Interactive under Santa Monica's supervision, and the studio was quick to credit its partner.
We want send a huge congratulations and thank you to Jetpack Interactive for their incredible work on the #GodofWarPC port! This version of the game would not be possible without their amazing team ❤
— Santa Monica Studio (@SonySantaMonica) January 14, 2022
The story continues in God of War Ragnarök from Santa Monica Studio, released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in 2022 and for PC in 2024, so there has never been a better time to start here.
Official resources
- God of War official page (PlayStation)
- Santa Monica Studio
- PlayStation.Blog: God of War (2018) is coming to PC
- God of War on Steam
- God of War (2018) on Wikipedia
The verdict
Some recycled enemies and backtracking keep it from perfection, but this is blockbuster game-making at its most assured. It rebuilds Kratos from the ground up without losing the ferocity that made him, and it lands its emotional beats as cleanly as its axe throws. If you loved the world-building of Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War delivers the same craft with far punchier combat.
What we loved
- The Leviathan Axe is the best weapon in years
- Genuinely moving father-son story
- Seamless single-shot camera
- Gorgeous Norse world to explore
What held it back
- Reused mini-bosses late on
- Backtracking pads the runtime
- Inventory stats can feel fiddly
