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GOD OF WAR (2018) Father Son Vacation Simulator

#1 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 11:17 AM

Alright. From the other games threads I gather quite a few of us have already bought the new PS4 God of War, so dedicated thread it is!

Posted Image



WARNING: Be careful about googling this game as there are a ton of story spoilers out there right now. Lots of trolls having fun with posting plot reveals and story endings on social media.

For those out of the loop or just checking in to see what this title is about, God of War (2018) is a kind of soft reboot re-imagination of the popular PS2 and PS3 era Playstation franchise. It features Kratos, a Greek God of War, in a new North Mythologic setting.

There was a lot of pensive, furtive excitement for God of War before it's release. God of War 1-3 had a pretty epic story but it was never particularly deep or mature. So there was a lot of doubt about not just the change in camera angle and gameplay design, but also the ambitious plot. However it seems that Sony Santa Monica's gamble has paid off beyond anyones expectation.

God of war is currently the second highest rated PS4 game of the generation just behind GTA5 and along side the Last of Us Remaster. It's critical and user rated reception has been fantastic:

http://www.metacriti...on-4/god-of-war

https://opencritic.c...5434/god-of-war


Last we saw Kratos (ignoring the prequel, Ascension) Kratos had just laid waste to pretty much all of creation, plunging mankind into darkness and doom.

This new game features a changed, solemn and more subdued but still very grumpy Old Man Kratos. Kratos now has a son (maybe an adopted one?) and as the game starts out, the sons mother has recently died and the father and son then sets out on an adventure that will explore their bond and, one assumes, see them get into some kind of North Mythology shenanigans.


--------------------------------

Just played the first hour or so of the game. Had to tear myself away from Far Cry 5, which I was already getting really into.

While it's certainly still a very video gamey video game, boy is it well crafted and well presented. The pacing, the motion capture, the setting the interaction between the actors - This is one hell of an achievement. Definitely a front runner for Game of the Year, if not Game of the Generation, though one should probably not get carried away before I finish the game.

But maaan is this game cool so far.

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 21 April 2018 - 08:20 PM

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#2 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 11:25 AM

PLEASE KEEP IMPORTANT STORY SPOILERS AND TWISTS IN BLACK BOXES FOR THE TIME BEING, YOU ANIMALS.

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 21 April 2018 - 11:25 AM

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#3 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 12:42 PM

God damn. Just did the end of the intro. Whoo boy. That fight was cooler than the end game of most other video games.

Who do you guys think the stranger is?

Spoiler

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 21 April 2018 - 12:47 PM

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#4 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 02:09 PM

The game just took the kiddy gloves off and I ran straight into a difficulty curve.

First some punishing berserker like bruisers with big axes and then a crazy teleporting bee witch. Both encounters kicked my ass until I started to take the combat serious, pick my moves and used the boy strategically.
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#5 User is offline   Serenity 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 02:16 PM

Yeah, those Revenants are a pain is the arse :p
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#6 User is offline   Serenity 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 02:17 PM

View PostAlternative Goose, on 21 April 2018 - 12:42 PM, said:

God damn. Just did the end of the intro. Whoo boy. That fight was cooler than the end game of most other video games.

Who do you guys think the stranger is?

Spoiler



Ha, shows how much I know, I thought it might be

Spoiler

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#7 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 02:29 PM

View PostSerenity, on 21 April 2018 - 02:17 PM, said:

View PostAlternative Goose, on 21 April 2018 - 12:42 PM, said:

God damn. Just did the end of the intro. Whoo boy. That fight was cooler than the end game of most other video games.

Who do you guys think the stranger is?

Spoiler



Ha, shows how much I know, I thought it might be

Spoiler



Could still be him. He is the other obvious first encounter for Kratos I think.

Spoiler

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 21 April 2018 - 02:30 PM

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#8 User is offline   Tiste Simeon 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 06:22 PM

I have never played any of the others will this be a problem?

Won't be getting it for a while at any rate I have AC Origins to finish and both Wolfenstein: The New Colossus and Shadow of War to play. But if it's as good as it looks/as everyone says, I'll no doubt end up having it at some point.
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#9 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 06:59 PM

From what I've read from the developer and reviews, you don't need to have played the old games, but they are meaningful in the sense that they give context to Kratos behavior and his troubled past that keeps getting alluded to.

From what I've heard you can just watch the series recap that was released by sony a while ago and you should be good to go.
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#10 User is offline   champ 

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Posted 21 April 2018 - 09:29 PM

It was definitely the opening that hooked me in to this game... from the way it "loads" after you click new game to the powerful story intro, the music and the first hunt... it's special but to finish with the Stranger fight... that was damn epic!

I have to say that I had no idea who the stranger was until the reveal later on.


View PostAlternative Goose, on 21 April 2018 - 02:09 PM, said:

The game just took the kiddy gloves off and I ran straight into a difficulty curve.

First some punishing berserker like bruisers with big axes and then a crazy teleporting bee witch. Both encounters kicked my ass until I started to take the combat serious, pick my moves and used the boy strategically.


View PostSerenity, on 21 April 2018 - 02:16 PM, said:

Yeah, those Revenants are a pain is the arse :p



I know the exact room that you are talking about, this was the first room that really taught you the benefits of Atreus, his bow and your shield with parry.

It was also where the combos start coming together switching between when you have an axe and are unarmed, it doesn't matter which, either just feels so damn good to fight with.


View PostTiste Simeon, on 21 April 2018 - 06:22 PM, said:

I have never played any of the others will this be a problem?

Won't be getting it for a while at any rate I have AC Origins to finish and both Wolfenstein: The New Colossus and Shadow of War to play. But if it's as good as it looks/as everyone says, I'll no doubt end up having it at some point.


View PostAlternative Goose, on 21 April 2018 - 06:59 PM, said:

From what I've read from the developer and reviews, you don't need to have played the old games, but they are meaningful in the sense that they give context to Kratos behavior and his troubled past that keeps getting alluded to.

From what I've heard you can just watch the series recap that was released by sony a while ago and you should be good to go.



Pretty much what Apt said. Knowing the story of Kratos past gives you a bit more emotional impact when you start to see fatherhood breaking out of his war torn angry man soul.

But the game doesn't skip a beat introducing new players to this realm. It does it quite cleverly as the Norse world is not really known to Kratos so as he learns about the world, we do too and it doesn't feel forced.


Random gameplay stuff:

Not story spoilers or anything but I'll still spoiler...


Spoiler



I'm about to dive right back in...

I've also had the intro music stuck in my head all day! Good job it's awesome!

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#11 User is offline   Malankazooie 

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Posted 22 April 2018 - 02:50 AM

I would say that playing the previous GoW titles would definitely give you a perspective of things. It seems this Norse pantheon has become aware of Kratos. With Kratos living deep in the woods with wife and son (trying to etch a simple life and hide his past?), I wonder if the game will explain how they become aware of him. Greek gods snitchin' ?

Also, do you guys think "anger" is an overarching theme is this game?Posted Image

Finally, what difficulty are you guys playing on? I'm on the second hardest and it's been pretty challenging, tbh.
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#12 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 22 April 2018 - 03:47 AM

I'm playing on second lowest (2/4). If I could I think I might actually have switched to the lowest difficulty for a while until I got better at fighting. Fighting those revenants while those axe guys are in the room is an exercise in masochism.
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#13 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 22 April 2018 - 04:19 AM

Spoiler

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 22 April 2018 - 04:27 AM

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#14 User is offline   Aptorian 

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Posted 22 April 2018 - 05:18 PM

Played a bunch more of the game now. I've arrived in Alfheim to retrieve some McGuffin. I have no real idea about how far into the story I am. I feel like I've played a lot but I also spend about 2/3rds of my time back tracking and obsessively scouting every cliffside, ceiling, tree top or what ever for hanging collectibles and ghost crows.

The gameplay experience has evolved significantly. I feel like the first couple of hours are a lot harder because your tools and skills are limited. At the point I am at now, I have tons of upgrades, buffs, new skills and strange talismans. It makes the fights significantly easier because I have options for every enemy, crowd control is especially nice.

The story and setting remains awesome. Won't really say more than that. I like how Atreu is learning and growing as we go.
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#15 User is offline   Tiste Simeon 

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Posted 22 April 2018 - 08:04 PM

View PostAlternative Goose, on 21 April 2018 - 06:59 PM, said:

From what I've read from the developer and reviews, you don't need to have played the old games, but they are meaningful in the sense that they give context to Kratos behavior and his troubled past that keeps getting alluded to.

From what I've heard you can just watch the series recap that was released by sony a while ago and you should be good to go.

Thanks! As I said I hope to get it perhaps later in the year.
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#16 User is offline   champ 

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Posted 22 April 2018 - 08:28 PM

So I came across my first real challenge where I died a good 10 times plus before finally cracking it.

Doing the side quest:

Spoiler


As you come out of the little mini dungeon you have to fight a Forest Ancient I think it was and two goons... It had an Iron Man style Fire Beam out of it's chest that kept wrecking me!!!

I don't know what it was but I just couldn't get into the rythem of the battle!!!

I was so happy the ordeal was over when I finally cracked it.

Also just had an epic large scale battle vs:

(Type of beast you battle with spoiler and it's your first encounter with such beast so SPOILER):

Spoiler

Tehol said:

'Yet my heart breaks for a naked hen.'
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#17 User is offline   Morgoth 

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Posted 23 April 2018 - 08:44 AM

Just got this game, and man is it good. It feels a little clunky compared to Bloodborne, but it sort of fits with the raw brutality of Kratos. He's not really a man who dodges things.
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#18 User is offline   Serenity 

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Posted 23 April 2018 - 10:59 AM

Just finished the Alfheim bit last night. So much fun. I've picked up a couple of side quests now so may go and have a look at them today.

I'm playing it on the 'balanced' difficulty. If/when I finish it I'll probably play it again on the next one up.
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#19 User is offline   Malankazooie 

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Posted 23 April 2018 - 03:47 PM

I've barely scratched the service myself. The Stranger reminds me of Halfdan from the show Vikings.

For you guys who are far a long, are there a lot of side paths at the beginning that lead to fruitful discoveries and/or side missions? The reason I ask, is I watched a "things you should know" video (a couple of them actually) on Youtube and one common advice was to be sure to explore away from the main story mission. The beginning of the game seems to be pretty linear, in that you follow your son, so while there may have seemed to be little areas I could have checked out, I pretty much followed the path of the story mission. So did I miss anything, and can I return to pick them up later on?
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#20 User is offline   champ 

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Posted 23 April 2018 - 04:28 PM

View PostMalankazooie, on 23 April 2018 - 03:47 PM, said:

I've barely scratched the service myself. The Stranger reminds me of Halfdan from the show Vikings.

For you guys who are far a long, are there a lot of side paths at the beginning that lead to fruitful discoveries and/or side missions? The reason I ask, is I watched a "things you should know" video (a couple of them actually) on Youtube and one common advice was to be sure to explore away from the main story mission. The beginning of the game seems to be pretty linear, in that you follow your son, so while there may have seemed to be little areas I could have checked out, I pretty much followed the path of the story mission. So did I miss anything, and can I return to pick them up later on?


You will have missed some early game crafting items and some Apples/Horns that increase your Health/Mana but you can revisit theses sections later on and the early game crafting items soon become obsolete. I wouldn't worry about it.

I left the son hanging as I went exploring!

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