God of War is a 2018 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was released worldwide for the Playstation 4 in April 2018, with a Windows port released in January 2022. It is the eighth installment in the “God of War series”, the ninth chronologically, and the sequel to 2010's “God of War III”.
Unlike previous games, which were loosely based on Greek mythology, the installment transitioned the series to Norse mythology, with the majority of it set in mythical ancient Scandinavia in the realm of Midgard. For the first time in the series, there are two protagonists: Kratos, the former Greek God of War who remains the only playable character, and his young son Atreus. Following the death of Kratos's second wife and Atreus's mother, Faye, the two embark on a deeply personal journey to fulfill her request that her ashes be spread from the highest peak of the nine realms. Kratos keeps his troubled past a secret from Atreus, who is unaware of his divine nature. Along their journey, they come into conflict with monsters and gods of the Norse world.
Described by the creative director Cory Barlog as a reimagining of the franchise, a major gameplay change is that Kratos makes prominent use of a magical battle axe known as the Levathan Axe instead of his signature double-chained Blades of Chaos.
God of War received “universal acclaim” from critics for its story, world design, art direction, music, graphics, combat system, and characters, in particular the dynamic between Kratos and Atreus. It was names Game of the Year by numerous media outlets and has been cited as among the greatest video games ever made. The game also performed well commercially, selling over 5 million units within a month of its release and 23 million units sold by November 2022, making it one of the best-selling Playstation 4 games and the best-selling game in the series. A novelization was released in August 2018, followed by a prequel comic series published from November 2018 to June 2021, while a live-action television series is in development for Amazon Prime Video. A sequel, God of War Ragnarök, was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in November 2022, and for Windows in 2024.
Gameplay
God of War is a third-person action-adventure video game. It features an over-the-shoulder free camera (a departure from the previous installments which featured a fixed cinematic camera, with the exception of 2007's two-dimensional side-scroller Betrayal). Cinematographically, the game is presented in a continuous shot, with no camera cuts or loading screens. Although the previous main installment, Ascension (2013), introduced multiplayer to the series, this installment is single-player-only. Regarding the level structure, creative director Cory Barlog said “it's open, but it is not an open world.” Due to its openness, a fast travel feature is unlocked later in the game. Swimming, an ability in previous games, was cut; players instead use a boat to traverse bodies of water. Unlike previous games, which allowed players to jump freely at any time, jumping can now only be done at designated areas, such as at a rock face or ledge. Throughout the game, players battle Norse mythological foes, like dark elves, wulvers, and draugrs, as well as Gullveig and the revenants, beings warped by seiðr magic, among many others. Valkyries appear as optional secret boss battles throughout the six playable locations. Among the many side quests, players can free the imprisoned dragons Fáfnir, Otr, and Reginn—dwarves who were turned into dragons—in addition to battling one called Hræzlyr, a story-based boss battle.
Synopsis
Setting
While the first seven games were loosely based on Greek mythology, this installment is loosely inspired by Norse mythology, taking place at least 150 years after God of War III (2010). Six of the nine realms of Norse mythology can be explored. Predating the Vikings, most of the game takes place in ancient Scandinavia in the realm of Midgard, which is inhabited by humans and other creatures. It is the same realm in which the Greek world existed. As more dangerous creatures began appearing, many humans fled. Other realms visited as part of the story include Alfheim, the mystical home of the light and dark elves; Helheim, the icy land of the dead; and Jötunheim, the mountainous land of the Giants. Optional explorable realms include Niflheim, a realm of poisonous fog with a maze-like structure of rewards; and the fire realm Muspelheim, featuring the six Trials of Muspelheim—completing each trial grants rewards and advances Kratos and Atreus closer to the top of a large volcano, facing off Göndul, one of the nine Valkyries. Access to the other three realms—Asgard, home of the Æsir gods; Vanaheim, home of the Vanir gods; and Svartalfheim, home of the dwarves—has been blocked by Odin, the ruler of Asgard and the Æsir gods. At the center of the realms is the mythical tree Yggdrasil, which connects each realm. Although each realm is a different world, they exist simultaneously in the same space. Travel to and from realms can be done by using the Bifröst from a root of Yggdrasil contained within Týr's Temple at the center of the Lake of the Nine. The temple was created by its namesake, Týr, a peaceful God of War who traveled to other lands and learned about their mythologies; it was told that Odin had him killed as he believed Týr was secretly aiding the Giants and would try to overthrow him.
Characters
The game's protagonists are Kratos (Christopher Judge) and his young son Atreus (Sunny Suljic). Kratos is a warrior originally from Sparta who became the Greek God of War and is a son of Zeus. After ending up in ancient Scandinavia following his war against Olympus, he met his second wife, Laufey (addressed as Faye), who died from an unknown cause shortly before the start of the game. She bore their son, Atreus, who at the start of the game does not know about Kratos's past or his divine nature but can hear other beings' thoughts. The main antagonist is the Æsir god Baldur (Jeremy Davies), the half-brother of Thor, whose sons Modi and Magni (Nolan North and Troy Baker, respectively) assist him. Baldur's parents are Odin, the Allfather and King of the Æsir, and the Vanir goddess Freya (Danielle Bisutti), the former Queen of the Valkyries. Freya tried leaving Odin after he began corrupting her Vanir magic, but he in turn stripped her of her Valkyrie wings, banished her to Midgard, and cast a spell on her that prevented her from causing harm to others and from leaving the realm. She then hid her identity under an alias, the Witch of the Woods. To protect her son from a prophecy that foretold his death, Freya cast a spell of immortality on Baldur, which also prevented him from feeling pain or pleasure. The effects of the spell caused Baldur to greatly resent his mother. The only thing capable of harming him was mistletoe, a fact which Freya kept secret.
Other characters include Mímir (Alastair Duncan), who claims to be the smartest man alive, and the Huldra Brothers—Brok (Robert Craighead) and Sindri (Adam J. Harrington)—dwarves who appear at various points in the world and assist Kratos and Atreus by forging new gear. Weapons forged by the Huldra Brothers, including Thor's hammer Mjölnir, were used by the Æsir gods. They also forged Kratos's Leviathan Axe, which originally belonged to Faye, who also gifted Kratos her Guardian Shield. The spirit of the Greek goddess Athena (Carole Ruggier) makes a cameo appearance, and Zeus (Corey Burton) appears to Kratos as an illusion in Helheim.
Plot
Many years after defeating the Olympian gods, Kratos has been living with his wife Faye and their son Atreus in Midgard. Soon after Faye dies, Kratos cremates her body, and is confronted by a stranger with godly powers. The two battle and Kratos seemingly kills the stranger, after which Kratos and Atreus begin their journey to honor Faye's last wish: to scatter her ashes at the highest peak in the nine realms. They encounter the Dwarves Brok and Sindri, the kindly Witch of the Woods, who recognizes Kratos's godhood, and Jörmungandr, the World Serpent. When their path is blocked by impenetrable black mist, the Witch instructs them to travel to Alfheim and secure its magical light to extinguish the mist. Successful, they reach Midgard's peak and overhear a conversation between the stranger—revealed to be Baldur—and his nephews, Modi and Magni, as well as the imprisoned Mímir. Mímir reveals the highest peak is actually in Jötunheim, but the Giants have blocked travel there.
Knowing of another passage, Mímir instructs Kratos to behead him and have his head revived by the Witch of the Woods, whom, upon resurrection, he reveals to be the goddess Freya. Kratos's longstanding hatred of gods causes him to distrust her, but both Freya and Mímir warn him he must tell Atreus about his true nature. Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir are attacked by Modi and Magni. After Kratos kills Magni, Modi flees but later ambushes the trio. Kratos fends him off, but Atreus collapses, overcome by illness due to the contradiction of a god believing himself to be mortal. Freya instructs Kratos to retrieve the heart of a troll in Helheim; however, his frost-based Leviathan Axe is useless in the icy realm. Kratos returns home to unearth his old weapons, the fiery Blades of Chaos, and is haunted by Athena's spirit. After retrieving the heart, he has a haunting vision of Zeus. Freya revives Atreus, and Kratos tells him they are gods. Atreus becomes increasingly arrogant and, against Kratos's orders, murders a weakened Modi, who was beaten by Thor for not avenging Magni. At Midgard's peak, Baldur ambushes Kratos and Atreus, resulting in Jötunheim's portal being destroyed. Their battle descends to Týr's Temple, and the group ends up in Helheim.
Atreus makes amends with Kratos after being reprimanded. They learn of Freya and Baldur's familial relationship and the spell of invulnerability she cast on him. Returning to Midgard, Mímir realizes another way to reach Jötunheim, but needs his missing eye. After obtaining it, the group are attacked by Baldur once more, but Freya intervenes to protect her son. Baldur is pierced by Atreus's mistletoe arrow, breaking Freya's spell. Though defeated, Kratos spares him on the condition he leave both them and Freya alone; Baldur attempts to strangle Freya, causing Kratos to kill him. A grief-stricken Freya vows revenge on Kratos, and leaves with Baldur's corpse, but not before taunting him about the past he has not yet told his son. Kratos tells Atreus about his own past and how he killed many people including his own father. Atreus laments this cycle of violence, and Kratos tells him they should not repeat the mistakes of their predecessors, including those made by Kratos himself.
Kratos and Atreus reach Jötunheim. They find an abandoned temple with a mural depicting their adventures, showing that the Giants, renowned for their gift of prophecy, had foretold their journey. They discover Faye was a Giant who had decided to stay in Midgard, making Atreus half Giant, one-quarter god, and one-quarter mortal. Their fight with Baldur is shown, revealing he sought Faye the whole time under Odin's orders, unaware she was dead and Atreus was referred to as Loki by his mother and the Giants. Kratos chooses to ignore a covered mural depicting what appears to be him dying in Atreus's arms. They fulfill their promise and spread Faye's ashes at the peak. Afterward, Kratos reveals to Atreus that his given name was that of a compassionate Spartan comrade. Returning to Midgard, they retrieve Mímir, who warns them Baldur's death has caused the three-year-long Fimbulwinter to begin nearly a century earlier than prophesized, meaning Ragnarök is soon to follow.
Returning home, the pair slumbers, in which Atreus has a vision of Thor arriving at the end of Fimbulwinter to confront them.
Development
Development on the next God of War began in 2014. This was confirmed by Santa Monica Studio's creative director Cory Barlog at the inaugural PlayStation Experience on December 6 that year, where Barlog said the game was in very early development and that it would not be a prequel but possibly a reboot. In April 2016, concept art was leaked that showed images of Kratos in the world of Norse mythology, a concept originally considered by series creator David Jaffe after Kratos eliminated the Greek gods. The game's official announcement came at the 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) with a gameplay demo that confirmed the setting. The demo showed a fully bearded Kratos teaching his son how to hunt. The pair also battled a troll. The end of the demo showed the title God of War and confirmed it was in development for the PlayStation 4 (PS4). The E3 announcement also confirmed that Barlog had returned to the series as game director for the new installment. Since the original 2005 game, Barlog had been a major contributor in the development of the series, previously most notably as the director of God of War II (2007); this installment was his fifth God of War game.
Barlog said the game was titled God of War with no numeral or subtitle because, although it was a continuation of the series, “we ... [reimagined] everything”.[26][24] Head of Santa Monica Studio, Shannon Studstill, and Barlog said that Sony Interactive Entertainment had to be convinced to do another God of War game as many people at Sony wanted the series to “sleep and rest” due to the lackluster response to the previous game, Ascension. In explaining why Barlog was brought back, Studstill said he knew the series very well, “and bringing in someone that understands that history is the respect the franchise deserves”. Barlog responded, “You gotta know the rules to break the rules”.
In explaining the transition from Greek mythology to Norse mythology, Barlog said: “It's kind of this BC–AD change over kind of thing. We're moving and starting from zero and kind of moving forward on that”. In adapting the Norse myths, Barlog said there were many different translations and interpretations, and the writing team read the “Prose Edda” to learn how the myths were translated and told. Just like they did with Greek mythology in the previous games, they found ways to parallel path things from the Norse myths to fit their story. Before settling on Norse mythology, Egyptian mythology was also considered. Barlog said that half of the team was for it, but because Egypt has “a lot more about civilization – it's less isolated, less barren”, he decided on the Norse setting to keep the game focused on Kratos. Barlog explained further: “Having too much around distracts from that central theme of a stranger in a strange land”. To explain why Kratos was now in the Norse world, Barlog said that different cultures' belief systems coexisted, but they were “separated by geography”, suggesting that Kratos traveled from Greece to Norway (Scandinavia) after the conclusion of God of War III. Clarifying the conclusion of that game, Barlog said that Kratos did not destroy what was believed to be the entire world, but only the portion ruled over by the Greek pantheon.[10] Barlog also said the newer game predated the Vikings, taking place in the time when their gods walked the Earth.
A new trailer was shown at E3 2017, featuring new gameplay, cinematics, and characters. In it, Kratos is shown using a shield offensively and defensively. At one point, Kratos finds a Greek vase with himself on it, wielding his infamous double-chained blades. During the trailer, an unnamed woman warns Kratos about the Norse gods, as they knew what he did to the Greek gods, while a pair of wolves are also shown. The trailer ends with Kratos and Atreus encountering the World Serpent. Atreus is able to translate its request to help the pair. It was confirmed that the game would release in early 2018. Until the game's launch, Santa Monica included a section on the God of War website titled “The Lost Pages”, detailing some of the lore of God of War's Nordic world. In January 2018, the game's release date was confirmed for April 20, 2018. A trailer was also released that showed that the mythological character Mímir would have a role in the game. God of War went gold on March 22.
Soundtrack
God of War (PlayStation Soundtrack) was released on April 20, 2018, by Sony Classical Records. It was composed by Bear McCreary, who is best known for his work on television shows like Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead. McCreary was called into Santa Monica Studio in November 2014 to meet with music producers Peter Scaturro and Keith Leary to discuss “a secret project”; McCreary had previously collaborated with Scaturro and Leary on 2011's SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs. Ideas of folk music, mythology, Nordic ethnic instruments, vocal writing, and classical thematic development were discussed; McCreary correctly guessed that the discussions were about a new God of War. McCreary met with Barlog early on to discuss his narrative vision for the game. After meeting with him, McCreary felt the franchise was in good hands because God of War II, which Barlog also directed, was his favorite installment.
During the initial discussions, McCreary realized he needed to compose completely new music for the game and not reuse any previous music from the series. He said that although he loved those games, he “would not describe them as emotionally dynamic”. Based on his memory of the earlier games' music, however, he was inspired by their sounds, such as “deep choirs, pounding drums, and shrieking brass”, and reinvented them for the Nordic setting. To ensure the music represented the setting, McCreary spent months researching and listening to Viking folk music, which resulted in him using “exotic instrumentation and languages from various Northern European folk traditions”. He also wanted the score to be huge and varied, “full of peaks and valleys, tiny incantations and gigantic set pieces”. The main Kratos theme in particular features low orchestral instruments, an Icelandic choir, deep male vocals, powerful female vocals (in particular Faroese singer Eivør Pálsdóttir), folk percussion, and Nordic stringed instruments, like the nyckelharpa and hurdy gurdy. The track “Witch of the Woods” uses a renaissance and baroque instrument called a viola da gamba, which is an ancestor of the modern cello. The Stranger's theme, found in the track “Deliverance”, uses a Hardanger fiddle.
Reception
Reviews
God of War received “universal acclaim” from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic, tying it with the original God of War for the highest score in the franchise. It has the fourth-highest score of all-time for a PlayStation 4 game, and the highest score for an original, non-remastered PlayStation 4 exclusive. It was the highest rated PlayStation 4 game of 2018 until the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in October, which pushed God of War to second. It is also tied with the Xbox One version of Celeste for the second-highest score of 2018 regardless of platform. God of War received particular praise for its art direction, graphics, combat system, music, story, use of Norse mythology, characters, and cinematic feeling. Many reviewers felt it had successfully revitalized the series without losing the core identity of its predecessors.