God of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to 2018’s critically acclaimed reboot, and follows Kratos as he confronts his past while also trying to raise Atreus as his son.
Kratos begins the game by cutting down a tree that Faye marked, breaking an invisible shield around their home and dispelling any protective magic surrounding them. Soon thereafter, Baldur appears – son of Odin and Freya who has come for help from Odin himself!
Story
God of War introduced gamers to an innovative take on the hack-and-slash genre, garnering widespread acclaim from critics. Santa Monica Studio’s critically acclaimed title mesmerized players with its breathtaking action and cinematic presentation – quickly cementing Kratos as an unlikely PlayStation mascot. Given the game’s success, its sequel was inevitable.
The series has since blossomed into an expansive franchise with multiple installments that each feature their own story arc and plot twists. Critics have praised it for staying faithful to ancient mythologies while its over-the-shoulder camera brings players even closer to the action.
God of War breaks many traditions established in its predecessors with its latest installment. Not only has its focus shifted from Greek mythology to Norse mythology, but many features that have become signature elements have also been removed such as Save Altars and Orb Chests.
More significantly, this encounter revealed Kratos’ true origins; no longer just as a hero but as an immortal god. While on his journey he discovered Faye was actually an immense giant who left another prophecy about their involvement in Norse apocalypse called Ragnarok. Later Kratos made his way down into the underworld where Gaia asked him to pledge allegiance to her gods; Kratos refused and instead punched her until she became stable again.
Characters
God of War is an action-adventure game based on Greek and Norse mythology, where players take control of Kratos, a Spartan warrior forced to kill his family but plagued with horrific nightmares; he seeks vengeance against Atreus – his son – with support from Atreus as an ally on this quest. Similar to Tomb Raider series games, gameplay includes third-person action coupled with advanced movement skills such as climbing and swimming for added realism.
Zeus, King of Olympian Gods and father to Athena, Artemis and Apollo is the primary antagonist in this game. As its ruthless ruler and cause for Pandora’s Box to exist, he also serves as its primary adversary; although not completely heartless as evidenced by his attempts at saving Hephaestus from Kratos.
Lahkesis, one of the three Sisters of Fate, determines destinies for both gods and mortals alike, playing an instrumental role in embellishing Threads of Fate. Voiced by Robin Atkin Downes in Ascension; Mark Deklin as an adult voiced Bridger Zadina for Ghost of Sparta as children portrayed Lahkesis.
Graphics
God of War follows suit with most AAA games by offering customizable graphics and performance settings at launch, giving players the flexibility to prioritize either frame rate or visual fidelity depending on their setups. While its options may not be as expansive as Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales options, God of War offers players options to adjust these aspects accordingly.
This includes support for ultrawide monitors, which will undoubtedly take some work to implement. As the game displays as one unbroken shot across both sides of the screen, its developers have done an outstanding job ensuring all assets are correctly scaled and rendered.
An impressive feature is an adaptive graphical quality setting which automatically optimizes texture and model quality, anisotropic Filter settings, Shadows Reflections Atmospherics, and Ambient Occlusion settings based on each PC gaming rig – it offers a smart alternative to standard PS5 presets which may feel more familiar to many players.
PS5 versions of the game also take advantage of other graphical enhancements, including physically-based materials on clothing and armor, as well as hair that moves and sways with Kratos and Freya’s movements. While advanced global illumination techniques such as Ray Tracing may have hindered performance, their absence should not be seen as too disappointing.
Soundtrack
Bear McCreary quickly knew it would be something special when he met with Santa Monica Studio to discuss a reboot of God of War, knowing they had just released one of the most successful PlayStation exclusive games ever and wanted to extend that success into a new era for this classic franchise.
The result was an immersive epic with incredible visuals, brutal combat and an emotional tale that resonated with players worldwide. It won numerous awards and accolades including being named Game of the Year from various media outlets and award shows.
God of War stood out thanks to its powerful soundtrack. From heavy Gregorian chanting and drumbeats, all the way through to pounding drums and brass instruments – this unforgettable music made the experience truly immersive.
McCreary has an established career of crafting compelling soundtracks for movies and video games, such as those found in Battlestar Galactica, Outlander and The Walking Dead. However, scoring God of War took him four years.
“God of War” is the main theme in the game and its main anthem; composed from only three notes looped throughout, but it makes you feel powerful like Kratos himself. Roaring deep Icelandic choir vocals, pounding strings, and intense brass elements all combine to make this modern-day classic song!