I had played the first God of War on the PS2 and then couldn't continue on with the series because of various reasons. But I always felt a connection to the game because I played it so long ago and yet it stuck to me. The raw aggression, the colour palette of orange and red (depicting rage and heat, and violence) and the character of Kratos - confident, blind with rage, focussed. Maybe one dimensional but a dimension I had not seen in characters that long ago. This game is said to be a reboot and a sequel at the same time, but I disagree completely. It's a sequel through and through. There is no escaping the shadow of the original trilogy (the story of which I have caught up on to play this game) and this game stays in the shadow, grows and grows and finally at the end becomes its own, not unlike the character of Atreus, son of Kratos, who might be just as important as his father in the scope and flavour of the game.
From the very start of the game, we see that the game has a different ambience, a different setting. It is cold, it is blue and it is isolated. Peaceful perhaps. Settings we have never seen in a God of War game before. It draws our attention to the characters. We are made to pay attention to what is happening to Kratos and his family. The passing of his wife and the toll it has taken on him. We see a different look of the character we have seen so many times in so many games. Gaunt, grim, silent, introspective, introverted. He is weathered, old but not haggard. He still maintains the aura of power, confidence and authority. His son, Atreus, is way too young to perhaps fully grasp the idea of losing a mother, the only person capable of selfless love and affection, the power of motherhood to make a young boy blossom clearly a power that Kratos lacks. Over the course of the game, as things get crazier around them, we see Kratos and the distance he has created with his son but never lost the feeling of a father. Very much like a normal working family, Kratos is the proud father who is protective of his son but fails to convey his emotions, his insecurities with his growing up and how much his son means to him and his own well being. Suddenly being given the responsibility of a single parent, he stumbles along the way as he mixes his expressions with authority, unprepared tenderness and concern for Atreus. The entire game concerns itself not with monsters and the unravelling of Norse mythology - things which are present in spades - but with Kratos and his devotion to his wife and his sudden responsibility of fatherhood. He doesn't want to involve himself in the workings of gods and giants, with the sudden appearance of a mysterious stranger who cannot be physically harmed. Aloof and focussed, the game slowly shows us the human side of Kratos who although is a god, never shows signs of godliness in his demeanour except when it comes to protecting his son from harm when he breaks all ties with detachment and brings down hell upon anyone who tries to harm the boy. Over time he learns that secrets harm relationships and only by being honest with his son can he make him the person he wants him to become. And the best part of it all is that Atreus himself is responsible for bringing the change in Kratos, teaching him to be less of a controlling God and more of a human, contrary to Kratos's attempts to mould his son in his image without revealing the secrets of Godhood to him. The game unveils plenty of characters with broken relationships - with their brothers, sons, fathers. And our protagonist(s) eventually meet all of them, in arms of camaraderie or violence, and learn from their relationships. The key component of this story is change and influence. While a large part of Norse mythology has been changed to incorporate a certain revelation in the end, the changes are well masked with new myths. The theme of change is present throughout and only by opening up the heart and the mind, letting go of his past can Kratos save his son, and himself, physically and psychologically and bring about the father-son relationship that even he doesn't realise he needs in life.
Atreus shows remarkable abilities in combat and the emotional vulnerability of a boy of his tender age. He never outgrows his position as Kratos's young boy deserving of utmost attention and care and guidance. Over the course of the game, Kratos sees his son falling ill because of his own actions (or lack thereof) develop a false notion of invulnerability and eventually understand the importance of obedience to his father who is far wiser than before and wants only the best for him even if he fails time and time again to express his concern. The father and son dynamic shines in the game and carries it forward. Both of them develop their character and learn how to play the role of a father, a son, compromise and move forward with each other, helping the other every step of the way. Kratos in that way is mortal here. He needs his son to solve puzzles, defeat bigger enemies. Symbolic is the animation of Atreus hoping on Kratos's back when he starts a climb or descends along a mountain - the son is never bigger than the father. He needs him to grow up and the father is silently always welcoming.
As a video game, it is very much a small scale RPG. You are required to not only progress the main story but also complete minor side quests, explore, learn about the world and its history and upgrade your equipment to successfully defeat more powerful enemies ahead. But the small open world is never a distraction. It never takes away from the story as the setting of the story is just as important and fascinating as the story itself. Norse mythology is at the forefront and while the game never makes it clear when and why Kratos chose Midgard as his peaceful escapement, it makes it clear that he knows almost nothing of the world he inhabits. He is very much an outsider who isn't concerned with making himself at home with his new surroundings. His family, his isolation and his peace are all he wants. Along with the player, the young Atreus and his wiser father Kratos learn about the world and its history from discovering shrines, runes and from the mouth of one of the best characters in the game, Mimir, who acts as a guide, companion and even help during combat with his comments. In fact, all characters are wonderfully fleshed out, voice acted and feel very real. The story requires me to not reveal the motivation, identity or role of each, but all of them are important to the story and even ones who aren't present in this gameplay a big role in setting up the premise.
Mechanically it controls quite well, the graphics aren't anything you haven't seen before but the art style is very unique and will stick with you long after it is over. Exploring and solving minor puzzles are a joy because behind every locked door, out-of-reach cliff is an upgrade, a currency that will come to use some time and help you become stronger. The combat is much more deliberate, slow and methodical. There arent a crazy number of combos but each one offers something different and they scale with your level and add perks. There is however a big variety of enemies later in the game, and you will need to strategize for each instead of heading straight into battle. It is this maturing of the combat system that adds age to the game, very much like Kratos himself it is as if his fighting style has aged becoming wiser and more effective instead of being complete chaos and wasteful. The story is introspective but never preachy. There are lessons to be taken here but it is never overt. It is appealing to a young player who favours fighting and the feeling of becoming powerful with strong abilities and also to older players who favour a deep story that pays respect to the older games. It will appeal to the ones who love a world with lore to uncover as well as to players who love Scandinavian culture. It doesn't reinvent the action-adventure open-world genre but enriches it with a beautiful story and characters, culture, gameplay, pacing that set it apart from other games by being deserving of attention and the accolades it has received. What is better than a perfect game? The fact that it sets up the sequel at the end with an ominous tone and characters you can't wait to see.