Atreus
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'God of War' returns to form with good ol' father-son bonding
By the time 2010's God of War III wrapped up, the bottomless pit of anger at the heart of protagonist / anti-hero Kratos had played itself out. The pantheon of Greek gods was destroyed, and Kratos was either dead or had disappeared -- and it almost didn't matter which. Over the course of three games, he had gone from a flawed, murderous but sympathetic character to rage personified. Without that anger, what was left to say about Kratos? A lot, it turns out. Sony wisely put Kratos' adventures on hold following a disappointing 2013 prequel before showing off a completely re-invented God of War for the PS4, lead by God of War II writer / director Cory Barlog. After spending the last week playing the game's main quest, I can definitively say that developer Santa Monica Studios has successfully brought God of War into the modern gaming era. The game's visuals are stunning, gameplay is varied and engaging, the new combat system and over-the-shoulder point of view add a fresh feel while keeping the fluid action the series is known for. But, most importantly, Kratos is more nuanced and shows more emotion in the game's opening hour than he did in the entire previous trilogy.
