- Tested on PC with a RTX 3080 on a 4K projector. Show guaranteed at 60 FPS. But without HDR as the technology is unfortunately tricky to configure on PC.
- A few decreases in framerate at the whip against dozens of mobs, forced particle effects.
- Main campaign finished in classical difficulty mode to promote narrative experience without transition.
- Home gameplay captures and screenshots
- Game purchased
- Minimum advertised configuration
- Intel Core i5-6600K processor at 3.5GHz
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) or AMD RX 570 graphics card
- 8 GB RAM
- 60GB of disk space and Windows 10 only
Somewhere in 2018, the thrilling KillerS7ven launched God of War on his classic and aging PS4, he who had waited so long for the game since the sensational trailers of the E3. Now is the time to discover Kratos in his new clothes of repentance. For reasons that only the reptilians could clear up, it was at the mid-point that K7 left the game behind. It wasn't for lack of taste for adventure, but another long trip had lost the title of Santa Monica. For years, the legend runs that he would have promised to return to it. In vain. Then the world knew of the announcement of a PS4 pro version, then of the one of a PS5 adaptation before arriving against any expectations on PC. Four years later, the time came to (re)discover the renaissance of God of War in its most successful technical version to date. Treve of crimes against humanity (and incidentally against deities), the Spartan warrior reconnects with his chakras in this final PC version.
From Greek mythology to Nordic tale
Kratos was not always known for his finesse and that is to say little. Standard license of the supposed PS2 masturbate universe, Kratos was long associated with violence, blood and women. Since his debut on playstationThe Spartan hero has undergone profound changes. Designed as a sequel but also and above all a redesign of the series, this episode soberly titled God of War a reboot disguised even if it does not completely erase the past that haunts the warrior. Let's remember that Kratos had been mortal before. Iagogeed, an extremely arid spartan training, to train legendary and ruthless soldiers.
To the boot of Arès who entrusted him with the blades of chaos against his eternal servitude, Kratos, carried away by revenge killed more than he needed. From his own family to whole villages, no one was spared. Consumed by hatred, the soldier eventually broke his pact with Ares. From thread to needle, for his betrayal worthy of apostasy, Kratos was tortured by the gods. He thus became the legendary ghost of Sparta before attacking Olympus, which he set on fire and blood during intrigues worthy of Family Life on the background of Greek mythology. Now hunted, Kratos takes refuge in the Nordic kingdoms from which he draws his aesthetics as his folklore. A bold change that surprised everyone during his presentation at E3 2016.
Memory in the skin
God of War 2018 frees in part from all these frascs of the past of which he is not always proud and prefers to adopt a more intimate approach. This translates into the rapprochement of the camera to the shoulder via a sequence plane from beginning to end to the same as some scenes of the The Return. The paternal relationship is widely emphasized by its creator Cory Barlog. The game begins while Kratos is bereaved by the mysterious death of his last wife. We find the legendary hero metamorphosed, his face closed, marked by years of violence, harsh and relentless with his son whom he must now raise alone.
If God of War remains first and foremost a beat them all, this episode is largely distinguished by its narrative intent. The different families between the gods are finally anecdotal and it is the development of this relationship father son which is the heart of the God of War. The work on Kratos body and facial animations which, you will have understood, is not customary of the impulses of tenderness, is meticulous. In this sense, the game is a success thanks to an exemplary realization, a motion capture that does not have to blush contemporary productions and a neat writing even if perfectible. Kratos passed on his inheritance to his son Atreus, who in turn also brought much to his father. Kratos' marble face sometimes betrays paternal empathy and the desire to release ballast on a quasi-permanent control. It can be a simple mimic or a sketched but immediately aborted gesture.
You will not kill (or not)
On the burden of immortality, God of War has much to tell, he who exposes us to a God once customary of the deicide. In hollow, the license operates a form of self-criticism of the past, on which Kratos looks disappointing. Like a trauma, every reference to the previous parts is barely veiled. Without showing any candour, the hero wonders about his relationship to immortality and his role vis-à-vis men, the justice that should lead our actions. Kratos adopts a quasi-Christic figure in scenes where he now seems inclined to forgive. No confessions of course, but a form of regret of a past that Kratos would like to keep his son away. What is paternal transmission when our inheritance is only a burden? It is also the image of his wife's mourning that carries all the narrative from the beginning. In a mirror, it is also that of an era that seems to be over for frankness.
The god of war must lay his wife's ashes on the highest mountain. A deliverance quest for Kratos. And a final scene where Atreus will finally be presented at the same height as his father. A whole picture that announces the future. However, history is not free of defects. The game will be criticized for being too conventional with carabinated motivations of some characters, while the first three quarters of the game left more room for originality and mystery. Still, frankness remains an example of the relevant construction of the universe, which gradually unfolds with paintings, frescoes and stories told while one navigates between the realms. There's a real titan job on this side. The panoramas are rare but breathtaking. The memory of these mountains littered with giant corpses will remain engraved in my memory as an example of fearsome passive narration of efficiency.
Atreus who is the only one who knows how to decipher these idioms will comment on the panels and paintings on wood that we will meet on our way. Artistically very successful, these images greatly contribute to the coherence of the whole. The dubbing is remarkable in VO and developers have not hesitated to insert many optional lines that give the illusion that the game observes our least movements. This can encourage the resolution of puzzles that are rare and otherwise rather anecdotal or to suggest the way forward. We recommend you play with the HUD deactivated to really enjoy the artistic direction and the beautiful graphics of the title. In 4K and with unbridled fluidity, we finally savor the fighting and the work of the Santa Monica teams at their fair measure for a rather crazy visual experience, even in 2021.
Spart'Attacks
Past the attractive visual coating of the title, what about the gameplay itself? The game starts with an extremely small range of shots, since it is more based on the shield and rollbacks before moving on to the offensive. As the progression progresses, we develop the XP and special shots that launch by combining two triggers. One of them is dedicated to light shots, the other to strong strikes. Kratos can also throw his axe back like a boomerang. Later, the return of the blades of chaos will allow to alternate pleasures in the midst of fighting and manage crowds more easily. Finally a rage gauge allows Kratos to fight with bare hands while generating additional damage. The title also offers a very small RPG dimension with the possibility of customizing its armor and the equipped runes, which will otherwise be more useful in high difficulty modes.
If you don't misunderstand, you're in the light of years of complexity. beat them all Japanese as Undestructible Devil May CryMoreover, there is no serious evolution of the hits, nor of the management of combos which are not displayed on the screen. This is a bit of a shame, because we really enjoy using all the skills of the title, that once unlocked much later in the adventure. This may be the opportunity to correct the shot for the PS5 suite for an ambitious 2022. On the other hand, the spectacle is ensured by the accessibility of the gameplay like the particularly gloomy animations. The armors of the enemies cash in the blows until they end up in the cart. Atreus actively participates in the battle against the bow by invoking wolves or raptors as soon as possible. It is also valuable advice when it alerts us to a surprise attack in the back. Essential help when removing the HUD for an increased immersion.
Kratos shouts as he assails his enemies and even his face expresses unspeakable anger. The shots have impact and the camera on the shoulder is for a lot. With a home-cinema, the location of the sound with the whip flirting from one speaker to another is a treat. However, he will be accused of a rather limited and overrecycled bestiary. The gigantic boss fights remain a little behind and don't necessarily make the difference to originality. The best meeting is probably that of fight with stranger at the very beginning of the game. This overhaul of the franchise is also rich in the colour palettes it cultivates. A brief look at the images published on this article is enough to understand how much Santa Monica has not skipped on contrasts and artistic variety. A light years of the greyness of the franchise Gears of War, God of War shows here that you can have a dark game without just a palette reduced to grayness and suicide.
« To forgive his enemy, one must already defeat in itself a more terrible enemy who is the love of revenge; and so when one forgives, one always triumphs two enemies at once ».
Between the cinematics that chain without time dead, the game offers climbing sessions in the image of Tomb Raider. The latter are especially the opportunity to admire the landscapes between two lines of dialogue. Rather rigid, they could also be more flexible in the second part. A few invisible walls and minimalist decorations also remind that the game was originally released on a machine released eight years ago. The developers at the time had to overflow with ingenuity to make such a beautiful game run, today sublimated on PC. Nvidia's DLSS technology is also used to relieve the smallest configurations. Overall the graphical options are numerous and should allow everyone to benefit from them. No doubt the PC sales of God of War as Gone Day should promote this type of portage in the future.
God of War did not really have the choice to evolve without risking ringardism. Long caricatural and marked by its free and even its misogyny displayed, the franchise could no longer display under this day in 2018. Not after the mue of part of the media towards more modern representations, nor even after the development of social movements like metoo that have flourished around the world. By rethinking the license from A to Z, while ensuring the legacy of the series, Cory Barlog succeeded in his bet. Resolutely more human, Kratos finally dropped his armor and lowered his feet to Earth. Survival will take over the revenge of the Spartan hero, won by the wisdom of the tired warrior. God of War will no doubt remain an example of achievement for a while with battles marked by their unfailing brutality. This is certainly not the beat them all of the year, but it is the assurance of a controlled action game with successful narration. The game did not take a wrinkle and this PC version is the perfect ally of winter to discover Kratos in an Olympian form.
For
- High Volley Production
- Careful Scripture
- The grey animations
- Northern OST and dubbing
- No loading time on PC
- General artistic direction varied and original
- The serpent world of a class to the test
- More graphic concessions on resolution and fluidity!
- No time dead between cinematics and gameplay
Against
- Levels a little empty
- Semi-open world
- Effective but basic gameplay
- Limited and recycled bestiary
- The end a little too hasty
- Exploration and associated quests in retreat
I really need to export my PS4/PS5 backup in order to use it on PC and finally replay with its New Game + in the best possible conditions 🙂
For me, the big highlight of this game is its camera movements during cutscene. I'll remember in 10 years.
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