God of War has grown up, but Kratos is still reassuringly furious
Kratos is still angry. If you're concerned about how much has changed in Sony Santa Monica's reboot of the God of War series, it's worth knowing this; in two hours playing the game, what's remarkable is how much has stayed the same. There's the same pent up rage, unleashed in pliable combat as enemies are juggled in the air and then pulled furiously apart, the same cinematic showdowns that dazzle with their panache. The same spectacle, and the same sense that the host hardware is being pushed to its very limit. It's a God of War game alright, in that it's hard to think of any better showcase for what's possible with Sony's console.
And yet so much else has changed. The camera, for one, which now follows closely behind Kratos' shoulder, in a shift that can be likened to that the Resident Evil series underwent between its third and fourth installments. The fundamentals of God of War's combat survive the shift, even if there's been some significant changes. There's a certain inelegance that wasn't there before - during a boss fight with the towering Daudi Kaupmadr, it's hard to see some of its more savage moves being telegraphed when you're stuck staring at its legs, while when you're facing larger mobs of enemies you'll find yourself relying on a threat indicator that circles Kratos and shows where the off-screen danger is coming from.
That's the bad stuff out the way, though, and there's an awful lot of good stuff to get through. The first thing is the combat feels great - punchy, savage and with a fair amount of style. The Blades of Athena are no more, the shift to Norse mythology excusing a new war axe which is at the heart of everything and which is built upon magnificently. There are light and heavy attacks that can be strung together, enemies - draugrs predominantly this time, given the setting - juggled up in the air in one of many easy to access combos.
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