A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on “Kingdom Hearts 3” and its possibility of becoming Game of the Year (if it comes out within this year of course). It’s not hard to see why I and many others believe that it can win that title. Following the entire “Kingdom Hearts” storyline and watching the trailers, one can see that the newest installment to the franchise can win fans, critics, and awards worldwide. That was, of course, until I saw the first few minutes of “God of War.”

‘God of War’ Graphics

Graphics alone do not make a good game. This is a concept that Nintendo and Indie Developers have proven to be true throughout the years.

Looking back at 2017, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” a Nintendo Exclusive, dominated the gaming industry despite the fact that it is behind PlayStation 4 and Xbox One graphics. However, excellent and smooth graphics do entice and enhance gaming experiences and giving Jack his Jacket (or in this case Kratos), this game has graphics that can give a Pixar Movie competition. The graphics were smooth yet crisp, there was no drop in frames and even the snow looked realistic. One can see that so much time and effort went into each pixel to make this game stand out above the rest in graphics alone, it’s no wonder that it is scoring so high within the gaming industry.

‘God of War’ Gameplay

Again, graphics alone do not make a game great, in fact, we have seen many good games that had great graphics but were still given low scores by fan and critic alike - such as “Star Wars: Battlefront II.” Fortunately for us, “God Of War” does not rely only on graphics to ensnare us. The gameplay is smooth - smoother than a freshly shaved pair of legs, smoother, dare I say, than the perfect skipping stone that you’ll find on the beach on a hot summer day.

In essence, it’s just that smooth.

In keeping with the original elements from its predecessors, while building on those with new , it has raised the bar. Take the memorable God-slaying action of “God of War 1-3,” combine it with the open world graphics and feel of “The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim” and add a pinch of “Batman Arkham” series combat style and you’ll have a rough estimate of the amazing gameplay that will, without a doubt, go down in Gaming History as one of the greatest of its time, that is “God of War.”

‘God of War’ Storyline

“God of War ” continues where “God of War 3” ended, by Kratos forsaking his life to return hope to mankind (and taking a dip in the cold, dark sea afterward).

He ends up in the Realm of the Gods, Norse Gods to be precise; and started from scratch to live his life free from his burdens as a Greek God. Within that transition, Kratos grew the God of all Beards, raised his son Atrius, learned to suppress his rage and gave up his life of slaughter. Sadly for him (but great for us), this quiet life did not persist and now we are on a new adventure with a new abundance of creatures and Gods to kill and life lessons to teach his son about his heritage.

“God of War” has surpassed my wildest imagination, gameplay, graphics, and storyline seem to have gone above and beyond what the trailers originally depicted. The first few hours or so into the game and I had already forgotten about my Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. The perfect addition to the franchise, this new installment is a prime candidate for Game of the Year for 2018 and to further solidify PlayStation’s rank in the Gaming Console Wars.
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