God of War

 PlayStation 4
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 23476 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21,316 out of 23476
  2. Mixed: 804 out of 23476
  3. Negative: 1,356 out of 23476
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  1. jrdnnn
    Sep 24, 2018
    10
    A captivating, beautiful and brutal masterclass in action gaming, God Of War is easily worth the hype. It wears its influences on its sleeve, taking design cues from the Souls series, Legend of Zelda series and Horizon: Zero Dawn, without copying or degrading them in any way. By adding these well-considered gameplay choices to a rich, emotional story, gorgeous setting, and one of the bestA captivating, beautiful and brutal masterclass in action gaming, God Of War is easily worth the hype. It wears its influences on its sleeve, taking design cues from the Souls series, Legend of Zelda series and Horizon: Zero Dawn, without copying or degrading them in any way. By adding these well-considered gameplay choices to a rich, emotional story, gorgeous setting, and one of the best videogame relationships of all time (Kratos and Atreus), Santa Monica have succeeded in reinventing, honoring and propelling the GoW series to new heights.

    The story is great, original, builds on the entirety of the franchise so far, and opens up so many doors in terms of emotion, mythology and character development. The Norse world is expansive, with a lot of lore surrounding it. Thankfully Atreus captures everything in his journal, which was actually a pleasure to read through to enrich the experience. The characters are fantastic, with exceptional voice and motion acting. Sindri, Brok and Mimir in particular were hilarious additions to the tale, but the Kratos/Atreus plot is truly special. It echoes the Joel/Ellie story from Last of Us in terms of impact, but is a lot more fraught with relatable and gripping father-son energy. The writing team nailed it from here, and the story implications are huge in the last few hours.

    Gameplay is satisfying in every way, slowly building your skills to incorporate melee, ranged, magic, support, defense and everything in between. By the end-game, combat is exhilarating given the multitude of choices presented to you, and always challenging. I often got my ass handed to me by some of the side mission bosses if I didn't concentrate. You can play however you like, with armour and weapon buffs suited to your preferred attacking style. The armour also looks amazing, with every piece unique and impeccably animated. Exploration is astounding here, with (my favourite) collectibles behind every inch of the map. There's so much to do in the game, you can get lost in particular sidequests which often have their own emotional weight instead of regular fetch-quests. Treasure hunts, freeing enslaved dragons, arena trials, lore collecting, raven hunting, all spread over a host of beautiful otherworldly locations. In particular, I loved the side quest in which the goal was to seek out 8 corrupted super-bosses in the world. These fights were often as challenging as anything Bloodborne threw at me, and deserve a particular mention for their cinematic challenge. Expect to die a lot, as these foes are significantly harder than anything in the rest of the game. Related to this, in terms of battling, my only major gripe with the game is that a lot of storyline bosses featured QTE-style battling for their duration which was beautiful to behold, but disappointing given how rich and capable the combat system is. It felt underutilised in the main story, and only got its chance to shine in the more challenging optional areas/quests.

    Visually, the game is absolutely amazing. The particle and lighting effects are dazzling, and a particular shout out to the rock textures - the best I've ever seen as a geologist gamer (NEEEERRRDDDD!).

    I can't recommend this game enough and already can't wait for any and all DLC that may arise from here on out. What an incredible, thoughtfully put together game. Near-perfect.    … Expand
  2. M1N5K
    Apr 26, 2018
    10
    This game is beautiful. The graphics are AMAZING, story is perfectly written, and the your helping ai is for the first time ever not annoying
  3. Terryfold
    Sep 18, 2018
    10
    This game is an absolute masterpiece. The incredibly well-written story hooks you in from the start and makes you feel like you are going on a journey with your son. The gameplay is engaging, and the visuals beautiful. 10/10.
  4. cappy2895
    Apr 26, 2018
    10
    Story 10/10, gameplay 10/10, detail 10/10, voice acting 10/10, cinematics 10/10, sound 10/10, scenery 10/10, challenges and side quests 10/10, everything really, worth the money?... absolutely
  5. DogeKingGM
    Apr 20, 2018
    10
    Bom vou analisar de forma que joguei na casa do meu colega, bom o jogo: o jogo é um dos melhores da franquia sim, claro falta bastante aspecto para ser igual os outros, mas sendo diferente consegue ser bem melhor que qualquer um jogo que pode ter, além desse fato, o jogo é superior á vários jogos que joguei e de nota máxima aqui no metacritic, jogabilidade genial para se jogar, a históriaBom vou analisar de forma que joguei na casa do meu colega, bom o jogo: o jogo é um dos melhores da franquia sim, claro falta bastante aspecto para ser igual os outros, mas sendo diferente consegue ser bem melhor que qualquer um jogo que pode ter, além desse fato, o jogo é superior á vários jogos que joguei e de nota máxima aqui no metacritic, jogabilidade genial para se jogar, a história do jogo é bela, bom, o jogo por tudo é belo, provavelmente goty desse ano, pois é um jogo belo, bom as partes negativas que dou no jogo é quase nenhuma, mais mesmo é o final do jogo, bom o jogo por sí vale a pena, recomendo para todos comprarem, dou essa nota pois o jogo está lindíssimo, a arte do jogo é bela, bom recomendo comprarem… Expand
  6. HorizonOrigin
    Apr 20, 2018
    10
    Amazing game, nothing short of a masterpiece. The negative reviews you may see are more than likely from Xbox users upset because they can’t play this amazing game. Games very lengthy and worth the price ten times.. again, masterpiece game and best game of 2018 so far.
  7. Lepermessiah87
    Oct 19, 2018
    10
    A modern masterpiece and the best PS4 exclusive so far.
    Pros:
    + Great story
    + Amazing combat and exploration
    + A lot of enjoyable content to play through and also great replay value
    + Nice soundtrack
    + Great graphics
    Cons:
    - fewer boss fights compared to previous games in the series
  8. Theseus77
    Apr 22, 2018
    10
    An incredibly sophisticated work, so much emotion, I'm terribly surprised .., amazing
  9. darthcooper
    Mar 17, 2023
    10
    I loved this game and there is no grind to move forward in the story. It has more of a relaxed progression that doesn't force you to follow the story nor does it force you to grind for hours to move forward. There is no real level scaling to obstruct your progress however, the biggest negative that took the fun out the game was the many hours spent trying to kill the Valkyries which areI loved this game and there is no grind to move forward in the story. It has more of a relaxed progression that doesn't force you to follow the story nor does it force you to grind for hours to move forward. There is no real level scaling to obstruct your progress however, the biggest negative that took the fun out the game was the many hours spent trying to kill the Valkyries which are scaled to your level of armor so they will always be higher faster and better no matter what armor you are wearing or level you are at. This becomes very tedious as you can spend hours trying to kill one. For Trophy hunters id say think twice because you need to kill the Valkyries to get the Platinum. Some people find them easy but this also depends on your play style, but I personally gave up on the 3rd Valkyrie as it became too tedious for me too complete.… Expand
  10. Javogallegos
    Apr 21, 2018
    10
    A perfect 10, when I thought it could not be more perfect game, comes this new god of war and closes my mouth, Kory Barlog and the team of santa monica did an excellent job, the franchise needed this fresh air, the saga was I was getting a little bored, excellent sequence shot, I love the narrative and I'll just say that the end of this game has been the most epic of all, I can not waitA perfect 10, when I thought it could not be more perfect game, comes this new god of war and closes my mouth, Kory Barlog and the team of santa monica did an excellent job, the franchise needed this fresh air, the saga was I was getting a little bored, excellent sequence shot, I love the narrative and I'll just say that the end of this game has been the most epic of all, I can not wait for the sequel.… Expand
  11. Vankip
    Jul 12, 2018
    10
    God of War 2018 is a game from the highest echelon where there are such mastadons as The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, Half-Life 2, Resident Evil 4. That is, when the game is something more than a very qualitatively made product. The previous parts were just good games, they were very far from Notydog games. The script was never a good side and the diologists were primitive. The new Gadovar isGod of War 2018 is a game from the highest echelon where there are such mastadons as The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, Half-Life 2, Resident Evil 4. That is, when the game is something more than a very qualitatively made product. The previous parts were just good games, they were very far from Notydog games. The script was never a good side and the diologists were primitive. The new Gadovar is good and the gameplay (the combat system is great here) and the story. Kratos is not a flat character. It's not just a bald, yelling Spartan with one goal. This is a well-written character, very deep. In general, this is the next step in the evolution of the studio. It is seen that all have matured and now it is not enough to create a meat game. Now this is a manual design project. I really look forward to the continuation.… Expand
  12. coku09
    Apr 21, 2018
    10
    Waited a really long time for this one, It was absolutely worth the wait... Loved the story and everything about it! Definetly doin another playthrough after finish :)
  13. Yesacritic
    Apr 20, 2018
    10
    This is the best god of war game ever and one the best PlayStation exclusive game
  14. Aginagala
    Apr 22, 2018
    10
    What a fantastic experience God of War has to offer. Whatever type of gamer you are I believe you'll find something in this game that you love. From its in depth story and character development to tight exhilarating combat God of War is a must buy game.

    I didn't want to review this game before completing the story as to fully experience the game, and after playing for 2 or 3 solid    What a fantastic experience God of War has to offer. Whatever type of gamer you are I believe you'll find something in this game that you love. From its in depth story and character development to tight exhilarating combat God of War is a must buy game.

    I didn't want to review this game before completing the story as to fully experience the game, and after playing for 2 or 3 solid sessions of about 8 hours straight I can safely say it was fantastic. I absolutely loved the character development it really showed how every single person changed for the better or worse throughout the story. This was accompanied by the "No break" development of the game in which there are no loading screens or cuts; you're always following the characters. I felt as if every character introduced was relevant in some way and they all had their own full characteristics, making everything feel interactive. The antagonist was interesting, and original and I always found him intimidating and fun to learn about. Expertly woven into the story of Kratos and Atreus, Without any spoilers god of war follows a very simple plotline that dares to delve into a more complex narrative and it absolutely works.

    Another aspect of the game that was ingeniously designed was its open world; your choice to either follow the story or explore and find new crafting materials, new lore, new enemies and landscapes making exploring feel satisfying and worth it. While not breath of the wild in scale the open world, without spoiling anything isn't just a base world but more multiple, an interesting and original concept the works extremely well. Moreover when you explore it actually feels like you're going through genuine norse mythology, you feel like you can discover new things round every corner, and it's fantastic.

    A lot of people were disapproving of the combat system as the traditional ways of God of War have completely changed, and I have to say for the better all around. I was finding new moves and skills even just before the end of the game! It feels satisfying to throw your axe, see it hit 2 or 3 people far away and then call it back, the vibrations in the controller, while also hitting 2 or 3 more enemies on the way back. It's a very original combat system, and while the dodging is more like a dark souls type feel it never grows old and is FUN the entire time. You end up having a skill set which is actually quite astonishing, the amount of play styles and techniques you can use are amazing and you can weave them however way you want into your combat. There are even a few surprises with other weapons you can use, but I wont spoil any of that.

    The game's RPG mechanics do not feel overly complicated while also giving you a lot of freedom in how you play. You gain crafting materials throughout God of War's stunning world, which gives you incentive to go out and explore, while also giving you a choice if you want to or not. Moreover it feels satisfying to upgrade your axe and increase your stats throughout the game, every time you unlock a new move or slightly change your current ones it just feels amazing. And even if you don't want to change your moves at all you can always stick to the ones you have and upgrade them even further. The game's XP system works as well as you have up to 4 skill trees which you can level up, allowing you to further play how you want. Overall the game's RPG mechanics give you a lot of freedom but doesn't overly complicate things to a monster hunter standard.

    Graphics and sound. Holy balls. This game is probably the best looking game I have ever seen, period. It easily contends with the likes of horizon and uncharted and perhaps tops them. Playing this on a 4K HDR tv enhanced the experience for me even further. The colour pallet for this game is astronomical, the colours pop out while also even having some meaning behind them. It distinguishes its landscapes while also looking breath taking all the while, however it really makes you feel like you are where you are through its expert world design. You'll constantly be in awe in this game, it's amazing. The sound work was sublime with a fantastic soundtrack and the sound effects and voice design... uncanny I have to say in terms of graphics and sound, this game is probably the peak of what it can be, simply perfect.

    Overall God of War was a daring attempt at a spin on an already fantastic franchise, and it worked in every way possible. An interesting story line with original characters alongside it's "no break" way of story telling, all accompanied by breath taking visuals and sublime sound design, this game is a MUST HAVE for any gamer out there. One of my favourite games of all time, no question.    … Expand
  15. TheHeroOfWeird
    Jul 3, 2018
    10
    All around best game in the past year I cannot think of anything to say bad about it stunning visuals outstanding story and amazing gameplay I would have to say god of war definitely deserves to be a candidate for GOTY
  16. marpel68
    May 1, 2018
    10
    From the satisfying tactile feel of throwing/retrieving the axe to the emotive expressions of Kratos, this game is an absolute masterpiece! I find it hard to believe that anyone can honestly give it a zero score. It would be interesting to see if these same individuals also gave Tomb Raider which they compare it to, a zero score. My advice to those interested in purchasing the game is toFrom the satisfying tactile feel of throwing/retrieving the axe to the emotive expressions of Kratos, this game is an absolute masterpiece! I find it hard to believe that anyone can honestly give it a zero score. It would be interesting to see if these same individuals also gave Tomb Raider which they compare it to, a zero score. My advice to those interested in purchasing the game is to ignore any review giving a score below 6.… Expand
  17. XPHERE
    Apr 21, 2018
    10
    The best god of war game i ever played.the amazing graphics the polished combat the one shot never cutting camera for the entire game,there is too much effort and love put in to this.a must play.
  18. Mushu44
    Apr 22, 2018
    10
    If any game could some up Sony's "Greatness awaits" manta it's 'God of War'. There are no shortage of great games to choose from these days but 'God of War' manages to raise the bar so much higher than it's contemporaries it's astounding. Well done Santa Monica!
  19. kev76
    May 30, 2018
    10
    Es cierto que se tenia miedo del resultado de cambiar el modo de juego de god of war sin embargo esta reformulacion del juego le sienta de maravilla. Es un juego que roza a la perfeccion tanto en graficos, historia como en la jugabilidad. Un juego que no debe faltar en tus juegos de ps4.
  20. Ireland
    Apr 25, 2018
    10
    I've never reviewed a game before but felt the need to express my opinion as I watch the credits roll, because this game is important for so many reasons. God of War is one of the most epic and satisfying experiences modern entertainment has to offer. It's visually immaculate and never lets you go with it's "one shot" camera keeping you hooked to the masterfully told story which isI've never reviewed a game before but felt the need to express my opinion as I watch the credits roll, because this game is important for so many reasons. God of War is one of the most epic and satisfying experiences modern entertainment has to offer. It's visually immaculate and never lets you go with it's "one shot" camera keeping you hooked to the masterfully told story which is accompanied by one of the best soundtracks in recent memory. Like all god of war games, the story is simple in plot but grand in scale with never a dull moment. However this time we are treated to a protagonist that isn't one dimensional along with extremely well developed and interesting supporting characters, all of which fill the beautiful game world which feels real and is rich with lore. The combat is better than ever and the enemies you encounter along the way are plentiful in type yet all the same terrifying. All die hard fans of the series rejoice, the gore is better than ever. It all comes together to create one of the most beautiful worlds to get lost in and explore since Skyrim.
    As I stated in the beginning of the review, God of war isn't just a masterpiece of a game but an important one. In a time where single player games are being replaced by what big companies like to call "games as a service" which focus more on the maximisation of profit by providing players with a base game that feels empty and charging extra for content to fill the experience, God of War serves as an important message that single player games are not only dead but are better than ever providing players with a full and satisfying experience without trying to steal every last dime from your pocket. God of War respects you and should be experienced by every gamer especially those who own a ps4. Thank you Cory Barlog and everyone over at Santa Monica Studios, not only for the unforgettable journey but for making me fall in love with gaming all over again. I know you put all your heart in making this game and it paid off with flying colours.    … Expand
  21. solid1983
    May 2, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Acabo de terminar esta semana el video juego le coloco un 10 por que se paso para ser de entretenido excelente historia tiene un gameplay espectacular su grafica es preciosa recomiendo el video juego al 100%… Expand
  22. eimisas
    Jun 13, 2018
    10
    Straight masterpiece and must play game for everyone. It's been some time when I was so interested and invested into the game's world. Buy it, play it, you won't be disappointed.
  23. NumOfADevil
    Jul 1, 2020
    10
    Simply best ps4 game ever. Amazing graphics, amazing gameplay and amazing story.
  24. OlegLeppik
    Sep 27, 2018
    10
    That's just a gaming industry masterpiece. No words more needed. Big thanks to Sony Santa Monica and Cory Barlog for such unforgettable experience. MustHave on your PS4
  25. zeegoku
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    i have never felt so immersed, amazed and awed at a video game in a very long time. I never thought a game would push the technical, narrative boundaries so far and let alone a god of war game do that.
    i hope industry takes a lesson from this game and we see amazing title like this in the future.
  26. GreekGod13
    Apr 23, 2018
    10
    it is perfect from start to the end..i loved this game end i will never let it go...10/10 gameplay sound
  27. pappm94
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    No microtransactions, no online, no seasonpass, great game, that is how you do it! Congratulations to Santa Monica (and Sony?), you did a great job!
  28. bronydell
    Sep 8, 2018
    10
    If you have PS4 then you should have this game in your library. It's so good. Graphics, voice acting, sounds, story, fighting system are just amazing. Can't wait for sequel!
  29. Gamerps4zo
    Apr 20, 2018
    10
    Graphics , combat, storytelling is top notch. One of the best games this generation if not the best. Longlive Sony santa monica.
  30. RoiPourpre
    Apr 27, 2018
    10
    What a amazing game, this is really one of the best games ever made and wow, Kratos are perfectly done, this is now one of my favorite fictive personality !
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PS4 Game of 2018
1
#1 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2018
1
#1 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
94

Universal acclaim - based on 118 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 118 out of 118
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 118
  3. Negative: 0 out of 118
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Sep 13, 2018
    100
    The return of the furious Spartan warrior was made well. God of War is already a great contender for game of the year and you shouldn't miss it. [Issue#285]
  2. CD-Action
    Jul 6, 2018
    100
    Cory Barlog and his team achieved what many thought impossible – despite having changed almost everything Santa Monica managed to preserve that elusive spark that makes God of War game feel like a God of War game. They created one of the defining titles of the current generation and a technical marvel whose stunning beauty in motion words cannot describe. And there’s one more thing. Barlog’s touching reaction to his masterpiece’s scores shows that even in the world of huge budgets, micropayments, loot boxes and sales forecasts there still is a place for artists who pour their hearts into their work. We need someone to remind us of that once in a while. [06/2018, p.38]
  3. GameGrin
    Jun 7, 2018
    95
    Where most games excel in one single area, God of War manages to deliver on every front, providing players with one of the best experiences we’ve seen so far this generation.
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