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God of War is probably the boldest, most radical reimagining of an established series ever

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Skel1ingt0n

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Oct 28, 2017
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Undeniablybiased said:
I'll have to disagree. It's a good game, and it is clearly a shift for the series in various ways, but it's not as huge as other games. Tonally it's a big shift. It's actually mature. Not "Rated M for Mature". And that's great. But the core gameplay loop is nearly identical. Combat focusing on relatively simple combos, while traveling down essentially linear paths with a few hidden offshoots to find chests containing collectibles for powerups. Break up the combat with a puzzle or set piece or boss battle. Then on to the next area. Yes, this game has some side quests that the other games didn't have, and you can explore around a little due to the central lake. But once you get out of your boat the areas follow the same GoW structure.

There's differences, of course. I won't deny them. But this isn't on the same level as other games like BotW or a 2D to 3D transition.

And I certainly wouldn't call it bold. It's very much in line with what's popular right now. Even the TLoU/Logan styled story.

I really enjoyed it. I think it's great, and I'm gonna have fun finishing up the side quests. But I think the OP is pretty big hyperbole.
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This sums up my thoughts pretty dang well. This is a really good game - I'm about 10+ hours in, and am thoroughly enjoying myself; and that's as someone who didn't care for the original games at all. Story is good, the father + son relationship genuine, the graphics beautiful, and the combat truly satisfying. Again, it's a good game.

But I think this general amazement at its "reinvention" is terribly overblown. This game is 2014-2018 gameplay tropes distilled to its most potent. Chests scattered around the world, a "intimate story" with a quippy buddy, linear climbing galore (the worst thing to happen to gameplay in a while - I just really hate QTE climbing across a set path), cinematic set-pieces that are grand in scale with vehicular traversal for casual conversation, and a skill-tree that probably doesn't need to be there. Oh, and a partially open world that's really just a linear path with some optional branches alongside shortcuts by dropping an elevator/ladder/chain/etc with the occasional 2-3 minute brain teaser to cross the path.

Again, the combat and characters REALLY elevate the title, and I like it a good deal more than some other games like it. But those claiming it doesn't borrow heavily from other cinematic 3rd person action games like The Last of Us are absolutely lying to themselves. It's a great re-invention, but it's the safest re-invention they could have taken. It's a great game, but it's not some milestone in the medium, I don't think.
 
Cronogear

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I would consider Super Mario 64, Persona 3, and BotW to be bigger reinventions of their respective franchises. And Super Mario 64 is not just because 2D to 3D, but because Mario 64 is very obviously NOT just 2D Mario with a 3D perspective. It changed nearly everything about how Mario works as a game. Same with Persona 3 and BotW. They took the gameplay of previous iterations and changed nearly every little thing about them.

I would put God of War about on par with RE4 in terms of reinventions. There's certainly a lot of changes (mostly for the better), but a fair bit of its core remains in tact.

Also, I don't agree at all with people saying Metroid Prime. It's Super Metroid, but in 3D with a first person perspective. Hell, that's what made it so impressive: how they were able to transition that gameplay from 2D to 3D so smoothly and so well. Same with ALttP -> OoT.
 
Cinemikel

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They turned one of the few character hack and slash franchises left into another Sony Game™.

Emphasis on story and cutscenes
Over the shoulder third person
Action adventure
Realistic graphics
Cinematic

Just like:

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Uncharted
The Last of Us
Days Gone
Infamous
The Order: 1886
Spiderman
Detroit: Become Human
And guaranteed the same will be for:
Ghost of Tsushima
Death Stranding

So bold

Yes, can you tell I don't like the homogenization of Sony's front runner lineup the past few years?
 
InteractiveSoftwareUser

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While I haven't played God of War, I believe the jump from

Zelda 4 (Link's Awakening)

to

Zelda 5 (Ocarina of Time) was a much more bold and significant leap.

Same goes for:

Super Mario 5 (Yoshi's Island)

to

Super Mario 6 (Mario 64)

PS. God of War looks unbelievably good.
 
TheModestGun

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Cinemikel said:
They turned one of the few character hack and slash franchises left into another Sony Game™.

Emphasis on story and cutscenes
Third person
Action adventure
Realistic graphics
Cinematic

Just like:

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Uncharted
The Last of Us
Days Gone
Infamous
The Order: 1886
Spiderman
Detroit: Become Human
And guaranteed the same will be for:
Ghost of Tsushima
Death Stranding

So bold

Yes, can you tell I don't like the homogenization of Sony's front runner lineup the past few years?
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This has to be a parody post. This plays nothing like most of the games on that list.

It actually really reminds me of RE 4 in a very good way but with action RPG elements and a way more interesting story and characters.
 

Deleted member 176

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Renna Hazel said:
I'm not sure what that means? Do you mean the character or the game? Because gameplay wise, Mario World and Mario 64 are two drastically different games.
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I mean the character and the game. The tone of the story is completely different along with Kratos himself. Mario is still about just having a good time jumping around in colorful worlds. The fact that Mario 64 is so similar to past games in this aspect is one of its greatest strengths, since the structure is otherwise so different.

JDSpades said:
It still is a power fantasy though. That's obvious right at the second boss. Kratos is still a killing machine
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Not in the same way though. It has different priorities, it's goal is to tell the story of Kratos and his son rather than the story of how Kratos tore off a dude's head.

Think of why he killed that second boss vs why he killed like Hades or some shit
 
Twilight Suzuka

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TheModestGun said:
This has to be a parody post. This plays nothing like most of the games on that list.

It actually really reminds me of RE 4 in a very good way but with action RPG elements and a way more interesting story and characters.
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To me it feels like Lords of Shadow + Resident Evil 4 + The Last of Us. The general parent "mature" vibe is turning into a Sony trope at this point.
 

Deleted member 224

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Brock Reiher said:
I mean the character and the game. The tone of the story is completely different along with Kratos himself. Mario is still about just having a good time jumping around in colorful worlds.


Not in the same way though. It has different priorities, it's goal is to tell the story of Kratos and his son rather than the story of how Kratos tore off a dude's head.
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I don't think that's necessarily bold or revolutionary though. The story in the previous games was straight up bad, and was starting to cause actual controversy with Ascension and the bros before hos stuff.

This really just feels like a natural progression. Kratos finished off the Greek gods, and is now more subdued because he has no one left to kill. He goes to a different land and tries to lay low/have a family, but the gods of that land find him, which leads into the next arc. That doesn't sound substantially outlandish.
 

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JDSpades said:
I don't think that's necessarily bold or revolutionary though. The story in the previous games was straight up bad, and was starting to cause actual controversy with Ascension and the bros before hos stuff.

This really just feels like a natural progression. Kratos finished off the Greek gods, and is now more subdued because he has no one left to kill. He goes to a different land and tries to lay low/have a family, but the gods of that land find him, which leads into the next arc. That doesn't sound substantially outlandish.
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I only played God of War 3, but the impression I got from that game and from what I've seen from the others is you're just supposed to have fun going WOAHH when Kratos just fuckin murders everyone. It makes sense logically for Kratos to be in the situation he's in now because the story is well thought out, but it's still a pretty radical departure. Like the reason they made Ascension was because it didn't make sense for Kratos to keep doing the same murder vengeance thing after God of War 3, but they still wanted to make the same style of game. It feels more impactful because God of War was previously the poster child for over the top action gore, at least in my mind.

Like I haven't finished God of War 2018 but I really doubt there's a scene where Kratos sleeps with a hot chick before murdering her husband. God of War 2018 doesn't even have quick time events during the murder bits, because the point isn't purely spectacle.
 
cervanky

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It's an incredible game. It's not bold. You know what would be bold? If this were a farming sim. and Kratos was learning to bond with his son over tending the land. I'm not necessarily asking for that, but we've shifted from a character action game to...a character action game that plays differently. Triple-A gaming has gotten so samey that we consider a different camera angle and some open world + crafting elements to be a bold reinvention and a drastic step in another direction. It isn't.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a 10/10 game. But outside of cutscenes and talking-while-walking, video games of this budget seem to only be able to tell a story a certain way - killing enemies, fighting bosses, ripping things apart - and I understand why, there's a commercial reality to the thing, and they want to make something that's fun and that people want to play.

This medium is in a very sorry state if this is what passes as bold and radical. And again, I love it, but it's like saying Terminator 2 was a bold and radical departure from Terminator.
 

Deleted member 224

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Brock Reiher said:
I only played God of War 3, but the impression I got from that game and from what I've seen from the others is you're just supposed to have fun going WOAHH when Kratos just fuckin murders everyone. It makes sense logically for Kratos to be in the situation he's in now because the story is well thought out, but it's still a pretty radical departure. Like the reason they made Ascension was because it didn't make sense for Kratos to keep doing the same murder vengeance thing after God of War 3, but they still wanted to make the same style of game. It feels more impactful because God of War was previously the poster child for over the top action gore, at least in my mind.

Like I haven't finished God of War 2018 but I really doubt there's a scene where Kratos sleeps with a hot chick before murdering her husband.
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I'm nearing the end of GoW4, and so far none of the boss fights in this game would be out of place in a "regular" sequel. The scale and violence is all still there.

That's a good thing though.
 
Renna Hazel

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Brock Reiher said:
I mean the character and the game. The tone of the story is completely different along with Kratos himself. Mario is still about just having a good time jumping around in colorful worlds. The fact that Mario 64 is so similar to past games in this aspect is one of its greatest strengths, since the structure is otherwise so different.


Not in the same way though. It has different priorities, it's goal is to tell the story of Kratos and his son rather than the story of how Kratos tore off a dude's head.

Think of why he killed that second boss vs why he killed like Hades or some shit
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well I guess it depends on what you focus on in games. I tend to focus on the gameplay and structure so I said Mario 64 was the top there. Changing the tone of a game is pretty easy, Shadow the Hedgehog did that. I'll probably never play GoW but if people feel the overall package is different in a good way, that's cool too. I only chimed in since everyone was talking about RE4 and BotW and few mentions of Mario 64.
 
Derrick01

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Cinemikel said:
They turned one of the few character hack and slash franchises left into another Sony Game™.

Emphasis on story and cutscenes
Over the shoulder third person
Action adventure
Realistic graphics
Cinematic

Just like:

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Uncharted
The Last of Us
Days Gone
Infamous
The Order: 1886
Spiderman
Detroit: Become Human
And guaranteed the same will be for:
Ghost of Tsushima
Death Stranding

So bold

Yes, can you tell I don't like the homogenization of Sony's front runner lineup the past few years?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You lost me when you lump in spiderman and detroit with linear or at most semi-open shooters and slashers.

Also despite this apparent morphing of GoW into "another sony game", it has by far the best combat out of all the GoWs. The supposed unique character action games.
 

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Renna Hazel said:
well I guess it depends on what you focus on in games. I tend to focus on the gameplay and structure so I said Mario 64 was the top there. Changing the tone of a game is pretty easy, Shadow the Hedgehog did that. I'll probably never play GoW but if people feel the overall package is different in a good way, that's cool too. I only chimed in since everyone was talking about RE4 and BotW and few mentions of Mario 64.
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Shadow the Hedgehog is a pretty good pick too honestly. Doesn't Shadow like murder Eggman or something?
 

Deleted member 16576

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Cinemikel said:
They turned one of the few character hack and slash franchises left into another Sony Game™.

Emphasis on story and cutscenes
Over the shoulder third person
Action adventure
Realistic graphics
Cinematic

Just like:

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Uncharted
The Last of Us
Days Gone
Infamous
The Order: 1886
Spiderman
Detroit: Become Human
And guaranteed the same will be for:
Ghost of Tsushima
Death Stranding

So bold

Yes, can you tell I don't like the homogenization of Sony's front runner lineup the past few years?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I hope this is a joke. All of those games are very different experiences despite having similar visual trademarks like the placement of the camera.

Side note: No one was bitching during the PS2 era when every third person platformer had a camera that was centered and a few meters back from the character. I legit think the reason developers are placing the camera close to the character in a lot of these games is very intentional to the gameplay, and the framing of the world they are intentionally creating. The Last of Us, for example, uses the close perspective similar to a game like Resident Evil to make it difficult to see if you will be attacked from behind; it escalates the tension (same with God of War by the way).
 
OP
OP
Master Chuuster

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bakedpony said:
I think 2D to 3D shifts is something OP is not considering that is such an obviously radical departure.
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Most of the notable 2D to 3D transitions were the same gameplay structure and design philosophies, only in a 3D space instead of a 2D one.
There are exceptions like Super Mario 64 that legitimately changed the way their respective franchises were played, though.
 
OP
OP
Master Chuuster

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The amount of people in this thread who can't understand the difference between "radical reinvention of the series" and "revolutionary game that changes the industry" is staggering. It's basic comprehension, people.
 
OP
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Master Chuuster

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InteractiveSoftwareUser said:
I believe the jump from

Zelda 4 (Link's Awakening)

to

Zelda 5 (Ocarina of Time) was a much more bold and significant leap.
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As I said in one of my earlier posts, Ocarina of Time is basically A Link to the Past in 3D. It's not even as much of a reinvention as A Link to the Past itself was.

Cinemikel said:
They turned one of the few character hack and slash franchises left into another Sony Game™.

Emphasis on story and cutscenes
Over the shoulder third person
Action adventure
Realistic graphics
Cinematic

Just like:

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Uncharted
The Last of Us
Days Gone
Infamous
The Order: 1886
Spiderman
Detroit: Become Human
And guaranteed the same will be for:
Ghost of Tsushima
Death Stranding

So bold
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Wow, what a ridiculously reductionistic argument. You can make any two games sound alike that way.
 
CenturionNami

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There's a point in the game we're I was fully convinced this not being a full reboot was the best possible thing. Holy fuck. It's glorious. Fucking glorious
 
dom

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Would DMC fit? It was supposed to be another RE until it became its own thing.
 
Timeaisis

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Recently, I think BotW is a bolder move. GoW is still basically God of War, albeit with a more narrative focus. You're still solving puzzles, finding stuff, and killing dudes. Mechanically different, but the "what" is the same.

But nuts and bolts, have you played Fallout 2? Lol. Or Super Metroid -> Metroid Prime. They jumped genres.
 
DAREALGUMMY

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Conker%20s%20Bad%20Fur%20Day3.jpg
 
Dogui

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I guess people itt are underplaying 2D -> 3D changes. It's pretty impressive that some classic 2D stuff worked so well in 3D with the same game design philosophy, instead of using what's already working from other 3D games.

New God of War looks sorta like "Let's use God of War skin and adapt it to our safe blueprint" tbh.

Soundwind said:
Real answer is Grand Thert Auto 3
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Yeah, pretty much. Never been a fan of GTA but the changes from the second game to the third was crazy stuff.
 
quotethis

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I'd say this probably belongs to Fallout 3 or Resident Evil series. RE actually did it twice. RE4 and RE7
 

Thebeast!

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Cinemikel said:
They turned one of the few character hack and slash franchises left into another Sony Game™.

Emphasis on story and cutscenes
Over the shoulder third person
Action adventure
Realistic graphics
Cinematic

Just like:

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Uncharted
The Last of Us
Days Gone
Infamous
The Order: 1886
Spiderman
Detroit: Become Human
And guaranteed the same will be for:
Ghost of Tsushima
Death Stranding

So bold

Yes, can you tell I don't like the homogenization of Sony's front runner lineup the past few years?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Character action games dont sell
 
VanWinkle

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I will say that, while I respect the direction BOTW went in, and I do think there are some open world principles that other games can learn from it, I would have preferred it to go in a direction like GoW. But I would want it to have a mature serious tone like GoW has. I think that's actually an important part of it. While obviously a new Zelda would never have the level of violence, or the occasional f-bombs from the shop owner, that's not what I'm talking about. I would love to see a grown up adult Link, dealing with a serious issue and handled in a tone similar to this new GoW. I think it would have really been something amazing.
 
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