Fans of old-school Zelda should check out God of War

[Deleted member 249]

While this was something I was hoping for when God of War was revealed and as we were shown more of the game, it's something that the final game also lives up to, and something I am very happy about- the new God of War game is basically a(n OoT style, pre-BotW) Zelda game. It has the same kind of wide linear design, the same kind of Metroidvania-lite progression, the same kind of new area->progress->ability->backtrack->boss style of structure, plus a similar hub world teeming with all kinds of secrets and dungeons for those who want to go exploring. Even fast travel (with fixed points) is handled the same way, and there's a distinct flavor of charm, wittiness, and progression that feels like a very great spin on the OoT Zelda formula, but in a distinctly God of War way.

There is an observation about the new God of War game that it feels like it borrows far too much from other games- and it does. I think that in most cases, that works to the game's strength. With Zelda itself having moved on to a BotW style of game, God of War does a wonderful job of providing something in the vein of Ocarina and Wind Waker, and it does it remarkably well too. If you liked old-school Zelda, you should definitely check out God of War.

 

[Jawbreaker]

It's definitely scratching the Zelda itch for me (I enjoyed Breath of the Wild, but it was a pretty big departure from the series post-Zelda 1). I have to mention how great the level design is here, too. They do a great job of looping you around areas and teasing treasure chests/secrets, thus enticing you to explore.

 

[Deleted member 4037]

So GoW is going to pick up where botw failed me?

I was interested in it after watching some gameplay, but it would be good to have that kind of experience again. Like a zelda bloodborne

 

[Deleted member 249]

It's definitely scratching the Zelda itch for me (I enjoyed Breath of the Wild, but it was a pretty big departure from the series post-Zelda 1). I have to mention how great the level design is here, too. They do a great job of looping you around areas and teasing treasure chests/secrets, thus enticing you to explore.

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Yeah, BotW is fantastic, but it did its own thing (which was necessary for the Zelda series, so I'm not complaining about it here). God of War kind of fills in the void that was left as a result, and yes, the design is great. The dungeons are fairly straightforward, but how the hubs loop on themselves is the really cool stuff that impresses me.

 

[Pascal]

Cool. Looking forward to playing it!

 

[ryseing]

I know "adult Zelda" is an asinine descriptor, but it's the one that kept going through my head, especially as I proceeded through the Hyrule Field esque lake.

 

[Wollan]

God of War is its own thing but I guess the exploration can be seen as a half-way between Zelda OOT and Zelda Wind-Waker with all the boating around and island treks. And many large dungeons & strongholds.
But then you add

Spoiler: light-spoiler

multiple-dimensions.

I like that the weapons are multi-purposeful. The Leviathan axe can be used as a projectile for solving various puzzles but also it can freeze various mechanics. Then you have the elemental arrows etc.

 

[DieH@rd]

Also, fans of Darksiders.

 

[MoonFrog]

Does it have a focus on gadgets that interact with the world, puzzles, and enemies in unique ways? Growth wrt things other than combat that evolve the way the game plays and what is possible over time?

I like interconnected worlds with tight level design and a linear path that you discover through exploration (ignoring sequence breaking), but I also want that Zelda/Metroid gameplay and so many games focus on purely combat or story oriented progression instead.

 

[pikachief]

It is scratching a dungeon itch that I yearned for after playing BOTW, but calling OOT "old school zelda" is strange to me since you are obviously not referring to the original.

 

[Deleted member 249]

Does it have a focus on gadgets that interact with the world, puzzles, and enemies in unique ways? Growth wrt things other than combat that evolve the way the game plays and what is possible over time?

I like interconnected worlds with tight level design and a linear path that you discover through exploration (ignoring sequence breaking), but I also want that Zelda/Metroid gameplay and so many games focus on purely combat or story oriented progression instead.

Click to shrink...

It does, but not exactly in the Zelda style. You do get abilities and gadgets that let you interact with the world, including the parts of the world you have already been to, in new and unique ways as you progress through the game.

 

[Phendrift]

It's definitely influenced by it, but I'd be wary advising this.

Don't go in expecting as many interesting puzzles or items. Those are the focus of old school Zelda, while they are more side things in GoW.

 

[Courage]

I was literally gonna make a thread similar to this, and whether this game is scratching that Zelda itch for people who didn't like BotW. Without spoiling too much the game definitely has that central hub -> 'dungeons' loop with its realms. You even get

Spoiler

light arrows!

 

[Deleted member 10737]

lol, there are like 8 god of war related threads there on the first page.
i actually didn't follow the news about this game prior to release so i'm very surprised to see it being comapred to zelda games and metroudvanias.

 

[III-V]

I may need to play this sooner than later. Can you list some more spoiler free examples OP?

 

[Deleted member 3815]

If you liked old-school Zelda, you should definitely check out God of War.

Click to shrink...

But it isn't Zelda though, I want to play as Link and do the stuff that I like in the Zelda game rather than play some substitute.

 

[Phendrift]

I was literally gonna make a thread similar to this, and whether this game is scratching that Zelda itch for people who didn't like BotW. Without spoiling too much the game definitely has that central hub -> 'dungeons' loop with its realms. You even get

Spoiler

light arrows!

Click to shrink...

You also get

Spoiler

Shock Arrows :P

 

[Deleted member 249]

I was literally gonna make a thread similar to this, and whether this game is scratching that Zelda itch for people who didn't like BotW. Without spoiling too much the game definitely has that central hub -> 'dungeons' loop with its realms. You even get

Spoiler

light arrows!

Click to shrink...

I liked BotW and it still satisfies the old Zelda itch for me :P

lol, there are like 8 god of war related threads there on the first page.
i actually didn't follow the news about this game prior to release so i'm very surprised to see it being comapred to zelda games and metroudvanias.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, they went wide linear with the new game, which is awesome, and much needed after how tired the old design got.

 

[Gustaf]

so the revolutionary gameplay change for GoD it was just making more like Zelda?

 

[KaiPow]

Does it have a focus on gadgets that interact with the world, puzzles, and enemies in unique ways? Growth wrt things other than combat that evolve the way the game plays and what is possible over time?

I like interconnected worlds with tight level design and a linear path that you discover through exploration (ignoring sequence breaking), but I also want that Zelda/Metroid gameplay and so many games focus on purely combat or story oriented progression instead.

Click to shrink...

Yes, you'll start to recognize the telltale clues of paths that are just out of reach or a conspicuous red cluster covering a treasure chest that requires later abilities. God of War smartly rewards the player for exploring every time they discover a new ability or approach the area from another angle.

 

[MoonFrog]

It does, but not exactly in the Zelda style. You do get abilities and gadgets that let you interact with the world, including the parts of the world you have already been to, in new and unique ways as you progress through the game.

Click to shrink...

Interesting. I've never had any interest in the franchise but the buzz around this entry makes me think about trying it at some point. We'll see.

 

[Toriko]

Yup although ppl going into it must be prepared for the following - God of War has way way better combat than Zelda but worse puzzles. The balance is tilted differently

 

[Puffy]

I was thinking that it felt a bit like zelda too

 

[Deleted member 16576]

Does it have a focus on gadgets that interact with the world, puzzles, and enemies in unique ways? Growth wrt things other than combat that evolve the way the game plays and what is possible over time?

I like interconnected worlds with tight level design and a linear path that you discover through exploration (ignoring sequence breaking), but I also want that Zelda/Metroid gameplay and so many games focus on purely combat or story oriented progression instead.

Click to shrink...

Without spoiling anything, the weapons themselves have varying abilities that interact with the world. Think less gadgets, and more Metroid style weapon upgrades that allow you to unlock otherwise unreachable areas in prior locations. It's actually pretty clever the way the world loops around, and you will find plenty of great reasons to go back to past locations and explore for more gear and lore tidbits.

 

[Phendrift]

Yup although ppl going into it must be prepared for the following - God of War has way way better combat than Zelda but worse puzzles. The balance is tilted differently

Click to shrink...

Funny enough, this was the case with GoW1-3 as well

Without spoiling anything, the weapons themselves have varying abilities that interact with the world. Think less gadgets, and more Metroid style weapon upgrades that allow you to unlock otherwise unreachable areas in prior locations. It's actually pretty clever the way the world loops around, and you will find plenty of great reasons to go back to past locations and explore for more gear and lore tidbits.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I'd say there's just as much, if not more, of a Metroid influence than Zelda

 

[Courage]

so the revolutionary gameplay change for GoD it was just making more like Zelda?

Click to shrink...

There's not many games out there that can successfully emulate Zelda tbh. I can only think of Darksiders and maybe Arkham City if I wanted to stretch the definition of a Zeldalike.

 

[Ferrio]

My GF who doesn't play games sans maybe a few when she was younger has been watching me and said "This reminds me of the Zelda" the other day. It definitely has that feeling with the backtracking, new upgrades to unlock new pathes etc that you'd find in games like Zelda/Metroid. The original God of Wars has stuff like this too but never on this level.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

There's not many games out there that can successfully emulate Zelda tbh. I can only think of Darksiders and maybe Arkham City if I wanted to stretch the definition of a Zeldalike.

Click to shrink...

okami says hi

 

[Deleted member 249]

I may need to play this sooner than later. Can you list some more spoiler free examples OP?

Click to shrink...

Sure:

• Progression is gear and item based, with new abilities giving you new ways to interact with the world over time
• There's a central hub world that branches out into different directions, but it's not open world (you can't access any area the story hasn't reached yet); within what you can access, you can go around traipsing through dungeons, solving puzzles, doing side quests, picking up collectibles and upgrades, and so on
• Your character's primary stats are governed by collectibles (there are secondary stats that are in turn governed by what gear you have on)
• The general dungeon structure so far in the game has relied on the Zelda style "enter, progress, get new ability, loop back, boss", albeit not as explicitly
• There are dungeons and puzzles, albeit, again, not quite as much of a focus as in old Zelda

But it isn't Zelda though, I want to play as Link and do the stuff that I like in the Zelda game rather than play some substitute.

Click to shrink...

I mean, I didn't say it's Zelda, lol, I said it's influenced by Zelda

Interesting. I've never had any interest in the franchise but the buzz around this entry makes me think about trying it at some point. We'll see.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, plus the new one is a good entry point

 

[Courage]

okami says hi

Click to shrink...

true

 

[Melkezadek]

There's not many games out there that can successfully emulate Zelda tbh. I can only think of Darksiders and maybe Arkham City if I wanted to stretch the definition of a Zeldalike.

Click to shrink...

I would also throw in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. It's basically A Link the Past, but with vampires.

 

[Pascal]

There's not many games out there that can successfully emulate Zelda tbh. I can only think of Darksiders and maybe Arkham City if I wanted to stretch the definition of a Zeldalike.

Click to shrink...

Okami is better than a lot of Zelda games. And Hyper Light Drifter is one of the best 2D Zelda games.

 

[Toriko]

Funny enough, this was the case with GoW1-3 as well

Yeah, I'd say there's just as much, if not more, of a Metroid influence than Zelda

Click to shrink...

True althought this one is indeed much closer to Zelda than the previous ones.

 

[Poutine Runner 2049]

God of War isn't really like Zelda, its better.

 

[lost7]

There is a part in the game where you can observe most of the locations you explored from a high view and it was at that moment that I realised just how masterful the level design of the world was.

Honestly, it's a candidate for GOTG in my book

 

[Ehoavash]

Nice

can't wait to start this game.

after finishing botw and being dissappointed that it didnt scartch that Zelda itch for me, i'm even more excited to play this now

okami says hi

Click to shrink...

No. okami is just a bloated mess.

 

[Toriko]

God of War isn't really like Zelda, its better.

Click to shrink...

I would not say better. It depends on tastes really. If you want better execution that involves utilizing gear to solve intricate puzzles then Zelda is better but if you value combat system and a game that feels more robust mechanically then God of War is a better option.

There are similarities for sure but the combat puzzle balance is different.

 

[Deleted member 249]

so the revolutionary gameplay change for GoD it was just making more like Zelda?

Click to shrink...

I'd say that emulating Zelda is one of the best things a franchise like this can do, so have at it.

 

[Yebele]

God of War isn't really like Zelda, its better.

Click to shrink...

oh shit he said it

 

[Deleted member 249]

God of War isn't really like Zelda, its better.

Click to shrink...

Let's not get carried away
I suppose it is better than Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess, but so far I haven't found anything that makes me think it is better than Ocarina or Wind Waker. We'll see where I end up with it as I play through it.

 

[karmitt]

It's definitely influenced by it, but I'd be wary advising this.

Don't go in expecting as many interesting puzzles or items. Those are the focus of old school Zelda, while they are more side things in GoW.

Click to shrink...

I've had moments where I thought it was giving me a modernized OoT formula feel, but they've been short lived.

This is it's own thing, and it's good, but it only barely feels like old Zelda.

 

[Phendrift]

God of War isn't really like Zelda, its better.

Click to shrink...

Combat and story-wise definitely.

Everything else? Nah. Not so far.

It's ok though, they focus on different things.

Still will end up one of my GOATs though

I've had moments where I thought it was giving me a modernized OoT formula feel, but they've been short lived.

This is it's own thing, and it's good, but it only barely feels like old Zelda.

Click to shrink...

Pretty much how I feel. The influence is there, but it's definitely it's own thing, and it's great.

 

[Deleted member 249]

Combat and story-wise definitely.

Everything else? Nah. Not so far.

It's ok though, they focus on different things.

Still will end up one of my GOATs though

Click to shrink...

I don't even know about story yet, I really liked OOT and TWW's stories, and GoW hasn't given me much to work with so far. We'll see haha.

 

[Masterspeed]

Now I love God of War and I'm really, really excited to buy this one (I had to buy the Yakuza 6 After Hours edition first) but damn, do we really need about 5 threads a day about it?

 

[Kinggroin]

While this was something I was hoping for when God of War was revealed and as we were shown more of the game, it's something that the final game also lives up to, and something I am very happy about- the new God of War game is basically a(n OoT style, pre-BotW) Zelda game. It has the same kind of wide linear design, the same kind of Metroidvania-lite progression, the same kind of new area->progress->ability->backtrack->boss style of structure, plus a similar hub world teeming with all kinds of secrets and dungeons for those who want to go exploring. Even fast travel (with fixed points) is handled the same way, and there's a distinct flavor of charm, wittiness, and progression that feels like a very great spin on the OoT Zelda formula, but in a distinctly God of War way.

There is an observation about the new God of War game that it feels like it borrows far too much from other games- and it does. I think that in most cases, that works to the game's strength. With Zelda itself having moved on to a BotW style of game, God of War does a wonderful job of providing something in the vein of Ocarina and Wind Waker, and it does it remarkably well too. If you liked old-school Zelda, you should definitely check out God of War.

Click to shrink...

Great endorsement, but old school Zelda isn't Ocarina of Time, friend. Actually, if old school Zelda is what you want, then BotW is the game to play funny enough - ha.

But yeah GoW looks dope.

 

[Phendrift]

I don't even know about story yet, I really liked OOT and TWW's stories, and GoW hasn't given me much to work with so far. We'll see haha.

Click to shrink...

It's very mysterious at first but, where I am, I'm REALLY liking where I think it's heading.

 

[Escalario]

If anything, this thread makes me less likely to ever try this. It's hillarious how every single time a "hey guys try this [non-Nintendo game] because it's totally like [Nintendo game]" threads assure me people have no idea what those Nintendo franchises actually are. Never fails to make me laugh at how desperate those people are trying and failing to compare those franchises to Nintendo's juggernauts.

 

[NuclearCake]

God of War is really not like any Zelda game.

 

[Formless]

I'm definitely going to check it out when it's $30.

 

[Skux]

So GoW is going to pick up where botw failed me?

I was interested in it after watching some gameplay, but it would be good to have that kind of experience again. Like a zelda bloodborne

Click to shrink...

If you had to sum it up in two words, that's pretty much it. Obviously there's a lot more going on with the presentation and story, but if you mashed those two games together you'd get the essence of it.