God of War (PS4)

I procrastinated in buying this game because I thought it was just going to be a rehash of things already revisited previously. The idea of a child sidekick didn't appeal to me much either. I couldn't have been more wrong! This game is an absolute masterpiece from beginning to end. It exudes quality that is nearly unmatched in any recent game save for the likes of Batman Arkham Knight or The Witcher 3. There's a visceral quality to the graphics and sound and gameplay that really has to be witnessed to fully appreciate. And the story will linger for a very long time. Please don't make the assumption that I did. You want this game. Trust me.

Much more than its previous iterations, God of War comes through with more than just the violent kill-fest that the previous God of War titles exemplified. God of War is less about being a God, and more about being a human. Gameplay= 10/10 - Responsive, intuitive and tight controls. Fun Factor= 10/10 - Fun to fight, explore, solve, learn and uncover. Attention Hold= 10/10 - The open world and exploration pulls you in. Visuals & Presentation= 9.5/10 - Amazing visuals & mostly intuitive menus. Sound= 10/10 - Soundtrack is inspiring and exciting; great acting. Overall= 99/100 Closing thought: This game is gonna win many GoTY awards.

"God of War" came as a surprise to fans of the franchise because of the drastic changes that it made to its original hack-and-slash format. Yet, the majority of fans embraced the game upon its release due to how well these changes were done. The game is just as violent as its predecessors, but there is an additional level of grit and realism to it due to its new presentation. In fact, many aspects of the game reminded me of what Naughty Dog did with Uncharted and The Last of Us, and I mean that as high praise. "God of War" is one of the best games of the year, and it's hard to imagine that many would be disappointed by their purchase of it.