Battling deities and dragons child's play compared to fatherhood in 'God of War' | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Battling deities and dragons child's play compared to fatherhood in 'God of War'

A screengrab from the video game "God of War," is shown in a handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Sony Interactive Entertainment of America MANDATORY CREDIT

TORONTO - "God of War" games have always been larger-than-life adventures played out on violent canvasses, where slaying gods and monsters while traversing majestic cityscapes and hellish war zones are routine.

So it's surprisingly refreshing that the latest title in the popular series, amidst all the bloodshed and bombast, is at its core the story of a fragile relationship between father and son.

"God of War," out this week exclusively for Sony's PlayStation 4, is the series' first title since 2014 and its debut on this generation of consoles. Developer SIE Santa Monica certainly takes advantage of the PS4's power, but the biggest advancements evident in "God of War" have as much to do with character development and storytelling as gorgeous graphics and flashy set pieces.

The game opens with series protagonist Kratos, having exacted his vengeance on his father Zeus and the other gods of Olympus, trying to live a quiet life as a mortal somewhere in Scandinavia. His wife has recently died, and he and his son Atreus start out on a journey to deliver her ashes to the highest peak in Midgard.

However, the gods in Kratos's adopted home prove to be as meddlesome and greedy as the Greek deities who previously tormented him. He and Atreus soon find themselves entangled by the machinations of these strange beings, and their once simple quest takes them throughout the nine realms of Norse mythology.

Along the way, the duo are set upon by all manner of foes, from undead Vikings to fierce dragons. Anyone who has played a "God of War" game before knows how to handle those foolish enough to get into Kratos's path.

While Kratos starts the game with an axe as his main weapon in place of the Blades of Chaos — the bladed chains he left behind at the conclusion of "God of War III" — combat at its core remains similar. Players can unlock a number of combos Kratos can use with his axe, best administered after dodging or blocking an enemy attack.

However, the addition of Atreus adds some depth to the well-worn hack-and-slash formula. Atreus can be commanded to shoot arrows at Kratos's enemies, and he'll independently incapacitate some foes while Kratos deals with others. At fist Atreus serves little more than a way to distract enemies, but as his skills in archery increase, so does his usefulness in combat.

And therein lies the true conflict for Kratos. Atreus doesn't know he has the blood of a god, and Kratos wants to keep it that way. He's seen how petty and cruel gods can be, and wants no part of that for his son. Kratos does this by keeping a wall up between himself and Atreus, initially offering him little guidance in the art of combat, and coldly ignoring Atreus's desire for praise.

Kratos wants to bring this wall down, but doesn't know how. A poignant scene early in the game has Kratos reaching out to comfort Atreus, who is affected after successfully hunting and killing a stag, only to meekly retract his hand at the last second.

Meanwhile, in his effort to protect Atreus, Kratos actively hurts his son by denying him knowledge of his true nature. Atreus doesn't know what's happening to him as his arcane powers manifest themselves, leading him to fits of rage or rendering him dangerously ill. For Kratos, slayer of gods, the stakes have never been higher.

The evolution of Kratos from a one-note character bent on vengeance to reluctant father and mentor is the game's greatest achievement. In previous games it was easy to identify with Kratos on a cathartic level — his quest for retribution had sufficient pathos, as his first wife and daughter were slain by his own hand due to the trickery of the god Ares — but his story mostly a backdrop for big action sequences, and his vengeance-at-all-costs attitude robbed him of the emotional heft necessary for us to truly care if he succeeded in his end goal.

Now Kratos's actions have real consequences and weight, and that gives the character impressive depth. Kratos wants to succeed at his second chance at fatherhood. But his aloof and detached nature toward Atreus, borne out of a desire to protect his son, often has him on the precipice of messing things up irreparably.

It's the toughest battle Kratos has ever faced. And it's one we truly are rooting for him to win.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2018
The Canadian Press

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