Warning: This post contains some minor spoilers for God of War. If you want to enjoy the story spoiler-free, we advise turning back now.
Other Mythologies
For the entirety of its existence on the PS3, the God of War series remained tied to Kratos’ Greek roots. We fought many Greek beasts and Gods that, by the end of the series, it felt about right that Kratos wandered off elsewhere to continue his murderous rampage.
The Norse mythology and setting of God of War on PS4 is part of what sets it apart from its predecessors, and helps to make this feel like a real, new adventure for Kratos, rather than retreading old ground with a fresh lick of paint.
And it was a success. Kratos, despite being a Greek god, doesn’t feel out of place in this Norse setting. His adventure throughout the world actually provides a ton of context and lore thanks to the ever-inquisitive Atreus and your guide throughout the world, Mimir.
Being able to soak up the legends, fables, and lore of another mythology would certainly be welcomed with open arms. Though there’s arguably some loose ends still to tie up in Midgard and the different realms, there are so many more mythologies we’d love to see Kratos get wrapped up in. Egyptian, Japanese, Mayan? We’d be all in. It’s even been hinted at (and discussed in interviews) in the latest game, too, so here’s hoping.
More Gods
Due to the nature of Kratos’ line of work, he tends to get his hands a bit dirty. More often than not, he’s covered in the blood and guts of those that stand in the way of his goal. The Gods aren’t immune to this though, and Kratos has had to take care of more than his fair share of these incredibly powerful deities in the past. With the change to the Norse setting, many may have thought they’d be taking on a fairly long list of Norse Gods throughout Kratos and Atreus’ journey. About that…
God of War’s first release on the PS4 doesn’t actually pit you against all that many of the Norse Gods. That’s not necessarily a negative point, but facing off against these all-powerful beings in the past has felt far more intense and immersive than many of the sub-bosses in this latest adventure. Plus, without delving too deep into spoilers, there are a few certain showdowns with Norse Gods we’d love to see Kratos take on.
Not all Gods need to be enemies of Kratos, however, and it’d be neat to even see Kratos working alongside some iconic Norse Gods, rather than grotesquely murdering them. Mythical items could be gifted to Kratos, new abilities could be learned. With more Gods comes plenty of potential new gameplay possibilities.
That being said, there are still some loose ends to be tied up in Kratos and Atreus’ story, so fingers crossed we’ll see more of the Norse Gods getting involved then.
More Enemy Variety
Exploring the many different realms of Norse mythology and taking on the horrifying creatures that lurked within was a pretty awesome experience in God of War. Taking out Dark Elves, before slicing through Draugr without a struggle kept things refreshing and engaging, making each different place we traveled to feel unique beyond just a change of scenery. Even within these specific enemy ‘species’ there were more variants. Some were shielded, others were ranged, and some were fast-moving and a real pain to strike down. What was there was enough for our first outing with the father-son duo, but next time around, we’ll need even more.
Enemy variety stopped God of War from feeling repetitive, and if Kratos and Atreus are to continue their journey throughout the different Norse realms, Santa Monica needs to ensure players will be facing new and more challenging enemies at every location we stop at. Don’t get us wrong, we still wanna tear a Draugr in half with our bare hands (it never gets old), but with the likes of Fossegrimen absent, and Giants yet to truly enter the fray, there are plenty of new, tantalizing enemies for future entries. Plus, can you ever have too many dragon fights?
Brok & Sindri Return
Up until this point, we’ve been largely talking about things we’d like to see Santa Monica add to or develop in the next God of War, but here’s something that was absolutely perfect in the series’ debut on PS4, and we’re pretty sure we speak for most of the internet when we say “We need more Brok and Sindri in our lives!”
Brok and Sindri are just two blacksmith brothers in God of War, and although they’re incredibly helpful when it comes to upgrading your gear and ensuring you’re prepared for whatever challenges may be lurking around the next corner, it’s their excellent dialogue and charming personalities that have won fans over.
It’s difficult to not get attached to these polar opposites – Brok the surly gruff-talking brother who isn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty, and Sindri the well-mannered, germophobe with a real penchant for detail. Even when they’re not playing a significant role in the story, the general conversations you can have with them (or overhear) will bring a smile to your face. Santa Monica, please keep Brok and Sindri, we need their eccentric personalities in our lives.
Refined Upgrade System
Sony Santa Monica clearly wanted to take God of War in a more narrative-focused, RPG-lite direction. Kratos and Atreus start out with basic gear and combat abilities, but as you progress, things begin to open up. You can craft new armor, upgrade existing armor, equip Enchantments to your weapon to give you buffs in combat, change the pommel of your axe for more buffs. Oh, and there are Talismans too. Oh, and Runic Attacks. And don’t forget about all of the different Skills you can unlock with XP.
There’s a bunch of different upgrade systems at your disposal in God of War, and while you’ll likely dig into all of them, few of them feel like they have a substantial impact on the combat itself. Changing pommels, for example, seems like a neat idea, but ultimately feels inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. While variety is certainly the spice of life, God of War may be ‘overspiced’, so to speak, in the upgrade department. Fewer customization options would certainly go a long way to rectifying this in the next God of War title and would make upgrading good ol’ K-dog to the way you want him far easier.
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