A title that marked a before and after in the industry, becoming my favorite saga of all time.
Image credit: theGamerKratos
Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbj5C-Sw2_A
Summary
- 🎮 Name of the game: God of War
- 📅 Launch date: March 22, 2005
- 🏢 Developer: Santa Monica Studio
- 📌 Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
- 🖥️Available platforms: PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3
- ⚔️Game genre: Action, Hack and Slash
- 🌍 Game context: Greek mythology, starring Kratos in his quest for revenge against Ares, the God of War.
History and Narrative
The first God of War of 2005 was the beginning of a saga that would become my favorite and that marked our childhood in the PlayStation 2 era. It presents us with a story centered on Kratos, a Spartan warrior whose tragic history drives him to challenge the gods of Olympus, especially Ares, the Greek god of war.
The game's narrative unfolds at a cinematic pace, using memories of the protagonist to explain what we do, why we do it and delve into his story. The plot revolves around a mission assigned by the gods: to eliminate Ares. However, beyond being a simple assignment, Kratos accepts this mission driven by his desire for revenge, since Ares marked his life with tragic events. In addition, the gods promise to erase the memories of his terrible actions from his mind.
Throughout the game we explore breathtaking settings inspired by Greek mythology, such as the Aegean Sea, the city of Athens, the Desert of Lost Souls, the Temple of Pandora and the Underworld. These locations offer an epic and rewarding experience. We face memorable enemies and bosses such as the Hydra, Medusa, the Minotaur and Ares himself, all with significant weight in the story.
The length of the game varies depending on the player's experience. For first time players, it can take between 7 and 12 hours due to the platforming and puzzle levels. If you know the game by heart, you can complete it in about 4 hours.
Gameplay
The story is engaging and easy to understand, but the gameplay is one of the highlights of the game. The idea of creating a character whose main weapons are the Chaos Swords, chained to his forearms, brings a unique and different combat experience to traditional weapons such as swords, spears, axes or bows.
Combat combines speed and dynamism, thanks to the fluid mechanics of the main weapons. The controls respond with precision, making the action feel satisfying. The learning curve is balanced, introducing the mechanics progressively.
The upgrade system is simple, practical and effective. When you defeat enemies, you get red orbs that can be used to improve weapons and magical abilities. All you have to do is access the menu, fulfill the orb requirement and that's it: the upgrade is applied immediately.
The game encourages exploration, as there are green and blue orbs that restore life and magic, respectively. In addition, it is possible to upgrade these bars by finding well-hidden chests throughout the game.
Kratos' arsenal includes:
- Chaos Swords
- Sword of Artemis
- Four magics:
- Wrath of Poseidon (the best)
- Medusa Head
- Zeus Ray
- Souls of Hades
Although all skills have their usefulness, some are more practical than others. Personally, the Swords of Chaos and Wrath of Poseidon are the most used throughout the adventure, while Zeus' Lightning is the least useful skill.
The game is linear, which prevents players from getting lost, although this can be positive or negative depending on each person's preference. The puzzles are well designed, although sometimes they may not be entirely clear, but never impossible.
A negative point is the fixed camera, which in some areas makes it difficult to see enemy attacks, generating frustrating moments. Despite this, the game prioritizes offering an epic and fun experience.
Graphics and Visual Design
For its time, God of War had impressive graphics. Character and mythological creature modeling was detailed, with fluid animations and convincing facial expressions. The visual style combined realism with a dark mythological aesthetic.
The scenery design is incredible. One example is Pandora's Temple, which really conveys the feeling of being a place from which no mortal has come out alive due to its deadly traps. In terms of art, the game offers an excellent experience.
Sound and Music
The soundtrack is spectacular, with orchestral compositions that enhance the epic scale of the game. My favorites are The Vengeful Spartan and the music of the Minotaur. The sound effects are immersive, from combat impacts to environmental details.
It is impossible to forget its music, whether in battles or in the cinematics. Even with the passing of the years, those who have played God of War will remember several of his compositions.
The voice acting is outstanding, especially that of Kratos. His voice accurately conveys the emotional intensity of the character, perfectly capturing the essence of the Spartan warrior.
Difficulty and Accessibility
The game has four levels of difficulty:
- Mortal (easy)
- Hero (normal)
- Spartan (difficult)
- God (very difficult, unlockable by completing the game on any difficulty)
The higher difficulty represents a considerable challenge, especially against the final boss and in certain sections with multiple enemies. Regardless of the difficulty level, some platforming sections can be frustrating and require several attempts.
The game lacks accessibility options, such as text size adjustments or visual aids.
Additional Content
There are no DLCs or expansions, but the game offers incentives to replay it, such as unlockable costumes and the Challenge of the Gods. The latter consists of a series of rather complicated challenges, with the disadvantage that they must be completed in a single session, as the game does not save progress on them.
Technical Aspects
On PlayStation 2, performance is stable, with well-optimized loading times. There are some minor bugs, but they do not significantly affect the overall experience. However, the game has several glitches and tricks, such as the famous infinite magic trick in Aphrodite's Chamber, where we fight Medusa.
Value for money
Undoubtedly, the game is worth every penny despite its flaws, the other sections are worth it. Back in the day the ps5 version was expensive, buying the original game was about 40 to 50 dollars for ps2, however it was worth it. Nowadays, I would pay about $20 for the ps3 version. I think Playstation could work on a remake, remaster or whatever for ps5 as it is a beloved classic and even being a remaster would currently pay full price.
Trophies / Achievements
- Platinum obtained: Yes.
- Percentage of trophies: 100%.
- Estimated time: 10 - 15 hours. If you know the game by heart, in less than 10 hours.
- Platinum difficulty: 4/10. I rate the platinum with this difficulty mainly because it requires completing the game on hard mode and overcoming the Challenges of the Gods, which can be tricky, although with practice they shouldn't pose a problem.
Conclusion
God of War (2005) is an action classic that left an indelible mark on the industry. Its combination of narrative combat and visual design makes it a
an unforgettable experience. Despite some limitations in accessibility, exploration and platforming, it is still highly recommended for fans of action games and Greek mythology.
My final rating for God of War is:
4.3/5
