I've long been interested in God of War, but haven't had a console to play it on until recently. Having played through the original trilogy in rapid succession (the first two games on the Vita and the third game on the PS3), I've found that the game has is a mixed bag- strong combat, an interesting setting with an unlikable protagonist, decent platforming and poorly designed puzzles- that generally does best when it sticks to its strengths.
The plot of the series starts off with Kratos, a Spartan warrior, on a quest to kill Ares, the God of War, in order to be freed of the nightmares he suffers after killing his wife and daughter in the god's service- he succeeds, but unable to get the release he desires, eventually targets Zeus, a revenge that results in him wiping out most of the rest of the Greek Pantheon. The setting is an interesting if highly dark look at Greek mythology, but Kratos' largely selfish goals and lack of regard for anyone besides himself makes him highly unlikable, and it's hard to root for his enemies, either. Kratos was the most sympathetic in the first game, partly because Ares was a clear-cut villain, but Kratos was hardly heroic himself.
Of course, you don't play games like this for the story as much as the gameplay. The combat, which is the heart and soul of the series, is masterfully done, with a fluid combat system that allows you to string together combos of hundreds of hits with various weapons and spells, as well as finish off your enemies with brutal Quick Time Event finishers. This aspect of the game refines itself a bit more with each passing installment, with the second and third games featuring memorable boss encounters that were largely absent from the first.
Unfortunately, the platforming isn't done quite as well. Kratos has enough maneuvers to keep things interesting, but some parts, such as the infamous spiked column in the first game, are needlessly frustrating. Some sequences in which you climb walls or across ropes include enemies, evidently as a way of injecting combat into platforming sequences, but they generally put up little more than token resistance. At its best, the platforming is a decent change of pace, and at worst, it's poorly designed and frustrating.
The puzzles are the weakest part of the series. In most of them, the solution is relatively easy to figure out, but difficult to put into action, partially because the developers tend to rely on timed sequences rather than make puzzles appropriately challenging (for example, in the second game, you have to run through a corridor, pull a switch and lift a gate before a spiked wall catches up to you), and it's especially tedious when you have to slowly turn a crank in order to get through a puzzle. Thankfully, there are fewer annoying puzzles in the third game.
All in all, if you're looking for fun action, don't care about the story and can put up with frustrating parts, God of War might be right for you.
The Trilogy: A Mixed Bag
I've long been interested in God of War, but haven't had a console to play it on until recently. Having played through the original trilogy in rapid succession (the first two games on the Vita and the third game on the PS3), I've found that the game has is a mixed bag- strong combat, an interesting setting with an unlikable protagonist, decent platforming and poorly designed puzzles- that generally does best when it sticks to its strengths.
The plot of the series starts off with Kratos, a Spartan warrior, on a quest to kill Ares, the God of War, in order to be freed of the nightmares he suffers after killing his wife and daughter in the god's service- he succeeds, but unable to get the release he desires, eventually targets Zeus, a revenge that results in him wiping out most of the rest of the Greek Pantheon. The setting is an interesting if highly dark look at Greek mythology, but Kratos' largely selfish goals and lack of regard for anyone besides himself makes him highly unlikable, and it's hard to root for his enemies, either. Kratos was the most sympathetic in the first game, partly because Ares was a clear-cut villain, but Kratos was hardly heroic himself.
Of course, you don't play games like this for the story as much as the gameplay. The combat, which is the heart and soul of the series, is masterfully done, with a fluid combat system that allows you to string together combos of hundreds of hits with various weapons and spells, as well as finish off your enemies with brutal Quick Time Event finishers. This aspect of the game refines itself a bit more with each passing installment, with the second and third games featuring memorable boss encounters that were largely absent from the first.
Unfortunately, the platforming isn't done quite as well. Kratos has enough maneuvers to keep things interesting, but some parts, such as the infamous spiked column in the first game, are needlessly frustrating. Some sequences in which you climb walls or across ropes include enemies, evidently as a way of injecting combat into platforming sequences, but they generally put up little more than token resistance. At its best, the platforming is a decent change of pace, and at worst, it's poorly designed and frustrating.
The puzzles are the weakest part of the series. In most of them, the solution is relatively easy to figure out, but difficult to put into action, partially because the developers tend to rely on timed sequences rather than make puzzles appropriately challenging (for example, in the second game, you have to run through a corridor, pull a switch and lift a gate before a spiked wall catches up to you), and it's especially tedious when you have to slowly turn a crank in order to get through a puzzle. Thankfully, there are fewer annoying puzzles in the third game.
All in all, if you're looking for fun action, don't care about the story and can put up with frustrating parts, God of War might be right for you.