Coming of Age in God of War

God of War isn’t just my favourite game of the last generation of consoles, it has quickly become my favourite game of all-time. The world of God of War, the story and the general mechanics of the game are something that has immersed me deeply into the lore of the game. However, one of the main messages that the game tells is one of ‘coming of age’. This short piece will be my perception of what coming of age in God of War means.

Kratos –

Kratos is one of the best written fictional characters of all-time in my opinion. The most recent God of War game highlights this more than ever. His past is something of immense torment, and as a result, what has happened and what he has done, has haunted him even into the present day. However, Kratos, despite being a God who is of mature age, still showed that he had plenty of maturation to encounter yet.

In God of War, Kratos attempts to abandon his past, through lies to his son. This eventually leads to him coming to realise that his son Atreus is a physical representation of himself. It is through this that Kratos realises he cannot ignore and run from his past any longer. God of War attempts to show a side of Kratos that has not yet been seen. Kratos is a father, who struggles to connect and be open with his son, out of fear of him discovering what he had done with his godly status, and thus, viewing him differently and going down the same path. However, despite this fear and inability to connect, it is made clear that Kratos cares very deeply for his son. This is made none the more clearer when the only time in which Kratos is prepared to give up his guard in terms of physicality and mentality is when Atreus falls incredibly ill.

(Source: Hollywood Reporter)

Many have been critical of this personality change for Kratos, however it provides a more complex and deep outlook at a very flawed character, who through his care and openness, learns to accept his mistakes and embrace what he has in the moment.

(Source: VERSUS MOMENTS)

Atreus –

Atreus offers a very unique experience to the player in God of War. His childish mannerisms are quickly blown away by the expectations and demands of his father. Atreus’ story in God of War is ultimately one of a rollercoaster. His story tells of doubting one’s self, and not feeling up to the demands, whilst also grieving a parent and as a result, lamenting the lack of a relationship he has with the only remaining parent he has, that being Kratos.

(Source: MobyGames)

In terms of not feeling up to the demands, his ambition to live up to his father, and wanting to prove himself, as shown with the deer hunting scene, this is a message that I am sure many of us can relate to. This is especially evident when Atreus realises his father isn’t the perfect being he thought he was. This is something that is a major part of growing up, once you realise your parents are not these flawless, all-knowing beings. However, as I am sure most of us would react, once he is revealed to be a God, his self-doubt is almost immediately removed. Atreus then gains an ego and as a result places himself at the top of the food chain, even above Kratos in the decision-making, as shown when he shoots Kratos with an electric arrow.

(Source: DarkPlayerBrett)

Ultimately, Atreus’ coming of age in God of War is one that explores what it means to grieve the loss of a parent, whilst also desperately trying to gain the approval of the remaining one, and as a result, when exposed to his true nature, learning to humble himself and be better than the past of his father at the realisation that he too is a God.

Kratos and Atreus Complimenting Each-Other –

Kratos and Atreus, despite being different in so many ways, are also very similar. Both want to have that connection with the other, protect each other and also show their best side to each other. Kratos is afraid of his flaws being realised by Atreus, and as a result fears opening up to his son. Atreus fears his father’s disappointment, and as a result, over compensates and puts himself in danger multiple times to prove his father’s distrust wrong. Ultimately, both learn from each other in what tells a story of a father who learns to let go of his mistakes and be honest with his child, whilst the child learns to be honest with the man he fears letting down, and through a number of events, humbles himself and matures his connection to a parent he once lacked.

As the director of God of War said himself ‘Kratos is teaching Atreus how to be a god, and Atreus is teaching Kratos how to be human’.

(Source: MattWHF)

Top 5 Best Games of the Last Generation

Since 2013 when the PS4 and Xbox One released, there has been plenty of stellar titles that have released, and with the next generation of consoles seeming to be on the horizon, now is a more appropriate time than ever to go through what I felt the top ten best games of the last generation of games has been. Many of these games I have already reviewed in detail, so this will be a general listing, with a brief description on each title.

5 – Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch)

When it comes to games that have had the perfect release time, there are few that had it more strategically perfect that Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Releasing during a pandemic when the world is in tatters, Animal Crossing was one of the gaming highlights of not just 2020, but for my general life.

With it being my first Animal Crossing game, I can say confidently that few games will ever replicate that feeling I had in my first few days playing New Horizons. It is a delightful game that is just fun to exist in, it can take you away for hours on-end from the harsh reality of the real world.

4 – Spider-Man (PS4)

One of my most anticipated games, being a huge Spider-Man fan, was his release on PS4. This game was one of the few games that I went to the effort of 100% completing. With a brilliant storyline and one of the best iterations of Peter Parker, Spider-Man was a game that was just the encapsulation of what fun and excitement is supposed to feel like.

3 – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch)

Few games define a genre completely, but Breath of the Wild did it. Despite not being the biggest Zelda fan, Breath of the Wild was one of the games in my lifetime which has genuinely blown me away with the level of detail and wonder surrounding it.

The open-world genre can never be the same after the standard that Breath of the Wild set. The world genuinely felt alive and without offering any incentive or push, made the player feel keen to want to explore every inch of Hyrule.

2 – The Last of Us Part II (PS4)

Rather controversially, the sequel to The Last of Us lands at number two in my list. I have written a lengthy review of this game on my blog, but in short, the story, combined with the new standards set in immersion and detail, broke my ability to play other games for several weeks. I was left feeling completely empty and lost when I finished this game, and that is something that is a rare feeling.

1 – God of War (PS4)

Coming in at the number one spot is an emphatic top place winner. God of War was one of the most high-effort and ambitious games I have ever witnessed. The whole background surrounding the title, as well as the levels of change that were implemented, such as going for the one-shot approach for the entire game with no loading screens, and the complete reinvention of Kratos and the usually expected formula of God of War was something which seemed a big risk, however, it paid off in spades producing one of the greatest works of art ever made.

Conclusion –

So there you have it, as I said, I have in-depth reviews for almost all of the games mentioned in this list, which is why I do not go into incredible detail for each game. For games that lack a review from myself, I will be working on reviews for them down the line.

An honourable mention needs to be given to some other games that I felt were incredible, but sadly didn’t make it into my top five, these include games like: Undertale, Stardew Valley, Persona 5, Celeste and Super Mario Odyssey, which all very well could have made it into this list on another day.

This has been an incredible generation of games, with standards bursting through the roof in so many areas and genres, and it will be interesting to see how the next generation can improve upon already such high standards.