God of War 4’s Success Isn’t Going Unnoticed
Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s Vice President of Gaming, congratulated Sony Santa Montica for the high review scores of God of War 4, which has become the best-reviewed game on the PlayStation 4.
Congrats @SonySantaMonica @yosp on the review scores and the upcoming launch of God of War. Looks like a special launch for the franchise, great job.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) April 12, 2018
Sony has praised Spencer in the past—back when he was promoted, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida said that the decision “proves Microsoft is smart. He’s the most human guy there.”
Although its official release is April 20, early reviews are praising God of War 4’s evolution, from its deeper combat to the maturation of Kratos. Here’s an excerpt from our review by Patrick Anderson:
“It’s a long, slow burn, ramping up gradually and focused much of the time on Kratos and Atreus’ relationship, but its impeccable voice acting and cinematic art design are worthy of the best Hollywood blockbusters. Let’s just say that the Aesir, or Norse gods, get wind that Kratos is on their turf and they are watching his journey closely. This new Kratos may not be looking for a fight for once in his life, but it will definitely find a way of coming to him. Depending on how often you get distracted on Side-Quests and looking for extras, it will easily be a 20-plus-hours-long ride that will leave you satisfied, especially if you’ve been a fan of Norse mythology.”
The game’s direction isn’t a big surprise, as early interviews made it clear that Sony was going to focus on the series’ evolution, and Kratos in particular.
““That sense that he’s just a ruthless badass, that’s what you find endearing at first,” said Cory Barlog, the series’ director, said of the first game. “But it becomes the thing that turns him into a jerk. He doesn’t go anywhere. He doesn’t grow. He’s still in that rage mode. It’s fascinating, because that character has fallen farther and farther.”