Matrix_Gaming

God of War deviates from the traditional linear style of the previous games and gives you a semi open world (hub world if you will). Each hub is astonishingly beautiful, or haunting depending on which one you're in. Especially the "home" hub, the Lake of Nine, is a pleasure to explore. The way more of the map gets revealed as you progress is a joy to behold.

Kratos and Atreus are awesome protagonists, and how they change through the game is very interesting and heart warming. Support characters are some of the strongest you will see in gaming.

The gameplay itself is awesome. The combat is super tight once you unlock some of the abilities and powers. But the thing that grabbed me the most was the exploration and traversal. Figuring out how to get to and open a treasure chest that is out of reach is both satisfying and rewarding. And gaining the materials you need for the best armour is done in a way that is fun.

The thing that really resonates with me is the production value. Every cutscene is like something out of a blockbuster movie. Effects, visuals and sound are all on point.

An epic journey of discovery and atonement.

My first ever Final Fantasy game.

Story was crazy, unpredictable and truly awesome. Characters were unique, each one had something interesting about them that kept me invested throughout the game. The game does a great job of making you genuinely care for them. However, I always got the feeling that if I had played the original, these feelings would've been heightened and the story would've meant a whole lot more.

I was sceptical of the battle system at first but, as I played and got used to it, it became the best part of the game. Especially when you have 3 in a party. The stop start nature is perfect for scoping out each fight and getting the best tactical advantage.

My one gripe would be that the majority of the side quests felt a little stale and had no other purpose but to lengthen the game.

Overall its a must play. Even for people who have never played a Final Fantasy game, as I hadn't.

Abzu requires no effort to play. There are no core mechanics other than to swim through the levels, enjoy the scenery and make your own interpretation of the story. There are no puzzles as such, just push buttons to open doors etc.

Despite this, it is still a joy to play. I played it all in one sitting. And through the 2 hour journey I found myself mesmerized by the incredible beauty of the scenery and wildlife on show. You'll swim through ancient underwater ruins with hieroglyphics and come into contact with giant blue whales but the story is deliberately vague. It's left to the player to fantasise and interpret their own thoughts about what happened.

One thing that really stood out though is the games incredible soundtrack. It perfectly matched what was on screen.

All in all, this hasn't a patch on Journey. Which the art director previously worked on. But considering it's short length, is well worth your time.