God of War Reviews Make it Highest Rated PS4 Exclusive of All Time
Kratos' new journey is a very successful one.
This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.
The embargo for God of War on the PlayStation 4 is up, and the reviews are good. In fact, they're fantastic. God of War is currently the highest-rated PlayStation 4 exclusive on Metacritic with a score of 94 / 100. It's rated a touch lower than The Last of Us Remastered (95), which is a re-release of a PlayStation 3 game. It's also a bit below Grand Theft Auto (97), which is a multi-platform release.
There's still a chance future reviews collected into Metacritic's bosom will drop God of War's aggregated score (there are a number of reviews-in-progress that are waiting on final scroes), but there's no mistaking Dad Kratos' Excellent Adventure is a must-own title if you have a PlayStation 4. At the time of this writing, 23 out of the 77 collected (and scored) reviews give God of War perfect marks, including Mike's own review for USgamer. The "lowest" scored reviews are 80 out of 100.
Here's a sampling of what other outlets are saying about God of War:
Polygon (10/10) [LINK]
"Some die-hard fans may fear this isn’t really God of War. I suppose they’re right. It’s even better."
Easy Allies (10/10) [LINK]
"God of War doesn’t just feel like the next step for the franchise, but for the entire video game industry. Phenomenal visuals, rewarding exploration, and a deep, nuanced combat system contribute to an epic adventure that should be experienced by every human on earth. Santa Monica Studio is taking us all to Valhalla."
PushSquare (10/10) [LINK]
"Perhaps the most impressive thing is that the game starts like a rocket, and rarely takes time to breathe. There are a handful of very minor lulls, and the odd climbing sequence may grate in subsequent playthroughs, but for the most part it’s meticulously paced. The title does a brilliant job of constantly introducing new mechanics, meaning there’s always something new to play with before you’re ushered along to the next big thing."
IGN (10/10) [LINK]
"God of War has so much to offer, and you’ll notice I’ve tried to remain as vague as possible in telling you about all of it. That’s not because God of War hinges its whole structure on a twist, or a gameplay trick you’ll never see coming—it doesn’t. But what it does offer is a vibrant, fascinating world packed to the brim with secrets I’m still uncovering, centered around a tale that revolutionizes a one-note character."
Shacknews (9/10) [LINK]
"God of War was never the deepest experience, especially with what feels like limited enemy types. But the PlayStation 4 makes up for this in spades with an incredibly vast world and a heartwarming story. Beyond Kratos and Atreus, the game is filled with some surprisingly lovable characters. On top of that, finishing the main story doesn't truly feel like the end. While previous games made it feel like treading old territory to find everything, the post-game in this God of War makes it feel like the world has truly opened up."
DailyDot (8/10) [LINK]
"[T]hough it isn’t perfect, the game excels at nearly everything it sets out to do. Full of genuine surprises, thrilling action, and emotionally grounded in almost every moment, this God of War is easily the best entry in a long series that had no right to reinvent itself so well."
Twinfinite (4/5) [LINK]
"God of War certainly suffers from a lot of minor flaws that keep it from being a genuinely outstanding action-adventure title, but these feel like kinks that can be ironed out in time, perhaps when the next iteration in the series comes rolling around. Despite all my complaints about Atreus and the game’s imperfections, this is still an easy game to recommend to anyone with a PS4."
We're getting ready to bring you all the hints, tips, and guides for God of War you could possibly want, so check in with us when Kratos drop-kicks the PlayStation 4 on April 20!