The Critical Corner

I can't imagine the pressure of having to follow up what's widely considered a "Masterpiece". Specially following up something as widely celebrated as 2018's reimagining of "God of War". For me it was even extra pressure. "God of War" is the reason I'm still gaming to this day. During a period of time where I had hit a massive malaise in my life, and no game was hitting the spot where I thought I would just quit gaming outright, "God of War (2018)" absolutely hit me like a wrecking ball. The way Sony Santa Monica reimagined what used to be a character action game into an "over the shoulder" third person action/adventure extravaganza with a story so simple in premise but so rich in character, reminded me of the power of the medium, and stood tall as my absolute favorite game not only of the PlayStation 4, but the entire generation. So, obviously, no small shoes for the sequel, "God of War: Ragnarok", to fill. I ...

One thing that usually defines PlayStation versus its competitors is how, more often than not, they are willing to leave behind some of their most successful IP from years past in order to try something new. Obviously it's not 100% their approach, as there are still some franchises that date back to the original PlayStation that are still alive today. Franchises like Gran Turismo, Ratchet & Clank and more importantly, God of War.  The lifespan for the God of War franchise has been fascinating to follow. Originally released during spring 2005 at the tail end of the PlayStation 2 generation, the original God of War initially raised the bar for what was possible in combo based action games. Showing a level of scale previously unseen in gaming, an incredibly easy to use/incredibly addicting combat system paired with unflinching brutality, God of War absolutely left a mark in PlayStation history, cementing protagonist Kratos as one of the brand's most recognizable mascots, and b...