God Of War: New Game Plus Review

God Of War is a series that has been a mainstay in my life for the majority of it. Ever since picking up the initial game in 2005 it has constantly set and met expectations in the industry and every iteration brings something new to the table. The second in the series remained my favourite video game of all time until it was knocked off the pedestal by the seminal ‘The Last Of Us‘, so, naturally I was exetremly excited when God Of War was announced on the Playstation 4.

Upon picking it up, I was instantly hooked by the personal story of Kratos and his son, Atreus, and their journey through the Nordic God Landscape. Combat was unrivaled, the challenges were cerebral and there was a real sense of atmosphere and adventure to the work. However, upon completing the game I was disheartened by the fact that there was no ‘New Game Plus‘ mode. Ever since God Of War 2, this had been a motif of the series and is something that was not only essential to the games but also an aspect that added a wealth of replay value. Had it been missing from prior entries then I may not have bothered to revisit them and fall head over heels as I once had. It marred an excellent experience for me and I felt slightly shortchanged because of it.

After spending hours besting the Valkeryies, upgrading the Shattered Gauntlet Of The Ages and more I now had nothing to battle my new trinkets with. However, there was a glimmer of hope when rumors began to surface that the team at Santa Monica Studios were working on a New Game Plus mode, so I waited with baited breath, refusing to start a new game in order to keep my upgrades until it finally arrived.

Completing New Game Plus Mode

After playing through the main story of New Game Plus mode I can say that the game secures all of the hopes that I had for it. Enemies are tougher, faster, smarter and stronger and there still remains a sense of challenge to it. New armours are available as well as new minerals and tasks that arguably make this the greatest new game plus mode ever put out. The creators of the game have really knocked it out of the park in terms of the depth that they have added to God Of War and one can only marvel at the fact that they added in so many extra elements that even the most die-hard players may still struggle with the challenges this new mode brings.

Players are now also able to skip cutscenes completely, so those looking to power through the game are more than welcome to. However, if you have only played through it once before like myself then I suggest that you take your time and watch the story again. There are several aspects that really feel impactful due to the added context that the ending brings and I was blown away by some of the subtext that is there early on in the story. It’s clear that Barlog and the team knew what they were doing and they drop hints throughout at the overall storyline of the saga. This demands your attention a second time and you owe it to yourself to watch through the cutscenes in order to get a true sense of the narrative.

There will be things you missed first time in it similar to things you missed in the actual gameplay. I found myself able to pick up artifacts that I’d missed before, open chests that I had never even considered attempting and the New Game Plus mode adds a wealth of value to a game that was already brimming with it.

The Verdict

It is essential that you play New Game Plus if you have already completed God Of War. Feeling like the true experience, this balls to the wall all out slobber knocker not only emphasises the insane combat that the series is known for but it also advances the story in many ways. The upgrades that you are able to implement to your armour feel like a coat of fresh paint and it really cannot be hammered home how much this addition enhances the experience.

God Of War was always a game boasting a lot of action but this evolves it in certain necessary ways that demand your attention and make a second playthrough required if you are to consider yourself a true gamer.

God Of War was already one of the best games I’d ever played but this goes above and beyond to secure it’s spot at the top.

Because of all of the above I cannot score the game any lower than a perfect…

10/10

Your Thoughts

So have you played through God Of War New Game Plus and if so what did you think? Comment below and let me know and if you enjoyed this video then please like it and subscribe to my channel. I create content like this weekly and there will definitely be something on here that you’ll love if you’re a fan of film.

Recently I broke down the Ending Of God Of War so make sure you check that video out next, linked at the end of this one.

Again thanks very much for taking the time to watch this. I’ve been Deffinition, you’ve been the best and I’ll see you next time. Take care, PEACE!