It has been 8 years since God of War 3 was released, 8 years since I was properly stunned by a game and 8 years since Santa Monica left me with a lot of questions and a few answers. God of War 3 was a masterpiece. Every single boss fight was a story that could be told separately, the voice acting and the environment was epic but I can confidently say that God of War 3 is not that good when compared to this...

Those 10/10 ratings surprised me at first. I didn't read a single review because I don't like spoilers in any form. I wanted to feel the game for myself and decide if it is good or not. I have been gaming for over 20 years. I don't know the exact number of games I have played in that time period but what I do remember is the 30-hour session of God of War 1 and 2. When I was done with those two my PS2 was collecting dust for a month. Who would have thought that a hack and slash title can set the standards so high that no other game could make me play it after that? To be honest, it wasn't the gameplay, it was the way these people told the story of Kratos that overwhelmed me with emotions and curiosity of what will happen next. It was truly a unique experience that will last for a lifetime. Ghost of Sparta, Chains of Olympus and Ascension were great fillers but God of War 3 hit the nail on the head and made me say "This is it. No one can top this, not even Santa Monica." I am happy that I was wrong.

The new God of War feels and plays like an action movie. After the first boss fight, I had to make a break and take a look back. Was that just a cutscene or did I just destroy the environment in the most epic way possible by just pressing a few buttons? The details in this game are just mindboggling. If you thought that Horizon has amazing graphics you will have to think again. Every tree, every rock and every snowflake in this game look unique. I can only imagine how much hard work has gone into the making of this game...

It's not just the graphics. My friend made a comment that every game should have a Mjolnir-like axe that you can just throw and recall, as a time killing feature. The vibrations your controller makes when you catch that axe are so precise you will actually feel it bouncing back in Kratos's hand. Move on to the dialogue and the epic environment constantly surrounding you and you have a game that tops anything you played so far. This is why a 10/10 isn't enough. God of War can't be compared to any game out there. For hardcore fans, this is a religion first and a franchise second.

This post isn't a review. I simply don't want to put numbers and grades on this game. This post is a big thank you to Cory Barlog and the whole Santa Monica studios team. Thank you for giving the fans what they wanted, thank you for pushing the boundaries of game developing once again and thank you for reminding us how awesome a gaming experience can be when people making the game put real effort and emotions in it. You are the real heroes of the gaming community and I salute you...