The God of War is back, this time in a setting surrounded by Norse mythology, and accompanied by his son. When is the God of War PS4 release date? How long will it take to complete God of War on PS4? God of War reviews round-up.

First unveiled at Sony’s E3 showcase back in 2016, God of War is a new chapter in the historic franchise, transporting the established characters of Kratos to a brand new setting, as well as surrounding him with new characters. Read on for all you have on God of War for PS4, including the God of War PS4 release date (it's out now!), God of War PS4 Pro details, and special editions of the game. We've also got a God of War review round-up, detailing the reviews from all the big publications, and details on any potential God of War DLC.

Head over to our God of War Walkthrough Guide to get all the info and help you need. Over there you'll find our guide to all areas in the game as well as how to find all collectible items.

In the gameplay demo at E3 2016, Kratos could be seen accompanying a child named Atreus through a woodland location, before the pair encountered a massive beast in a fight to the death. The duo defeated the beast, but not without the child accidentally putting an arrow in the shoulder of Kratos. It turned out that Atreus is in fact Kratos' son.

God of War Essential Information

Release Date: April 20, 2018

April 20, 2018 Platform: PlayStation 4 Exclusive

PlayStation 4 Exclusive Price: Full Price

Full Price Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Developer: Sony Santa Monica (Previously created: God of War 1-3)

Pre-order God of War on PS4

The God of War PS4 trailer which shows both Kratos and Atreus once again at the heart of combat with what looks like a fire golem.

God of War Review Round-up

God of War reviews have hit the internet, so the verdict on this PS4 reboot of sorts is out. We've got the God of War reviews from all the major publications so you can get a good idea about how well the game has turned out.

God of War Review (USgamer) - Review Score: 5/5 - Review Quote: "This is how you do a reboot. After Kratos lost his way, Sony Santa Monica has set the God of War on a new path. A more measured, nuanced character, a great supporting cast, an excellent combat system, and some of the best graphics in a PlayStation 4 game to-date, add up to a winner."

God of War Review (Eurogamer) - Reccomended - Review Quote: "God of War dresses things up, in other words, but it is ultimately the same deal it always was. As is the way with myths, I guess. As is the way with gods."

God of War Review (Polygon) - Review Score: 10/10 - Review Quote: "Some die-hard fans may fear this isn’t really God of War. I suppose they’re right. It’s even better."

God of War Review (IGN) - Review Score: 10/10 - Review Quote: "God of War’s outstanding characters, world, and combat come together to form an unforgettable adventure."

God of War Review (Gamespot) - Review Score: 9/10 - Review Quote: "Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come."

God of War Review (VideoGamer.com) - Review Score: 9/10 - Review Quote: "God of War achieves a very impressive balance between the epic and the mundane, between the ultra violent and the domestic. It's undoubtedly the coolest and most interesting God of War to date."

God of War Review (VG247) - Review Score: N/A - Review Quote: "This isn’t only the best God of War game, it’s one of the best games of the current generation."

God of War Review (Press Start) - Review Score: 9/10 - Review Quote: "God Of War is a cinematic masterpiece that manages to reinvent and push an already fantastic series to new heights."

Here on USG we've also got a look at how good God of War looks running in 4K on the PS4 Pro. It's fair to say that God of War is the latest incredible looking game from Sony's first-party studios.

God of War PS4 Release Date

The God of War PS4 release date was April 20, 2018. The news came in an PlayStation Blog announcement from Sony Santa Monica's Cory Barlog. God of War has now been released in all major territories.

When it was first revealed at E3 2016, speculation was afoot that God of War could release in 2017. However Sony cut short this speculation at E3 2017, revealing that the game would release in "early 2018".

A God of War Collector's Edition was spotted on Amazon.com, listing the game with an April 20 release date. This was the first time we saw any mention of what would become the official release date for God of War PS4.

God of War PS4 Pro Details - Does it run in Native 4K?

God of War on the PS4 Pro will run at a checkerboard 2160p. While this isn't native 4K, the stunning Horizon Zero Dawn uses a similar technique and looks incredible. God of War on PS4 Pro will also support HDR, for more accurate color representation. Players who are using a PS4 Pro on a 1080p TV will benefit from supersampling, creating a smoother image. Sony is also releasing a limited edition God of War PS4 Pro.

God of War DLC

At the moment it seems unlikely that we'll see any God of War DLC. When asked about if God of War on PS4 would receive any DLC expansions, the game's director, Cory Barlog, said that he likes "to tell a complete story and include all of my ideas from the start." That doesn't mean it's impossible we'll see God of War DLC, but it sounds like it's not in the plan at the moment.

God of War Game Informer Gameplay Details

https://www.usgamer.net/articles/god-of-war-has-no-plans-for-a-dlc-expansion-at-the-moment-director-says-news

The February Game Informer cover story was recently revealed to be God of War, and the Sony Santa Monica team revealed a ton of new gameplay details for the upcoming PS4 game. The dev team are staying tight lipped on the release date for God of War, and they also aren't revealing whether there'll be any other weapons in the game, in addition to the Leviathan Axe and the shield we've already seen Kratos using.

But what we do know is that combat is based on prioritising enemies, and certain enemies are even invulnerable to the Leviathan Axe. Kratos can throw the unique axe to freeze enemies, and then summon it back with just a single button press. The shield can be used to parry in the middle of combat, and there's also no more dedicated jump button for God of War, as Santa Monica have done away with both swimming and jumping.

Kratos' son, Atreus, will rain arrows on enemies while in combat, but you can also command him using Square to attack certain enemies. There's also a pretty significant new upgrade system, in which Kratos can upgrade his Leviathan Axe, shield, and skills like Spartan Rage, and there's also a new crafting system, which Santa Monica aren't saying much about right now.

To round out the big God of War cover story on Game Informer, game director Cory Barlog revealed that he had to go back to the drawing board for the upcoming game, pitching Sony something new and original in the aftermath of God of War: Ascension. Santa Monica are trying to get away from the 'destroy all gods' mentality of the previous games, and Barlog hopes that the upcoming God of War will reach far more players than before, breathing new life into the franchise.

How Long Will it Take to Complete God of War on PS4?

If you thought the upcoming PS4 debut for God of War would be a short game, think again. It looks like God of War on PS4 is going to be about 25 hours long.

"We are in final phases right now. Doing a lot of playtesting," said Creative Director, Cory Barlog on stage at PSX. "Over the last four or five playtests, we've been clocking the total gameplay time is somewhere in the arena of 25 to 35 hours. So accidentally made it a lot bigger."

Assuming there isn't a lot of padding, that's a very long play time for a God of War game.

God of War E3 2017 Trailer Analysis

A stunning trailer for God of War was shown at E3 2017, showing off the new camera system and the dynamic Kratos has with this son. It ended with an encounter with the giant World Serpent, who seems to be a friend.

Although Sony didn’t really make a big deal out of any of its games during the PlayStation e3 2017 conference, the God of War footage was very impressive. We’ve looked over the trailer and picked out some key info.

At the start of the trailer Kratos is seen throwing his axe into the water. This is shown later to be a way to summon the World Serpent, a giant snake that wants to help Kratos and his son. In Norse mythology the World Serpent is one of Loki’s children, with Thor being his arch-enemy. Does this suggest that Thor will be the main foe in God of War?

We see a shot of what could well be a massive fallen jötunn (1.23) and a huge hammer (1.26). This could well be Thor’s hammer. Mjölnir. In the trailer Kratos’ Son claims to be cursed and different to his father, but it’s not clear how this fits in with the story.

The head Kratos is carrying behind his back is thought to be Baldur, the Norse god of Light.

At 1.28 we see two wolves with glowing eyes. These could be wargs, but whether or not they are Fenrir, or his sons Sköll and Hati isn’t clear.

At 1.48 we hear some dialogue suggesting the Norse gods aren’t happy with Kratos being in their world: “The gods of these realms don’t take kindly to outsiders, trust me, when they find you, and they will, they’ll make things difficult.”

Combat sees Kratos using a combination of axe and shield attacks (the shield fans out to be fully formed). He is also seen using an axe slam area of effect move. It’s unclear how the combos work and if there will be a on-screen counter as the footage doesn’t include a UI.

The game is still very violent (cutting enemies in half and slicing heads clean off).

At 2.51 we see Kratos traversing the environment. Kratos is climbing a cliff face with his son on his back. His son gets involved in combat at various points in the trailer, acting as a helper to Kratos. At 3.26 he’s seen stabbing an enemy in the face while Kratos climbs.

At 3.30 Kratos’ son suggests that you might recruit helpers over the course of the game: “Not everyone is bad. Mother always said to be open to those who can help”

As well as climbing, we see Kratos moving through the environment via a canoe at 3.37.

God of War Stone Mason Edition

If you really love video game statues and God of War, the God of War Stone Mason Edition might be for you. It'll set you back $149.99, but includes all of this:

Physical copy of the game

Steelbook case

9" statue of Kratos and his son Atreus (by Gentle Giant)

2"Horse and Troll carvings

2" Huldra Brothers Carvings

Mimir's Head Talking Keychain

Lithograph

Cloth map

Defender of the Chosen in-game shield

Exile's Guardian Shield

Stone Mason's Ring

Death's Vow Armor set

Dynamic PS4 theme

God of War Digital comic #0 by Dark Horse Comics

God of War Digital Artbook by Dark Horse Comics

Pre-order the God of War Stone Mason Edition from Gamestop.

God of War Collector’s Edition

As of right now, God of War doesn’t have a definitive price tag attached to it, but given the fact that all previous games in the series were priced at the standard $60, consumers should expect to be paying around the same amount for the forthcoming game.

The Collector’s Edition for God of War, as seen listed online by a German retailer, was priced at 200 Euros. This featured the standard game, a 9 inch statue of Kratos and Atreus fighting two Helmsters, two carved toy figurines (as played with by Atreus), a steelbook case, a lithograph print, a map of the in-game world, the original soundtrack, and a Shield Pack containing 3 in-game shields for Kratos to use.

God of War’s New Setting and Characters

Whereas the previous God of War games drew from Greek mythology in their setting, the upcoming God of War is slated to be influenced by Norse mythology, according to Sony. Outside of this, neither the publisher or developer has said much else about the setting, but we did get a glimpse of the larger world at the end of the E3 gameplay demo.

In the latter stages of the gameplay demo, viewers spotted a few mysterious creatures, such as a ghost-like figure stood behind Atreus at one point, as well as a huge, snake-like creature making its way through the trees in the valley at the end of the demo. A winged creature also appears for a split second at one point, carrying what looks to be a fairly hefty spear.

On top of this, game director Cory Barlog revealed on twitter that the name of the child seen accompanying Kratos throughout the E3 demo is Atreus. Historically, Atreus was the son of Zeus, banished after murdering his brother, but this could all become irrelevant given the new setting of God of War.

Elsewhere in the gameplay demo reveal at E3 2016, the focus was firmly on Kratos, and his struggle to connect with Atreus. After killing the deer, Kratos was unable to comfort the child, and during the fight against the horned monster, Atreus accidentally shot an arrow into the shoulder of Kratos, angering but not significantly injuring him.

We’ll keep an eye out for all things God of War, and update this page with any new information that comes our way about the blockbuster game.