Welcome to One Week Remains, where we list seven reasons on why we are excited and/or skeptical for upcoming games a week before they release. At the end of each preview we will rate our excitement level according to this scale.

1- Not My Cup of Tea

2- Waiting for a Sale

3- Day One Pickup

4- Already Pre-Ordered

5- Pitching My Tent Outside the Store, TONIGHT!

For our first entry in the series, we will be covering the upcoming PS4 exclusive, God of War.

Reasons We’re Excited

New Camera Angle

The new over the shoulder camera allows for a closer look at the intense combat system. It also allows players to control where they are looking at all times, instead of the cinematic camera from previous entries in the series that moved the camera for you. The most exciting change to the camera though, is that it will never cut to a new angle, which means the camera stays in a single unbroken shot throughout the entire game. This is a unique idea that could change the way games are made, and we can’t wait to see how it plays out.

Revamped Combat System

The new combat system is much more tactical, and require players to use their brains at all times, instead of mashing different combos together like previous entries. While still a brutally violent system, the combat has been dialed down to match the lighter tone of the story, and focuses more on thought out actions such as throwing your ax, (yes you can throw your ax, but I will get to that a bit later on), to trip an enemy, and then run in for a violent kill. If that doesn’t strike your fancy, you can lure enemies in and time a parry which allows you to land a few heavy blows. Similar to previous entries, you have a lot of options at your disposal, but unlike previous titles each action requires more thought, which can lead to what looks like some clever and satisfying combos.

The Leviathan Ax

Yes, I have an entire section dedicated to the new weapon replacing the legendary Blades of Chaos. The Leviathan Ax, is a unique weapon that can be upgraded with different rune slots, which allows for magic attacks such as freezing or burning your enemies. A new feature that is easily the most exciting aspect of this weapon is Kratos’ ability to throw and then recall it at all times. The motion seems simple and satisfying to use, and can be used to create some very unique combos. The Ax can also be used in puzzles, which seem similar to the Uncharted series. I can not wait to test out this Ax, by throwing it way more than I should be, which will probably lead to a few unnecessary deaths.

Introduction of RPG Elements

I expect this title to have a deep progression system that allows you to truly create your own Kratos. You can upgrade Kratos’ stats such as strength and defense, which fits well with the new combat that allows for more different play styles. This allows players to create different versions of the warrior, such as a tank Kratos that deals heavy damage, but moves slower and is more vulnerable, or you can create a fast moving Kratos that can get in and out of a situation fast, but doesn’t deal that much damage. You can also change the look of Kratos through different armor sets. This allows for you to truly build your own version of the God of War, and has me that much more excited.

Atreus

How have we gone this long and not talked about the son. Whether it’s how he affects the story or how he can help in combat, the introduction of Kratos’ son has us eager to learn more about him. On the story side of things, how can you not be intrigued with how Kratos deals with teaching his son how to become a warrior, but also making sure he doesn’t repeat the same mistakes he did. It also has me intrigued with how Kratos will comfort Atreus in moments when he is scared or nervous, as he is not known for being a very caring person.

On the combat side of things, Atreus looks to actually help and serve a purpose as you can use his arrows in limited quantities to help take out enemies. He should prove useful in reading puzzles that Kratos can not, which makes him feel that much more essential to the journey. While some companion characters can feel unnecessary, Atreus seems to be just as important as Kratos is to the journey and that is something worth getting excited over.

Graphics

Every single PS4 exclusive seems to be the new benchmark for console graphics, as titles such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End have blown us away, and God of War seems to be no different. Whether it’s the insane amount of detail in each location shown off so far, or the life-like cutscenes, God of War is easily going to be one of the prettiest games yet on the PS4, and will lead many (including myself) to pick up a shiny new PS4 Pro, just so it can look that much better.

Story Length

While most entries in the series have been on the shorter side of things, as they usually run around 10 to 12 hours, this new entry is going to be around 25 to 35 hours just to complete the story, and that’s not even including all of the optional content that the game offers. God of War seems to not only have the quality game play and cinematic story, but it also looks to offer much more content than fans of the series are used to. The fact that I’m going to be playing this one more than just a few sit downs has me even more excited than I thought. April 20th couldn’t get here soon enough.

Reasons We’re Not Excited

If you couldn’t notice from the previous seven sections on how excited we are, it should be painfully obvious. We should consider that there might be some aspects we’re skeptical about, but honestly after going over every trailer and clip of gameplay, I can confidently say that God of War is in good hands. The fact that review scores have been incredibly high also helps build up our excitement, and while review scores may be off sometimes, God of War truly seems to be the game critics have been calling a masterpiece, let’s just hope these next seven days go by fast.

Excitement Level: 5

Pitching My Tent Outside the Store, TONIGHT!