10 Video Games That Totally Floored You

5. God Of War

God Of War Kratos Sad
Sony

A far more contemplative and powerful take on Kratos, Sony Santa Monica went back to the drawing board, emerging with a mature, self-reflective and confident look at what it means for a super-powered individual to truly "grow up".

Uncharted 4 operates off a similar core ideology, but where God of War goes one step further is in its portrayal of violence, seeing Kratos' son Atreus start to exhibit the same nihilistic traits as he once did, when we played him in the main trilogy. Horrified by the idea of such bloody history repeating, God of War's second half is all about instilling a sense of responsibility, learning and respect.

This analysis of the glorification of violence feel like a self-reflective commentary on how the industry has itself grown and matured. Kratos cements the notion by saying that his son must "be better" than just wanton slaughter, and the game's closing scene combines a series of twists involving a mural of Kratos' death, and who Atreus truly is.

The overall sentiment is one of regret, but acceptance. It's of exploration, escapism and excitement about what the future holds. It's one of the best stories of 2018, and an essential milestone in the advancement of gaming as a medium.

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Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.