God Of War PS4 Review: 10 Critical Reactions You Need To Know

3. The RPG Elements Are Surprisingly Deep

Alongside the new open world, God of War has adopted other features which have become popular since the series last dropped a main instalment, not least a brand new levelling-up system and RPG-style customisation and crafting. All of Kratos' and Atreus' abilities, weapons and armour are fully customisable as you progress through the game, with the most powerful items being made available by crafting.

While on the surface this could have come across as the title obligatorily check-listing every little thing that a modern AAA game is forced to include, it appears that this part of the experience is actually rather robust, and adds an increased amount of depth to the combat as well as encouraging exploration.

US Gamer praised the upgrades in particular, saying that:

The upgrade system is surprisingly detailed, with armor not only feeding six different states, but also having sockets for enchantments and their own upgrade paths.

With that said, because the developers refuse to hold your hand, it's been said that this system can seem a little obtuse at first, but that it becomes more intuitive over time. Despite this, it seems that a potentially throwaway part of the experience has been given far more care and attention than most people expected.