by SymphonieAccording to a recent study on gaming habits, 48% of men named God of War as their favorite video game, which places the award-winning franchise just behind Call of Duty and FIFA, so that’s saying a lot about our beloved story-driven action RPG.
But why is God of War so popular, and most particularly amongst men?
A solid background in God Mythologies
There are not many games out there where you actually play a God and slay other Gods. Since the release of the very first God of War on PlayStation 2 in 2005, Kratos has racked up more dead gods and goddesses than most people have friends.
The first trilogy was fascinating in the way that it had you face some of the lesser known Gods of the Greek mythology, such as Megaera, Tisiphone, Alecto or Erinys, which was educational in a way amidst all the blood and gore, but that was just a warm up for our favorite Spartan, as he ended up facing major gods such as Poseidon, Hades, Athena, Ares, Thanatos and last but not least: Zeus (and many more).
In 2018 came God of War on PS4, which was not a remake of the original, but a brand-new adventure showing an older Kratos, now husband and father, living in Midgard, one of the Nine Realms ruled by the Norse Gods. The follow-up and most recent title, God of War Ragnarok, takes us even further down this path.
Norse Mythology is just as enticing and has us encounter powerful gods such as Baldur, Thor, and Odin, to name a few. All of this naturally leads to battles of epic proportions, which leads us to our next point: God of War Combat.
A challenging and satisfying combat system
God of War titles are not easy games. Combat mechanics can be challenging and sometimes unforgiving, but there’s a deep feeling of satisfaction when overcoming a tough challenge, such as finally slaying a God or some gigantic mythical beast.
The first trilogy had a more straightforward combat system focusing on combos and learning the gimmicks of certain bosses to make them beatable.
This drastically changed in the 2018 God of War, with a much more sophisticated combat system, where Dodging and Parrying became core parts of the game, as well as more sophisticated mechanics such as Stun meters or other status effects playing a part.
Not to mention the addition of new weapons and the ability to completely customize your gear and skills, which really took the franchise to the next level and made it more of an action RPG than a beat them all.
An endearing father and son (BOY!) story
This last point might be the most significant reason why God of War is so popular amongst men. Whilst the story in the first trilogy was interesting and quite dramatic, it was just adding some flavor to the game.
This completely changed in the 2018 God of War, where the story became just as important, if not more important, than the combat. The fragile relationship between Kratos and his young son Atreus became one of the most touching stories ever told in a video game, so much so that it got the Game of the Year Award and led to some hilarious commercials involving celebrities impersonating Kratos.
The more recent God of War Ragnarok, which concludes the Norse Mythology arc, took this even further with incredible voice acting and storytelling, taking players on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Atreus, now a full-fledged teenager, restless and eager to learn more about his past and future, and Kratos struggling to find a balance between keeping his son safe and not pushing him away by being overprotective.
The story is so well told and so relatable in many ways (God powers aside), that it is only natural that most men really enjoy playing God of War. The beautiful new-gen console graphics also contributed to improving the overall experience.
Conclusion
In any case, man or woman, you should definitely get in on the action and play God of War Ragnarok, which is a true masterpiece with many gaming awards. The only reason it didn’t get the Game of the Year Award this time is because it had the toughest competitor one could think of: Elden Ring. Any other year would have been different.
The game is worth every penny, with dozens of hours of gameplay just for the main story and dozens more for all the high-quality side quests and hidden challenges. It’s one of those games you should consider completing entirely. In this regard, we highly recommend following Jame’s God of War Ragnarok 100% Walkthrough, this game’s ultimate Platinum Trophy guide.
