As soon as the game starts it becomes clear that this isn’t like any other “God of War” game in the series. The series protagonist Kratos is still the main character; but he’s very different now. The backdrop of Greek mythology has been swapped with Norse mythology. The story focuses on character and emotional moments instead of it being a revenge tale. In doing so many things different this is shaping up to the best “God of War” by far.

Kratos’ son, Atreus, is with you the entire time and he changes the dynamics of combat. With the push of a button, he can shoot arrows at enemies which allows Kratos to start or continue a combo of attacks. It takes some getting used to, but having Atreus around can make a tough fight much easier. The interactions between Kratos and Atreus between fights are well written and do a good job of making both characters feel real. In a world full of gods and mythological creatures they both seem surprisingly human and grounded.

“God of War” does a great job of creating a sense of adventure in the first few hours. The different realms of Norse mythology are varied and all look great. There’s frozen tundras, giant lakes, a world of elves, a world of giants and that’s just in the first chunk of the game. The way parts of the environment move and all the lore that can be found while exploring make the setting one of the most interesting in games.

Combat has also changed a lot compared to previous games. There’s a bigger emphasis on timing and positioning. Older games let you get by on normal difficulties by just mashing buttons, but combat now demands the player to pay more attention. Combat feels a lot heavier now too. All of Kratos’ attacks feel like they add more oomph to them and pulling off combos is a lot more satisfying because of that. Unlocking new moves via the skill trees allows for more variation and it keeps combat from feeling stale at any given time.

With all the hype surrounding this game’s release it’s easy to think that it could be overrated. I was surprised at how good the game was in every single aspect. It’s hard to find flaws right now. The combination of the combat and feeling of adventure make for a game that always draws you back. This could change by the time I do a final review, but for now, I’m glad there’s a lot more of the game to play.

Ulises Duenas can be reached at [email protected] or @OrionUlisesD on Twitter.