Maybe I reacted a little strongly in my first post, but GoW has been screaming "GotY!" material since I first started it. I, too, think that Red Dead Redemption 2 will likely share accolades with GoW and be equally impressive, and will also have a great deal of recency bias in regards to end of the year voting. But there are so many things that GoW does well. It's kind of like when Guillermo del Toro finally wins best director for the Shape of Water. Maybe it's not everyone's favorite movie, but it does everything exceptionally well, and mainly it sucks you into its universe to tell a perfect story. Some might perceive it as a lifetime achievement award, and an accolade that is due in-part to past successes (stories and systems). But the parts all come together to create a flawless project that will stand the test of time and be remembered forever.
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-It respects your time. puzzles are bite sized. although there are sidequests, and several areas you have to return to later, every minor puzzle along the main scenario path can be completed as you are doing it. you can also save your game pretty much anywhere, anytime.
-One single camera take. this is likely the most impressive part of the presentation. there are no cuts, no cutscenes. everything besides the occasional cinema during the MS happens over-the-shoulder from Kratos in one long continuous motion throughout the entire game. I'm not impressed as I used to be, since over time I learned how they used certain segments: wall hugging, cave crawling, canoe pathing, and the endless corridor in order to disguise loading times. (think Destiny. as you're crossing zones on a planet)
-Satisfying combat. without having a completely overwhelming combat system like Nioh. you have lots of different combat options at your disposal. you can make builds that revolve around the two runic abilities with cooldowns. or you can play mostly ranged. the leviathan axe is excellent. it feels superb while you use it. it's also the main ingredient for puzzle solving.
-Good storytelling. the game is not drowning in text across the world. you're not struggling to pick up book or read tons of dialogue from npcs. instead you get small snippets here and there. it's organic. you unlock murals and wall etchings that come with short descriptions. stories are told during long canoe rides and during loading or walking sequences. the game is purposefully designed around the adventure and the experience itself. you can play without a hud. boy is an excellent companion. he does not get annoying nor intrusive and is actually very strong in combat. the game is very immersive.
-Satisfying RPG elements. new equipment and upgrades feel powerful. loot drops are as exciting as they are helpful. there is little to no wasteful looting (tons of pointless drops). you can stat up your paper doll according to the way you want to play. also, player level is everything. your level changes on the fly as you equip or de-equip gear levels and stats. most equipment can be upgraded. armors have sockets for enchantments, and you have one slot for a talisman, for special and unique abilities.
-Perfect Length. game is about 30-40 hours, depending on how fast you play, how many sidequests you do. It does not go on forever, and within a month people will have moved on to other games. but by no means does this game feel short. there's tons of stuff to do. you actually want to do the sidequest stuff. GoW is absolutely worth $60 and you feel great about buying it while its new and fresh. I've never seen a better example of a game where people liked the game so much they immediately went back and played it on its hardest difficulty.
-4K HDR presentation. the graphics are not perfect. but they are top notch. the detail on both Kratos and the world is truly astounding. it's not an eye-searing HDR demo disc like Transformers, but it's exactly how HDR was meant to be implemented. it has a sense of lifelike realness. both the lively outdoor world colors and the dreary contoured murky dungeon blacks come alive with texture and depth. there is room for improvement but this is probably the best HDR game yet.
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So maybe I was wrong in the sense that the game is breaking new ground. It really isn't. But it does most of these things MUCH BETTER than any game that preceded it. Everything feels satisfying. That's the best way to describe it. All of the parts add up to be a perfectly engineered game. The immersion is fantastical. The game pulls you in. You always want to play more. You don't want to put it down. When you are working or living life, you're constantly thinking about playing more GoW. Very rarely does a game grab me like this. People are already talking about GoW as being right up there as one of the few very best games of all-time because it has no flaws. Maybe it doesn't win universal game of the year. But it will absolutely be among the pantheon of best adult games of all time and it will stand the test of time. All of the other open world/cinematic action/combat rpg/whatever games coming out in the next year or two are going to pale in comparison to the shiny polished finish of God of War. Only something Rockstar like Red Dead 2 could hold a candle to its achievement in presentation. In most ways, GoW is as exciting and memorable as other lifetime historical achievement games like Persona 5 and Zelda Breath of the Wild from 2017. It is a perfect 10/10 video game.
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