Childintime wrote:

Yar, would put money on this being an Elf Top 10 game. Also, watched the kinda funny spoilercast with Cory Barlog and he went into detail re. their take on Norse legend and purpose / development of game and story beats. Was actually pretty great.

Gies us a link

And yes. I did stupidly miss the Midgard written on the map. Elf fail.

cheers bud!

I'm glad we've had a cool game to talk over, and actually agree on at last!

Tempy wrote:

Sounds like hard mode makes it good value.

It's worth a play through on, becomes proper strategic and edge of the seat stuff. Two/three hits and I'm dead against same level enemies, one hit KO by anything a level or two above.

Tempy wrote:

I dunno, the game is set at an indeterminate time in the course of Norse mythology so lots of characters are mentioned but not seen, it's hard to get a handle of where they're going, like the older GoW games it's an effort in myth making, but unlike the older ones it's more about taking apart why those myths are so bad. I guess it's worth noting that Norse myths seem to have a lot of prophecy and so on in them, often gods have seen their own death and so on. A good touch is a lot of people speak to you but you can't understand it as there are no subtitles, I wonder if there's some way of understanding it. I definitely need to get on this Gaiman book. I like at least that this game has made it very certain through its telling of the myths  that Odin, Thor & Co are fuckers in the most maximal capacity. I want to know what the myths make of Tyr though.

I think there are a couple of things about the Norse myths that make them an even better fit for games, than the Greek tales that inspired previous outings.  The first is that whilst they share a lot of the broad recognition that Greek myths enjoy (most people know who Thor and Loki are, even if they chiefly regard them as Marvel heroes), people tend not to actually know the stories.  Which means you can mess around with them a lot more.  (Though there’s plenty in the game for those that do.  I haven’t got far, but the sudden introduction of mistletoe at one point, caused an intake of breath, for instance...)

The second benefit is that Norse myths actively contradict each other all the time.  Dead characters are back suddenly with absolutely no explanation.  Friends are suddenly enemies etc etc.  So fucking with the mythology is again, pretty much fair game.  (I think this is largely the result of Norse myths getting lost and retold over the years, as well as being a fusion of mythology from multiple cultures, with at least two completely different pantheons being wedged together into one.). 

Also, as you say, the Norse Gods are mostly bastards from the outset.  (Or perhaps, more fairly, as flawed as the humans that worshipped them.).  Tyr is one of the few who does something truly selfless, but even that is in the name of ensuring a deceit...

If they do another (and sales suggest they will), then unless it’s covered in this one I’m guessing they’ll be going to Hel.  (Both place and person).

This can't have another update Shirley? I think my PS4 is fucked, every time I switch it on it's got an application update.

Did some side stuff today:

Yes, its really that good.

Wandering around, listening to the Norse-centric stories, discovering and doing side-stuff are the parts of this I like best.

Following the main narrative thread (so far) feels pretty much GOW business as usual, from a different viewpoint et al. Keeps everyone happy I guess.

I've had some fairly brutal - yet satisfying, hnng - encounters on my travels. Respect to DS: getting dat work done on hard. You've gone up a notch in my book dude :

It's more restrained to begin with but a few hours in the (main quest) moment to moment gameplay - not narrative beats - have become pretty much by the numbers GOW.

I like the series so that's not a slight. Just find I'm enjoying the optional exploration bits a lot more.

Dinostar77 wrote:

Right never played a God of War game. Been offered the digital deluxe edition for £30 off a lad at work.

Is it really that good or worth waiting 6/12 months for a price drop?

Dark Soldier wrote:

Yes, its really that good.

Agreed. Gonna try and wrap some optional stuff up and then start a playthrough on the top difficulty setting.

Honestly...

I'm dreading firing up my PS4 to install this on Saturday. It'll probably explode at the number of updates that it starts!

Childintime wrote:

Spoiler:

I think it might even be Super Metroid tier.

You crazy for this one China.

Which isn't to say that game doesn't have things that date it but

This is shaping up to be my second favourite game of this gen, ahead of Bloodborne. Haven't had a bad moment yet.