Christmas is near! I have been spending less time writing down my thoughts on Hive. This past week, I dedicated much of my free time to God of War: Ragnarok. No, I didn't play the game. I don't have THAT much free time. I chose to watch compilations of the cutscenes and in-game dialogues. To be honest, it didn't feel much different from watching a film.
It took me five days to go through that massive 15-hour video. The best part? It still didn't contain 100% of all the cutscenes and dialogues. Some of the missing ones include interactions with the real Tyr and Freya's revisit to Chaurli after Ragnorak. I'm pretty sure I didn't see the fight against Gná either.
Why do I do this? I don't have the time to go through the game myself. Once upon a time, games such as the Metal Gear Solid series with long cinematics bothered me. As I get older, I appreciate a game's storyline more than the gameplay.
I was never a fan of the series in its earlier titles. Kratos' backstory seemed more like a justification for the gameplay than a plot. Although, I do agree that most of the Greek gods were pricks based on historical records.
By the series' 2018 title, Kratos became a very different character. He's a man with regrets and contemplated much about his past actions. He's even a single father facing new challenges. At least for me, I found him very relatable. Kratos' emotional struggles echo that of us. While the gameplay hasn't changed dramatically, I enjoyed seeing the character development.
Speaking of the characters, I also wanted to see the characterization of Nordic gods from the video. I guess most of the audience probably had a grasp of Greek mythology. I didn't know much about Nordic myths except some names. I know Santa Monica Studio took a lot of liberty around the lore, so there are some deviations from tradition. Between that and Marvel's interpretation, I think I do like God of War's version better.
Was it 15 hours well-spent? I spend my time however I want.
