Santa Monica Studio’s latest God of War was received with a barrage of overwhelmingly positive reviews, and rightfully so. Kratos’ latest adventure has showcased the franchise’s maturity, and creative director Cory Barlog has essentially spearheaded a AAA art-house project. However, perhaps the most innovative aspect of God of War is its reinvention of what it means for a narrative to be linear. Sony has produced some of the greatest linear titles of all time, from Naughty Dog’s The Last Of Us, to Team Ico’s The Last Guardian – but there?s something different about God of War. This article will identify and explain five features which contribute to this difference, and examine the game’s successful experimentation with linear form. Mimir
Yep ? the talking head. In God of War, the player must sail around the Lake of the Nine pretty regularly. While the player is in the boat, Mimir tells Atreus stories about the history of the Nine Realms. However, by doing so, Mimir simultaneously educates the player on Norse mythology, heightening the sense of immersion felt while playing. The overall effect of this increases the depth of the narrative, without necessarily adding to the game?s story. Mimir discusses esoteric details of the Norse mythos, and only does so while the player is rowing.
The game remains linear, but pulls from a well of lore, attaching added meaning to everything that the player encounters in-game. The fact that this is d...