Zack was completely baffled.
Compared to Kratos growing old, the fact that Kratos had his own kid was even more shocking.
Kratos, the bald tough guy who tore apart the Sun God and kicked Poseidon, actually had a child… no, he had another child.
After all, Kratos previously had a wife and daughter, and the direct cause for Kratos tearing apart the Greek gods was his wife and daughter.
But how did Kratos's son come about now?
Zack's mind was filled with questions, and besides this suddenly appearing brat.
Even more crucial was the pacing of the game.
It was completely different from the previous three God of War installments.
Opening the game by killing Hydra, POUNDING the Colossus of Rhodes, and tearing apart Poseidon – in the previous God of War trilogy, Kratos pretty much had to sacrifice a boss right at the start.
But now, just like the aged Kratos, Zack felt the pace had slowed down significantly, giving it the feel of a slow-paced game like "Red Dead Redemption."
Especially Kratos and his kid, they had the vibe of country farmers.
Chopping wood, rowing, splitting logs, having simple conversations with his child, and incidentally burning the child's mother in a burlap sack, even accidentally scalding the little brat's hand with a dagger.
One thing that felt odd to Zack was why he ran so far to chop down that one big tree when there were so many trees around.
And that signature golden handprint at the beginning; he felt it was some foreshadowing in the game.
But no matter what, Kratos's change was obvious.
Compared to the previous Kratos, who was extremely violent, unable to control his emotions, and would tear apart gods at the slightest provocation.
The current Kratos had become mature and introverted.
All these things indicated that this God of War was different from the past.
"It feels like storytelling, a bit like playing 'Red Dead Redemption' or 'The Last of Us.' So, is this God of War mainly narrative-driven?"
Zack speculated in his mind, as players could immediately sense the difference in game style once they started playing.
The Greek trilogy before this was about extreme violent aesthetics.
It kept players focused on how to control Kratos to defeat those renowned mythical monsters and Greek gods.
Although the game did introduce the relevant plot points quite thoroughly, like why Kratos hated the Olympian gods and how he was set up by them.
But it wasn't narrative-focused; it was primarily action-focused.
Players' attention was mostly on how to control Kratos to slaughter all the legendary Greek gods, monsters, and heroes.
But this latest installment?
Watching Kratos take his son hunting after burning the child's mother.
Zack clearly felt the difference, not just in the change of game style but also in Kratos's transformation.
In the forest, Kratos led Atreus in search of prey.
Through some leftover tracks, they soon encountered a beautiful elk.
However, upon seeing the elk, the brat Atreus impatiently drew his bow and shot, but not only did he fail to hunt the prey, he also scared it away.
This instantly angered Kratos. He charged forward, snatched the bow from Atreus's hand, and said with full anger.
"What are you doing!"
"You alerted it! To shoot…
Although he had grown somewhat old, Zack could still vaguely see Kratos's past personality.
But just as Zack was worried if Atreus's head would be swatted off, Kratos in front of him took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the rage that had already surged within him.
"If you're going to shoot, wait for the right moment! Learn from this, find it first!"
Are you really Kratos!? Aren't you just wearing Kratos's skin!?
Is this really the Kratos who single-handedly slaughtered all the Olympian gods?
Seeing Kratos suppressing his own anger, Zack in the game was stunned.
It's worth remembering that in the trilogy, wherever Kratos went, there was bloodshed. No matter who they were, regardless of whether they were good or evil, if they stood in his way, he would kill them all.
But now, facing his son Atreus, Kratos was clearly no longer the insane God of War he once was.
He was more like a stern old father, able to control his anger when dealing with his child.
The only problem was this brat, which left Zack a bit dissatisfied.
"So is this really Kratos's kid? He doesn't seem like it at all!"
Zack looked at Atreus, who seemed timid under Kratos's scolding, and was very unhappy.
As the saying goes, a tiger father has no weak son.
Who is Kratos?
He was the famous God of War who single-handedly conquered Olympus, defeated the Greek gods, and destroyed Greek mythology.
From a personal image perspective, Kratos was also a top-notch tough guy.
Not to mention the social tattoos that could easily corrupt children, just look at his rugged bald hairstyle, simple attire for easy movement, and his muscular physique, he perfectly embodied the demeanor of a God of War.
And then look at Atreus?
A small, timid figure, wearing a fur coat as if afraid of getting cold, using a bow and arrow for hunting, and being impulsive.
He was a disgrace to the God of War!
No wonder Kratos always called Atreus "BOY" before.
There was a bit of a problem between father and son, but it's not surprising.
After all, how could a tough father not be angry when seeing his son acting so timidly?
Zack mused.
Leading Atreus in tracking the prey they had disturbed earlier, Zack soon encountered the game's first battle.
A group of undead soldiers appeared out of nowhere, and Zack discovered that this brat Atreus wasn't entirely useless.
He could assist Kratos with archery attacks from the side, while Kratos fought enemies up close with his battle axe, but he could also attack from a distance.
"This axe takes some getting used to!"
Zack muttered as he smashed the undead warriors in front of him.
The combat system was clearly different from before. For example, Kratos's Blades of Chaos were gone, replaced by a battle axe.
The moves were also straightforward, making Zack, who was accustomed to the attack style of the Blades of Chaos, feel a bit uncomfortable.
On easy difficulty, mowing down enemies lacked some of the thrill!
However, the fact that it could be thrown and then fly back was something Zack found very interesting.
Throw it, it flies back; throw it, it flies back.
Ah! It's fun!
Moreover, many puzzles also required utilizing the axe's unique property.
In addition, the game's execution scenes, while not as over-the-top as the previous installments, were still quite satisfying.
The only drawback was this brat Atreus, who felt like a burden, and his yelling during combat.
"After all, he's a brat. How could Kratos's son be like this?"
"So, in the later part of the story, perhaps because the brat angered the Norse gods, Kratos is forced to kill off the major deities of Norse mythology?" Combining with some previous content, Zack already knew that the background of this God of War was Norse mythology, and he was now making bold guesses about the future plot.
In Northern Europe, slaying until disconnected. He figured this would be the tone of this God of War.
(End of Chapter)
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