Get in the Box

The end of a busy year. The end of a hiatus.

2011-05-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been about a year since I've done much for this blog. I've had one busy, tumultuous year, and my time for writing critiques was made sacrifice.Since nobody really reads this blog just yet, I suppose I'm telling myself all this, but I do have some announcements. I will be having one busy, tumultuous summer!That said, I'll be getting that ODST critique done soon, as well. On top of that, I'll be watching children, writing a game script, finding a job, publishing short stories, finding a job, playing games, writing something else, and finding a job.In the mean time, I think I have something I would like to post; a fiction I wrote during this last semester regarding video games. I'll be cutting it up into sections and posting it accordingly.To everyone, have a great summer.

God of War Critique (part 6 of 6)

2010-05-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's the last part of the critique. Time to tie things up and move on to the next game. I was originally going to pounce on the rest of the God of War series ('cause I want to rip them to pieces and burn the remains), but I'm going to deconstruct Halo 3: ODST instead.

APOTHEOSIS

With his victory behind him, Kratos returns to his statue of Athena to receive his prize. His service to the gods completed, he asks that the nightmares of his past be erased. Athena grants him forgiveness, but asserts that nobody could ever forget such terrible deeds. In sad acceptance, Kratos’ head drops. In all his despair, knowing that his past can never be wiped away, he journeys to the Suicide Bluffs to end his misery. Alas, upon hitting the water, Kratos is magically lifted back to where he leapt. Another statue of Athena lays in wait. Athena tells him that for having done such service to the gods, he cannot be allowed to die by his own hand. As a reward she grants him status as the new god of war. The narrator returns, saying that all wars for the rest of time would occur under Kratos’ watch. And lo, the story of God of War comes to a close.

Well, you did good the first time around.

In conclusion, God of War is one of those self-sufficient stories that end without being found wanting. The player gets to see lots of awesome and memorable events, absorbs a hefty and well thought-out story, and is then rewarded with a satisfying ending, all questions answered. Kratos is forgiven for his past, gets his revenge, and becomes a god for the rest of time. Pretty closed-ended story, right?

Well. The first time I finished God of War, I thought about how happy I was with the game and how much fun it had been (except that part in Hades). I wanted a sequel, thinking I could have another great dose in another adventure. So I anxiously waited for God of War II, and God War II is what I got. Oh, what a fool I was.

I could whine for a decade on the abomination the sequels concocted. Like the Body Burner, I attempted the great temple that was "two". To what twisted creation have I been led, I wondered. Like him, when I returned I felt dead and confused. What fevered mind thought these were good ideas? Like him, I am bitter, tasked to burn the dead. --

Works Cited

God of War. Foster City, CA: Sony Computer Entertainment, 2006. Computer software.

O'Connell, Mark, and Raje Airey. The Complete Encyclopedia of Signs & Symbols: Identification and Analysis of the Visual Vocabulary That Formulates Our Thoughts and Dictates Our Reactions to the World Around Us. London: Hermes House, 2006. Print.

God of War Critique (part 5 of 6)

2010-05-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hello, again! Apologies for the lengthy wait. I have been somewhat busy and have also come down with a bug; procrastiniciatus! Here is the fifth part of the critique. Also, as a bonus, I'll be posting the sixth and final part immediately after.

HADES & THE GOD OF WAR (AKA GODZILLA)

Note: Does not contain power to kill a god. Supplies limited.

Kratos bests the trials of the Temple and finally retrieves Pandora’s Box. As he drags it toward the entrance, the camera flies a great distance to Athens, where we see Ares still wrecking the city. Suddenly he straightens his spine in surprise. In his realization of Kratos’ success (I guess a little harpy told him), he tears a pillar from the ground and launches it across the expanse. As Kratos is pushing the Box, he is suddenly impaled by the pillar. As he bleeds out, he sees harpies carry the box away for Ares. Kratos falls toward the depths of Hades. Before he meets his doom he latches onto a man hanging from a ledge. This particular man happens to be the ship captain from the Aegean Sea. Kratos climbs up the man’s back with his blades and gets to safety, screwing over the Captain once more. Kratos must then climb his way out of the halls of death.

Falling into Hades is a noteworthy dilemma. On one hand, having Kratos die and fight through Hades is really cool. It adds to the mythological collective that is God of War without seeming too ridiculous, and generally makes Kratos that much more badass. On the other hand, it really is a situation born of convenience. What would you rather do, mine dear reader? Drag a huge and weighty box through the vast and unforgiving desert only to fight a god right after, or die? Kratos ends up opening the Box right next to his target, anyway.

This section gives little in way of story, and is truly meant to test the skills developed by the player. Overall, it is tedious, frustrating, and generally hellish (ha, ha). Upon muscling his way through, Kratos finds a lone rope dangling from above.


The Gravedigger: Zeus when not a raping Swan

At the top of the rope stands the Gravedigger, whom Kratos met during his time in Athens. The Gravedigger foreshadowed Kratos’ fall in the Temple, and has since dug the grave from which Kratos would return. What is truly interesting is that the Gravedigger implies that he is a god who wishes to aid Kratos. Although there is little evidence, it has been confirmed that he is, in fact, Zeus. This is fine, but in terms of pacing, it seems odd to introduce the Gravedigger minutes after meeting Zeus, earlier in the game. Also, the idea that another god helped lift Kratos from his demise may suggest that he was undeserving of death, and that he is pure in his quest this time around.

When the Gravedigger vanishes, Kratos continues toward the end of his quest. He finds Ares boasting, with Pandora’s Box dangling from his fist (convenient). Kratos nabs the Box and releases its power, growing to enormous size to match Ares/Godzilla. On a side note, it is interesting that Kratos uses Zeus’ gift, a lightning bolt, to acquire the Box. This may suggest that even Ares’ father (at least in God of War) had abandoned him, and that he was meant to be destroyed.

"Induction then destruction, who wants to die? Aaaaah!"

Before their fight, Kratos states that he is not the monster that Ares found the day he fell to the barbarians. This line sets the significance of the fight’s events in stone. This is the culmination of Kratos' arc, where he shows his change in character. Their godly clash is pretty straightforward until Ares sends Kratos into a twisted manifestation of his past. Kratos stands in the village hut where he murdered his family, the phantasms of his wife and child standing before him. Kratos is forced to defend the specters as hordes of himself come crashing in to kill them. Here, Kratos truly works for his forgiveness, finally confronting his past. All of Kratos’ work culminates in this moment. Also, it's worthy to note that the Kratos doppelgangers are much more bestial and fevered than we find Kratos, as players.

Finally, Ares tears the Blades of Chaos from Kratos’ flesh and cuts down the family. Kratos is forced to relive his worst moment. This is the most emotionally charged scene in the game, and it really helps the player sympathize with poor ole’ Kratos. In his following conversation with Ares, Kratos sounds the closest to crying he has ever come.

Kratos returns to the battlefield before Ares, broken in spirit. This may suggest that he can never truly forgive himself. As Ares prepares to deliver the murder stroke, Kratos dodges and takes up the Blade of the Gods: a monstrously huge blade, seemingly used as a decorative bridge until this point. I must note that, in comparison to his former go-to weapons, the Blades of Chaos, this new sword is simple and sane in design. Because it appears at the end of the game, where Kratos' arc comes to a close, this might mean that Kratos is taking steps away from madness.


Womenfolk; always gettin' in the way of man business.

Likewise, Kratos’ dialogue during these scenes is very important. He is never truly consumed with rage, and shows his level-headed side. As he takes the Blade of the Gods to Ares, he sounds calm and collected. It sounds as if he believes killing Ares is something he must do, rather than something he wants to do. He has to show Ares that helping Kratos and destroying Athens were mistakes. Just as well, this act is how Kratos finds absolution. Solemnly, he has accepted his own mistakes. But Ares hasn't. For Ares, Kratos is delivering retribution instead of revenge. This is reinforced when Ares begs for his life. Ares states that all he wanted to do was create the perfect warrior. Calmly, Kratos says, “You succeeded.” With these final words, Kratos impales Ares.

Shouldn't have eaten those tacos, Ares.

This scene may suggest that Ares’ destruction was a consequence of his misdeeds. At the very least, it seems that Kratos has grown in character since the beginning of the game. It is also interesting to note that Kratos and Ares are fighting in the Aegean Sea, where the game begins. Remember how I said that the sea was a projection of all that bad stuff going on within Kratos? The fact that the two are fighting in the sea like it’s a puddle suggests that Kratos has overcome his troubles. Also, the sea can represent the cycle of life and death, birth and return, which are all relevant to Kratos' arc.

Then, in Ares’ dying moment, he explodes like an H-Bomb, because...why not? --

God of War Critique (part 4 of 6)

2010-04-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

This is the fourth part of the God of War critique. Enter the temple!

PANDORA’S TEMPLE

I know my contact lens is around here somewhere...

After breaking the Sirens in half, Kratos comes upon a horn that parts the sandstorm before him. He passes through the cleft like a maniacal Moses, and finds the Titan Horn. The horn vanishes for some reason, Kratos fights a bunch of Sirens, and it reappears for Kratos to use. The Titan Horn calls forth Kronos (the last remaining Titan), with the titanic Temple of Pandora chained to his back. On hand and knee, Kronos crawls throughout the desert, damned to wander there until the “sands tear the flesh from his bones”. Kratos leaps from the balcony onto a massive chain hanging from the Titan’s back and climbs Kronos’ side for three days. On the third day, he comes to the entrance of the mighty temple and sees the corpses of all those who had failed before him, rotting on the stone.

Next to the Aegean Sea, this is one of the coolest scenes in the game. We get some good narrative spiced with feats typical of a classic heroic tale. Kratos takes another step toward ascension above his dark past and stands before the brunt of his trials. The question is; will he make it through? Can this lone mortal overcome the deadly tests that have felled so many before him?! (Yes).

Pathos Verdes III - #1 Babysitter

The Temple of Pandora is an absolute wonder, in the God of War universe. It was masterfully constructed by the Architect, Pathos Verdes III, whose story is a parallel to Kratos’. The player learns about the Architect from the writings he left throughout the temple. The Architect was tasked by the gods with building the temple, and lost his two sons to the job. As they died off, the Architect slowly descended into madness, having lost his faith in the gods. The traps he was required to construct became more twisted and vile, eventually including the corpses of his sons in their puzzles. He murdered his wife in a dispute about such grim ideas, and eventually killed himself in his despair. This is much like Kratos, who ended up killing his family in following Ares' will, eventually killing himself at the game's opening.

This kind of story is echoed throughout the games, and is another of the few ideas that hold the series together. The gods are cruel and unforgiving creatures that use mortals to achieve their own ends. At least, this message is what the sequels push for. This idea is bolstered in the second and third games, mostly to justify the gods’ punishment, but also as a base for humanity’s coming liberation.

We see this relationship with Kratos in the three primary games (the rest shouldn’t exist (actually, only the first one should)). We also see it with Pathos Verdes III, the Body Burner, and Daedalus (the architect in God of War III). Kratos was once a tool for Ares and he becomes a tool for Athena, seemingly punished afterwards on both occasions. For serving Ares, he loses his family, and for serving Athena, the sequel happens (also a punishment to the player). Kratos is then trapped within his rage and despair, a byproduct of the battles he brought on. Pathos Verdes III takes up the task of building Pandora’s Temple for the gods, loses his sons, loses his mind, kills his wife, and is trapped within his creation, the temple being an extension of himself. The Body Burner is tasked, by the gods, to enter Pandora’s Temple and is the first to fail. He is then punished for his failure, and is cursed with immortality and the task of burning the corpses of all who fail after him. Daedalus is tasked, by the gods, to construct a labyrinth in Olympus in exchange for the return of his son. Daedalus actually succeeds but is then trapped within and abandoned by the gods. Eventually madness takes him. Daedalus is a weaker example of this relationship, but only because Zeus becomes Stalin by that point and punishes him for no reason.

It's a bit more than a flesh wound.

There is a strange pattern in all of these people’s stories. A task is given unto the mortal by the gods. The mortal is destined to fail and, upon doing so, is gruesomely punished. The mortal is then trapped within his/her trade. Kratos is locked in constant conflict. Pathos Verdes III and Daedalus are trapped within their mazes. The Body Burner must remain at the entrance of Pandora’s Temple, forever welcoming adventurers and watching them fail as he did.

Such harsh retribution begs the question of why these mortals were punished. The game suggests that these characters went about achieving their goals for themselves rather than something larger than themselves, such as the gods or a city-state. This means that their intentions were not pure. Kratos suffered for serving his desire for war, instead of truthfully serving Sparta, as he once said he did. Pathos Verdes III, despite being a religious zealot, constructed Pandora’s Temple out of pride. When he was chosen by the gods, he took up the task to show that he was loved by them, rather than to show that he loved them. The Body Burner was also directed by the gods to attempt the temple, but also sought the power of Pandora’s Box.

Daedalus is different in that he did his duty for the sake of reuniting with his son. I mention him mostly because he gets screwed over by the gods, just like everyone else. His story reinforces the idea, among other things, that humanity must be freed from the tyranny of the cruel gods.

However, it could be said that, in regards to the first God of War only, the tales of Kratos, Pathos Verdes III, and the Body Burner may only seek to depict a mortal's flaws and their ramifications in light of the gods' work. Considering how the gods in the first iteration of the series aren't as insane as their appear to be in the rest of the games, this might be true. I must admit that, sometimes, its hard to separate what's what in light of the sequels. --

God of War Critique (part 3 of 6)

2010-04-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the third installment of the God of War critique. In this part, I cover Kratos' trip through the Desert of Lost Souls.

THE DESERT OF LOST SOULS

After rescuing the oracle, Kratos is directed to the desert to find Pandora’s Temple, wherein lies the power to kill a god. He just has to navigate the vast desert and slay a bunch of Sirens to get there. This section is short and sweet, but gets caught on a couple snags.

Insert Bugs Bunny reference here.

The desert is another of the great externalizations of Kratos’ inner conflict. Deserts bear a number of representations ranging from negative to positive, but from the name of this particular one, I’d say it’s mostly the former. The desert is dry and unforgiving, a sandy screen obscuring the horizon and swallowing the remnants of a lost city. These dusty dunes show us loneliness, isolation, loss, misfortune, and hopelessness. All of which apply to Kratos, our darkly hero. I think, by this point, it goes without saying why. On another note, it was a nice touch, gameplay-wise, to have the player get lost in the sands. The player gets to experience all of these concepts first hand, while hoping to hear the call of the Sirens, whose song provides a guide.

The Sirens are popular mythological creatures. They are seductive man-eaters, typically half-woman and half bird, whose song can enchant and trap all those who decide to listen. Most of the time they are associated with the sea, as their song lures passing mariners into their rocky doom. However, in God of War they are monstrous and ghostly women that roam the desert.

Oh, hey boys! Why don't you come on over here?

In any case, they are also tied in with temptation, madness, and death. The idea that Kratos must fight the Sirens might suggest that they have no sway over him. At the very least, this level could be a trial for Kratos, to see if these notions would influence him. Temptation is overshadowed by his dedication to his quest. The player gets hints of this in all of the sex scenes, as well. This may sound crazy, as Kratos is possibly the manliest thing in existence, but every time Kratos is about to do the deed, he makes it out to be a trivial task. Women seem to pester him until he says, “Fuck it.” Then he does.

There’s also the link between the Sirens and death. In this section, Kratos may only pass if he is to find the Sirens and destroy them. The only way to find them is to listen for their song. In most other stories, doing this dooms a character. With Kratos, we don’t see any immediate consequences of him following the song. In the long run, though, this opens up the path to Pandora’s Temple, where Kratos does die.

While the desert does boast some nice story elements, it falls short in a couple places. For one, there is no solid reason to explain why Kratos has to slay exactly three sirens. He ends up fighting loads more anyway. We know that it will open a door, but why are the sirens even there? Why do they, above all creatures, have to die so some door can open? How does killing these Sirens open the door? What makes this door so special? Athena commands that it be so, so I guess it is. Yep.

Also, when Kratos gets to Pandora’s Temple, the player is shown that about a thousand other Greeks managed to get there, too. So why is the way to the Temple closed? Somebody must have completed this task before. If not, there must have been other ways to travel. The only explanation is that the gods decided to “reset” everything every time someone gets through.

All in all, it seems like the developers really wanted to have the Sirens see the spotlight somewhere in the game. The desert would be the most appropriate place, since the sea was already used, but some of this section seemed pretty hastily put together. --

God of War Critique (part 2 of 6)

2010-04-19T21:14:00.001-07:00

Here's the second part of my analysis. In this part I touch on Kratos' trip through Athens, discussing what's significant and nitpicking all the while.

ATHENS

So Kratos manages to get away with a completely functional ship and after a few restless nights and a couple of threesomes, Kratos decides he has had enough. Ten years of serving the gods has gained him nothing, and he demands satisfaction. He storms onto the main deck, charges through the rain, and starts bellowing at a statue of Athena (his guiding god). The statue animates and conveys Athena’s voice and Kratos’ final task. He must take down Ares, the god of war, who is laying siege to Athens. Since Zeus has forbidden the gods from warring on each other directly, it must be Kratos that does the wet work. Only in achieving this impossible charge will his overwhelming past be forgiven.

O, Kratos.

This small scene lays the groundwork for the rest of the game, and communicates a few important ideas. Firstly, the player is shown this spooky animation of the statue, through which Athena speaks. The fact that Athena doesn’t come down to speak to Kratos directly tells us that there is a defined relationship, a disconnect, between the gods and the mortals that I’ll talk about later. Also, there’s this matter of dealing with Ares (the 400 1/2 foot tall Godzilla). The relationship between Kratos and Ares has yet to be explained, but it is one of the focuses of the game. Then there’s the recurring business of Kratos’ past, which Kratos wants to erase.

Something to pay special attention to is how Kratos reacts when he finds out this will be his final task. He was consumed by rage before, but now he is docile and, from the sound of his voice, desperate as if on the verge of madness. He just looks so sad and lost, standing there in the rain mumbling to himself. O, Kratos.

So after a few more threesomes, Kratos lands in Athens to save it from an angry war god. Because he is this much of a man, this leads me to believe that this kind of thing might be his everyday ritual. If you haven't realized it yet, the game tries really hard to push Kratos' gargantuan manliness through the sky (that is, if he's laying on his back). Anyway, Kratos begins his journey across the sacked city. Ares' undead minions permeate all of Athens. After grappling with a few hell-soldiers, Kratos comes across what I believe to be his strangest foe.

"What the hell are you?!"

Lo, the insidious mechano-cyclops, complete with its trusty extendo-mace, falls from the sky like an bizarre vision of Chris Farley from Beverly Hills Ninja. Every time I play God of War, I find myself wondering, what the hell is this thing? I know that the Greeks in the God of War universe have some crazy understanding of technology that nobody can fathom, but damn. You’d think this unholy thing would come later at a more appropriate time (like Pandora’s Temple where technology is omnipresent), but instead it is the first Cyclops the player encounters. What's worse is that there are relatively normal cyclopes later on. This thing is unlike almost any other creature Kratos comes across in his adventure.

After the player deals with this…thing, Kratos navigates the strange passageways of Athens, which is constructed in such a way that only people like Kratos can get through. At points, the player might notice how un-ergonomic this city is, at least, if you stand back and think about it. It begs the question; what sort of people live here? There’s a room filled with colossal stacks of boxes, and the only other exit, besides the one you entered through, is carved out at the top of a 50-foot wall. Once Kratos arrives at the residential side of town, you’ll find that half of the prison-cell homes are stacked on top of one another. From all of this I must assume that Athens is where the original Globetrotters came from. Or maybe there could have been a lot of Greek-Animal love consummation that allowed them to develop super homo-bestial jumping abilities. Considering all the minotaur and satyrs running amok, this twisted notion may not be far off. Either way, you’d think a city built to represent intelligence and culture would come up with something more practical.

Screw the stairs!

Nitpicks aside, there are some story elements to look at in Athens. At this point we know that Kratos is a Spartan. The Spartans were Greeks whose entire culture was shaped around the concept of war. Athens, on the other hand, was a city famous for its culture, innovations, and general intellect. Here, there is a clash of ideas as Kratos, a Spartan, mingles with war-torn Athens. At one point, to continue his quest, he topples a statue holding a scroll (forgoing intellect, much?). He even works for Athena, the goddess of wisdom, as if she’s his reform officer. From this knowledge it could be said that Kratos is grappling with his need for destruction, and the option of holding back his fury and taking a more civilized route.

This idea comes up later when he reaches the oracle of Athens. After rescuing the oracle, she looks into his mind and reveals his past. She finds a history of bloodlust and conquest, as well as the secrets he didn’t want dug up.

Halp!

You see, there was a great battle between an army of barbarians and Kratos’ forces. Although Kratos was indeed powerful, the numbers he stood against were too great. Just before he was to be felled by the barbarian king, Kratos made a desperate plea to Ares. Kratos swore that if Ares would destroy his enemies, then Kratos’ life would be his. The War god took Kratos up on his offer, and sent down the Blades of Chaos (Kratos' iconic weapons). After their chains fused with the flesh of Kratos’ arms, he laid waste to all who opposed him.

After the battle, however, Kratos was Ares' tool; to be used and abused. Ares eventually sent Kratos and his forces to raid an Athenian village. They proceeded to slaughter everyone in the village for worshipping Athena. Eventually Kratos came upon a particular house. Before entering he was warned not to by the local old lady. Ignoring her, he readily killed all those inside, and after the fog of Ares’ control dissipated, he found his wife and daughter dead upon the floor. The elderly woman then bound the ashes of Kratos’ family to his flesh, rendering him ghostly white, to serve as a reminder of his actions to all. In general, I find this whole bit awesome. What hubris!

I really can't imagine how the honeymoon went over.

While this cut-scene is playing we see Kratos’ wife holding their frightened child. Just before the great battle where Kratos fell, she demanded that he bring his lust for war to an end. This brings us back to the idea that Kratos is struggling with his need for conquest and the idea of sheathing his blades. Despite his ripping up everything that crosses his path, this is indeed a conflict in his character. This idea is one of a scant few that loosely hold the series together. What is it that Kratos actually needs? At this point we now know that this quest is not only about his revenge, it is about his absolution.

With his past laid out, there’s one issue I’d like to bring to light. While Kratos is storming through Athens, toward the end of the section, he comes across some sort of noble woman. She just so happens to be another person who knows the gory details of Kratos’ past deeds. After she panics and bolts away, Kratos shouts for her to wait. The thing is, Kratos doesn’t sound enraged, or as if he wants her dead (something the sequels would make the player expect). He sounds as though he could be either concerned or sad, even. Here we get to see Kratos’ remorse for what he’s done. He doesn’t want to be seen as the monster everyone knows him as. When Kratos finally catches up with the woman at the top of a balcony, she feels cornered and accidentally falls to her death. This whole situation adds to the price of Kratos’ mistakes. --

God of War Critique (Part 1 of 6)

2010-04-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the first part of my critique of God of War. It took me about a week or so to tear through the game on a literary level, and my digging revealed some pretty sweet concepts. You might be thinking, "But I thought God of War was about living my fantasy of being an actual man?" Well I say you are wrong! In God of War (the first of the series, at least), there is a surprisingly deep and interesting story. I'll be posting the rest of my findings over the week.

God of War: There is a Story 

God of War, a game created so that players can experience the word “epic” in the bloodiest way possible, has a pretty strong story that occasionally falls apart under careful scrutiny. The story is intriguing and fun to live, as the player watches the protagonist, Kratos, rise from the emotional dirt to absolute and solemn glory. I say “emotional” because the game brings out sentiments that are very important in understanding the protagonist, and this makes for a richer and deeper story. A lot of the environments, as well as the tasks, convey something about Kratos and his internal conflict, which is the crux of the story. God of War was also one of the first games to involve a lot of background action; stuff that didn’t directly affect the player but said something about the current situation. One thing that will go without saying for most of this critique is that God of War's gameplay and story mesh well, and this is more important than some people might think.

I hope there yet lives an Athenian Chiropractor!

Let’s start at the beginning, and the somewhat surprising introduction. The game kicks off with Kratos flinging himself off of the highest cliff in all of Greece. This may come as a surprise to the player who, due to trailers or the game's general popularity, probably believed this guy to be the baddest ass of badassery. Why would a character, who practically showers in the innards of his enemies, do something that says he's not such a tough guy after all? Firstly, its an attention grabber. Secondly, this scene tells the player right off the bat that this isn’t just a mindless action-game, and there's a nice character driven story to be appreciated. This scene offers a mystery to be revealed throughout the course of the game; how did Kratos come to this tragic end?

The writers, or whoever was responsible, must’ve hoped that the player would keep this scene in mind, so that he/she would keep track of how Kratos is affected by the situations around him. The player eventually gets a grasp of who Kratos is, and why they should care about him. (I put so much emphasis on this because of the sequel, which bastardizes Kratos and makes him a 1-D ball of rage with little depth). To avoid letting the player make assumptions for too long, the game transitions to a time before Kratos decided to greet the waters at mach 1.

THE AEGEAN SEA

The player is dropped into a chaotic situation amidst a fleet of ships, ignorant of how Kratos got there or why he’s there in the first place. This fleet definitely doesn’t belong to Kratos, nor does he belong to it, as nobody seems to recognize him. I just assume that Kratos was guided here by the gods. It’s also not explained why there are so many undead minions ripping up the place. In any case, clarity isn’t too important here. The Aegean Sea is mostly a framework for Kratos’ epic deeds, a hint at his infamous past, and a look into his psyche.

Ships are wrecked upon a jagged coast, people are dying left and right, the legendary Hydra torments the survivors, and all the while Kratos is culling baddies amidst a raging sea-storm. The game eventually explains that Kratos has some skeletons in his closet, and the only thing that brings him any solace is endlessly wandering across the sea. With this knowledge, let us begin the deconstruction.

The sea and the Hydra are the most powerful symbols here, and the two go hand in hand. The sea can represent a number of things, and most of which are relevant to this story. The sea can be a symbol of the cycle of life, the unconscious, or even the feminine side of the mind. We’ve already been given a burly protagonist who just surprised us with his own suicide, so a lot of the representation is obvious. Something happened in Kratos’ past that really messed him up, and his present situation on the sea reflects this. A storm thunders overhead, the sea is churning and crashing, and crewmen wail upon broken ships because a vile monster rose from beneath the angry waters to destroy them. The whole situation is a nice way of depicting Kratos’ emotional and mental state, as well as how he judges himself.

Kratos is a torturous person with a tortured soul. He is built of fury, sadness, desperation, and a hint of madness. His fury and sadness are reflected in the storm and sea. The Hydra could be a manifestation of his monstrous side, as well as its control over him. It almost like he’s fighting himself (I wonder if that pops up again, later (It does)).

The Hydra takes a lot of the spotlight in the introduction, so let’s take a deeper look. The Hydra is a creature that lives buried in the earth whose many heads can regenerate when damaged or destroyed (often growing two more heads in place of one), making the beast nearly immortal. Because of this, the Hydra can represent hopelessness, which brings us back to dear old Kratos, whose only comfort from his past is in getting lost at sea.

Everyone, save Kratos, is running around flailing their arms and screaming like madmen, utterly stricken with fear. If you haven’t guessed or played the game, Kratos must do battle with the mighty Hydra; a beast which rose from the watery abyss. So, by extension, Kratos may also be fighting his own hopelessness brought about by his past, which he desperately wishes he could bury. By the end of this level, we find out that this is precisely the conflict of the game.

Kratos eventually conquers the Hydra in a deliciously violent fashion, which serves to show how remarkably able this particular hero is. However, Kratos isn’t the goodly type.

After playing through the Aegean Sea, we get a sense of how dark and sinister our hero is. As Kratos rampages across the ship decks, he comes across a lone survivor. Upon seeing Kratos, this guy locks himself behind bars, and screams like a lunatic about how he doesn’t want Kratos of all people to save him. He rants about how Kratos is a monster and pretty much the worst thing to happen, ever. The player must consider that this guy is so afraid of Kratos that he locks himself in a wrecked ship that’s getting torn asunder by a beast that the gods don’t even know what to do with (That has to say something).

After Kratos brutalizes the Hydra, he saunters straight into the thing’s throat to fetch a key he’s been looking for. It just so happens to hang about the neck of a dangling captain that got gobbled up prior. Kratos nonchalantly rips the key from his neck and boots the captain toward his surely horrifying and corrosive death.

Now that he has this special key, and because I assume Kratos has a soft spot for crying women (I wonder if that means something (it does)), he feels the need to return to a room filled with them, to unlock the door. As he could’ve guessed from the frantic screaming before, everyone therein has been slaughtered. Kratos massacres the present foes and reflects on the tragedy before him, mostly because the sight is a parallel to that dastardly thing in his past. Since this whole level is pretty much a projection of Kratos’ inner conflict, its interesting to note that this room was locked away, much like his past. --

God of War 1 critique is done!

2010-04-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

My critique of the first game of the series is complete, and I'll be submitting it in pieces over time. The first part will be up soon.

The God of War Series

2010-03-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

So, with God of War 3 hot off the shelves and Greek Mythology on my mind, I've decided to write about the God of War series. The series is known for its great action and high adventure, but do the games boast a strong story? With my next entry I'll talk about how God of War I had a great story, how II fucked it up, and how III almost saved it.