God Of War Proves PC Games Don't Need Multiplayer | Screen Rant
God of War recently released on PC, and the quality of the mythological adventure proves not all games on that platform need a multiplayer mode in order to succeed. With the current battle royale craze overpowering many franchises and microtransactions dominating the gaming industry, multiplayer modes are quickly becoming the norm. Unfortunately, forcing non-multiplayer series to adopt an online mode can have negative consquences. In an age where game publishers and studios are under increasing scrutiny thanks to botched launches, God of War’s PC version offers several important lessons for future titles on the platform.
God of War’s recent release on PC has already taken the internet and gaming community by storm, gathering more downloads than Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone in just a few days. God of War focuses on Kratos and Atreus as they travel to the highest peak in the realm to spread Faye’s ashes. Hunted by Norse gods and monsters alike, Kratos and Atreus must put aside their strained relationship to survive in a world on the brink of collapse. During the game, players can also encounter beings from popular Norse myths, like Magni, Modi, Mimir, Sindri, and Brok also appear to provide an immersive (and entertaining) experience.
Though God of War initially launched as a PlayStation exclusive, its success on PC proves that Santa Monica Studios uncovered a vital formula to success in a turbulent gaming industry. After Cyberpunk 2077’s catastrophic failure and Halo Infinite’s less-than-stellar multiplayer launch, consumers are more critical of the gaming industry than ever. While the factors for these failures range from budgetary concerns to remote work from the pandemic, God of War’s PC version proves games can succeed without the pressures of microtransactions, online multiplayer servers, and expansions.
Though many story games can become lonely without the company of friends, God of War succeeds in eliminating overbearing solitude from its gameplay. While most God of War games focused solely on Kratos, Atreus’ presence at his father’s side creates an entertaining dynamic that fills silences while advancing the story. Side characters in God of War also supply the world with exciting stories, objectives, and conversations. The inclusion of Sindri and Brok, the dwarves in charge of upgrading weapons and armor, turns standard merchant characters into fully-fledged companions. A trip to collect new items and upgrade Kratos and Atreus’ can quickly turn into an opportunity to learn more about the dwarf brothers, the Norse gods, or Laufey, Kratos’ wife.
God of War allowed players the freedom to explore with the massive lake located in the center of Midgard and pathways between the realms that let players jump between worlds without Mimir’s Bifrost eye. Typical implementations of open-world exploration can become tedious, but Santa Monica Studios utilized Norse mythology’s many stories to develop its world and its characters. Mimir is God of War’s official storyteller and accompanies Kratos and Atreus on their adventures. Unfortunately, due to his imprisonment in an indestructible tree, Kratos is forced to cut off his head and reanimate it later. Mimir’s stories expand on characters the father and son meet as they journey through the realms. His commentary on landmarks or artifacts helps players understand the importance of the items they wield.
While gaming may have started as a relaxing pastime, it’s become far more intense as the years progress. Competitive multiplayer, speedrunning, professional gaming leagues and unforgivable gaming modes like battle royales created a stressful, nonstop environment of constant, necessary improvement. PC is likely the worst offender, as mouse and keyboard are considered superior to console controllers, on account of the lack of aim assist. Though many AAA PC titles include multiplayer in some capacity, God of War focuses more on experiencing the story than nonstop combat and action. This feature sets God of War’s PC version leaps and bounds ahead of other AAA action-fighting RPGs, whose fast pacing takes away from its story adventure.
While God of War’s story is a father-son, coming-of-age tale, intricate narrative layers are introduced through Norse mythology and optional activities scattered throughout the world. Previously, God of War had a reputation for bloody combat against Greek gods and heroes, with Kratos tearing monsters apart with his Chaos Blades. Thankfully, the series evolved to embrace more three-dimensional characters, forcing Kratos to battle his nature for his family’s sake. While the main story occupies approximately forty hours of content, side quests, collectibles, hidden puzzles, and challenges lie scattered throughout the Nine Realms. As a result, players aren’t railroaded to a single path and can take their time to progress through different areas. When gaming has become oversaturated with online competitions, God of War exploration provides PC players with a much-needed breath of fresh air.
While online multiplayer can be an enjoyable addition to implementing a social aspect of games, developers should understand that it isn’t always necessary and can hurt the product as a whole. 2018’s God of War focused on mythology and character growth, a profoundly personal experience that a multiplayer mode could have hindered. Additionally, updates dedicated to multiplayer take developer attention away from the story mode, souring the image of a game. This incident occurred with Red Dead Redemption 2, whose lack of single-player updates ruined the game’s longevity. Though God of War won’t have additional expansions, any glitches will likely be patched promptly without distractions from multiplayer.
In a competitive gaming industry, profits and customer loyalty are the keys to expanding the lifespan of an IP. This means developers need to start playing to their strengths and cornering off sections of the market instead of succumbing to popular trends. Though battle royale games are trendy now, a God of War battle royale would likely fail spectacularly and compromise what makes the series great. While multiplayer presents a moneymaking opportunity, its adverse effects on God of War could cost the series dearly.
Multiplayer can be an excellent addition to many titles on PC, but the inherent competition and fast-paced action aren’t necessary for every series. Rather than embracing the most popular trends, franchises should play to their strengths and incorporate unique, original twists on those concepts. God of War is available now for PlayStation and PC, with God of War: Ragnarok scheduled to release in 2022.