Ok, got even deeper into God of War. It really opens up into a hub-world style game, with Metroidvania elements (some of the areas are locked until you unlock various abilities/items). And I really like this style of game. Makes exploration fun.
But ultimately, the best things about the game are the combat system, which is absolutely fantastic, and the graphics/camera engine which really shows off the combat system. I can't remember the last time I felt this much like a badass while playing. It's so visceral and energetic, that you feel awesome all the time. And I realize how gratuitous this sounds, but they really did a great job. You really feel like a god after defeating huge lumbering beasts and their minions.
It's really just a power-fantasy for the player. And that's ok. It does cause a bit of dissonance, what Kratos is able to do in cinematics, with what he's doing in day to day fights. The stuff he does in cinematics could lead you to believe he should be immortal. But alas, so are games where this sort of dissonance is present.
The story, still hasn't really gotten better. It's decent, and some of the interactions between Kratos and his son are nice. But, again, nothing on the range of The Last of Us.
