Kratos story started out as a fully-contained Greek Tragedy that got warped into a franchise because of its success. Any and all analysis will always result in some weird unsatisfying conclusion because each new installment is stapled to the whole without a long term plan in mind. Kratos self-hate in Nordic Saga really doesn't make sense because he already did that in the original game (By the Gods! What have I become!?").
I'd say the difference between the old "what have I become" and modern is (Spoilers ahead)
"what have I become, killing my own family by accident because I got goaded into by deception and my pride by the God of War, after selling my soul to him to win in battle, and now I'm sad I killed my family, but I'm going to make him pay even if I get cast into hell itself (hades) and have to crawl back out and take him out dethroning him"
and "what have I become....a violent and unapologetically masculine man that is at odds with modern liberal values...the horror!"
Max Payne had a bit of self-loathing in his original game[s], things tinged with tragedy, his family getting killed, and reflections on if he's more of a cop or a criminal in the second game with choices he makes in terms of murder if I remember the plot, but it's a far cry from mopeyness. That key word there is "bit". It's not the predominant defining characteristic. There's a line between intentional tragedy in writing and feminine "critique on masculinity" and Max Payne and original God of War games fall squarely in the former category and things like Max Payne 3, God of War reboot, Star Wars reboots, etc fall squarely in the latter category.
It's worse because it's the most technically advanced third-person shooter ever made. The fact that every 3D actor could interact with the environment and had their locomotion impacted by the physical reactions when jumping or running or colliding into objects, and bullets were physicalised, it really added a lot of intensity and tension to the shootouts that we simply do not get in ANY newer games.
But as people rightly pointed out here, those spiffy physics systems were attached to a game that not-so-subtly proliferated the "dumpy pathetic straight White male" trope that has become so much more prevalent in modern media.
Most normies now just accept it as "normal", as evident with the popularity of the nu-God of War games.
Old Kratos and any Real Man and Father would have stomped Freyas head in the first time she threatened violence on him and his son.
This pussy shit of continuously allowing her to ravage you and threaten your only child is pathetic and spineless. Who gives a fuck if she was abused? Hardship isn't a license to be an evil bitch.
Kratos has never been a real man. He's always been a lapdog who mindlessly follows what others tell him, and then does the Surprised Pikachu face when they betray him. Then he takes it out on a bunch of mortals who did nothing to him.
I've posted this video before on the gaming sub, but posting again because I had the urge to watch the video again and when I saw the comments I wanted to make a point. Sort by upload date and you will see the debate rages on with this game in particular.
GoW 2018 and Ragnarok is probably the hinge point for leftists who don't know they're leftist vs the actually based.
Every other video game, it's an easy split. If you call Starfield woke for pronouns, everyone who is not a leftist agrees and everyone who is a leftist calls you a chud.
But GoW reboot series is where the rubber meets the road where some people who don't know a humiliation ritual when it's looking them in the face and are dazzled by what seems like "deep" "character growth" go "masculinity isn't about violence....they're showing positive masculinity"
And since it's such a split in the comment section I suspect this is the lynch pin for "moderates" unlike other games where they couldn't care that much one way or another.
But GoW writing's has to be deep and profound and not subversive to them because they've elevated it in their minds as "art" and "developing Kratos' making him deeper" as though development means making someone a naval gazing person who's always down on themselves and "who they used to be".
Max Payne 3 did the same sort of thing with the character of Max Payne. Instead of the Humphrey Bogart esque noirish cynic with a dark sense of humor, Max Payne became a "woe is me, I'm such a loser white American".
Similar sort of writing style that people mistake for depth.
Again, watch the video, then scroll through the comments sorted by new and see how this is the game culturally where it separates the boys from the men (sort of literally in this case ie soyboys from the men).
Under the Mayo also did a video critiquing the game and his comment section is similar.
I didn't grow up with it. Played the first one from 2005 about 8 months ago for the first time.
Playing God of War 2 now. Will play God of War 3 and the PSP games and never touch the reboot.
I'm not "they ruined my childhood, Kratos was my guy and he was so awesome to me and they did this to him", like that.
I just objectively see that God of War PS2 and PS3 era is just some pulpy testosterone fueled Greek adventure, like a Jason and the Argonauts sort of deal on steroids and meth, whereas the reboot is clearly a feminine "muh modern writing" garbage.
Yeah I'm not team "Kratos 4 lyfe" like I am with Max Payne, a character I really love, but I recogonize the difference in the characterization objectively.
Same with Doctor Who. I don't give a crap about Doctor Who. Don't watch it. But I can see from a distance what they're doing with that character as opposed to what it used to be.
I heard theyre not as good, but I figure after the third one, just some hack n slash fun, not expecting much. They run pretty much perfect on the hd remaster on rpcs3 (PS3 emulator).
Just will be playing it for some somewhat similar gameplay, not expecting it to be as good or "epic"
They even ran pretty well on the psp. Does the third one run without issues? I remember playing through all gods some years ago and when i got to the third one it had all sorts of bugs.
But I have to play it there. I could get the PS4 version but the problem is, I've never been able to tap buttons fast enough when they make you rapidly press circle in a quick time event.
When I rented x men wolverine the god of war knock off on PS3, I couldn't progress past the sentinel fight because I couldn't mash circle fast enough.
On PC I can and do use a controller with a turbo function so I can get past those otherwise game enders for me.
The frame rate on God of War 3 is a bit all over the place but it's the only way I can play it and ensure I can get past annoying parts. Maybe they have PS4 controllers with turbo functions but I don't want to spend money for a controller just for that game.
Consoles typically don't support turbo functions because of cheating and online. If my 8bitdo controller can connect to PS4, and turbo works, I'll probably play it there
While the gameplay was some what decent in the first reboot game it still had plenty of cut scene stuff and not a fan of old Kratos being a cuck. But you can still argue you enjoyed it for the gameplay alone.
The 2nd was a movie game with way too many cut scenes and dialed up bossgirls even more, that I had zero interest in that I would not even play it for free.
Kratos story started out as a fully-contained Greek Tragedy that got warped into a franchise because of its success. Any and all analysis will always result in some weird unsatisfying conclusion because each new installment is stapled to the whole without a long term plan in mind. Kratos self-hate in Nordic Saga really doesn't make sense because he already did that in the original game (By the Gods! What have I become!?").
I'd say the difference between the old "what have I become" and modern is (Spoilers ahead)
"what have I become, killing my own family by accident because I got goaded into by deception and my pride by the God of War, after selling my soul to him to win in battle, and now I'm sad I killed my family, but I'm going to make him pay even if I get cast into hell itself (hades) and have to crawl back out and take him out dethroning him"
and "what have I become....a violent and unapologetically masculine man that is at odds with modern liberal values...the horror!"
Max Payne had a bit of self-loathing in his original game[s], things tinged with tragedy, his family getting killed, and reflections on if he's more of a cop or a criminal in the second game with choices he makes in terms of murder if I remember the plot, but it's a far cry from mopeyness. That key word there is "bit". It's not the predominant defining characteristic. There's a line between intentional tragedy in writing and feminine "critique on masculinity" and Max Payne and original God of War games fall squarely in the former category and things like Max Payne 3, God of War reboot, Star Wars reboots, etc fall squarely in the latter category.
For all the crap Max Payne 3 gets, it's actually a pretty good wrapup to the series.
It's worse because it's the most technically advanced third-person shooter ever made. The fact that every 3D actor could interact with the environment and had their locomotion impacted by the physical reactions when jumping or running or colliding into objects, and bullets were physicalised, it really added a lot of intensity and tension to the shootouts that we simply do not get in ANY newer games.
But as people rightly pointed out here, those spiffy physics systems were attached to a game that not-so-subtly proliferated the "dumpy pathetic straight White male" trope that has become so much more prevalent in modern media.
Most normies now just accept it as "normal", as evident with the popularity of the nu-God of War games.
Old Kratos and any Real Man and Father would have stomped Freyas head in the first time she threatened violence on him and his son.
This pussy shit of continuously allowing her to ravage you and threaten your only child is pathetic and spineless. Who gives a fuck if she was abused? Hardship isn't a license to be an evil bitch.
Kratos has never been a real man. He's always been a lapdog who mindlessly follows what others tell him, and then does the Surprised Pikachu face when they betray him. Then he takes it out on a bunch of mortals who did nothing to him.
No wonder he became such a cuck.
I've posted this video before on the gaming sub, but posting again because I had the urge to watch the video again and when I saw the comments I wanted to make a point. Sort by upload date and you will see the debate rages on with this game in particular.
GoW 2018 and Ragnarok is probably the hinge point for leftists who don't know they're leftist vs the actually based.
Every other video game, it's an easy split. If you call Starfield woke for pronouns, everyone who is not a leftist agrees and everyone who is a leftist calls you a chud.
But GoW reboot series is where the rubber meets the road where some people who don't know a humiliation ritual when it's looking them in the face and are dazzled by what seems like "deep" "character growth" go "masculinity isn't about violence....they're showing positive masculinity"
And since it's such a split in the comment section I suspect this is the lynch pin for "moderates" unlike other games where they couldn't care that much one way or another.
But GoW writing's has to be deep and profound and not subversive to them because they've elevated it in their minds as "art" and "developing Kratos' making him deeper" as though development means making someone a naval gazing person who's always down on themselves and "who they used to be".
Max Payne 3 did the same sort of thing with the character of Max Payne. Instead of the Humphrey Bogart esque noirish cynic with a dark sense of humor, Max Payne became a "woe is me, I'm such a loser white American".
Similar sort of writing style that people mistake for depth.
Again, watch the video, then scroll through the comments sorted by new and see how this is the game culturally where it separates the boys from the men (sort of literally in this case ie soyboys from the men).
Under the Mayo also did a video critiquing the game and his comment section is similar.
This is a very accurate description of the entire game actually.
Idk I always thought Kratos was a pretty shitty character.
I didn't grow up with it. Played the first one from 2005 about 8 months ago for the first time.
Playing God of War 2 now. Will play God of War 3 and the PSP games and never touch the reboot.
I'm not "they ruined my childhood, Kratos was my guy and he was so awesome to me and they did this to him", like that.
I just objectively see that God of War PS2 and PS3 era is just some pulpy testosterone fueled Greek adventure, like a Jason and the Argonauts sort of deal on steroids and meth, whereas the reboot is clearly a feminine "muh modern writing" garbage.
Yeah I'm not team "Kratos 4 lyfe" like I am with Max Payne, a character I really love, but I recogonize the difference in the characterization objectively.
Same with Doctor Who. I don't give a crap about Doctor Who. Don't watch it. But I can see from a distance what they're doing with that character as opposed to what it used to be.
I wouldn't recommend the psp ones.
I heard theyre not as good, but I figure after the third one, just some hack n slash fun, not expecting much. They run pretty much perfect on the hd remaster on rpcs3 (PS3 emulator).
Just will be playing it for some somewhat similar gameplay, not expecting it to be as good or "epic"
They even ran pretty well on the psp. Does the third one run without issues? I remember playing through all gods some years ago and when i got to the third one it had all sorts of bugs.
No, the third one on rpcs3 doesn't run great.
But I have to play it there. I could get the PS4 version but the problem is, I've never been able to tap buttons fast enough when they make you rapidly press circle in a quick time event.
When I rented x men wolverine the god of war knock off on PS3, I couldn't progress past the sentinel fight because I couldn't mash circle fast enough.
On PC I can and do use a controller with a turbo function so I can get past those otherwise game enders for me.
The frame rate on God of War 3 is a bit all over the place but it's the only way I can play it and ensure I can get past annoying parts. Maybe they have PS4 controllers with turbo functions but I don't want to spend money for a controller just for that game.
Consoles typically don't support turbo functions because of cheating and online. If my 8bitdo controller can connect to PS4, and turbo works, I'll probably play it there
Modern games have accessibility toggles that let you hold the button instead of mashing it. Have been using it in every game.
Nah, he was great, unless you mean shitty as in he's a villain, then yeah
Yeah, I remember that game for the art style, more than anything else.
While the gameplay was some what decent in the first reboot game it still had plenty of cut scene stuff and not a fan of old Kratos being a cuck. But you can still argue you enjoyed it for the gameplay alone.
The 2nd was a movie game with way too many cut scenes and dialed up bossgirls even more, that I had zero interest in that I would not even play it for free.
The enshitification of everything White Culture will continue until there is nothing left. Carry on.
Is it a litmus test or a dog whistle? I didn't have this on my bingo card, fafo