God of War is an amazing game. The story is enthralling, the graphics are beautiful and the combat is top-notch, but fighting the optional bosses that took this game to the next level for me.
VERY MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
If you’re a little bit into the story, you’d know by now that there are eight Valkyries to fight in the game. Technically this is a side-mission (although there’s a trophy attached), and for me, these fights although completely optional were the funnest part of the game.
I took on about 3-4 of them before I’d even finished the main game, which probably wasn’t the best idea, but the challenge of defeating them (I’m talking hours for each), really made me be strategical with the combat, with one false move causing my death. This led to me appreciating the combat in this game even more, with having to manage my Runes, Talisman and Atreus’ special power to perfection.
Each Valkyrie is completely different in ability. Some will try attack you up close, whilst others will focus on range attacks. Some attacks can be blocked and others can not. It takes 3-4 goes of each fight to get a hang of the combat cycle, which isn’t something seen too much in other battles during the game.
Whilst you’ll only really come across the Valkyries by chance (There’s four in Midgard and one in each other region), completing the game unlocks all of them on the map.
Honestly, whilst battling these Valkyries were one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever done in a video game, I became addicted. So often I was one hit away from killing one of them before they’d one hit kill me, but it made defeating them even more satisfying. The one more go mentality, that games used to have had returned and it felt wonderful.
I’m still having an absolute ball with God Of War and can’t wait to continue to venture through the amazing world to see what else I can find.
