These Monsters Have Got Nothing On Dad Of Boy!
By this point, everyone and their cat is in agreement that the latest entry in the God of War franchise isn’t only arguably the best, but also a strong contender for game of the year. The revamped combat system, the breathtaking interpretations of the Nine Realms, not to mention the intimate portrayal of a father and son’s fractured relationship is beyond engrossing. Honestly, we could sing its praises until Ragnarok, but for now we’ll settle for counting down what we believe to be the game’s best boss battles. After all, fighting against hellish creatures and unruly deities is the the series’ bread and butter. Even with a much deeper emphasis on the characters’ relationships, it’s fair to say that this most recent iteration still managed to successfully carry on the tradition of slaying the biggest and baddest that mythology has to offer!
Fair warning, there will be SPOILERS AHEAD!
#5: The Trolls
Kratos and Atreus have numerous encounters with these hulking beasts along their journey, each one packing a mean swing and armed with a totem that more often than not holds an elemental affinity. In our minds, the ones that stood out the most would be Dauði Kaupmaðr and the Helheim Bridge Keeper. The former is significant since it serves as the game’s initial boss, all the while illuminating players on how they can use both father and son in combat simultaneously. Whereas the latter not only provides quite the challenge given its penchant for teleportation, but also leads to Kratos encountering the spectral remains of his own dead father.
#4: Magni and Modi
As arrogant as they are powerful, the sons of Thor were a deadly duo. Not due to their strength per say, rather how their taunting words slowly began to breakdown Atreus mentally, kickstarting his way to divine puberty. Still, we can’t deny that having to defend against their oncoming attacks from any angle did give the battle a fair bit of tension, only to be followed by sweet satisfaction when we buried the Leviathan Axe deep into Magni’s head. Normally we wouldn’t wish any harm upon Troy Baker and Nolan North, but this would be the one exception.
#3: Hræzlyr
Just when we had started to get complacent, the game threw us a curve-ball by sending a dragon our way! One that happened to be incredibly fond of blasting out rays of lightning when cranky. In one of the game’s most cinematic fight scenes, we see Kratos try his darnedest to bring down the beast anyway he can, including hoping inside it’s mouth and cleaving its tongue to pieces. The frantic pace of the battle, expert use of the camera and reminiscence of the God of War bosses of old all resulted in a rather bloody reminder that nowhere in this fantastical world is safe.
#2: Baldur
Kratos’ antithesis and the game’s primary antagonist, the son of Odin managed to make one hell of an introduction, wherein he and and the Spartan proceeded to wreck everything in sight with a brutal fist fight. Unable to feel pain and holding an insatiable desire to hunt the father and son duo, players had to exchange blows with this tattooed menace on numerous occassions, each of which further elaborated on just how messed up he was, which made peppering his immortal body with arrows midair all the more satisfying!
#1: The Valkyries
These optional bosses are by far the greatest challenge in the whole Nine Realms, pushing Kratos and Atreus to the limit with their varying techniques, blinding speed and extensive durability. Corrupted into physical forms, players must crush their bodies in order to return their souls to Valhalla, a feat easier said than done given their overwhelming strength. Should you manage to locate and best their scattered shells across each world, you’ll then be tasked with taking on their Queen in a final showdown. Spoilers; the gods don’t have a patch on her!
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 God of War 2018 Moments.