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Rating: Random notes from a casual gamer. I hadn't played on the PlayStation for about fifteen years. I was a fan of Final Fantasy, more for the story than the game itself, for the monsters, the witches, and the absurd worlds. Then, a few weeks ago, I saw images of this new gaming marvel. I spent a bit of money and carved out a few hours a week to dive back into that childish enchantment. I wasn't so much interested in the gameplay as I was in the graphical wonder, the awe of embodying such realistic figures in such a detailed and vast world.
Obviously, the adventure progresses slowly, both because I'm not very good and because I dedicate very little time to it. But in those moments of total captivation, some questions came to mind. Chief among them: what is a video game? What aspects and characteristics define it? I puzzled over it a bit while bashing fiery trolls or slicing through reanimated ice zombies. And as a cinema enthusiast, I gave myself a somewhat uncomfortable answer. A video game is a form of art, if not new, more recent than others, certainly more advanced and innovative, the one most in step with the times. A video game has the potential to be more emotional and engaging than cinema, the narrative spaces to be as deep as literature, but with less effort, and many of the images scrolling before our voracious eyes could almost be considered works of art. There's music, there's practical skill in handling the joypad, there's strategic intelligence in choosing how to fight, there's a need for patience to explore worlds, focus and observation skills to solve puzzles, decision-making ability when choosing whether to upgrade your Leviathan axe or strengthen your armor to be more resistant, though perhaps slower.
I don't have the expertise to say how good God of War is in each of these aspects, but I am sure it reaches excellent levels in all categories. And while tackling an optional mission, the stern father Kratos explains to his little son that his coldness isn't detachment but a necessity for survival; or, in front of the still warm corpse of an enemy possessed by Odin, young Atreus discovers the inexorable horror of having to kill other human beings. Or again, the beauty of an elven world ravaged by a malicious plant that obscures the light. I was entranced by the chromatic games of the sky and sea, I was thrilled to learn new attack techniques, understanding how to take down a stone giant. I felt satisfied when I upgraded my weapon thanks to a stone bequeathed by resentful ghosts, who had asked me to destroy Thor's statue to avenge them. Or again, I was left speechless before a gigantic dragon, cursed in front of the many puzzles needed to free it. And there is no hierarchy of importance among these countless components: war is not more important than beauty, the characters don't come after combat techniques. Everything holds together, and each player can choose how to approach their adventure. Because the adventure truly is theirs. The skill of the programmers lies in being able to balance everything in the sweetest and most reasonable way possible. Sure, there are general tracks, but the difference is made by the detours we decide to make or not along the journey. Rarely do you feel trapped, and even that feeling enriches the experience, just like the freedom to explore.
In short, this is not a review. It's a narrative of the astonishing wealth that a video game can bring with it. It will take me months to finish, maybe I'll never finish it. But I have understood how great the beauty of this art is.
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