'God Of War' Is The Best Video Game Of 2018
A Masterpiece of Storytelling
"God of War" (2018) is a game that tells the story of Kratos, a man in exile, as he tries to navigate a turbulent relationship with his son and come to terms with the death of his second wife. It earns my praise because of the story that it is able to tell. Rarely does a video game pull me in and manage to keep me effortlessly entertained for as long as this one did.
I came into this game expecting a solid experience, but what I came away with was nothing short of incredible. I have not experienced a game playing reality as intense as this since the release of "Bioshock" in 2007.
The games use of music is nothing short of incredible. The theme song was released and performed for the first time by an orchestra at the Entertainment Electronics Convention in 2016 and was met with almost equal applause to the release of the game trailer. Bear McCreary, the composer for the game, said he wanted to write a piece that represented "age, wisdom, power, [and], masculinity." The three main chords from the opening theme can be heard in different variations throughout the game when main characters make decisions that will be impactful on their relationships or the rest of the storyline.
The most compelling part of the game is that Kratos now has a son. There has now been something given to him to give his life a purpose other than revenge. The dynamic between Kratos and his son Atreus is really remarkable to watch and quite beautiful by the end of the game. It's something that every father and every son can relate to from Atreus' constant struggle to gain his father's approval to Kratos unwavering defense of his son's life even when it puts his own at risk.
The point that I'm trying to make is this: If you are a gamer and you don't already own a PlayStation, "God of War" alone will make it worth your purchase.
Knowing that our choices do matter and that other versions of ourselves have different outcomes, this still doesn't help the argument about free will. The initial thought is "yeah, free will because whatever deisions we make determines our future and the other possibility exists in another timeline." Well, maybe. 
