Hot Take

[Neon Ignition]

A little discussion point from yesterday in the office, but which side of the debate is right?





GOD OF WAR IS A METROIDVANIA GENRE GAME


What do you land on when you think about the type of game God of War is?


Yes it is




or

No it isn't

[Lebowski]

New ability's open up new areas, and areas are reused to open up new paths so id say yes it follows the metroidvaina template, and it also has a smaller map so its not a 3D open world go anywhere action game in the same vein as say Elden Ring or Horizon as your very limited in the areas you can explore.

[fuse]

It might borrow elements, but I don't see it as just being about abilities that open up new areas. When I think Metroidvania, I think 2D platforming (even if faked in 3D), with a grid-based map.

Assuming we're talking about the 2018 God of War then I also think there are far more suitable genres to bung it in, like character action, or AAA troubled dad simulator.

[Lebowski]

It might borrow elements, but I don't see it as just being about abilities that open up new areas. When I think Metroidvania, I think 2D platforming (even if faked in 3D), with a grid-based map.

AAA troubled dad simulator.

It's clearly a "Dad boat cautionary tale de-bunker-up"

[Asura]

GOD OF WAR IS A METROIDVANIA GENRE GAME

God of War or God of War?

Because I suspect God of War is, but God of War isn't.

Also there's a circle of hell reserved for the people who have done this with modern videogame names.

[Neon Ignition]

The modern era ones.
I can see where the case comes from but I struggle with it because unlike the games that properly fall under the monikor God of War doesn't gate your progress. It presents the illusion of an open game with back tracking but in reality there's very little you miss on first pass through and are 99% of the time in a linear forward march. In Ragnarok I've seen a couple of sections I need some equipment to reach but the game will ultimately spoon feed me the equipment and nothing of value will be in those locations, often just red chests. The game isn't really designed around it, more it's a small flourish on top of the previous design. With God of War I find that the biggest change really is a camera perspective shift, the new games are much more alligned with the previous GOW's than they are the likes of Metroid and all the prior games were clear walk along beat em ups,

They need a proper genre name for Metroidvania games though, it's a vague term and... hot take... heavily over values Castlevania's contribution

[hudson]

I like to think your character in Metroidvania games is quite agile. Double jumps, some sort of short lived flight (being a bat or shinesparking), Kratos, bless his little cotton undies, can't even jump.

[Tobal]

Not a "vania" all the backtracking is optional, you start ragnarok with everything but the combat moves, you only get 1 new main item and 1 sidekick item to serve adventuring, and as Neon says, it's always resources or some worthless niche effect armour/artifact 99% of the games player base won't use and at most it's a single room/corridor with a chest in it.

[fishbowlhead]

No its not.

[cutmymilk]

It depends. What opens, entire levels or just some secrets like in the most recent Tomb Raider?