God of War’s First Boss Fight Is Goddamn Incredible

NOTE: the below contains spoilers for God of War’s first hour. You have been warned.

No matter how much you take it apart and mess with what made it so beloved to begin with, the DNA of any God of War game contains three very simple factors: violence, some more violence, and mind-blowing boss fights. Although God of War’s PS4 debut may not be the most obvious progression for the series, dropping some of the stylings from the original games for some heavier RPG flavourings, it absolutely maintains the sense of scale found in the boss fights from its predecessors.

It wastes no time in showcasing that, either. God of War has more or less always had grandiose openings, and the newest entry keeps up that rich tradition of starting things off on a high note. Sure, the encounter with The Stranger is predated by what appears to be a boss, but considering said boss then appears again constantly throughout as a mini-boss of sorts with only slight variations, the first encounter with The Stranger has to go down as the first real, meaningful encounter of the game.

Prior to The Stranger knocking on Kratos’ door, the Ghost of Sparta was acting like just that. He showed restraint, keeping his rage submerged and his veneer of humanity very much in place. What The Stranger clearly doesn’t know, however, is that you shouldn’t wake a sleeping bear. The Kratos of old blazes in his eyes as The Stranger threatens the only thing keeping him with some semblance of a normal life, but what makes the fight so great is just how close the fight feels throughout.

It’s clear that Kratos is missing a couple of steps, no doubt thanks to years of staying relatively low-key and, you know, not tearing the head off of things at every available opportunity. He’s mellowed a considerable amount, evidenced perfectly by him not immediately booting Baldur into the nearest star system. His age also plays a large role in him not totally wiping the floor with his wiry foe — this Kratos certainly isn’t a slouch, but he’s perhaps not quite as used to dishing out death as he once was. It’s rare to see character development dished out through violence and also done well to boot, but Santa Monica somehow pull it off.

A lot of the original games’ first boss encounters are large-scale, almost obnoxiously so. Not the case here: it’s just some fisticuffs between two gods. While it may not be as big a spectacle as tackling a hydra, there’s something about two guys just going at it that’s more effective. It’s how the pair utilise the environment to destroy each other that’s so damn satisfying.

Breaking down trees, rocks, and Kratos’ own home makes it breathless, a real down and dirty fight that reminds me of a more bombastic version of the sauna brawl in Eastern Promises — weird comparison, I know. It’s visceral, shown perfectly by Kratos’ eventual “dispatching” of The Stranger.

One of the highlights of the fight is how it’s secretly a tutorial, to make the player engage in tactics they hadn’t yet considered. It comes very early on in the game and up until that point I hadn’t even really used the shield at all; I’ve never really been one for them in any games. However, The Stranger taunting Kratos about his lack of blocking indicates to the player that they really need to start utilising it or it’s going to be an uphill battle.

Some may be against how hands-off most of the fight is, but God of War has largely been like that with its boss fights, many times asking the player to break up the slashing with rapid button prompts and QTEs. The Stranger fight, however, does a fantastic job of subtly informing the player of when it’s their time to fight. Kratos lingers on a tree trunk for just a second, meaning that it’s time for the player to put that trunk to full use.

Thanks to Kratos’ somewhat limited moveset, the fight is basic and therefore quite hard, but not to the point that it’s impossible — it’s just there to remind you that you’re in a real fight. It could be seen as when Kratos finally awakens from his relative slumber, the following stages the perfect excuse for him to rediscover the depths of his power. I am not ashamed to admit that I allowed myself a wry smile when Spartan Rage became available, even if I was expecting Kratos to grow blonde hair and start glowing yellow. The fight is pretty anime and I am here for it.

Much like the rest of the game, the encounter flows perfectly through its stages, quietly loading the next moments through its quieter portions. Even if you’re not that enamoured by this new direction for the God of War series, you have to admit that it’s nothing short of a technical masterpiece.

Have you been playing God of War? Check out our tips for Kratos’ return, or even read our review, which you can catch a snippet of below:

“While the changes brought around for God of War may rankle some, it feels like the natural evolution for a series that you wouldn’t believe is now seven games deep, judging by just how re-energised it feels in its latest incarnation. Kratos is back, and so too is one of PlayStation’s least heroic heroes with great aplomb.”