As evidenced inour reviewfor the recently releasedGod of War, Sony and Santa Monica Studio have managed to craft an action-adventure epic that not only evolves the character of Kratos, but also delivers a technical and narrative powerhouse that pushes the PlayStation 4 to its absolute limits. Of course, in order to truly appreciate a work of art, one must also be able to poke fun at it, which is why Smosh Games has decided to give the PS4 exclusive the Honest Trailer treatment.
As seen below inGod of War’s Honest Trailer, Smosh manages to touch on the majority of the game’s story, mechanics, and themes – particularly when it comes to Kratos' status as a father to his son Atreus – while also taking jabs at previous entries in the series. For instance, the Honest Trailer tells players to “discover a brand newGod of War, as the series takes you from the familiar world of snapping spines and sex mini-games in sunny Greece to tossing axes and being a s****y dad in the frozen North.”
The majority ofGod of War’s Honest Trailer has a bunch of solid gags throughout, but perhaps the best one involves Smosh Games' explanation as to why Kratos never directly speaks Atreus' name when talking to him. According to the narrator, the Ghost of Sparta is suffering from a case of “PTSDeity and being such an absentee father that he clearly can’t even remember his own son’s name,” with the video then splicing in a row of Kratos saying, “Boy” to address his son. Later on, in fact, the same joke is driven home, as Atreus is billed as “The Boy Who Had No Name”.
WhileGod of Waris definitely a game to be revered and respected for its refined story about loss and redemption, it’s up to those with more humorous bones in their bodies like the folks at Smosh Games andClueless Gamer with Conan O’Briento remind us how important it is to not take things too seriously. After all,God of Warhas plenty of levity to spare with both Brok and Sindri’s presences, as well as Atreus' comments that elicit loads of deadpan reactions from Kratos in between the more touching scenes and brutal beat downs.
