The first half of PlayStation's 2021 lineup was a selection of big AAA releases that provided just a peek into the PS5's next-gen capabilities. Games like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Returnal were all released in a close quarter and kept PS5 fans busy throughout the early summer. However, as the second half of 2021 approaches, the PlayStation brand has a notable void of first-party and exclusive titles.
If not for the ongoing pandemic that severely affected game development, highly anticipated PS5 exclusives like GhostWire: Tokyo, Horizon Forbidden West, and the next God of War may have met the 2021 window. However, all these big Sony exclusives got pushed to 2022, with no concrete release windows to ease fans' skepticism. Despite all the inevitable delays and a massive void that plagues PlayStation's holiday 2021 lineup, Sony still has a golden opportunity to redeem itself with a proper next-gen upgrade of one of its highly appraised titles - God of War.
The Need for a God of War PS5 Update
Unlike Xbox, which has stuck to releasing free next-gen upgrades for its first-party games, PlayStation's approach has been more erratic. Whereas some first-party games have had the privilege of receiving free PS5 upgrades that focus on boosting FPS and providing a resolution upgrade, others have received full-blown next-gen ports that go beyond just providing a smoother performance and crisper image quality.
Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man and Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima are two PS4 exclusives that received a massive PS5 upgrade that comes at an additional cost. For Marvel's Spider-Man Remaster on PS5, Insomniac introduced ray-traced environments, added haptic feedback and adaptive triggers support, 3D spatial audio, and plenty of other bells and whistles to complement its $40 price tag. Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut on PS5 introduces all of the aforementioned features and more, except for ray-traced environments, and goes a step further by adding a full-fledged story expansion of Iki Island.
Kojima's Production's Death Stranding is getting the proper PS5 treatment next, with its Director's Cut version all set to launch in early September. All these PS5 centric updates, although not free, are game-changing and are something that other popular PS4 exclusives deserve as well. While both The Last of Us 2 and God of War are notable contenders for the same, the latter seems obligatory at this point, especially given the massive void that came with the not-so-surprising delay of the Ragnarok-centered God of War sequel.
The backward-compatible version of God of War on PS5 does run at a solid 60 FPS with checkerboard 4K resolution, though that isn't enough to do God of War justice. PS5's DualSense controller can be incredibly immersive and game-changing when implemented right. After acknowledging and appreciating the difference it makes in other games, it's hard to go back and experience the slicing and dicing of Kratos' Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos without adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.
What the God of War PS5 Update Could Bring to the Table
While a full-fledged single-player DLC seems absurd given that the next God of War launches in 2022, there is still some exciting stuff that a proper PS5 update for 2018's God of War could bring to the table. First and foremost, properly implementing DualSense adaptive triggers and haptic feedback would go a long way in exemplifying how powerful and impactful the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos in God of War are. While both already feels quite heavy and weighted on DualShock 4, God of War's combat paired with the DualSense would be a match made in heaven, that if ignored, would be a missed opportunity.
While games like Returnal and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart do a fine job of implementing DualSense features in exploration and combat, God of War could be on a whole different level, as both its combat and DualSense share a common goal — immersion. God of War's combat is designed to feel immersive, realistic, heavy, and weighted, in which every swing feels like an impactful slash. A DualSense update would only heighten that experience.
While the DualSense support can be groundbreaking, there is plenty of other quality-of-life changes that God of War needs. For instance, Kratos' movement and camera can feel a bit restrictive and slow. While it's nowhere as clunky as Geralt's movements in The Witcher 3, it does hinder the combat experience, especially when surrounded by multiple foes. Additionally, gear customization in God of War feels a bit cumbersome and could do with a more simplistic and cleaner UI that does a better job of explaining the ins and outs of all the different attributes. SSD features like instant loading when fast traveling would also be welcomed and expected.
A Perfect Reminder of What God of War Ragnarok Could Be Like
The details on the next God of War game are non-existent right now, with last year's teaser merely confirming the existence of what was supposed to be a 2021 title. Fast forward to now, and the only other official update so far has been about the next God of War coming to the PS4, and its inevitable 2022 delay. With no confirmed title, the next God of War game is a big mystery right now. Given Sony's continued silence towards the state of its first-party games, it could be a while before fans hear or see anything about it. As such, revitalizing 2018's God of War with a PS5 update is the only plausible way to fuel fans' anticipation for its most wanted sequel.
Xbox has a massive holiday 2021 lineup, and Horizon Forbidden West delay is a huge opportunity for Xbox and while there isn't enough to fill in the void left by the upcoming Ragnarok centered God of War, the PS5 update for God of War could be a perfect reminder of why the never-ending wait for Kratos and Atreus' next adventure is worth the wait.
God of War is now available on PS4 and PS5.