Did the GOW "all one shot" gimmick pay off?

I often forgot it was there half the time. It's not as impressive an illusion in games like it is a film like Birdman.

It's not noticeable in a game because your deaths break the shot. It was a neat idea, but I'm not sure how much effort that sort of thing is worth. Great game, though.

I was hyped for it, but there's nothing impressive about it. Not to mention it's much harder to do in movies. And it makes the whole game unskippable.

Gimmick.

I liked it a lot.

I am not sure what you are referring to?

@Pedro: The whole game features a continuous camera. No cut or editting. It’s one continuous shot as if somebody was holding a camera following Kratos while everything was taking place.

i probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't learned about it before playing

I like it but does not come of as something impressive now days. I think since streaming and all manner of techniques to hide loading became a thing it does not come off as impressive. The winner is the camera angle for GOW. It forced a combat design that I really like and did not think they would go there.

I agree. I never imagined third-person melee combat could be so fluid and fast from that camera angle.

Oh, never realized that was a "thing".

It's just a bullshit thing to talk about and didn't really have an impact on the quality of the game.

TBH, I largely didn't notice. It's not as cool as it would have been years ago.

I didn't even notice through the game at all! I didn't even know it was there the whole time for that matter.

I think it's a cool thing, I'm still on my first playthrough going through the game on hard difficulty and on immersive mode. It's also the first God of war game I've played so I do die a ton. I'd rather have the one shot than not.

You aren't really supposed to realize it's a single shot. The immersion would be completely broken if you instantly figured it out.

Nah it's just a marketing gimmick. Barely even noticed it.

That was my experience too. It was also obvious how they hid loading when you fast traveled and in the "map room". I dunno I think it was a cute idea, not really worth it.

Really? I miss the old camera angle; pulled back so I can see what I'm doing. Most of my fights were just a blur of particle effects while I spammed R1. Overrated to me, but I have no doubt that I'm in the minority.

It's sort of a lose lose proposition. If you notice it, they failed, but if you don't notice it, what was the point? I knew it as soon as I fast traveled, and assume it's why climbing takes so long.

I think it worked out, and while some may argue it didn’t pan out fully I’d say it at least wasn’t a negative.

Basically this. I didn't care about it one way or another, I know it's there to hide the loading screens but I'm one of the few who actually "turns off your brain" type of gamer.

@Bread_or_Decide: Well put. Santa Monica really made a great combat from this tight an angle.

Well your not really the only one and I get part of the problem GOW still connects to the past games. Its missing that past fun of seeing everything and just wailing on enemies feeling up combo counter and executing qte finishes. That was fun but it was getting old to some. Unable to match the depth of other games in that genre. Perhaps would have been better apriciated by some if this was a brand new IP and new character. Its no longer that stylistic action game.

My praise for the new GOW combat is not the choice of this camera by the director for cinematics but more kudos to the combat designer. I like how they used the camera and gave you a challenge and tools to play with that challenge. Those tools including the kid. They have progression that you can control. Also tinkering with how effective different styles are to control that combat. This is game design and the new fun for me. They did not do the easy thing and make sure enemies are always in front of you to escort you through this wonderful cinematic story. The way the hitbox connects the feel of the attack is praise worthy and a step up from the different past games. The camera just makes sense for the combat they design even if the choice might have bee for something different. It seems like there was push, a discussion about the camera and someone going away saying mmmh let me see what i can do with this. There are some nigles with the game holding this card too much until the end and not fully allowing you to really enjoy once you got everything. It trully needs NG+ in that give me GOW mode. Or it should take some of the behaviour there and incorporate them to later enemies on other dificulties. Immersive mode is just pure fun really great stuff here.

I liked the idea and it added to the game but ye, it's gimmicky, not an achievement like in cinema.

Yeah, I think my major problem is that I had only played 3 before the new one, so I'm probably not as burnt out as everyone else. And to exacerbate the problem, I'm tired of 3rd person action games, so it's a double whammy for me. To me, GoW is a fast paced, gore filled, adrenaline roller coaster, with over the top set pieces and some light puzzles. The new one is a thematic, character driven story about emotion and growth. It's just not what I'm looking for, but to each their own.

I freely admit to having played this game incorrectly. When I saw the different stats (luck, strength, runic, etc.) I assumed there would be some freedom in how I built my Kratos, but there really isn't. I normally go for damage builds so I chose all strength, and it doesn't really allow that. You can put more strength gear on, but you still have to use runic attacks, and it the trade off just doesn't seem like a viable option. Plus, after you have all of the attacks (and well before) unlocked, there's just too much for me to handle. Maybe I'm getting too old, but it felt way overly complicated to me. I got the platinum, but only because I didn't have to play it on GoW mode or whatever it was called. Again, I'm glad people love it, but for me it's just another game that sold something unique for something safe.

Great on the first run. Tedious for the next, more optimized next run. The loads and cutscenes can feel obnoxious.

I loved the result. Particulary impressive watching everything in real time when we are in the circle room changing worlds.

The best aspect of it is that you DON'T notice it.

It's not that it's a "gimmick" it's a narrative and gameplay approach to tailoring a game. And it IS innovative in the respect of how games have traditionally sectioned off gameplay from narration and cut-scene segments.

Asking if the one shot approach "paid off" isn't the real question you're asking. What you're asking is if the one shot narrative/gameplay approach is something you appreciate in the game or prefer the traditional segmented gameplay to cut-scene approach.

Saying you prefer traditional cut-scene narration approach where you're completely broken off from gameplay makes you sound a bit moronic considering the amount of people complaining about games that take you out of gameplay breaking immersion.

The game is a critically acclaimed AAA and 5mil sold in a month!...whatever they've done with the production of this game has "paid off" LMAO, the real question is, are you mad about it?

for a series known for its gigantic scale epic moments i felt opportunities to convey the size of things more impressively were compromised by the camera restraints. it wasn't bad or anything just not really necessary

It wasn’t so impactful as to be what I’ll remember the most. The technique was best used in HL2 and I don’t recall another game being anywhere near as effective in its employ.

What I will remember most from GoW is its exquisite animation work, which is doubly impressive given its foundation in action-focused gameplay.

really? santa monica was trying to be scorcese?

quick someone get a clip of the game and sync "and then he kissed me" to it. lol

No, it just meant that I couldn't skip scenes if I ever were to do a repeat playthrough.

U like anything that sony brings out

I didn't really notice it. I don't think it had any impact on me whatsoever even in a subconscious sense.

Impressive in movies, but pointless in games.

@jippo: uhhhh, I don't like or care for VR, so false.