I don't really like God of War, and here's why

[Richter1887]

Oh yeah, you just reminded me of another thing I don't like about the game: The fact that slashing is mostly restricted to where the camera is pointing.

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Okay?

This still doesn't change the fact that this is how the game is played. You don't like it but that's how they wanted it to work. You use the analog stick all the time if you are playing correctly.

Ah, so you've never dug deep into Old God of War.

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Explain to me then, what is there to dig deep into?
I used all the combos the game gave me and I still never felt I needed to do anything differently against any enemy. I used different moves for variety sake and to prevent repetition but it was in no way "deep".

I replayed the whole series countless times on many different difficulites and it always come down to this: Button mashing with the basic combos with the Blades can get you through the whole game without any issue.
I was never forced to change my strategy compared to GOW4 on hard.

 

[lowhighkang_LHK]

Yes, because Era is a giant hive mind and we dislike all outsiders. 🙄🙄🙄

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ehhh....

 

[Bryo4321]

Agreed. The game is an amalgamation of almost every big AAA trend this gen, and the problem is that a lot of those elements are just in the game to be there but they don't really make it better imo.

 

[Hybrid Rainbow]

ehhh....

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Oh come on not you too LHK! With as many warriors as we have on this forum, can we really say Era is equally united on every AAA game?

 

[lowhighkang_LHK]

To me, God of War 2018 is basically 80% of AAA-singleplayer games rolled up into one. It's got the following. Grindy sidequests, crafting, RPG elements, loot, open/semi-open world, over-the-shoulder camera, combat vaguely inspired by Souls (Without understanding what makes that game good), story about some parent and their kid/kid surrogate... This is what we call a "box-checker". The only thing that it needs now is crouched stealth based around throwing distraction objects. It's such a safe game in every sense of the word.

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If you told me that mechanic was in I'd believe you.

 

[Hate]

enemy variety is my only problem I have the same with op.

 

[Foreign Jackass]

My main issue with God of War is that I couldn't play it for more than 2-3 hours because every half-hour would make me want to puke my guts out

Fuck this trend of nausea-inducing cameras

 

[Odeko]

Gotcha, something that isn't universally praised, considered game of the generation, great reboot and won game of year in one of the most stacked years ever, got it. You ready just sound mad considering the things you complained about the majority enjoyed

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Lmao you've never made a good post in your entire life so what are you doing critiquing anyone?

 

[Soj]

I really find it hard to understand why the default camera and aim assist settings are what they are. I feel bad for anyone who played the entire game using them. Combat feels so much better with a few simple tweaks.

 

[lowhighkang_LHK]

Oh come on not you too LHK! With as many warriors as we have on this forum, can we really say Era is equally united on every AAA game?

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I'd like to say no. But the amount of back handed responses the OP got just in the first page alone says otherwise. Like of course his opinion is an opinion. And of course some people agree or disagree. It's the very point of why a gaming forum like this exists. To discuss opinions on games. And he certainly made his best effort to explain why.

 

[xxracerxx]

I'd like to say no. But the amount of back handed responses the OP got just in the first page alone says otherwise

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I should just repost your gif here.

 

[Chronos]

supposedly Cory said they are saving that reveal for the next game

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That's good to hear, still doesn't change the fact it is jarring, but adds some intrigue to how it will play out now.

 

[MegaSackman]

I know that we don't have all the same experience but I played the game with dynamic hud from the get go and the way you handle combat (imo) is positioning, having most of your enemies in a 180° and no more than one or two enemies on your back, you also have to know how far those enemies are from you, that way you know how much you can extend an attack on a enemy that's in the front. I take it as a gameplay mechanic, knowing what's happening around you is important to me and you have to take decisions and risks every time. Yes, they could have everything on screen so you have complete control but.... why? just because the others were like that? It's a different focus, you don't have to like it but that doesn't make it bad, it relies more on strategy than pure brute force and dodges. I vastly prefer it this way, God of War and Horizon were the only games I've played without an active HUD so it can be done.

 

[Tibarn]

Really good OP IMO, I share all the complaints even if I enjoyed the game.

-Yes, camera and the need for visual attack clues are bad and make a sometimes brilliant combat far worse than it should be. A shame.
-Most side content in the game is not good at all, and feels like "ok we need to make the game 20+ hours because it's 2018 and this is a big AAA game with no MP modes"
-I would add that the game has a big problem with the relation between character movement options and game structure. Game plays like a linear action game (lots of invisible walls, no jump button, no fun traversal options) but the game structue tries to be like a Metroidvania, and IMO fails. Revisiting areas is a chore, the boat is not a good gameplay elements, invisible walls and fixed paths can be frustrating at times...

I loved the first 2-3 hours, but from Alfheim to the end the game has a poor pacing, revisiting areas is not fun, the constant walking/ masked loading screen/boat sections are not fun, backtracking feels off, lack of good bossfights... there are many problems with the game to be considered a really great experience.

I hope they return to the game structure of the old GoW games, it was overall better for the kind of game they want to do.

 

[Tibarn]

But holy fucking shit, are its fans defensive. OP has taken the time to write down and substantiate why they don't like the game, and they instantly trip over themselves to dismiss that viewpoint, including some posters I'd expect better from. Is this a common thing with acclaimed games on Era?

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Exactly my point. OP did a wonderful job of explaining all that doesn't work with the game (a personal opinion of course). Fanbases are a dangerous thing, and here (like in every internet forum) it's kind of sad to see how some users are defending a brand instead of his gaming criteria.

I remember that Matthewmatosis (a in-depth videogame analysis Youtuber) was highly criticized for creating a video with some complaints about the game too, even when he clearly showed examples of everything he discussed.

 

[Mr.Branding]

I had a really good time with the game but I actually agree with most of your points.

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This is where I sit. +1

 

[Deleted member 4037]

Would love to know what games your were part of that you can criticise so many aspects of it as if you did better

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Isnt the flipside of this that the "universal love" the game has is built on people who haven't worked on games themselves? So you shouldn't be able to like the thing either since if you haven't worked on a game you are inept, therefore GoW isnt actually truely liked at all, by your logic.

 

[Firmament1]

Okay?

This still doesn't change the fact that this is how the game is played. You don't like it but that's how they wanted it to work. You use the analog stick all the time if you are playing correctly.

Explain to me then, what is there to dig deep into?
I used all the combos the game gave me and I still never felt I needed to do anything differently against any enemy. I used different moves for variety sake and to prevent repetition but it was in no way "deep".

I replayed the whole series countless times on many different difficulites and it always come down to this: Button mashing with the basic combos with the Blades can get you through the whole game without any issue.
I was never forced to change my strategy compared to GOW4 on hard.

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Ok, wow. That is just so wrong.

Old God of War is NOT based around dodging: It's about blocking, more than anything.

And yeah, you might've been able to just use the same attacks over and over again, but that's... the boring way to play God of War. OG God of War is about efficiency above all: About wiping out your enemies as fast as possible, before they can even touch you. Saying that you can just mash is like saying Ninja Gaiden Black is about constantly using the Izuna Drop, or Bayonetta is all about spamming PKP. Yeah, you can do that, but that's just tedious and boring. It's much better to learn throw looping, setups, and how to just whack enemies into eachother. In God of War 3, the battering ram is one of your most effective tactics.

This guy does a way better job of defending God of War than I ever could. The people that he mentions are GameFAQs users, if you're wondering. while sbk91 explained why god of war's combat is good quite nicely, he's actually a total fucking idiot on the forum. he's a conspiracy theorist that claimed that god of war 2018 had a marxist agenda.

 

[RedSparrows]

I should get back to finishing this. It's very good (though I agree with OP: it's essentially enormously conservative in many respects, even as it's 'radical' as per the IP), but I was never super engaged.

 

[Deleted member 52442]

next one needs more gods

they were super stingy with them this time around

 

[CRIMSON-XIII]

I loved God of War. The fighting and camera and directional control was what I had the least issue with.

 

[ced]

Only thing I agree with is the crafting is just some check box they wanted, it can go

 

[Hydeus]

This game was a masterpiece.

 

[ethanradd]

I didn't like it. Loved the story but didn't enjoy the gameplay, felt tedious. I finally dropped it and just watched the whole story on YouTube, should've done that from the jump tbh.

 

[Richter1887]

Ok, wow. That is just so wrong.

Old God of War is NOT based around dodging: It's about blocking, more than anything.

And yeah, you might've been able to just use the same attacks over and over again, but that's... the boring way to play God of War. OG God of War is about efficiency above all: About wiping out your enemies as fast as possible, before they can even touch you. Saying that you can just mash is like saying Ninja Gaiden Black is about constantly using the Izuna Drop, or Bayonetta is all about spamming PKP. Yeah, you can do that, but that's just tedious and boring. It's much better to learn throw looping, setups, and how to just whack enemies into eachother. In God of War 3, the battering ram is one of your most effective tactics.

This guy does a way better job of defending God of War than I ever could. The people that he mentions are GameFAQs users, if you're wondering. while sbk91 explained why god of war's combat is good quite nicely, he's actually a total fucking idiot on the forum. he's a conspiracy theorist that claimed that god of war 2018 had a marxist agenda.

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You are missing the point.

The fact of the matter is that the game doesn't force you into mastering it. You can play through it without much thought or strategy. You can style if you want but then again you can do so in GOW4 if you master it.

Someone posted a video earlier that shows how GOW4 when mastered plays like and it is way more demanding that old GOW ever was. Only classic GOW that felt "deep" was Ascension because you had to use parry and a lot of different moves to get through the game or else the game is much harder.

Seems to me you like the classic combat (and I like that one too) and are expecting GOW4 to be like it when it is not. It is a much different combat system that requires a lot more than "style".

 

[Deleted member 15447]

I'm with you OP.

What I hated the most about the game is how most of the loot I came across in the game was either completely useless, only a slight variation on what I already had, inferior to what I already had, or a different set of stat compromises. I spent so much time completing sidequests or exploring to find hidden chests, only to be rewarded with absolutely nothing of value or that I wanted to use. It just didn't feel satisfying at all. I kept hoping that eventually the game would start giving me some good things, and sometimes it did, but it was so rare. I legit didn't use over 90% of the gear I found in the game. Why bother?

Every time I came back across the shop, I dreaded the time I would have to spend in the menu to optimize everything I had and the different kinds of upgrades and slots and crystals and whatnot. So much fluff and tedium.

Canoeing around was long, tedious, and boring. I couldn't take the story seriously with all the "humor"-relief thrown in there. It felt like it had all the maturity of an angsty teenager that listens to too much Puddle of Mudd or something.

The fast-travel "go around in a circle" until a portal appears was interesting... just once. Then I figured out what the game was doing, I'd just not touch the controller for 30 seconds until the portal appeared. I hate games that attempt to take me for an idiot.

Combat felt repetitive, stiff, and slow.

Having to go to the center room and fiddle with the portal thing to change worlds was hyper cool the first time, not so much the 10th time. Why not just let me fast-travel like any other game ever? This felt like it was there just to artificially pad things out.



I hated how stiff it felt. It felt like it was stuck to Kratos like he had a GoPro stick stuck up his ass. There was no momentum or elasticity to its movement. It felt like a robotic mechanical thing, not an organic one. It reminded me that I'm playing a piece of computer software where someone just mapped the camera's XYZ position 1:1 to Kratos' XYZ+10 position and called it a day.

I could go on for pages. But I'm baffled as to how something like this won so many Game of the Year awards. Must have been a very slow year. It's not a bad game. But it's not that great either. I've completed it and have no desire to ever return to it.

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It's ironic that you sound like an angsty teenager with how you've chosen to give your two cents.

There's nothing wrong with not liking something that many others do. However, you're not doing yourself any favours with the way you've tried to portray your criticism.

 

[Deleted member 1003]

I'm with you OP.

What I hated the most about the game is how most of the loot I came across in the game was either completely useless, only a slight variation on what I already had, inferior to what I already had, or a different set of stat compromises. I spent so much time completing sidequests or exploring to find hidden chests, only to be rewarded with absolutely nothing of value or that I wanted to use. It just didn't feel satisfying at all. I kept hoping that eventually the game would start giving me some good things, and sometimes it did, but it was so rare. I legit didn't use over 90% of the gear I found in the game. Why bother?

Every time I came back across the shop, I dreaded the time I would have to spend in the menu to optimize everything I had and the different kinds of upgrades and slots and crystals and whatnot. So much fluff and tedium.

Canoeing around was long, tedious, and boring. I couldn't take the story seriously with all the "humor"-relief thrown in there. It felt like it had all the maturity of an angsty teenager that listens to too much Puddle of Mudd or something.

The fast-travel "go around in a circle" until a portal appears was interesting... just once. Then I figured out what the game was doing, I'd just not touch the controller for 30 seconds until the portal appeared. I hate games that attempt to take me for an idiot.

Combat felt repetitive, stiff, and slow.

Having to go to the center room and fiddle with the portal thing to change worlds was hyper cool the first time, not so much the 10th time. Why not just let me fast-travel like any other game ever? This felt like it was there just to artificially pad things out.



I hated how stiff it felt. It felt like it was stuck to Kratos like he had a GoPro stick stuck up his ass. There was no momentum or elasticity to its movement. It felt like a robotic mechanical thing, not an organic one. It reminded me that I'm playing a piece of computer software where someone just mapped the camera's XYZ position 1:1 to Kratos' XYZ+10 position and called it a day.

I could go on for pages. But I'm baffled as to how something like this won so many Game of the Year awards. Must have been a very slow year. It's not a bad game. But it's not that great either. I've completed it and have no desire to ever return to it.

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First, you're "verified"? Ok, standards must have gone down.

Second, 2018 was not a slow year. Next time try not to sound so angsty. You can make criticisms without sounding like a middle-schooler.

 

[BeaconofTruth]

I'd like to say no. But the amount of back handed responses the OP got just in the first page alone says otherwise. Like of course his opinion is an opinion. And of course some people agree or disagree. It's the very point of why a gaming forum like this exists. To discuss opinions on games. And he certainly made his best effort to explain why.

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It is frustrating talking about depth or high level play concepts on forums, because the dismissive bullshit you get is ridiculous.

Same goons have the energy to criticize anything else, but high level play concepts aren't worth talking? It makes bringing up the disappointments with Bayonetta 2s combat frustrating as hell.

"Who cares about 200 hit combo experts"...like that's not even what's wrong with the game, it's not even shit exclusive to high level play lol.

I lean towards Dad of War is a good combat system, worthy of some action Jackson lad praise, but I didn't think the op was completely invalid or dismissive. Now "but mah metascore n industry awards" can fuck right off.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

I agree with most of your complaints (outside of grindy sidequests - what?) But I still think it's a solid 8/10 or so.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

First, you're "verified"? Ok, standards must have gone down.

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Lmao

 

[DynamicSushy]

I dismissed God of War for the longest time cuz of that stupid camera, but then I watched more footage and actually played it. Game is quite fun and rather than having you fight for control of the camera like in DMCV, the camera is consistent while the game accommodates the limited over the shoulder view (enemy attack indicators from off screen)

 

[Deleted member 58846]

First, you're "verified"? Ok, standards must have gone down.

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Man, some of you cannot handle criticism of games you like, can you

 

[Furiousone]

I enjoyed it, and also agree with many of your comments. Specifically boss variety and the tacked on RPG elements. If I recall correctly they wanted to do more with the bosses, but ran out of time...something to the effect that a single boss encounter could take months to develop depending on the complexity.

 

[NekoNeko]

It's a 6/10. Pacing issues and bad combat hold it back for me.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

Man, some of you cannot handle criticism of games you like, can you

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Clearly not lol.

I dismissed God of War for the longest time cuz of that stupid camera, but then I watched more footage and actually played it. Game is quite fun and rather than having you fight for control of the camera like in DMCV, the camera is consistent while the game accommodates the limited over the shoulder view (enemy attack indicators from off screen)

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I think instead of having enemy indicators they should have just pulled back the camera more personally. After the ~20 hours it took to complete most of the game's content I still wasnt used to the camera.

 

[TransEuropaExpress]

I really like God Of War overall but I actually agree with, or can totally see, a lot of OP's criticisms on my subsequent playthroughs especially.

My biggest gripe is actually the rather grating amount of slow walking style moments in its various incarnations, it seriously bogged the game down for me during repeat plays. That and Atraeus...shut the fuck up, for the love of god (of war lulz). I truly hope games like this can start adding a frequency-of-banter type slider or something in the Options menu.

 

[Ravelle]

Two God of War threads within 2 days, that must be a record.

 

[stryke]

Man, some of you cannot handle criticism of games you like, can you

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Everything would have fine until it was signed off with "it only win goty because the year was shit"

That's not valid criticism. That's being fucking petulant.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

next one needs more gods

they were super stingy with them this time around

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I wish I knew beforehand that the story was only the first part of a series. All this talk about Odin and he's saved for sequel bait.

 

[Deleted member 58846]

Everything would have fine until it was signed off with "it only win goty because the year was shit"

That's not valid criticism. That's being fucking petulant.

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Sure, I agree with you. God of War is an amazing game that won in a stacked year in the face of overwhelming competition because it deserved it. I disagree with anyone who suggests otherwise. I will also not go about personally insulting someone who disagrees with my opinion on a video game like so many people in this very thread have been doing.

 

[Lumination]

The camera is a total mess. I have to ask: Why did we have to use an Over-the-shoulder camera in combat? In a primarily melee-focused action game? Couldn't we have just zoomed the camera the fuck out like in Ninja Gaiden: Razor's Edge, or Arkham, and then run with over-the-shoulder when out of combat? I genuinely can't think of any gameplay-related benefits with this perspective beyond just "iMmErSiOn".

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As a GoW fan and someone who loved 2018, I agree with everything you've pointed out except your attitude on this. As much as you want to handwave it away, "iMmErSiOn" is a valid design decision. Remember that not so long ago, "an immersive experience" was pretty much one of the highest levels of praise you could heap onto a game. We've since evolved past that, but that doesn't mean it's an invalid goal to achieve.

Compare 2018 to a character action game like Bayonetta. Bayo has 0 sense of immersion, I play it for the flashy lights and stylish combos, to rack up points arcade-style. The story is barely there. 2018 is looking for a more balanced approach. It isn't a cinematic game that autoplays itself. It does what it does with the camera (even at slight detriment to the gameplay) to make the player feel like Kratos. You're not controlling Kratos, at some level, you ARE Kratos. And that's not some bs I pulled out of my ass, that's basically filmmaking fundamentals -- the camera has an important role to play for consumer immersion. They made the calculated decision to prop up immersion at times, and I enjoyed it for that reason. Take the Athena scene. You walk right through his vision of her and the fighting starts pretty immediately. You see what he sees. It wouldn't be the same if you walk out of the cabin and the camera zooms out.

 

[ThreepQuest64]

Grindy sidequests, crafting, RPG elements, loot, open/semi-open world, over-the-shoulder camera, combat vaguely inspired by Souls (Without understanding what makes that game good), story about some parent and their kid/kid surrogate

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Exactly why I liked it. Such a good game. Didn't like its predecessors though.

 

[RockmanBN]

RPG elements felt like an afterthought, enemy variety needed more, and nothing felt rewarding to get.

 

[Mona]

Combat feels incredibly satisfying, and it has great visual feedback. The axe throw mechanic is a stroke of genius.

You do raise some valid complaints, though.

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couldn't have said it better myself

 

[AlexBasch]

t

 

[Franco_Tech]

Some people didn't like the latest Zelda BOTW, Mario Odyssey, Bloodborne, Spiderman PS4, Red Dead Redemption 2 or even by many the best game this generation Witcher 3. Not everybody like what the masses like and I respect that. What I don't like is that if you didn't like that not mean the game is mediocre.

 

[Haze]

It is a super AAA game but I think it has a lot more character than others.

It's a solid game with a few pretty big fundamental problems like the superfluous RPG systems, the inconsistent difficulty that is often entirely too easy, poor boss fights, and enemy variety.

 

[Zassimick]

I hadn't even considered the restricted tools angle, and after looking back I have to agree. It's one thing to just say you don't like something, but you went into detail on the main points you wanted to discuss and that's appreciated.

First, you're "verified"? Ok, standards must have gone down.

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[Jobbs]

I found God of War to be an absolute grind to get through, with all of its forced cutscenes in the form of walking and talking for ages, and the completely vacuous """"""""""""""""""puzzles""""""""""""""""" it uses to pad out the experience and provide space for the characters to prattle on more. I'm not sure I put enough quotation marks around puzzles.

Carrying a giant light bulb to the one place that it goes (while making a side stop with it along the way to get a pointless treasure chest!) isn't a puzzle. That's a waste of time. And by the way, Kratos variable strength level does nothing to invest me in the story. I want any property to have consistent internal logic and consist rules, and Kratos is as strong as any particular moment needs him to be. When he needs to, he can swing a tree as if it was nothing, or *push a giant stone bridge that has to weigh a hundred million tons* with some effort. But carrying a crystal thingy that probably weighs, at most, a couple hundred pounds slows him down. 'Kay.

And the story is just nonsense.

Spoiler

There's a part where Kratos decides to go to hell or whatever to kill the bridgekeeper to get his heart which will cure his son of the "doesn't know he's a god sickness" (lol), and the characters all tell him he's crazy for doing this. It's insane! It's suicide! And then.... It's.. easy? In the reality of the gameplay it's fucking easy. And the bridgekeeper himself is just another copy paste of the troll you keep fighting.

'Kay.

I thought the combat was okay in this game, but holy shit it wasn't great and it certainly wasn't great enough to make up for just how severely this game wasted my time with busywork and tedium.

 

[ToddBonzalez]

If this an "airing our grievances about GoW thread" The "puzzles" in which you have to throw your axe at three runes in the environment to open a chest were a slog. Just pointless busywork scanning the environment to find hidden objects.

 

[Big G]

I really enjoyed God of War and don't agree with the complaints in the OP, though they are by no means invalid. I really like the way the game looks, plays and how the action is directed.

My main issue with it is that the game felt uneven and to some extent, unfinished; not in the sense that the game is lacking in content in any way, but that the pacing and progression starts to fall apart around the 50%-to-66% mark in the game and it stopped feeling as rewarding to play from that point on. New abilities got doled out with a regularity, and then that just stops. I stopped getting better loot drops. Each subsequent realm felt less and less realized (and honestly Alfheim is the only one that didn't feel like it was significantly gutted). All of this happens right around the same time that the story really goes on auto-pilot.

That's not to say that the back-third of the game is bad by any means (it's still good), but it was a very front-loaded experience where the first half of the game is brilliant and the second half felt compromised in a number of respects. If the quality was consistent throughout, it'd probably be among my favorite games ever considering how much I was enjoying it by around the midway point. As it stands, it's still an excellent game.