God of War, Santa Monica Studio's 2018 reboot/sequel to the long-running franchise, is set to choppity chop its way onto PC on January 14. The game is the most recent PC port of a Sony first-party title following the success of Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone. Other PS4 exclusives like Death Stranding and Final Fantasy VII Remake have also made their way to the platform in recent years.
Overall, critics have high praise for Sony's efforts here. As God of War's story, which garnered acclaim at the time, remains unchanged, the PC version's technical prowess has been the central focus of most reviews. And critics seem to agree: this the best version of a great game. And, currently, you can pick up a discounted Steam code via Fanatical (see below).
For an even more detailed look, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
“The PC version of God of War supports 4k resolution and unlocked framerates, DLSS and ultrawide displays, as well as some more granular options for tweaking the look of the game, like turning up the resolution of textures or enhancing the appearance of shadows. Probably the most notable improvement is the unlocked framerate, which makes for some buttery smooth moments of Kratos slamming the Leviathan Axe into draugr and trolls. God of War ran at 30fps on PlayStation 4, so if this is your first time playing or revisiting the game since then (without, say, the upgrade to its PlayStation 5 version), the higher framerate is a nice step forward for a game that's all about slick animations and the flow state of building devastating combos. Generally, though, God of War was a very pretty game even in its PS4 incarnation, and it remains a very pretty game here, whether you're turning up the graphics and framerate or not." -- Phil Hornshaw [Full review]
Polygon - Recommended
"God of War on PC is more than just a great visual upgrade for an already stunning game. It’s the best version of one of the best games ever made, perfect for replays and first run-throughs alike." -- Ryan Gilliam [Full review]
VGC - 5/5
"God Of War always felt somewhat visually ahead of its time on the PlayStation 4. On original release, its inconsistent frame issues, coupled with the fact that running the game at a smooth 60 was basically fantasy, marred what was an aesthetically enriching experience.
Now that PC players can finally experience 4K visuals at a rock-solid 60 frames per second and beyond, playing God Of War on PC feels like you’re watching your favourite film on pristine film-print, having only ever viewed it previously on pirate DVD." -- Jordan Middler [Full review]
PCGamesN - 9/10
"We know God of War is a good game, we heard all about it when it came out. What about the PC port? I have good news: it’s also pretty good. The Steam version features support for ultrawide monitors and 4K resolutions, with individual settings for texture detail, model quality, shadows, reflections, ‘atmospherics’, and ambient occlusion. And while God of War’s system requirements aren’t too demanding, you can also boost performance through Nvidia DLSS or AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution, helping you take advantage of the newly uncapped frame rate." -- Ian Boudreau [Full review]
NME - 4/5
"God of War still holds up brilliantly, and this PC version adds the bells and whistles to rival even the latest and greatest in PC gaming. Strap yourself in and enjoy one of the best third-person action games of the PS4 generation." -- Jake Tucker [Full review]
STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl has been officially delayed to the end of the year, developer GSC has confirmed. The new release date is now set for December 8th, 2022. Whether the game will still launch simultaneously for PC and Xbox Series X|S has been detailed – if this was the case then GSC would have likely highlighted this in its statement. The massive, seven-month delay will give the team more time to polish the post apocalyptic shooter. Hopefully we’ll actually get to see more of STALKER 2 in action now that the road to release has been extended. Here’s what GSC said about its decision to push the title back: Stalkers, We have made a decision to postpone the release of STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl to December 8th, 2022. These additional seven months of development are needed to fulfil our vision and achieve the desired state of the game. STALKER 2 is the biggest project in the history of GSC, and it requires thorough testing and polishing. We are convinced that development should take as long as necessary, especially in the case of such a project. This decision is not an easy one, but we are doing the best possible to deliver you a game that can live up to the expectations. With more information, updates and showcases coming, we have an exciting and important year ahead. Thank you for your patience and understanding. With love, GSC Game World team. At this point, the controversy surrounding STALKER 2’s development almost outweighs fans’ fascination with the first game that launched many years ago. A grimly immersive first person shooter set within the remnants of Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone, STALKER wowed with its bleak yet brilliant visuals and light RPG influences. Quickly followed up by two expansions, developer GSC fell apart while working on its hotly-anticipated sequel. After years of rumour and speculation, the studio would return from the dead and it looked like we would be playing STALKER in early 2022. Hopefully some extra time spent in the oven (or microwave, because radiation) will have a marked impact on the sequel’s final stretch.
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SEGA is beefing up its in-house Japanese operations with the establishment of a new Sapporo studio, to complement its existing slate of Tokyo teams. As the name obviously indicates, this group will work out of the northern Hokkaido prefecture, and will be responsible for “development, design, debugging, sales, and import and export of game hardware and software” as well as “planning, production, and sales of character products”. A bit of everything, then!
The team will be led by veteran Takaya Segawa, who joined SEGA in 1992 and has worked as the chief producer on Phantasy Star Online 2. It sounds like its initial remit will be to work on characters and environments for the publisher’s popular MMO, but in a statement the giant said that it will “use the know-how that SEGA has accumulated” to provide “the world with new and exciting experiences”.
