Like many RPGs, God of War uses a companion mechanic with an important character that sticks with the protagonist throughout the game. While the player controls Kratos, his son Atreus follows him on their journey to spread his mother’s ashes on the highest peak of the nine realms. Initially, it might seem like Atreus is just a chattery companion who offers no real in-game help, an element often seen in adventure RPGs, yet Atreus evolves into quite the force to be reckoned with. With the sequel to God of War somewhere on the horizon, it should take some notes from The Last of Us Part 2‘s companion AI system, with room to enhance the designs each game had put into place.
Both games crafted unique companion mechanics because they follow the protagonist throughout the story and play a large role in the plot. With The Last of Us 2, the game cycles through a number of followers, from Dina and Jesse to Lev and Yara. But in God of War, the companion is solely Atreus. Because of this, Atreus is given options only rarely seen in AAA gaming: his own set of customizable skills. The developers implemented this because they “wanted players to have a choice” throughout their adventures, but there’s one option offered in TLOU2 that God of War could benefit from.
Since its launch, The Last of Us 2‘s difficulty and accessibility settings have been recognized as being some of the most advanced of modern-day gaming, setting the bar for future AAA titles. Like most RPGs, it offers the normal set of general challenge levels such as Easy, Normal, Hard, and now even a Grounded mode, similar to the original Last of Us. However, its options run far deeper than just the overall difficulty.
The Last of Us 2 offers a range of settings that allocate to not only the player and enemies, such as the amount of damage dealt or taken but adjustable levels for the allies as well. Without changing the overall difficulty of the game, the meter ranges from aggressive, which makes gameplay easier, to passive, which would make combat more difficult for Ellie or Abby. It also changes the frequency at which the companion will kill enemies, for example, being vigilant in helping the protagonist during battle or having very little involvement, barely making any moves on the Infected or Wolves. Even so, God of War can take this mechanic and make it even more detailed, if the developer wanted to.
Surprisingly, Atreus turns out to be a useful companion similar to The Last of Us. In both games, the followers offer a sense of utility, whether it’s pointing enemies out or attacking them outright. God of War also offers the opportunity to customize the young god including his bow, the armor he wears, and his skill tree. The developers did this intentionally so players could build Kratos and his son as a team, whether it be a strength-based build or a health-based build, for example. However, despite this range of options, the player is tasked with partially commanding Atreus during battle, which can be a lot to pay attention to during a fight.
It’s not to say that Atreus isn’t helpful during battle; he’s equipped with not only light arrow attacks, but he can also stagger enemies for Kratos. But having partial control over Atreus’s attacks can get daunting, rather than if the customizable settings were in place for the AI to man itself. In the inevitable sequel, God of War can take the fine-tuned AI system and enhance it to be even more customizable for players, which would both allow for more control over Atreus during battle without having to actually control him.
There’s an opportunity for similar options to exist such as the frequency at which he attacks, but perhaps which enemies he’s focused on. For example, the player could set Atreus to always focus on a different enemy from Kratos (if applicable) and only help when Krato’s health is low. Or, similarly, only focusing on the same enemy as his father. Either way, since player choice is a big goal for the design, it seems fitting to implement more detailed AI options in the upcoming sequel.
The Last of Us Part 2 is out now exclusively for PS4.
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