Alright, just finished this.
First of all, congrats to you Ready at Dawn guys. You really made an awesome game that's also probably the best visual/audio experience on a handheld ever
I definitely hope you guys continue making more GoW games as this game was so fun that it makes me want a new GoW every 6 months!
What I really loved was the art direction. It was incredible, gorgeous vistas everywhere. In addition the soundtrack was amazing. Easily on par with the console GoW soundtracks. It made each area/scene much more epic and moody. I also liked the story. I thought GoW3's attempt to make Kratos more human and less pure RAGE through the little girl fell completely flat on its face and just felt totally out of character for him. Here the way the story was presented Kratos felt like Kratos, but he also felt more human and likeable and not just an evil bastard who kills everyone he sees.
Other things I liked were the pacing. Constantly enjoyable. Never spent too long on any one area. The battles were fairly short/medium-length, and the level design was excellent. Great mix of platforming, swinging, swimming, fighting, puzzles. The only thing I could have done without was the plank walking. Does anyone really like that?
The replayability/unlockables are nice although I'd rather art and making of videos get unlocked when you beat it. I don't tend to replay games but I always love looking through the art galleries and watching documentaries on good games.
The combat was kind of same old enjoyable god of war. I liked the fire system, but at the same time I don't think it added much to the combat. The sparta arms were neat, but I think unless you make the alternate weapons in GoW more useful than the traditional main, they don't get used all that much since you just stick with the main chain blades. The magics were satisfactory but none of them were really wow and exciting. Overall though with only 1 alternate weapon and a few uninteresting magics, the combat really didn't feel like it brought anything new to the table. It wasn't bad, because GoW combat is fun, but it just didn't feel fresh.
The monsters were alright. I wish you guys used less of the annoying ones like the ones that go underground and grab you (>_<). I felt I got grabbed by enemies more than in the other GoW games. Lots of L/R tapping
And the game could have used a few more real story bosses. That and a kick button for when you're pushing boxes
I did notice that the box pushing speed was sped up in exchange, but the kick is classic!
But overall even if the experience didn't seem fresh, it delivered a great GoW ride from beginning to end. Very enjoyable, very nice on the eyes and ears, and very fun. Good job guys
For me, GoW2 > 3 ~ Ghost > 1 ~ Chains; but I find them all enjoyable (outside of some of the more annoying sections in 1).