God of War approved for UAE release

Previous versions of the video game were not approved by the National Media Council because of reportedly offensive material

Protagonist Kratos from God of War.

Gamers in the UAE, rejoice. For the first time, Sony PlayStation exclusive God of War will be released in the country. The UAE's National Media Council has approved the game, even though earlier iterations were banned.

PlayStation Middle East’s senior trade marketing manager, Junaid Sayeed, posted the news on his Instagram, writing:

"💥💥Guess this is what tears of joy means!💥💥 After months of attempts it has finally happened! God of War approved by the NMC to be launched in the UAE. Massive salute to @playstation_me for achieving this milestone! Like I say "I don't go to work- I get to go to work!" DON'T BE SORRY - BE BETTER!! Now to launch a triple A title in 4 days!

#goodbye #world #gow #godofwar @santamonicastudio#4theplayers #kratos #blessed #ps4pro#ps4"

The first God of War video game was released in 2005 on PlayStation 2. However, it was banned after residents complained that there was offensive material in regards to religion as well as sexual scenes in the game. Until the latest move, the previous seven games were all banned from being sold in stores in the UAE.

This time around, the National Media Council, which handles electronic regulations, including those for video games, has given its approval. This means that gamers are able to freely buy a hard copy version of the game from local retailers and even from the PlayStation store in the region when it is released on April 20.

God of War, also known as God of War 4, is a third-person action adventure game, but has some changes from previous ones. While the other versions were based on Greek mythology, this one is loosely based on Norse mythology. The game sees the return of protagonist Kratos, who has been a main character throughout the series. He acts as a mentor and protector to his son named Atreus.

Watch the trailer for the game:

Reviews so far suggest that fans in the country will have something to look forward to – the game has been well-received, earning high praise from critics. On the review aggregator Metacritic, the video game is currently the highest-rated game of this year.

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