God of War looks like it's going to reach the top tier of gaming's pantheon, after reports of some stellar first month sales. The game was one of the most highly anticipated of the year as whole, promising a return of one of the PlayStation's most important franchises but with a major update for the latest generation of gaming. Although some were concerned about the changes being made, nonetheless God of War looked to be an unmissable title.

Upon release, it was clear that the potential of the game had been realized. God of War was a huge critical success, an almost universally-beloved gem that was praised by fans and reviewers alike. On top of that, early sales reports pointed towards the title being a massive commercial win for Sony, with the game outselling Horizon: Zero Dawn at a huge rate. Given that Horizon: Zero Dawn was hardly a slouch in the sales department, signs were good.

Related: God of War Review: It's Been Worth The Wait

Now, Sony has confirmed exactly how well God of War has done in its first month of release. Sony's Investor Relations Day 2018 revealed that the game has sold over 5 million copies within its first month on the market. Given its status as the best-selling game of April 2018, it's obvious that God of War has had a major impact.

It's easy to see why God of War has been such a success. Although it does come from a long line of popular games, part of what has really made it stand out is the level of risks that the development team were willing to take with the game, forcing players out of their comfort zone thematically and making some really bold choices. It's this level of care and quality that has really made the game stand out, and as such some have been asking questions as to why other publishers (and console creators) don't follow the God of War model.

The popularity of God of War is also a triumph for those that want a strong, single player narrative within their games. There has been a trend of late to forgo or lessen the single player experience, with some citing that the video game market was shifting away from story telling of this type. This can be seen everywhere from EA's closure of Visceral Games through to Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's lack of a campaign, and some gamers were worried.

However, God of War has not only rejected this notion but also continued the single player renaissance, and it's clear that there's still plenty of space in the gaming world for these kind of structured games. If they're up to the calibre of God of War, long may it continue.

More: How to See God of War 4's Super Awesome Secret Ending

Source: Sony