God of War Ragnarök

Review game God of War Ragnarök, All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

God of War Ragnarök is the highly anticipated continuation of the critically acclaimed God of War series. With new gameplay mechanics, a continuation of the story, and improved graphics, fans are eagerly anticipating this new chapter in Kratos’ journey. In this review, we’ll cover everything you need to know about God of War Ragnarök, from the story to the gameplay and new features.

The Story

God of War Ragnarök picks up where the previous game left off, with Kratos and his son Atreus continuing their journey through the realms of Norse mythology. This time, they must face the impending doom of Ragnarök, a catastrophic event that will bring about the end of the world. Along the way, they’ll encounter new allies and enemies, as well as familiar faces from the previous game.

The Gameplay

The gameplay in God of War Ragnarök builds on the mechanics introduced in the previous game, with new features and improvements. Combat is still the heart of the game, with Kratos and Atreus facing off against hordes of enemies in intense battles. The game features new weapons and abilities, as well as new ways to upgrade and customize your equipment.

One of the most exciting new features in God of War Ragnarök is the ability to control and customize your own Viking longship. This adds a new layer of exploration and strategy to the game, as you navigate the seas and engage in naval battles.

The Graphics

God of War Ragnarök features improved graphics and visual effects, taking full advantage of the capabilities of the PlayStation 5. The game boasts stunning landscapes, intricate character designs, and impressive special effects that truly bring the world of Norse mythology to life.

The Characters

One of the biggest draws of the God of War series is its memorable cast of characters, and God of War Ragnarök is no exception. Kratos and Atreus are joined by a variety of new allies and enemies, each with their own unique personalities and motivations. Fans of the previous game will be excited to see the return of characters like Mimir and Brok and Sindri, as well as the introduction of new faces like Angrboda and Tyr.

The Soundtrack

The music in God of War Ragnarök is composed by Bear McCreary, who also worked on the previous game. The score features a blend of orchestral and Scandinavian-inspired music, perfectly capturing the epic and emotional moments of the game.

One of the most eagerly anticipated games of the year is God of War: Ragnarök, with expectations sky-high after the excellent 2018 reboot.

I’m happy to report that the sequel doesn’t let us down, carrying on Kratos and Atreus’ adventure with an even more ambitious plot and a deeper exploration of Norse mythology while maintaining the same incredibly satisfying combat.

The fact that players can play as Atreus and face off against a wider variety of foes keeps them on their toes, despite the fact that some might argue that Santa Monica Studio played it safe by making few changes to the core gameplay.

For my opinions on God of War Ragnarök and whether it deserves a spot in our roundups of the Best PS5 Games and Best PS4 Games, continue reading.

Story

• The villains, Thor and Odin, are fantastic.
• Playing as Atreus offers a different viewpoint.
• Excellent story with greater ambition and scope.

Even though God of War Ragnarök takes place three years after the events of God of War (2018), Kratos and Atreus are still dealing with the fallout from their earlier adventure when the game opens.

Freya has changed from an ally into an enemy with a desire for vengeance as a result of Baldur’s death, which has also sent Midgard into a brutally long Winter with a thick layer of snow covering the landscape. To make matters worse, as worries grow about a world-ending event known as Ragnarök, legendary Nordic figures Thor and Odin call.

The best new characters in the sequel are probably Thor and Odin, who get a lot of screen time and are clearly very different from their Marvel Cinematic Universe counterparts.

Thor is a massive brute with a short fuse and a quick temper. Odin is the complete opposite, as he is surprisingly charismatic and more driven by a desire for global knowledge than he is by fame and fortune. He’s a fascinating antagonist with a lot more depth than the impulsive Baldur.

The large cast from the previous God of War installment returns as well, with the Dwarven siblings, Brok and Sindri, this time taking part in far more nuanced and emotional storylines as opposed to merely serving as comic relief.

Even Atreus has been given a more important role, sharing the main lead role with Kratos. Now a strong and responsible teen, he longs for more freedom from his overbearing father while also wanting to learn more about his newly discovered godly abilities. Making him a playable character also enables us to gain a new perspective on his father’s relationship, allowing us to empathize with both Atreus and Kratos as they get into yet another argument. Despite the high fantasy setting, the story is kept grounded by this emotional arc.

Your adventure has some really special moments, like sneaking into a giant’s kitchen and entering Asgard for the first time. The one-shot camera that never breaks does a fantastic job of enhancing immersion and significantly upping the cinematic quality of set pieces, making these events even better.

Does Ragnarök feature visually stunning spectacles on par with God of War (2018)? That’s a difficult task considering that most of the sequel’s set pieces fail to live up to the original’s encounter with the world serpent and battle with the lightning-powered dragon.

Ragnarök makes up for this, however, with a more ambitious narrative in which the looming threat of war ignites more opulent battles and heart-stopping climaxes. Even in 2022, this is one of the best stories I’ve ever encountered in a video game.

Combat Fighting with Kratos is still a bloody blast.

A few annoying difficulty spikes exist.

Controlling Atreus is very different, but in a good way.

There haven’t been many changes to Kratos’ combat since the previous entry. There are a few additional special abilities to acquire and new enemies to defeat, but overall, this is a case of “don’t fix what isn’t broken.”

Ragnarök’s ice-powered Leviathan axe still feels incredibly satisfying to swing and throw, but being able to use the Blades of Chaos right away also lets you switch things up and avoid using the same attack patterns too frequently. About halfway through the game, you unlock another weapon (which I won’t reveal), which feels fantastic to use and is significantly different from your current equipment. At this point, things really pick up.

The various runic abilities that can help you freeze enemies in place or unleash waves upon waves of fiery blasts, as well as the ability to unlock new abilities, all encourage you to experiment with different play styles throughout the course of the game.

The combat does, however, have a few rough spots; I ran into a number of difficulty spikes that occasionally felt unfair rather than difficult. It was a common occurrence for me to easily defeat a captivating mini boss only to struggle against a group of minor grunts a few minutes later because they had powerful, long-reaching attacks and confusing teleport mechanics.

The fact that Santa Monica Studio assigned the action of picking up health to the same button as grappling is also puzzling to me, as it makes it challenging to direct Kratos to pick up a health potion that is right next to a ledge. Due to how punishing enemy attacks are on the harder difficulty levels, one small error can easily cost you a victory.

When you take control of Atreus, combat isn’t as familiar. You cannot alternate between using him and Kratos at any time because he is only playable for a limited number of missions. But I believe that was the right decision because each mission is specifically created for each character while also advancing their individual plot lines.

Kratos is much easier to control than Atreus. Although his father’s melee attacks are more potent, he is more agile and adept at striking opponents from a distance. If you repeatedly hit an enemy with your bow, you can knock them out of their senses and perform a deft finishing maneuver. Even Atreus has a skill tree that you can use to unlock new moves as you gain experience points.

My opinion is that Kratos is more enjoyable to control than Atreus because Kratos’ father has a more powerful punch, and the Leviathan axe is one of the most satisfying weapons in video game history to use. Nevertheless, I appreciated the added variety and continued to enjoy his segments.

Investigations and conundrums

• having access to all nine Norse realms
• Lots of different places, but some backtracking
• Puzzles provide a much-needed break from combat.

In God of War Ragnarok, you can travel to all nine realms, including Asgard and Jötunheim. There is a wide variety of settings, from frozen hellscapes to Dwarven mines, but in the later stages of the game, you will find yourself repeatedly following the same paths, which is unfortunate.

Although you have the option to follow the main story’s path if you’d like, you’re also frequently given the chance to undertake side quests and discover new locations. Additionally, you’ll receive fantastic rewards for doing so, such as new runic abilities and crafting materials to open up more potent armor and weapon upgrades.

The main campaign took me 30 hours to complete, and according to reports, it could take a total of 70 hours to finish if you want to experience every single side quest. This is an absurdly large amount of content for a linear game.

The campaign contains several puzzles that serve as welcome diversionary activities in between combat encounters. With your axe’s ability to freeze gears in place and your chained blades’ ability to grapple and move heavy objects, there are many different puzzles in this game that cleverly make use of your weapons as tools.

The majority of the required brainteasers in the main campaign are fairly straightforward to solve, but for those looking for a challenge, the optional brainteasers for chests and pathways see a noticeable difficulty hike.