God of War: Ragnarok – Review
Since the 2018 reboot of the God of War series was met with such acclaim from both critics and fans, a sequel was bound to follow. God of War Ragnarok, priced at $69.99, marks the end of a five-year wait. Ragnarok features finely honed combat, enjoyable puzzles, and a cinematic story, all of which were highlights of the previous game. On top of that solid foundation, Santa Monica Studio has created a new Kratos Norse adventure that is worthy of the God of War name. This action-adventure game is one of the best PlayStation 5 releases.
The events of Ragnarok occur soon after the conclusion of God of War. Kratos and his son Atreus are enduring a brutal winter, known in-universe as Fimbulwinter. Since Baldur’s death in the previous game, the snow hasn’t stopped falling, and the two are staying out of sight to avoid upsetting Odin, Freya, and Thor for killing Baldur.
Ragnarok, the Norse term for the end of the world, has been predicted for a long time, and its prologue, Fimbulwinter, is drawing near. Gods are at odds with one another, and the prophecies place Kratos and Atreus at the centre of it all. And most importantly, everyone is desperately trying to change their destinies.
Atreus, who was revealed to be Loki in the previous game, is still a young man despite acting and sounding much older than he is. As we saw at the end of God of War, his defiant nature remains, and he is eager to discover more about his identity as Loki. Playstyle changes as Atreus grows up. You don’t have to hoist him up ledges anymore; he’ll get there before Kratos.
The game skillfully eases you into the controls without making it feel like a boring tutorial. It also helps you progress into more complex fighting techniques at a healthy rate. Both the level of violence and the difficulty of the puzzles increase over time at a pace that is challenging, but still enjoyable and organic.
The fast, approachable combat is largely unchanged from the 2018 release, though there are some key improvements. Ragnarok’s upgradeable skills, for instance, unlock brand new varieties of attack. Most of the new abilities are simply intuitive improvements to existing attacks, so there’s no need to learn a whole new set of button combinations to use them. All you have to do to acquire them is head to the skills menu and spend your hard-earned XP on some fancy new skills. Kratos can now swing an enemy he kills with his axe across the battlefield and into more enemies far away, thanks to one of the new abilities. In a word, yes.
Sony Santa Monica Studio made a good call by giving you access to the devastating Blades of Chaos right off the bat. Given that obtaining them was crucial to the plot of the prior game, and yet they were rarely used, this seems reasonable. In order to progress through the game, you’ll need to switch between the axe and the blades, which is a welcome addition to the gameplay. The fire properties of the chains and the ice properties of the axe are more effective against certain enemies, and both are used in puzzle solving. This adds another layer to combat and puzzles over the original game. The blades can be used in ways other than combat, making it possible to leap across great distances and even scale walls like Spider-Man.
Crucial boss battles have great dramatic structure. You won’t suddenly face a boss that’s just a more powerful iteration of the mooks you’ve been fighting. Kratos and his monstrous foes are launched through the air after powerful attacks, bursting through massive rock pillars, and displaying godlike strength and abilities in the game’s seamless cutscenes, which are interspersed between the massive fights. When you’re cornered by a particularly powerful foe and need to break free, the action cuts to a punching sequence where the camera moves in for a Hollywood-style closeup.
Fights with the bosses are exciting, challenging, and often surprising. Early in the game, you’ll encounter a few that set the tone for what’s to come. An early encounter with Thor, for instance, presents a formidable challenge and serves as an excellent introduction to the brash hero. Mini-boss battles pop up randomly as you explore, adding an extra layer of excitement to the action.
You can grab objects and hurl them at enemies, giving you more options whether you’re up against a small group or a large army. The game also has a new blocking system in place for use against certain types of enemy special attacks. When blocking in God of War 2019, you won’t be able to simply press the same button for every attack like you could in 2018. If you don’t block these powerful blows, the enemy will have you at their mercy for a few seconds. Different coloured rings give you a heads up on what kind of attack is coming, letting you know whether you should block, special block, or run away to regroup. With this new defensive choice, combat feels more refined than in the original game.
In light of the 2018 PlayStation 4 reboot of God of War, this release would seem to necessitate a visual upgrade. Nonetheless, visually, the two games are very similar. Expect little to no visual difference between the PS4 and PS3 versions of Ragnarok because it is a cross-genre title. Ragnarok, alas, costs $10 more on Xbox One than on PS4.
But even so, Ragnarok has a stunning aesthetic appeal. The vivid hues and vast settings of each realm are the result of careful design. Nothing in this world, not even the trees and mountains in the background or the tiny creatures that disappear out of view, exists by accident. In addition, they make the most of the PS5’s high dynamic range capabilities.
Ragnarok prompts you to prioritise either performance or resolution shortly after booting (you can change this option at any point during your playthrough). In Performance mode, the game is able to reach a smooth 60 frames per second while maintaining a dynamic 4K resolution. The game’s native 4K resolution can be experienced at 30 frames per second when using the Resolution setting. On the PS4, Ragnarok aims for a frame rate of 30 frames per second, making it functionally identical to the original game released in 2018.
God of War Ragnarok, like its predecessor, is shown in a single, uncut take. Since there is never a loading screen to look at, you have no idea when new environments are downloading in the background. It does a fantastic job and makes the game feel more cinematic.
The loading-screen-free nature of the one-shot method is impressive in and of itself. The technology is used in novel and interesting ways, with surprising shifts and points of view. Even when you’re in control of Kratos during a cutscene, the transition between scenes is seamless. The storytelling in God of War: Ragnarok is unparalleled in the gaming medium.
It’s important to spend time improving your abilities, armour, and weapons. Ragnarok’s most tedious feature is this, unfortunately. It’s not always obvious which of Kratos’ weapons and armour are in need of an upgrade, or even which ones he’s currently using. Before I figured out the menu, I kept upgrading items I never planned to wear again. There was a similar problem in the previous game, but this one is much more involved.
It is recommended that you visit Brok and Sindri’s stores. Your weapons and armour will be upgraded using the materials you’ve gathered. At the same time, they sell useful items, which is important in and of itself. Their roles have expanded beyond that of comic relief, and they appear frequently throughout the adventure. In the event that you fail to pick up the pair after major battles, they will still be available for purchase in shops. It’s a nice bonus, and it helps a lot if you’re trying to get back on your feet quickly after a major conflict.
The thrill of watching the emotional story unfold, along with its twists, was one of the best parts of God of War (2018). And Ragnarok doesn’t lose sight of that; its narrative is every bit as significant and moving. Around the game’s midpoint, you’ll encounter a slew of surprises that are sure to take you by surprise.
There are other ways to delve into the Norse mythology if the cutscenes don’t satisfy your thirst for knowledge. If you look around, you’ll find clues about the story’s backstory and how it relates to the present. The codex provides background on every non-playable character you meet, including their relationships to Kratos, Atreus, and the mythology as a whole.
Canoeing on calm rivers, streams, and lakes is another popular activity. Mimir the talking head happily responds to Atreus’ many inquiries about the history of the gods Odin, Thor, and Kratos’ interactions with other deities. The combination of Atreus’s inquisitiveness and the soothing nature of canoeing makes me wish I didn’t have to dock the boat.
With an emotional story and engaging gameplay, God of War: Ragnarok more than lives up to the high standards set by its predecessor. Improvements I didn’t even realise were missing are included, character growth is deep and meaningful, and combat and puzzles are novel. If you have a PlayStation 5 and you want a top-tier action game, you need to get God of War Ragnarok right now.
