Warning: This review contains spoilers about the 2018 God of War video game and some elements of God of War Ragnarok.
Never before have I played a game for which the phrase “if you liked the last one, you’ll like this one” applies as much as it does with God of War Ragnarok.
The reboot of Sony God of WarIn 2018, this whole concept seemed absurd. You’re telling me Kratos, the most heinously angry man in the history of video game fiction, has now suddenly become an emo dad who regrets killing off the entire Greek pantheon of gods… and I’m supposed to be touched by that?
It was surprising, but it worked for many people. Even if I wasn’t as impressed. God of WarMany Game of the Year lists ranked 2018 high, with over 500,000 copies sold 23 Million copiesThe game is widely considered to be one of the top PlayStation 4 games. Although I didn’t form an emotional connection with Kratos or his son Atreus, the game’s visual splendor, deep combat and huge boss battles kept me hooked.
That last sentence could be copied and pasted to apply to the sequel. It will be available Nov. 8 for PlayStation 4 and 5 on both PlayStation 4 and 5. Sony’s Santa Monica Studio kind of just made that 2018 game again but Continue reading. This is a much bigger and better game than the previous one, but in a way that you wouldn’t expect.
Is it not absurd that the ex-Greek god of war burns his way through Norse mythology, pretending to feel deep emotions about these things? You bet. But if that doesn’t bother you, you’ll find this to be a satisfying sequel that also acts as a splendid showcase for that $500 box beside your TV.
Take a god to the bank and see what happens
If you were the last to play, God of War Nothing about the initial setup will shock you.
A few years have passed since Kratos and Atreus scaled the highest peak in Jötunheim to spread the ashes of the late family matriarch, Faye. As you may recall, they got into some trouble along the way, brutally murdering the progeny of both Freya (Odin’s ex-wife) and Thor (Odin’s son). Freya, Thor and Odin are all well-known. PrettyI’m pissed at this and want my heroes to be held accountable for their crimes.
Oh, and Atreus might or may not be the mythical Loki who, according to Norse mythology in real life, transforms into a horse and gives birth a new eight-legged animal. Norse mythology is very cool. However, he is said to be a major part of an end-times prophecy. That’s kind of a big deal this time around.
This prophecy manifests in Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse. It is forewarned here with a long winter that grips all realms. What was once a low-stakes story about respecting a dead mother’s wishes is now a winding, frost-bitten journey full of pontification about the binding nature of prophecy and the moral cases for and against war. They could be fascinating and weighty themes but they feel hollow as the story moves on.
There are just too many instances where Kratos and Atreus whine about how they don’t believe in prophecy, only to then voluntarily and knowingly do the exact things they were foretold to do. They will discuss how they don’t want fight people they were “supposed” not to and then fight them because it’s a game that requires action. Kratos talks all the way about the dangers of violence as he rips through the Draugr-like zombie with his knives.
This hypocrisy is nothing new to video games — the term “ludonarrative dissonance”It is used to describe games that tell one thing through their story and then ask the players to challenge it via gameplay.
However, I was still intrigued by the plot’s surface-level mechanics and character interactions. RagnarokThe inclusion of Mimir, the wise-cracking disembodied head of wisdom who was only a fixture in half the previous game, gives the game a more cheerful tone. The comical dwarven blacksmiths Sindri, Brok, and Sindri, are also very present throughout the game. They joke with each other all the time.
I’d also like to give special shout-outs to Freya, Thor, and Odin. Freya was a screaming mess the last time we saw her. Kratos had killed her son and left her a wreck. But this time, we see a more nuanced version. Ragnarok. She’s got much more skin in the game than Kratos and Atreus due to a longstanding personal grudge against Odin, and she often feels like the true protagonist of the story. As for Odin and Thor, well, the less said the better, but I’ll tell you that Odin acts like a mafia boss and Thor is like his drunken heavy enforcer. It’s a very funny dynamic.
These threads all come together to create an amazing, quite awesome ending. It left me wondering what the next chapter will bring. It’s thematically a little messy with the dissonance between what Kratos says and what he does, but moderately funny dialogue, interesting characters, and great voice acting sell the story anyway.
It’s still amazing to throw an axe.
Let’s see what you do. DoIn RagnarokThere has not been much change since 2018. It’s essentially the same game with a few tweaks and changes to the formula that give it a new lease of life.
I’ll start with the biggest change of all: You don’t Always control Kratos, and you don’t AlwaysAtreus can be your companion. The story can change perspective at times and give you new companions with different abilities. Even though nothing is as much fun as the Kratos/Atreus combo I enjoyed, I was still genuinely excited when the player character changed.
Combat in RagnarokIt still feels like a third person shooter, but without guns. The left stick is used to move and strafe, while the right stick is used for aiming. You can use the frosty Leviathan Axe and the scorching Blades of Chaos to perform melee attacks, as well as activate other ranged abilities. You can throw the axe and have it recalled. However, the blades can also be thrown at enemies and stuck in their faces for an explosive end.
There’s also a third weapon I won’t spoil, but it wound up being my favorite of the three. You can look forward to it.
You’ll use XP to unlock new skills, some of which can be further modified for increased customization. To give Kratos a higher defense, you can upgrade the Blades of Chaos ranged strike to increase Kratos’s defense. Gear is still important and just as important. Different armor sets grant fun bonuses which allow you to build crazy things. One build I used caused Kratos unarmed attacks to cause poison damage, and poisoned enemies to take more melee damage.
Things like that can totally change how you approach encounters and it’s just as fun as it was last time. This is still a game that involves exploring linear levels, which are about the same size as corridors. There may be some character switching, but other than that, it’s still about exploring the level. Side quests can occasionally pop up in open-ended hubs to alter the flow. When you’re not fighting, you’re solving environmental puzzles, none of which are very hard but some of which at least look cool.
All of this is a good time if you dug what the last game offered, but it won’t change any minds. Perhaps I felt that way because I was on deadline. However, the main story is about 20% too long. The third act constantly feels like it’s about to wrap up (you’re literally preparing for an impending apocalyptic war), only to introduce some new, sometimes unrelated problem for Kratos to go solve. Even though I loved what I had, I wanted it to end in the last five to six hours.
Fetching and familiar
Ragnarok’s strict adherence to the conventions of its predecessor extend to the presentation. The game is stunning, with every corner of the nine realms filled with amazing detail on PS5. I had fun occasionally just staring at Kratos’ scraggly, disgusting beard because of how lovingly it was rendered. This game uses the same single-take approach as the last, which means there are no hard camera cuts.
Concerning the camera, I believe this is a gimmick which the series could nix moving forward. I love it! Children of Men’s long takes as much as anyone, but camera cuts don’t detract from the art of cinema; they’re essentialIt is. Conversation scenes where the camera moves slowly from one person to the next, rather than cutting between them are not creative and awkward.
That gripe aside, it’s just fun to take in each and every realm’s resplendent visual glory. From the frozen wastes of Midgard to the sun-drenched jungles of Vanaheim and the peaceful-yet-sinister fields of Asgard, every area provides a breath of fresh air compared to wherever you happened to be before it. I HammeredWhile playing, click the PS5 screenshot button Ragnarok.
Again, much of what I’ve said here could apply to the last game, too. God of War2018 was beautiful, had great combat, and was structured and paced in much the same way. RagnarokIt is just another adventure in the same clothes as before. Although it is inconsistent in its theme messaging, the narrative pulls you in enough to draw you towards the finale.
I’m just never going to buy into this retooled vision of a sad and repentant daddy Kratos — he’ll forever be the embodiment of a 12-year-old’s video game power fantasy to me.
However, it’s still fun to throw your axe and remember it. Feel that way about the last round? Then jump in! God of War Ragnarok.
God of War Ragnarok swings the axe on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 Nov. 8.
