God of War: Ragnarök Review

Finally, after four long years, the story of our favorite God of War, Kratos, ends. God of War: Ragnarök is finally here to bring a conclusion not only to his story but also to his son and allies. This game dives even deeper into the relationships that were made along the way, and it is full of amazing fights and some surprising plot twists. What makes this one stand out is the incredible and compelling dialogue between the characters. Seeing their story unfold and finally come to a conclusion is extremely satisfactory. 

The freezing winds of Fimbulwinter have finally arrived in Midgard. Times are tough as Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir struggle to survive in this harsh environment. Still bearing the burden of his past, Kratos wants his son to spare the bloody war and avoid conflicts with the gods at all costs. He, as a father, wants to keep his son safe. In the previous game, their confrontation with Baldur has made it clear to Kratos that only tragedy will come in the future, and this time he wants Atreus to be ready when the time comes. Together this father-son duo will go on a journey this time as the eyes of Odin track their every move and Thor hunts them down. Whatever they choose will define the fate of all those living in the Nine Realms as Ragnarok slowly approaches.

Ragnarök Is Here

The story picks up two years after the events of the first game, and right at the start, we can see just how much the death of Baldur is affecting the world, as the whole land of Midgard is now covered in snow, and all of its lakes have frozen. Kratos and Atreus still live in their old home and remain training and hunting. After seeing the prophecy that Faye left, Kratos is now even more determined to train Atreus so that he can survive anything in case he isn’t there anymore to be able to protect him. We can see that their relationship is still fragile, as Kratos is still a serious and logical person, while Atreus is a more sensitive and easy-going kid. During the game, we can see that their relationship will go through some rough times, as they don’t always see eye-to-eye, but every argument they have deepens their relationship. During his free time, Atreus, alongside his dwarf friend, Sindri, have been traveling around different realms in search of all Jotnar shrines, as Atreus discovered that by using giant magic, he could enter these shrines and learn even more about these suspicions. In his discoveries, he discovers that during Ragnarok, his father will die and that the only way to prevent that is to wage war against Asgard. This is an outcome that Kratos wishes to avoid at all costs, as he is familiar with waging war against the gods and hopes to find a different path.

God of War: Ragnarök is a story that goes even deeper into character relationships and development, and it is by far the strongest point of the game. Seeing how much every character has grown and how they can overcome their obstacles and challenges is fantastic. This game talks about love, grief, and acceptance, and seeing how things develop over time is the best part of this journey. Seeing Kratos struggle once again with connecting with Atreus and once again having to fight his demons shows just how much he has grown and that even a god like him can struggle with simple things. The game does a great job at giving every character enough screen time and character development, and getting to know even more about beloved characters like Freya, Mimir, and the dwarf brothers is fantastic. We also finally got to see Kratos’s wife, Faye, and we even got to see both of them interacting and just how much they are similar to each other. Even though she doesn’t get a lot of screen time, every time she appears is simply beautiful, as it shows just how much she means to Kratos and that she was able to help him heal from his emotional wounds. Every scene between them is highly emotional, as both of them need each other to be able to become better gods and persons, and it is clear to see that Atreus’s kindness came directly from his mother.

Overall the story is by far the strongest part of the game. Its ending is extremely beautiful, as we see Atreus finally being able to forge and find his path in life and that Kratos is no longer a god known for bringing death and pain but ultimately being seen as a God that brought peace to the realms.

The God of War

The combat in God of War: Ragnarök isn’t that much different from its predecessor. It feels a lot more dynamic, and it feels incredible to fight against all types of enemies, using the three different weapons available for you to use. Sadly most of the moves for the axe and blades of chaos are pretty much the same, and even the runic attacks are the same. A lot of finishing animations are also being reused from the last game, and while that doesn’t take the fun out of the game, it would have been nice to see more variations of attacks and finishers. Thankfully they introduced a new weapon, a spear. 

God of War Ragnarok is a Grand production of SCE Santa Monica with striking visuals, jaw-dropping world-building, and a mind-boggling combat system that is as satisfying as it is brutal. 

When you finally have all three weapons at your disposal, the game tries to make you, the player, use all of them, as each one has its unique advantages against certain opponents. The leviathan axe is great at immobilizing enemies and dealing a lot of damage, the blades of chaos are great for fighting at a certain distance, and it is a great weapon when fighting against a large group of enemies, as it can hit multiple same time. The spear is excellent for controlling enemies from a distance and does a great job increasing enemies’ stun bar. Each of these weapons has a skill tree where you can buy a new set of skills or improve them when reaching mastery with it. Kratos can now use three different types of spartan rage, and each of them has its advantages, so it is essential to know when and how to use them, as it can help you in certain fights, especially if you’re playing on the harder difficulties. Atreus also has a skill tree so that he can help you even more during fights, and when teaming up with Freya, she also has a unique skill tree that makes her even a more vital ally in battle. Something new that was introduced is that in certain questlines of the game, the story switches from Kratos’s point of view to Atreus, and we get to play as him. His combat style is way different from his father, so you’re going to need to approach enemies differently. It is fun to play as Atreus, as it gives us a nice break from the usual style of combat we’ve grown accustomed to always playing with Kratos.

There is more variety of monsters this time that players can have a hard time fighting as each enemy is different and have different fighting patterns. They have also added minibosses at various stages of the game that keep the heat on when players are in the middle of an action sequence. But there is a catch, though. Despite adding a variety of monsters and bosses, God of War Ragnarok is easier than its predecessor. Even in the most challenging setting “, I want God of War,” you don’t feel the adrenalin pumping with Mimir helping you in every fight, and Atreus killing monsters on his own. He has become more helpful this time, but it also makes it easier. In addition, you can now use many different shields, each equipped with a skill of its own. Some shields can parry, while others have a ground slam skill that repels all the enemies surrounding you.

The game still has some RPG aspects, where you, as a player, can choose which stats to focus on, and different types of armor that become available will change how you fight and play the game. There is a wide variety of other armor, runic attacks, and attachments for all your weapons. You can also customize your allies’ weapons and armor, but sadly the armors for them are only cosmetics. There are some great boss and mini-boss fights in the game, but sadly at some point, some of them get a bit repetitive. Without a doubt, the battle between Thor and Heimdall is the most fun and epic fight in the game, not only visually but gameplay-wise. They are challenging enough and look fantastic. Depending on the difficulty you play, you will have a hard time against enemies. Still, if you’re looking for a fun and easy-going run, you are free to choose from any of the five difficulties, and don’t worry about not getting an achievement for not completing the game in the most brutal mode, as thankfully, there isn’t one. However, if you’re a fan of games like Dark Souls and you like a challenge, then give me god of war is the choice for you, but be prepared, as it is extremely difficult and will test not only your gaming skills but also your mental strength.

The Beauty of The Nine Realms

God of War Ragnarok is a Grand production of SCE Santa Monica with striking visuals, jaw-dropping world-building, and a mind-boggling combat system that is as satisfying as it is brutal. The game takes a different turn for the first time as it tells the story of Kratos’s son and his roots. As Kratos reaches old age, he becomes more of a father figure than ever as he is seen telling a bedtime story to his boy. The man prays for death, but something changes him as he faces Thor for the first time. After the murder of Baldur, Kratos and Atreus have been on the run, chased by Freya, leader of the Valkyries. It hurts Kratos as his once acquaintance now hunts them for revenge after what happened. Just like in the previous game, Freya, this time, also plays a significant role as rage has wholly engulfed her. Only this time, she possesses the ability to turn into an eagle and can use powerful magic. Not only that, but just after losing Freya, Kratos and Atreus take shelter in their home as they are immediately faced with Thor and moments after Odin makes his appearance. Despite the high tension and Kratos feeling worried for the life of his only son, Odin approaches him with an offer. An offer of a truce, an offer that could solve all of Kratos’s worries and save his son. Odin wishes for Atreus to stop seeking whatever he is seeking, and Odin will stop Thor and Freya from hunting them down for the rest of their lives.

It’s a truly special and fittingly grand conclusion of Kratos’ Norse saga.

Graphically speaking, the game looks breathtaking. Yes, it doesn’t look that different from the previous title, but being able to run the game at 120fps and 4k is awesome. So when traveling around other worlds, be sure to stop and enjoy the scenery, as some are simply beautiful. When playing the game, I did come across some visual bugs, but nothing huge, just a few stutters and sometimes a few fps drops, but it only happened a few times. In God of War: Ragnarök, you’re going to have to travel a lot, and sadly you cannot fast travel whenever you want, so thankfully, the game has incredible sceneries that you can enjoy during your journey.

Santa Monica Studio did a great job with character designs. Every new character that was introduced looks terrific and unique. Sadly we didn’t get a lot of new enemies, as most of them we already saw in the previous game. The level designs are also entertaining, and now the game has some puzzles that will make you think, which makes it even more rewarding when you’re able to solve them. There are still a LOT of collectibles spread across the world, so if you’re a completionist, you’ll have a lot to do during or after you finish the main story.

Small details make the game stand out. God of War Ragnarok isn’t a big game, but throughout the game, I found myself taking a moment to enjoy hearing Kratos and Atreus talk about the past.

Christopher Judge, the voice actor of Kratos, has done a remarkable job of giving the character life. In fact, every character in the game also has a perfectly paired voice actor. 

The End of The Journey

Overall, God of War: Ragnarök is a fantastic game and was a worthy sequel to its previous title. The game isn’t perfect, and it did leave a few things left unanswered, but it was a worthy send-off to our favorite God and father, Kratos.

For fans who have accompanied his journey since the beginning, seeing that he was finally able to escape from an endless cycle of death, revenge, and war is simply incredible. Seeing just how much not only Kratos but everyone that he met during his journey changed and grew was inspiring. If there is anyone that deserves a happy ending, it is, without a doubt, Kratos. So if you’re a long-time fan of the series and have a PS5, God of War: Ragnarök is a must-play.