God of War Ragnarok (PS5)
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Beware this review contains plot spoilers for God of War (PS4) and God of War Ragnarok (PS4/PS5)
Very few gaming IPs and franchises can argue their claim as the greatest game of all time. Sony Santa Monica’s God of War (GOW) is one of them. God of War Ragnarok follows suit in what continues to be a franchise that does not disappoint.
GOWR starts its story after some time has passed since Kratos killed Baldur and triggered Fimbulvetr (great winter). It wastes no time diving into what is one of the best plots and stories the God of War franchise has had since its initial release on March 22, 2005, for the PlayStation 2.
Journey Start – The Great Winter (Fimbulvetr):
Atreus’ and Kratos’ relationship has always been awkward and not the closest bond that a father and son could have with one another. Atreus desperately is trying to figure out who he is, in context to him being Loki among the Norse Gods. Kratos cares very little about that and his sole job is to protect his son no matter the cost.
This clashes center stage in the story of Ragnarok and is the main focal point for what creates such a compelling story. This, along with the combat, side characters, and added gameplay nuances makes GOWR a must-play.
The combat extends off of God of War (2018) but with the removal of the bare-handed skill tree. For many players, this was disappointing to see, but with the addition of a new weapon that takes its place, the removal can seem justified depending on how you felt about it previously.
The weapon system overall makes the combat more nuanced and compelling than the previous game because the mechanics encourage you to switch between your weapons to increase damage output and have a more effective strategy for fighting enemies and bosses.
In a way, we can all get a little closer to (only ever so slightly) some of the devastating combos and gameplay that Game Breaker God is known for in his GOW content which if you have ever seen a video, it is amazing what all he can do with Kratos. I found myself testing to see what I could pull off which I did not do in the previous game and that was a plus to how the team built on the combat.
The Story of Loki VS Atreus:
Atreus’ story is mainstage and his journey to discover more about himself and his destiny as Loki. This a MAJOR SPOILER warning for anyone who has not played the game so please take the time now to get to the next section that is back to a normal review where it says spoiler done.
SPOILER WARNING!
On Atreus’ journey, he actually separates from Kratos and you play SOLELY as Atreus for a lot of the game. It is such a big highlight of this game as this is the first time (across any of the GOW games) that the main character you are following and controlling is someone other than Kratos.
It really validates the significance of Atreus that the story has built up until now and adds more value to Atreus’ story and him as a character. I was not a fan of Atreus in the last game but having to play out his story from his point of view on GOWR helped my opinion of him grow and also was refreshing since his skills and attributes are vastly different from his father’s.
Depending on the fight, Atreus was sometimes more enjoyable to use because he was better equipped to deal with the types of enemies that you were asked to fight and that is a great sign to enjoy using both characters equally and not dread having to switch.
GOOD TO GO!
Atreus’ quest and story cement the significance and the impact that he will have on the future games to come in the franchise. I won’t ever love his character as much as I do Kratos but my opinion of him is vastly different than it was before and that is a huge credit to the story and job done by Santa Monica Studios.
Ragnarok Arrives:
Atreus is not the only character whose impact grows and development is enjoyed through the game. Numerous others make their mark and add even more depth to the journey that our Gods go through in the quest to find answers and to prepare for Ragnarok.
I can’t say too much without spoiling more than I already have. The presence of the characters we already know up until this part of the story, with the addition of some new ones, adds layers of perspective and experience one can gain as the story unfolds.
There are even some surprises as to the eventual roles and feelings that they take on and this is really hard for me not to deep dive into with some of them so I am leaving it at that (it kills me to leave it alone lol)!
Wrapping up my thoughts I have to touch on something that is new and its own piece in GOWR. It could have been mentioned earlier with the combat but it needed its own time to be talked about. It is the presence of more than one shield.
In GOWR Kratos has the ability to equip multiple shields that have different abilities and focuses for how they have to be used. I know I am in the minority but it was outstandingly done. I played and beat the game on Give Me God Of War difficulty and I appreciated switching between the shields and using there unique attributes tremendously on this difficulty.
It really is what got me through the game on this difficulty and it needs to be highlighted for the impact that it can save in different situations through out the game. You can choose to use one shield, two, or even more, but at the end of the day the option is yours. Players having the choice of how they want to attack situations in a game is forever going to be a positive in the game design of any franchise and I love when I see it.
Ragnarok is not without its flaws. No game is perfect and no review is complete without the aspects of the game that you did not enjoy. The only real critiques that come to mind are the help or aid on the puzzles within the game and also how uncharacteristically tank-like enemies are on the highest difficulty.
I understand developers have to keep in mind that some users do not want to spend all their time trying to figure out puzzles or even get stuck on one to where they can not pass it. However, the help given by the side characters in the quest are genuinely given way too quickly.
Even though it is a minor flaw it is very noticeable and for some people who really enjoy solving a good puzzle, it could take away from their experience. An easy solution in the future would be to have the option to choose the help or hint available at the user’s discretion, which I remember being the case in the previous game (could be wrong).
With the tank-like enemies… That is just a personal preference thing I must admit. Not sure if I can count that as a genuine flaw in the game but wow did it annoy me how much damage some of the common enemies could take without being knocked back even a little bit. The common enemies in the game at times felt harder to fight than actual bosses or mini-bosses! I can’t complain too much, I did ask for it.
Closing Thoughts:
Overall God of War Ragnarok is a must-play not just by fans of the franchise but by anybody who has the means to play it. A compelling story that can relate to many different people in some aspects, great combat, immersion, and great game mechanic nuances, the game was outstandingly developed all around. I loved the franchise already and I do even more after completing the game. The platinum will be coming at some point as well!
The Verdict: God Of War Ragnarok – 9.4/10
Thank you all again for taking the time to read my review and let me know your thoughts and how you felt about the game if you played or if you are thinking about playing it in the near future! My name is Brian Dawkins aka Bdawk and Mook World is in full effect!
