GOD OF WAR RAGNAROK; Review

After reintroducing me to video games through the Spider-Man series, my fiancee wanted to show me one of his favourite games: God of War. Not the original trilogy, not the other spin-offs, but the 2018 game where Kratos (voiced by Christopher Judge) moved to the universe of the Nordic gods. I watched a video explaining the other games, though, so I knew a little bit about the background and how Kratos got there. I will be reviewing each game separately in this post, so be careful to read the spoilers if you haven't finished Ragnarok!

The world was reintroduced to God of War in 2018. There was a lot of doubt going into it, but Santa Monica Studio gave us a completely different Kratos than we were used to—not an exaggerated, irrationally angry beast, but a more sombre, reclusive man trying to help his son survive in a harsh world while grappling with the loss of his wife. Most players left feeling impressed. I was instantly captivated by Kratos's new appearance, and I became enamoured with the bond that grew between him and his son Atreus over their heartwarming journey. That is not to argue that God of War was perfect. Especially the enemy variety got boring. While side missions were entertaining,

Corey Barlog has stated in interviews that Ragnarök will be the last God of War game set in Norse mythology, giving the game even more weight and setting the stage. If you want to go in with a clean slate, not knowing anything, I will just say this: Ragnarök is a masterpiece and you would be doing yourself a disservice by skipping it.

I've included two content breaks in this review to minimise spoilers for anybody who are worried about them. I'm going to start playing games after this first break. Even this part could be too much for some people to read because discussing some gaming aspects might give away some plot details. I'll start the story after the second interval. There will undoubtedly be little spoilers even if there won't be any major ones. Do yourself a favour once more and play Ragnarök. Both money and time are well spent,

Now that the formalities are resolved, let's dive into Ragnarök's amazing gameplay.

In terms of gameplay, God of War Ragnarök improves on a lot of the aspects of the previous game. The haptics on the DualSense controller offer even more satisfaction to the experience of wielding the Leviathan Axe, as you can feel it smash into Kratos's palm when you recall it. The weapon still feels fantastic. Additionally, the Chaos Blades feel better in some way than the axe; they are more effective at controlling crowds and pack a powerful damage punch. It feels fantastic to employ Atreus' arrow strike as well.

Alright, so you may be wondering, "What's different in Ragnarök?" assuming you are still with us. The answer is straightforward: the gameplay has changed significantly. Although Kratos gains abilities for the Leviathan Axe and Chaos Blades throughout the game that are similar to those from the previous adventure, the main difference is the new weapon, the Draupnir Spear, which is faster than the Chaos Blades and deals a lot less damage. 

Kratos teams up with more than only Atreus in God of War Ragnarök; at some moments, Brok and Sindri also accompany him as allies. We no longer play as Kratos during the full entry, which is the reason for this significant alteration. At last, Atreus is under our direct authority. As a speedier and less forceful persona, he portrays the role very differently from his father. mostly depending on his bow and two unique arrows—one to stun opponents and the other to amplify the elemental effects of partners, such as talking swords or Sindri—to survive. Besides, Atreus has his own brand of rage because he is part god and half gigantic. Not to give anything away, but each time I turned it on.

Though the way they manage the game flow is different, the skill tree is a carryover from the previous game. Skills can be upgraded to its maximum potential and prestige, providing additional effects like increased damage or decreased damage while performing the skill. One may now truly customise how they approach each battle with the help of this enhanced skill system. Atreus has extra skill trees and accessory slots of his own, but it would have been good to have more comprehensive armour set possibilities, similar to Kratos. The armour is returning, but this time I thought each set looked more amazing and unique. 

Using experience points, we can also level up Atreus' special powers and Kratos' Rage mode abilities. There's an intriguing balance to be struck between figuring out exactly what you want to build out and not missing anything, but by the end, I was swimming in extra experience. 

The fact that the side missions in Ragnarök have real significance is one of my favourite updates, and it's a great way to transition into the tale. Sidequests served mostly as a means of completing the blank spaces in the previous game's story rather than contributing significantly to the characters or plot. Naturally, this does not include the Valkyries, who severely taxed the combat systems of the original. Fortunately, Ragnarök has a tonne of side missions. I happened to stumble onto a whole section the size of a new realm that is filled with tonnes of new side missions.

Every single side mission has a purpose, either by introducing new people (there are a lot of them to meet) or by providing more context for the existing ones.

As a result, it's a little challenging for me to go into the plot without giving anything away. I'll probably give away a few small details here and there, but I won't be giving much away. Once more, if you wish to enter God of War Ragnarök blind, this is your last opportunity.

Let us tackle the most pressing issue present. As we left off in the last game, Kratos and Atreus were discovering that Atreus is truly Loki. The two discovered a mural showing Kratos' death during Ragnarök; however, only Kratos is aware of this terrible detail, while Atreus is unaware of what is about to happen.

In Ragnarök, this is the primary through line. Knowing his fate, Kratos is attempting to get Atreus ready without telling him. From the beginning, we are immediately thrown into the action. During Thimblewinter, a solemn-looking Kratos looks into a fire at the start screen. The developers then repeat the action using the single-shot camera. This well-known framing technique also lets us effortlessly witness both sides of the story during scenes where we alternate between Kratos and Atreus. Really, these switches have really good camera work and scene progression. 

Atreus is what makes the plot truly come together. Compared to Kratos' story, who is, well, Kratos, it is almost a lighter experience while he is on his alone. Ragnarök treats the mythical god slayer with deference and consideration. Awe-inspiring attention has been paid to his past, as seen by the agony in Kratos' eyes, which graphically depict the torment his past has caused him. As a father, I can empathise to the extent he tries to ensure Atreus won't make the same mistakes he did. 

Kratos has developed greatly as a person as well. The events of God of War in 2018 have shown us this, but it just impacts in a different way here. Kratos is engaged in a fierce internal conflict. Asgard is about to face war. Does he revert to his previous behaviour or does he have faith in Atreus' wisdom, who is trying to find a less drastic solution? It's fascinating to observe how their close bond pushes them to distinct limits. I believed they would never part ways. There's obvious, genuine parental love here, and it's great, but they also lie to each other in an attempt to save each other, fighting each other as their emotions build. There were times during some of the more dramatic fights when they well together, and I was cheering and literally jumping out of my seat. The last time that occurred in a game, I can't recall 

I will attempt to further express how thrilling these events are without giving away too much, even though it is difficult to discuss ninety-five percent of the tale without giving away massive spoilers.

Drawing from the last moments of the last adventure, we know that Kratos will face off against Thor. This fight is just as epic as the one that started the first game with Balder and the player. We also know that Ragnarök will be stopped by the father-son team. Together and alone, they both embark on emotional journeys. When they are by together, they become so mirror images of one another that it's easy to see how Atreus is about to forge his own path and how Kratos is still trying to be a good father by pushing himself to do everything it takes.

If you’ve played the previous games in the series – seven of them, counting two PSP games and one mobile game – you know that Kratos lived a long life of loss, triumph, and plenty of god-killing in ancient Greece. While that history certainly informs who he is now, the character we encounter here has started a new chapter, having found love, a family, and a full bushy beard in this world of Norse mythology. But he is still a stranger to this place, and is forced to rely on the son he barely connects with to decipher its languages and guide him when the swing of an axe or the imprint of his boot on an undead foe won’t do the trick.

That relationship, and how it evolves and changes over the course of the story, is one of God of War’s most captivating qualities. Here are two people with demonstrably different personalities, one of them young and still innocent, the other old and as blood-soaked as they come, both grieving over the same woman in different ways. Kratos loves his son but is cold at first. He seems disappointed in his lack of skill and stomach for combat, referring to him mostly as “Boy,” and rarely making eye or physical contact with him. (He will, of course, unflinchingly beat the life out of anyone who threatens his son, which appears to be the only way he knows how to express affection.) Kratos’ uncertainty of how to relate to a boy he’s both looking to turn into a survivor and yet afraid may turn out like him is devastating to watch.

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