God of War (2018) has been spoken about many times before: it was a complete transition in direction and mythology compared to the original series that left us wondering if this new vision could still encompass the elements that made us fall in love with the god killing Kratos. In short, God of War (2018) was a masterpiece of direction, combat, and storytelling. It took elements that we saw in other games (e.g., father/daughter adventure of The Last of Us) and expanded upon them to bring us a more emotional story for Kratos while not subduing the incredibly violent actions of the former Greek God of War. Stepping into Norse mythology for the first time in franchise's history brought up a new form of scale and storytelling that was different, yet welcoming. In my opinion, it expanded on the character of Kratos in this new father-figure role and provided more emotional connection to the god killer. It was also the best God of War game ever made...in my opinion of course.
Four years later, we return to Midgard with God of War: Ragnarok, the highly awaited sequel. Luckily, Santa Monica studios did not disappoint as Ragnarok is a worthy sequel to the 2018 classic with beautiful, jaw-dropping scale, fantastic writing, and addicting gameplay.
Story
While Atreus is in his teenage years, the story itself picks up right where it left off: Kratos and Atreus are continuing their hunting ways (of course) through the winter landscapes of Midgard. Within the first few hours (paced fantastically), you meet new friends and foes (some old, some new), engage in some epic battles, and jump from realm to realm leading to the inevitable final conflict with Odin. It sets the stage for a long adventure through the nine realms. And I do mean long - it looks me around 27 hours to complete the main story with diving little into the side quests along the way.
The story itself focuses on a lot of themes: love, integrity, trust, grief, and the feeling of making your own path. Throughout the campaign, many if not all of the characters you meet or reconnect with face one or multiple of these themes. It is because of these that you build a stronger bond with these characters, especially as you get to the endgame. This would not be beneficial without great storytelling, writing and vocal performances - luckily Ragnarok soars in all three of these. The writing is crisp and intelligent, and the vocal performances are all exceptional, including the new characters you meet (e.g., Thor, the heavy-set drinker with similar traits of Kratos, and Odin, the master manipulator who always has something up his sleeve).
Without going into many spoilers, the story does have a couple of speed bumps if just minor. As I mentioned, the first few hours set the scale for the rest of the game, though there is a sense of been there, done that at the very beginning that got me worried. Some details aside, the beginning hour of the game is almost beat-for-beat to that of the 2018 installment: you are introduced to Kratos and Atreus hunting, engage in some basic combat to learn (or in this case, relearn) the mechanics before finally engaging in an epic, godly battle. God of War (2018) was special for many reasons but one of those was the scale of the game, particularly with the power / strength of Kratos and the Norse gods. In the first hour, I thought they were going to heavily rely on what had worked in the 2018 installment, instead of letting the character and storytelling speak for themselves. Luckily, this anxiety was diminished as the story pressed on. The other small hiccup is the length. As I said, it took 27 hours to complete the main storyline and there were parts of the game where I thought it dragged on a little too much, especially since we know where this game eventually leads us to (hint: it's in the game's title). It took me out of the game a couple of times but not enough to make me want to rush through the rest.
Gameplay
Stemming away from the original franchise that was introduced in the 2018 installment was the new combat system that Ragnarok continues to feature. With the over-the-shoulder look, Kratos is able to use his Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos from the very beginning to slice and dice the enemies that come his, and Atreus', way. The combat system does not vary too much from the formula. The light and heavy attacks are set to R1 and R2 respectively that can be mixed up to deliver some damaging combos and runes can be collected to create some dangerously powerful attacks. The shield (which now can be customized) is still attached to Kratos' left forearm, which can protect him from harm as well as parry oncoming attacks. In addition, the shield is now able to hold special abilities to potentially intervene in some enemy attacks and leave them wide open for your attacks. The triangle button has also been slightly modified for each of your weapons. For example, while the Leviathan Axe can still be called back by pressing triangle in combat (still never gets old), it also has the ability to power up your weapons based on a meter that increases with every successful blow on an enemy. It's a nice addition that makes your attacks feel more damaging. In terms of enemy combatants, it has drastically expanded compared to the 2018 installment. Gone are the days of facing the same trolls with different coloring. You will face trolls and rock-formed enemies for sure but Ragnarok introduces some new enemy types that include their own combat attributes and effects to learn.
The combat does have a slight issue when it comes to fighting large groups of enemies. With the over-the-shoulder camera, your vision is limited to what Kratos can see around him. The game does try to negate this with some visual cues around Kratos' waist as well as Atreus and/or Mimir providing quick "watch outs" before an enemy hits you (works for both enemies on and off camera). Unfortunately, it still becomes an issue in these battles. If you successfully dodge one attack, the game does not always give you the cue for the enemy attacking you immediately after the dodge. It leads to come frustration as you dive out of the way of an incoming attack to an area that you think does not have any enemies to only be attacked from behind. It does not always happen but when it does, it can be bothersome.
Outside of combat, Kratos and Atreus will be traveling through the nine realms. The scales of the nine realms are vastly superior in terms of scale and they each have their own personality. Muspelheim, the realm of fire, takes place in a vast volcanic landscape with plenty of hidden collectibles while Svartalfheim includes a steaming wetland with mountains and villages to explore. The realms feel independent to one another and have their own separate side missions and locations to explore throughout the story.
The way of venturing through these realms have also changed. While the boat does make an appearance, a trusty sled can also be used in a bunch of areas to speed up the time to get to points of interest. The climbing mechanic is still present as well, even if it feels like the mechanic is to get you from point A to point B without the ability to venture outside of the identified path.
Graphics / Audio
To say Ragnarok is stunning would probably be an understatement. Playing on the PS5 on 4K, I was to get fantastic graphics with frames rarely falling under 60FPS. The details to the environment are extraordinary and the scenes where the scalability of the game truly shines (especially towards the endgame) are unforgettable. The score also does not disappoint. The orchestra is truly astounding both within and outside of combat that adds to the effect the story is trying to display on screen. One thing that stood out was the bass and where it sometimes lacks. This game is loud and most of the time you can feel it. From Kratos' heavy attacks into his enemies and breaking down doors, the bass is heavy and impactful. Though the bass does seem to be minimized when breaking open chests. I can remember the impact Kratos' fist would make when breaking the wooden chests in the 2018 installment and I feel like it was missing in Ragnarok. I played Ragnarok on my LG 27G950 as well as my TV with surround sound (as well as my Astro A40s) and could not get the impact I was looking for (I also toyed around with the sound options on the PS5). It is a small gripe for sure but given what everything this game does right, it does stand out.
Verdict
Ragnarok is an excellent sequel to the 2018 classic. The story does not disappoint and concludes the tale of Kratos, Atreus, and the franchise's adventure into Norse mythology with a satisfying ending. There are some areas where the game could improve, but they are small and almost non-existent to what Ragnarok was accomplished. Great storytelling, mostly smooth combat, and a great sense of scale and writing makes Ragnarok a worthy return to Norse mythology. I look forward to continuing my time in Midgard and other realms and to see what secrets and harder enemies are still lurking within.
Score: 9.0/10