Review Copy Provided by PlayStation.
While we’ve taken care to avoid spoilers
please note that this review does includes some clips of boss fights, scenes and locations
that appear in early sections of the game.
It’s been a long and bloody road for the legendary Spartan and God of War, Kratos.
After single-handedly destroying much of the Greek pantheon in a bloodthirsty rage,
Kratos found a relatively peaceful new life in Midgard at the height of Norse mythology.
The tranquility wouldn’t last forever,
as his deceased wife Faye gave him and their son Atreus an important mission:
to scatter her ashes from the highest peak in all the realms,
preparing them for what comes next: Ragnarok.
God of War Ragnarok picks up sometime after the events of the 2018 masterpiece.
Kratos and Atreus are trying to lay low but friends and foes from their past won’t allow it.
We want to talk as little as possible about story details,
but the scope is much grander than the last adventure.
The core bond between Kratos and Atreus is still present,
but other connections and story beats
take a considerable amount of time away from that core relationship,
despite it being the primary focus.
As a result, some instances of Ragnarok can drag on
as all the pieces get shuffled around the board in anticipation of an epic climax.
Combat is undeniably superior and more refined than the previous game, albeit, still familiar.
Kratos is a bit lighter on his feet and he’s able to move around the battlefield easier
thanks to elevated grapple points.
The Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos both return but with slightly altered move sets.
Each weapon offers unique advantages in combat encounters,
with the Axe’s frost element and the Blades’ fire element affecting enemies in distinct ways.
They aren’t just weapons, but tools, as each of them is used for environmental traversal and progression
like freezing gears or tearing down barriers.
With all your weapons in hand,
encounters become a dramatic symphony of efficient slaughter.
The arenas and unit compositions ensure that encounters can be handled
with an assortment of tactics.
Prioritizing certain enemies above others is critical,
and waiting too long to eliminate certain foes will see them power up and become more dangerous,
adding urgency to each fight.
Many of the previous game’s combat mechanics are still present,
like light and heavy runic attacks that operate on cooldowns,
but can turn the tide of battle in an instant.
There are also powerful relics that you can activate which offer different benefits
like increased damage for a short duration.
Shield and bare-handed attacks
are still the best way to raise an enemy’s stun gauge,
which when full, allows for a grab attack that typically kills the target.
Atreus can shoot enemies with different arrow types to soften them up,
while Kratos can raise his rage meter
to periodically pummel his foes to a pulp, healing himself in the process.
Combat feels better, but it also feels strikingly similar to the last game.
Many of the ideas like throwing and recalling the Leviathan Axe
or using rage mode simply aren’t as impactful this time around.
Similarly, starting with the Blades of Chaos naturally lacks the narrative significance they had
in that pivotal moment of the 2018 title.
Without spoiling too much, there are some big changes with weapons and abilities
that you need to use for extensive chunks of the adventure.
These present you with a new playstyle that favors distance more,
although you can still get up close and personal when needed.
These sections are more than the sum of their parts,
but the traditional melee weapons Kratos wields are tangibly more fun to fight with.
It helps add variety to the 40+ hour adventure,
but periodically switching back and forth can become wearisome.
God of War has a storied history of iconic boss fights,
and thankfully Ragnarok is no different.
Similar to the story, we won’t spoil them,
but on harder difficulties these push you to survive intense battles that leave you sweating.
There are also countless mini-bosses scattered around the environments
that offer brutal challenges
and meaningful insights into the state of the nine realms.
Exploration is largely similar to the previous game, with a few notable exceptions.
In certain locations Kratos and Atreus
can use different modes of transportation like a small boat
or the new sled pulled by your wolves.
These travel segments provide moments of quiet introspection between the characters
as they reflect on a myriad of fascinating topics.
Each of the nine realms offers different tasks
like the returning fight pits of Muspelheim
or searching for hidden treasures in the snowy lands of Midgard.
Despite the new traversal addition, exploration feels somewhat limited
as environments feel cramped and fairly linear.
Thankfully, the puzzles are excellently balanced,
which helps make the most of each location.
In addition to moving the story forward, a slew of optional side activities can be completed
that offer rewards and frequently fascinating points of interest.
They range from intimate tales about life and family
to fights against tough opponents.
The side quests are usually more difficult than the main storyline,
adding a sense of danger and value to each task when you choose to take a detour.
Upgrades are essential to survive, especially in the more grueling endeavors.
Finding or upgrading armor has a dramatic impact on the difficulty,
and feels meaningful each time it happens.
Kratos can equip armor for his chest, wrists, and waist,
each bringing a variety of stats and perks
that can alter your approach to combat significantly.
Difficulty settings can be changed at any time for all of the options
except the hardest, which can only be chosen at the outset of the game.
Once you turn it down, you can no longer turn it back up.
The balance to all these difficulties should be commended,
as it ensures players of all skill levels
can get the challenge they desire.
As we’ve come to expect from Sony’s first party titles, the accessibility features are top tier.
There are options for direction indicators, audio cues and captions,
controller remapping and high contrast modes to name a few.
Santa Monica Studio continues its excellent track record
with an incredibly polished adventure.
The performance mode holds steady at 60 frames-per-second
even when the action picks up,
while a 120 FPS mode can be used on supported devices.
The audio and visual design are both excellent,
and convey the necessary vibes of an absolutely epic adventure.
Meanwhile the actors’ performances paired with the musical score are so nuanced
as to allow you to read a character’s thoughts and feelings through facial expressions,
tone of voice, and distinct, identifiable themes.
God of War Ragnarok is a worthy follow up to the 2018 masterpiece.
It’s easily one of the most epic games of the year, but it’s hard to shake the sense of safe familiarity,
diminishing that rare, magical feeling that came with its predecessor.
Combat is undeniably superior and more polished, but the story can drag on for long stretches of time,
while the limited exploration is saved by excellently balanced puzzles,
meaningful side activities, and engrossing conversations.
Expectations are enormous, and despite some limitations,
God of War Ragnarok delivers another precious entry to the tale of the Ghost of Sparta.
Final score: 9 out of 10.
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Review Copy Provided by PlayStation.