Since God of the war released on PS4 in 2018, fans are clamoring for a continuation of the franchise, some because of the fun and tight combat, others because of the cliffhanger like reveal the game ended on.
It only took four years, but luckily the wait is now over with God of War: Ragnarok, and now fans everywhere can experience another adventure with our favorite surly protagonist, Kratos. The ending of the last game let us know that Atreus, Kratos’ son, was more than we originally thought, being half god, half giant on his mother’s side. Atreus seemed to have a pivotal role in playing the coming Ragnarök, with him being involved in a prophecy to not only stop Ragnarök, but also to kill his father.
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The game picks up shortly after the previous one closes, with Atreus and Kratos on the hunt, returning home when attacked by their former ally, now Freya’s enemy, who intends to assassinate Kratos after killing Baldur. at the climax of the previous game. After successfully escaping to their home, they get a brief respite before another visitor appears…Thor. Threatening and intimidating without saying or doing much, the first introduction to Thor makes players feel like the slightest thing could trigger a huge boss fight, and that’s exactly what happens.
It was always going to be a tall order to beat 2018’s opening boss fight with Baldur, but somehow the first fight with Thor does just that, with Ryan Hurst as Thor giving all to goad and taunt Kratos throughout.
It’s just a taste of it God of War: Ragnarok has in store for its players, with a story that will take you across the realms, first in search of Tyr, the Norse god of war, then in search of ways to avoid Ragnarök. Many of the places you travel will feel familiar from the last game, except now with a blanket of snow thanks to “Fimbulwinter”, the precursor to Ragnarök that throws the nine realms into extreme weather conditions.
God of War: Ragnarök – Reinventing the Wheel
Santa Monics studios have clearly adopted the opinion of “if it ain’t broke, why fix it?”, as the majority of game features are almost the same as the previous game, skills, armors, runes and more Again. There are a few notable updates though, with Kratos feeling a lot heavier in his damage output while wielding his Leviathan Ax or Chaos Blades, Atreus being a lot more useful and a lot less irritating compared to his last outing.
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God of War: Ragnarok is arguably the first Playstation Exclusive to really push the PS5, and it’s easy to see why the studio decided not to go ahead with the PS4 version. The graphics are incredible, from the individual snowflakes falling to the ground to being able to make out the pained and annoyed looks on Christopher Judge’s Kratos face. Often overlooked in gaming, the sound design is top-notch and with a gaming headset you’ll feel incredibly immersed in the world around you, which is helped by the fantastic voice acting of the entire cast.
In terms of gameplay, it plays out more or less exactly like the previous one, with the father and son duo spending their time between bickering and life lessons, solving puzzles to progress and of course taking on much stronger enemies and bigger than them.
The story has twists and turns, some of which left me gobsmacked and wanting to scream at my TV, and there are ups and downs that will excite and depress you in equal measure. If I was trying to critique the game, I would have to say that its predecessor’s boss fights certainly seemed more important, but those of God of War: Ragnarok don’t disappoint either.
When I got to the end of God of War: Ragnarök, I had two thoughts; disappointed that it’s over and it was worth the four year wait, although if the next one takes that long I might cry. Although it’s been a good year for games, with very tough competition for Game of the Year, it’s really hard to look overwhelmed. God of War: Ragnarok for the title.
God of War: Ragnarok was played and reviewed on a code provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
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