God of War Ragnarok Review

How do you follow up on a great game? The situation Sony Santa Monica finds itself in is similar to the one Francis Ford Coppola found himself in when he created the sequel to The Godfather. Part two of the Corleone story shows a younger member of the family being put under scrutiny. It is able to reach the heights of its predecessor and even tower above it. The writing, performances, and music are each exceptional, bringing this expansive Norse tapestry to life, but even as it holds your heart in one hand with its elegantly told story it's crunching bones in the other with ferocious combat A monumental action epic that adds yet another impressive landmark to the video game landscape is something that all of us can agree on.

This is not a sequel where everything will make sense without playing the first game, or at the very least watching the included story recap, because Kratos' story picks up a few years after the last game. The events surrounding his son Atreus are similar to those of a raven. During the intervening years, Atreus learned about his Giant name "Loki" and tried to convince his father to trust him. Kratos is proud to watch Atreus prove that he is no longer a child in the God of War. After a quick opening battle, the first step of the new journey is to leave the frozen realm of Midgard and find a missing god.

There is a preview of God of War.

It isn't as tightly told a story as the one of the year before, but it is grander. This is a lengthy epic that keeps things on the move without ever becoming disorientating, glueing me to the edge of my seat as it constantly toyed with expectations. It's an ambition regularly met by stunning execution, with a momentum that never slips as you hurtle towards its final destination. This journey took me just over 28 hours with a few fair sidequests completed along the way.

Blood runs thicker than the ink that pens it as prophecy and sacrifice swirl at the center of the story. Each character and their motives are given the respect they deserve by diving in deep. It is a grand conclusion to Kratos' saga, as well as providing resolution to some of his Greek memories.

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There are many twists and turns in the story, with fake outs and misdirection woven into the fabric as it darts between loud spectacle and tender conversation. There is a line of dialogue rarely wasted between the old and new characters. It's a credit to Sony Santa Monica and the actors playing each that I wasn't reminded of their equivalents. Despite being laden with myth and melodrama, there's still plenty of time for welcome pockets of self-awareness silliness that almost always elicit a laugh.

Christopher Judge often engages in dialogue with his equally impressive castmates when he isn't eating dinner. This is firmly Judge's court and he often dominates it. Kratos' personal history is reflected in everything from his mournful tone of voice to his appearance, but his complexion is pale like a square of wall where a family portrait used to hang. Death is heavy in the winds that guide him on every journey he takes. Since the original God of War trilogy, the cycle of violence between parents and their children has always been a theme. It is an exploration of the rawest and most human emotions, and what happens when they are able to communicate through super powers.

The stalking threat embodied by the incomparable force that is a grieving mother can be traced back to pain and anger. Freya is a striking presence in the sequel and casts a much darker shadow than she did in the first one. She has given a whole new spectrum of emotional depth to play in, and she is all the better for it.

Each character is given their own moment to shine, with the exception of Atreus, who is given his own time to shine. There are many newcomers to the cast who deliver fantastic performances, with one of the best being Laya DeLeon. Ben Prendergast is charmingly plucky as the god of war. While giving you those all- important upgrades, the foul-mouthed brok and timid Sindri bring their own brand of dwarven charm. As they play a central role in the story this time around, they often provide pockets of humor, as well as a lot of helpful information along the way.

Bear McCreary's score goes from the first moment to the last. There's a lot of beautiful music to be heard along the way, as well as huge amounts of orchestral power during fight scenes. Even when running in the high frame-rate favouring Performance mode, the artistry bursting from every seam is amazing. There are little details from the etchings on a dagger to the clunk of a cupboard door in the movie. saliva-sputtering grimaces launching towards the lens during the heat of battle and hair flowing realistic on Kratos' less-follically challenged enemies are all masterfully animated.

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God of War's filmic ambitions are dependent on a lot of things, but they're also never let down by the technical craftsmanship at work. The one continuous camera shot style of the reboot is back, and this time it is through the entire movie. Four years has passed since the technique's initial wow factor, but it's still an impressive achievement that has several new tricks to show off.

A Song of Ice and Fire

God of War has always had a flashy attraction that draws a crowd in to see its story, and that tradition continues with the new movie, Ragnarok. It might seem familiar at first, but it isn't afraid to play with expectations and throw a curve ball. Kratos delivers a clanking firey pain to anyone they meet. The heavy cleaves of his axe make enemies fold. The axe slices through the air, lodging itself into anything unfortunate enough to be in its path, before being recalled to your palm with a kick from the dualsense controller. It's all fast, glorious and reminiscent of the frantic action in which the series was first created.

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There is a fair amount of excessive violence on the show, with Kratos tearing apart any enemies he sees. Arenas are often full of threats, and though you won't see the return of dozens of enemies on screen at once, that doesn't mean there aren't some aspects of those older games shining through. Even though there is a slight shift to old-school action, Ragnarok's eyes are still drawn to the shimmer of Nathan Drake's gold. The action of old was chaotic and bordering on cartoonish.

The axe feels similar to how you remember, with a mix of heavy attacks and ranged power, but how you use the blades is different. There's a greater emphasis on using them to hook enemies and maneuver them around the arena, whether that be dragging them in towards you or juggling them in the air. They're very close to how they felt in the original games. When I say that God of War's already ferocious combat is only an improvement over Ragnarok, I mean it.

You can use the triangle button on the axe to power up your next attack or use the same button on the blade to ignite them. It's an endless source of pleasure to lock down an enemy by freezing them with the axe and then cutting them with the blade. The shield can be bought and made to fit your play style. A high risk/reward version increases the effectiveness of your parry. When you nail the timing, it still feels great after the thousandth deflecting. You will want to perfect that skill before you take on some of the toughest fights in the game.

While there isn't the same amount of choice this time around, each of the runic abilities is incredibly effective. The fiery stab that lodges a bomb into the ribcage of an enemy is fun to put into action. There are brutal finishes on stunned enemies that are enjoyable. torsos are carved in two and heads are dismembered. You won't get bored of seeing that one head stomp execution move from year to year, because there's a lot of variety in the randomly chosen animations. It is a pleasure to see the shock on a soldier's face as their arms are hacked off. It's a beautiful thing. As you mix up the cadence of your strikes and control each fight, you'll get an extra tactical edge.

Kratos is a little lighter on his feet this time around, with a bit less of a thump to his sprint. You can now use the blades to grapple up from a distance and dive into combat. You can jump from a ledge to deliver death from above in a taller arena. As you dash and swing around elevated platforms towards your next victim in a performance of acrobatic bloodshed, it can feel like you're in a video game.

You have to think on your feet more and take into account a vastly increased variety of enemy attacks and status effects that affect both you and your attackers. Each fight feels like a real occasion as you go through ranged, parryable, and unblockable attacks in order to sneak in a hit or two. Enemies can now use a blue ring above their head as a sign of their strength. If you get your timing wrong, you'll be in line for a lot of pain.

Over time, the combat develops into a bigger and better game. Environmental strikes, such as ripping a jagged tree from the ground before swinging it like an oversized baseball bat, can be used to introduce an unfortunate soul to their face. Some of the most eye-catchingly colourful magic attacks I have seen in a game, beautifully destructive summon abilities, and much, much are included in the game. Sony Santa Monica has a pool of creativity. The more tools in its bag, the more fascinating it is. It all feels amazing when in full flow, with its top-tier action drenched in brutality, and is the best combat I have ever played.

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For the regular fights, that's all. One encounter in the opening fight of the year made it look like a playground fight. There are some huge boss fights that were more prevalent in the original trilogy this time around, with creatures regularly of a bigger scale. A lot of these one-on-one encounters are a true test of your abilities as well, and even when playing on the Give Me Balance difficulty setting I have found myself needing resurrection stones far more than I did in the previous game. It's not just the story bosses, I've fought massive alligator bastards called Dreki on more than one occasion, which are a real event to fight and more of a challenge than this year's troll. Some of the more serious parts of the story are successfully mitigated by the sprinkling of old-school monster mayhem.

A lot of what you'd expect from a puzzle is offered, such as lodging the axe into objects to keep them from moving or freezing, and more. Even though they are fun and never in danger of slowing your progress to the detriment of the plot, Atreus or Mimir can come in too early and sometimes rob you of that satisfying "aha!" moment. Normally every last word is a joy to listen to in a world like this.

The slotting system has been removed for a simpler upgrade mechanic. Enchantments are placed inside a separate piece of gear. It's easier to see what you've got because of this division, and you don't have to look at a lot of menus. If your play style clicks with a certain set, you can upgrade a piece of armour and take it with you on your journey. I kept changing up my builds as I wanted to try out all of the things that Ragnarok has to offer. Attachments such as individually named hilts and handles, each with its own perks and bonuses, can also be fitted with weaponry. After all, who wouldn't want to play with the stone cutter's?

The skill token system allows you to increase damage, stun, and other boost to any unlocked ability. It feels like you're being encouraged to build your Kratos instead of playing with a pre-designed action figure. You can inject your personality into a build if you have enough resources to craft gear. It is a level of tinkering that is easy to understand.

Realms Reborn

Many are torn from the pages of fairy tales, filled with large flora and fauna. As a fan of the Nordic source material, it's great to see all of the different interpretations of the creatures, people, and places they live in.

There are many homes and tunnels in the dwarven city of Nidavellir that Kratos must crawl around in. It's at the center of the rocky realm of Svartalfheim, where waterways travel through islets filled with geysers. The realm was ripped out of the home of Poetic Edda. The geysers help to solve many of the puzzles in the region as you freeze them to create stepping stones and manipulate machinery.

In the return of the Alfheim, there are new ideas such as reflective crystals that you can use to blind your opponent in combat, and other fun new ideas. It is an example of how each realm feels distinct to play in from another. It almost feels like a puzzle box that you are gradually unlocked through a combination of brawn and brain. There is a lot to discover, with some areas surprising in their size. Dog sleds can be used to explore on the Dwarven seas or in the Elven deserts. You can revisit blocked paths once you own the skill required.

There are new threats in these new worlds. If there were any weaknesses to be found in the revival, then modest enemy variety might have been one of them. In Ragnarok, the bestiary has been vastly expanded to accommodate all types of creatures. The familiar foes such as elves and Draugr have made their way across, but this time they're joined by Grims which are pretty grim scuttling toad people, and a personal favorite, the Einherjar. There is an engaging but never unfair difficulty curve throughout as you are faced with more and more threats.

Sometimes side missions are very entertaining. Standoutfavours involve helping giant creatures in distress and adventures full of personal revelations through the jungles of Vanaheim As you learn more about your friends and companions, you'll be able to help them past wrongs. Hunting down powerful legendary enemies across the realm of Yggdrasil's roots is a side quest.

There is a lot of tough boss encounters. They were a great test of skill despite being taken on too early. It is a satisfying challenge to get away from larger health bars. It is another example of the great combat design on display. I'm not going to tell you what those are for, but I will let you know if you like them.

There are a lot of collectibles to find in every corner. After the main story is over, there is a lot of work to be done. All of the optional content is enjoyable to snack on. They flesh out the world of Ragnarok and also serve as valuable father-and-son time with the end of the world imminent.

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New ways to play at you are thrown at you until the very end of the game. Despite having a seemingly endless amount of praise here, I have barely scratched the surface of what God of War is capable of. There are both huge story moments and fresh additions that live up to and surpass expectations, but I won't give away what's to come for the first time. It's impossible to imagine the series without God of War Ragnarok, a chapter that reaches the lofty heights of its predecessor but also leaves it impossible to imagine a different series without it.