God of War Ragnarök | PS5 Review

2018’s God of War breathed new life into the franchise in a big way. Zack reviewed the game, highly recommending it despite its bloated size, superfluous combat systems, and overabundance of filler. I decided to tackle the sequel, God of War Ragnarök, myself. Interestingly enough, I feel very much the same about Santa Monica Studios‘ newest entry as he did about the last. There’s so much to love, particularly in its storytelling and art style, but it simply could have been told in a much more concise manner. Still, it’s virtually impossible to keep from recommending, as its scope is incredibly epic. There’s an insane amount of content to experience for a single-player experience, which makes its price tag a lot easier to swallow.

Return to Ancient Scandinavia

We pick up with Kratos and Atreus three years after the events of the last game. The realms are nearing the end of Fimbulwinter, a multi-year season of bitter cold that began at the end of 2018’s entry. Father and son have been training for the inevitable battles ahead while trying to keep low. After all, they did murder multiple key players on their last adventure, and at least one character wants revenge.

After a hunting trip in which they must fend off this vengeance-seeker, Kratos and Atreus are visited by Odin and Thor. They offer a proposal, which as expected, turns into an epic fight, setting off the events of the rest of the game. Odin fears Ragnarök, and will stop at nothing to prevent it from happening. Meanwhile, Atreus becomes obsessed with prophecies foretelling the future of the nine realms. Kratos butts heads with his son on these matters, believing that their fate should be decided by themselves. What transpires is an extraordinary tale filled with complex characters, each progressing beautifully by the end of this adventure.

Ragnarök feels like a Norse mythology fan’s wet dream, even more so than the previous game. My only experience in that area comes from these games (and the MCU, but let’s not go there). So I feel like some of the “a-ha” moments went over my head. Still, it was fun discussing the many recognizable names with my friends who are much more knowledgeable than I. Santa Monica has obviously taken creative liberties to make this story work, but even a non-reader like me found this story utterly compelling.

Who Fired the Editor?

My biggest complaint with Ragnarök is very similar to Zack’s with the first game in this story arc. It’s unnecessarily long. Perhaps this is my old age setting in, but I missed the days of AAA games having a twelve to sixteen hour completion time. By the time I reached the game’s climax, I was so tired of fighting enemies, I felt like I was going through the motions to see everything wrapped up.

I get it, Norse mythology is dense, and there’s a lot of story to tell. But this truly felt like it could have been a second and third act instead of just a lone sequel. I understand the decision to do so, especially after the length of the last one. People want their money’s worth, right? But with as repetitive as the combat gets (more on that later), its long-in-the-tooth nature actually detracts from the epic finale.

One major improvement this time around, however, is the game’s side quests. Where before they felt like nothing more than filler, I genuinely looked forward to going off the beaten path. It reminds me of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt‘s tangents that are meaty “stories within a story”. I learned a lot about Norse mythology from the interesting side conversations between characters during these “favors”.

Plus, the rewards for completion feel much more meaningful, especially since the loot you gain for solving puzzles during the main quest feels like a let down. “Oh, you just completed a tricky mechanical contraption? Here’s some crafting materials that might offer something nice later on.” The real incentive to do these side quests is the storytelling, which is a nice change of pace from what I’m used to. Instead of doing them for intrinsic rewards, I did them because I wanted to experience more of this universe. That’s something that will probably bring me back to Ragnarök even though I’ve finished the main story.

There’s even more story to experience after the credits roll, which is something wholly unique to me. I’ve never felt the push to keep playing more after finishing than I have with this game. I want to go back to catch up with my beloved companions and see what else the world has to offer. There are even brand new side quests that open up only after the final chapter of the main game closes. The story elements here truly have an intense scope that I appreciate a great deal.

Doing Too Much

In true God of War fashion, Ragnarök’s combat is brutally violent and satisfying. Each hit of the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos (as well as a new weapon you acquire later on) feel impactful as ever. Kratos’ glory kills damn-near made me cringe at times and portray his god status more than ever. With that said, the core mechanics feel somewhat unchanged. The axe has frost elemental powers, and the blades offer fire; both of these play a vital role in solving puzzles along the way. But at it’s heart you’re doing very much the same thing you did the last time you spent thirty-five hours with Kratos and Atreus.

The skill trees offer a plethora of new moves to make things interesting, but there’s simply too much to keep track of. I found myself sticking to a tried-and-true formula that worked for me. Even though I still spend my experience points on most of the available slots, I rarely used them. That could be my own fault for getting comfortable in my own play style, but I felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.

Thankfully, the game rewards you for repeated use of certain combat moves. You’ll gain extra power after using different skills a number of times, but I never felt compelled to try anything new despite the incentive. I suppose this could open up different play styles for subsequent play-throughs, but I have little interest in doing that myself. Still, it gives the game some legs for those who plan to play this over the next year.

God of War Ragnarök Final Verdict

There’s a reason that Ragnarök is one of the most popular games of the year. Its high production value, breathtaking visuals, and highly-crafted storytelling will be the talk of gaming circles for years to come. The world is simply breathtaking, and I’m definitely drawn to go back, even if my complaints about its length make it sound like I’m not. I would have been just as happy to pay full price for this game if it were half the length.

The real reason you should play this title is its fantastic plot. I was genuinely surprised by multiple twists, many of which are gameplay related (but I refuse to spoil here). The constant switching of companions offers a multitude of dialogue banter that kept me interested, even when I was tired of swinging my axe. The emotional journey of Kratos and Atreus makes this a must-play title for 2022.

To hear me talk more about God of War Ragnarök, be sure to check out Episode 423 of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 37:50 time stamp.

This review is based on a purchased copy of God of War Ragnarök. It is also available on the PlayStation 4, but as of this writing it is exclusive to the PlayStation platforms.