In 2018, God of War launched as a soft reboot of one of PlayStation’s most iconic franchises and received overwhelming praise, capped off with a victory for Game of the Year at The Game Awards. Now, four years later, Santa Monica Studio is back with a sequel—and God of War Ragnarök might be the best installment yet.
Kicking off in 2005, the original God of War first launched for PlayStation 2, taking players into the unique world of Greek mythology for the first time. This was followed by a pair of sequels and a handful of spin-offs. After a five-year stretch of silence, in 2018 when God of War came back, it was rebirthed with a new setting, new lore, and the promise of a sequel—which is how we arrive here today.
Ragnarök is nearly here, and with it, you’ll find another thrilling tale rooted in Norse mythology and polished gameplay boasting some neat new additions. These are packaged in a product that takes full advantage of the hardware upgrade that took place since God of War, resulting in a stunning level of visual immersion.
In this sequel, you’re not going to get a completely new game, but what you will experience is one that has polished its strengths and tagged on a few bonuses to freshen the gameplay up.
Picking up from where things left off in God of War 2018, Ragnarök takes us back into Atreus’ search for identity and journey to find his place in the nine realms. Meanwhile, Kratos is preparing for war and looking to protect his child from the dangers that come with Ragnarök.
From the get-go, this story hooks you in with tragedy, and once you’re in, you’ll be thoroughly engaged until the closing moments. Coping with grief is a key theme of this story and something that drives motivations for both returning and new characters. We finally get the payoff to God of War’s closing scene since Thor appears as a key figure in the game, but the story dives deeper into Norse mythology, highlighting even some of the more obscure Aesir gods and Giants.
Each of the characters feels unique and, in some ways, relatable. There are no characters here who act without intention, and thanks to the perfect voice casting and writing in the game, even the evilest of characters can be redeemed.
Christopher Judge is exceptional again in the role of Kratos, bringing more depth to the character as we explore his journey through fatherhood. Other standout performances include Richard Schiff as Odin, Laya DeLeon Hayes as Angrboda, and Alastair Duncan, who is back again as the always-entertaining Mimir.
Warning: The following paragraphs include spoilers regarding new gameplay features in God of War Ragnarök.
Unlike previous God of War games where you’ll venture through solely from the perspective of Kratos, in Ragnarök, you’ll also spend time in the shoes of Atreus, helping to tell this unique story.
This shift in perspective is one of the new gameplay features Ragnarök introduces, and even outside of its storytelling, it works exceptionally well. While controlling Atreus, you’ll get access to a new suite of skills and weapons that help break up combat, which can get repetitive at times.
Whether you’re playing as Kratos or Atreus, neither feels neglected and each function as the complete package. Atreus takes full advantage of his ranged weaponry while Kratos is all about closing the distance and disposing of his foes in brutal fashion.
The story may only run you around 20 hours without additional exploring, but there is a lot more content to discover outside of it. If you’re a completionist or someone who likes to venture through every inch of the game’s world, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Ragnarök subtly hints at you to veer off the story path and enjoy a plethora of side quests.
If you’ve played God of War, you’ll immediately pick up on the gameplay in Ragnarök. For the most part, attacks, weapons, and general navigation systems carry over into the sequel. But when we get to the puzzles, there are new tricks to play with.
Playing God of War Ragnarök on PS5 looks absolutely stunning. From the details of damage and debris on the characters’ faces and bodies to the spectacular locations in the nine realms, everything looks perfect.
Alongside the impressive acting work, game sound is used in Ragnarök to set the tone for certain locations whether you’re venturing through a cavern hearing whispers in the distance or traveling across the ice as you experience the sled carve through.
Thanks to the PS5, these new levels of immersion are capable and it isn’t just the performance mode that allows you to achieve high refresh rates or the resolution mode that allows you to get crisp stunning images. You’ll also get an enhanced experience thanks to the new DualSense controller.
While it may be a little underused through the full scope of the game, there are plenty of moments in the story where you’ll feel the tension as you cut through an object thanks to the adaptive triggers or hear distant sounds through the controller’s built-in speakers.
Small additions like this take God of War from your typical PS5 game to something special.
Ragnarök is a great example of refining what works rather than reinventing the wheel. If you’re after a compelling story, this is by far 2022’s best offering (sorry, Elden Ring). You’ll quickly find yourself engulfed by this world, and thanks to the unique and relatable characters, you’ll be captivated until the very end. With many hours of gameplay to explore catered to both those who want to jump in and out, or those who want to complete all possible tasks, every gamer should give Ragnarök a try.
Arriving in the closing months of 2022, it’s hard to argue God of War Ragnarök shouldn’t be a contender for Game of the Year. And when January rolls around, there is a very strong chance that it will earn that title.
