RATH'S REVIEWS: God of War: Ragnarok

This review has taken some time to come to fruition because honestly? I just didn't want God of War: Ragnarok to end. I didn't want to rush my time with it for the sake of a review and I wanted to savor this tremendous sequel in nearly every way possible.

It's the direct and highly anticipated follow up to 2018's show-stopping re-imagining and evolution of the series, with promised conclusions for a majority of the story and the "Norse" portion of God of War's storyline. Upon finishing the game - and after it's ridiculous, system-selling success - one has to wonder where it will go next because God of War is a flagship franchise PlayStation can't just put on the shelf.

Regardless, the sequel had big shoes to fill and Sony Santa Monica (yet another one of their utterly fantastic studios) didn't disappoint. In fact, they blew us all away again. Given that this won the Best Game of the Year in the 2022 Rath Awards (check em out!), it should be no surprise that this is a glowing review for - no hyperbole here - one of the best videogames I've ever played in my life.

Yes, it's that awesome.

For starters, much like its predecessor, this is a videogame where gameplay is king. That may sound odd for those who aren't much into gaming, but I presume many know exactly what I'm talking about. The gameplay and combat in Ragnarok is unparalleled in its fluidity and ability to craft strings of glorious combat together. For anyone wondering why this won out over Elden Ring (which is also an all-timer)...the combat depth would be my primary citing point. Playing God of War: Ragnarok feels a bit like poetry in motion once you get past a mild learning curve. Between the ranged and close abilities of each weapon, their various combos, and their stunning special moves...not to mention your constant companion's abilities and arrows, there's a lot to learn and a LOT at your disposal. As many have said before, it's truly one of the best combat systems in any game and getting good at it feels very rewarding not only because you're a badass, but also because it's breathtaking how fascinating it all flows together. Other gameplay elements have been bolstered this time as well. They still may live in the shadow of the combat, but traversing the world is speedier than before thanks to a more apt use of the Blades of Chaos and overall there's a lot less "sailing" around worlds. Within the game, there are many gameplay surprises that I wouldn't dream of ruining but trust that while they may be initially unwelcomed, they all work out with great effect.

Boss battles - a sorely under-represented piece of the original - are equally impressive this time around, with some of the best in the entire pantheon of God of War bosses. Truth be told, this is still somewhere I find the original trilogy lays down the gauntlet, but Ragnarok tries to go toe-to-toe with it for some compelling and visually stunning boss battles. While there are many to choose from - including the early previewed all-out brawl with Thor, my favorite was versus a lizard-esque creature who hangs halfway out of his own realm portal and uses various tactics (including stabbing his own tail through another realm portal right above you). That they're so well orchestrated here after being a glaring omission in 2018 is a testament to Santa Monica wanting to address all pieces of consumer feedback meaningfully.

An all-time great boss battle in the GOW series

"Row, row, row your boat!"

Then of course, we have our main story and the entire quest it takes us on. One of the biggest...shall we call it "considerations" of the original was that Atreus could be straight up annoying at times. It all fed a deeper purpose of Kratos learning patience and how to be a better father in the absence of his wife, but in Ragnarok, Atreus is as much the star of the show as Kratos and - aside from a couple questionable decisions - is a highly likeable character. The juxtaposition between this Norse series and the Greek series ending in the similar places (e.g. kill a bunch of Gods) is wild and a key sign of Kratos' maturity as a character. Driven by blind anger and revenge in the original trilogy (and side games), Kratos is now highly adverse to highly dangerous quests or hunts. Atreus is the only thing that matters to him, but as Ragnarök approaches, Atreus seeks to find more answers about i) who he really is and ii) how they could stop the end of the world. The journey they go on is a long one, probably ~25-30 hours of gameplay if you're not trying to find every little thing like I was and because of that, the pacing is a tad off at times but that's saying a lot when one of my biggest complaints about a game is basically: "you gave me my money's worth of a very good thing." Suffice it to say, the story and plot are addictingly mysterious and compelling, right up until the final moments, especially because bigger gods like Thor, Odin, and Heimdall are key characters. On that very topic, the Norse mythology continues to be at the forefront of everything, much to the benefit of the game. It feels deeply rooted in the actual stories of Norse gods and the entire world(s) breathe life into many intricate details about relationships, how people lived, old stories, and much more. Between this and Assassin's Creed, these series set the gold standard for how to incorporate history into you game effectively.

Related, are the various worlds - or realms rather - that make up Norse mythology and are represented here. This is where Ragnarok is jaw-droppingly impressive while also dwarfing the original's scope. Not only are there more realms to explore this time, including the ones "locked down" in the previous game, but each one is a fuller, more vast map to explore. Not a knock on the original, because at the time it was impressive, but most realms now have received the same level of scope and discovery as Midgard, allowing you to investigate every nook and cranny throughout. They feel distinctly unique from one another, especially as they undergo the effects of Fimbulwinter, and they range from the icy frozen lake of Midgard, the dwarven cities and mines of Svartalfheim, the greenish hell of Helheim, to the jungles of Vanaheim - and several others. Most come with unique gameplay elements and a host of collectibles, side missions, and end-game elements. It's that latter portion that's even more impressive this time around (which is saying a lot because the original had a lot to love after the credits). Vanaheim is a perfect example where an entire half of the map opens with a TON to do, all very near the end of the game. Then there's another host of trials, difficult bosses, and final missions to complete for those that are completionists or just don't want the game to end.

Magical imagination and interpretation of Norse mythology

I promise you, he'll be ok!

And to say this all looks miraculous is an understatement. Even though this was made for the PS4 and PS5 (Sony, stop doing this!), it's still black-magic level of graphics and smoothness of framerate. So many vistas and combo moves floored me, and the (added late) photo mode kept me busy to get pretty or pretty-violent images that you can see throughout this review. It flows seamlessly from moment to moment, cutscene to gameplay, and loading "world" to game "world", all with a never-dropped-once framerate and an intricate amount of detail within the landscape, enemies, allies, and Kratos himself. Not to be outdone in any way is the sound, sound design, and music, all of which are AAA-game "best". The music is worth special mention as it's equal parts epic and somber at the necessary times, evoking the Greek past of the series while bleeding into the Viking instruments and themes that have their own unique elements.

There's even some RPG elements within Ragnarok, not all that different than the first game, but better organized, to love. Leveling up gear has a true impact on your abilities, and applying various armor and power ups can be visually stunning as well as a gameplay changer. Then you have the actual weapon upgrades that unlock a host of new gameplay tactics and powerups, making sure that even into the endgame everything feels like you're consistently striving for something.

Again, some of the interpretations of Norse mythology are jaw-dropping

There's a lot been said about God of War Ragnarok in this review, 99% of it being praise, and that's because it is truly one of the best videogames I've ever played in a series that I hold very dear to my heart as a PlayStation gamer since the PS2 days. It's such a special game for how well it expands upon the awesome groundwork and reimagining we saw in 2018, while continuing to nail the things you would expect it to as a AAA game, particularly the combat itself. It will remain one of the best exclusives on the PS5 for a very long time and is the quintessential definition of a "system seller", if you really still needed one to jump to the PS bandwagon.

CONS

Wish it took more advantage of the DualSense 5. It's time for Sony to stop making exclusives for PS4!
Handful of obnoxious difficulty spikes, very rarely part of the main storyline though
One particular gameplay feature with hex arrows and your Blades of Chaos that doesn't feel as fully baked as others...and is frustrating because of it
Pacing/plot direction feels a tad off at times

PROS

Gameplay is king and it's never been better than it is here. Combat specifically is like a poem exercised on your screen

Other elements, like traversal, have seen welcomed quality of life upgrades

Story that keeps you captivated, moves our characters forward, and builds mystery. PlayStation owns the market right now on narrative-driven games, Ragnarok is another prime example

Market-best performances from all involved
Evolution of characters that's thoughtful and, for those of us that have been around since Kratos was "press O to initiate an orgy"...this is tremendous growth

Vast, varied, and diverse worlds with unique gameplay elements and feel. Less Midgard focused this time out, this is a much bigger game with a LOT to do
Main quest is fun as all hell, side quests and collectibles are a blast, and the end-game content is beefy. Was truly surprised how much I had left to do after the credits rolled
Never falters in how mind-numbingly pretty and smooth it is. Vistas are awe-inspiring, the level of detail is insane, and my framerate never dipped. NOT ONCE
Music that invokes emotion across a broad spectrum...one of the best original scores of 2022
Boss battles and wow moments - something semi-missing in the 2018 "reboot" are back in a big way. There are some "Holy s**t!" moments throughout
Great UI and lots of ways to continue expanding Kratos' abilities long into the main quest and even the endgame content
Often awesome interpretations of Norse mythology. Will have you forgetting about MCU variations quickly
Did I mention how much f**king fun this game is? It's an all-timer