God of War Ragnarok is looking like it could be a contender for 2022’s Game of the Year. The story is certainly up there as one of the strongest. It picks up an indeterminate number of months or years after the 2018 game ended. Kratos is still struggling as a father and Atreus is seeking answers to what the name Loki means.
This eventually leads to Thor and Odin knocking on their door with a proposal of peace. Are they lying? Does Kratos make a deal in God of War Ragnarok? Fans familiar with this series probably know the answer to that, but they have to dive in to find out.
8 Best: A Beautiful World To Behold
The 2018 version of God of War was like a swan song for the PS4 and it’s no surprise that this sequel looks even better. The characters and worlds the developers managed to craft in it are astounding. The scale of monsters and mountains never ceases to amaze even toward the end of the game.
It’s a technical marvel on the PS5 as that version has virtually no glitches and impeccable polish. Sometimes characters may clip through the world, so the game isn’t immaculate, but overall God of War Ragnarok is a stunning achievement visually.
7 Worst: The Puzzles
The puzzle system in the game leaves a lot to be desired. There is no waypoint system to directly show players where to go next. There is a compass to locate quest markers but it’s not that helpful.
None of the obstacles will stump players forever like in a specific puzzle game like Portal, but that doesn’t mean players won’t get frustrated. Some may purchase God of War Ragnarok strictly for the action or story and won’t care about puzzles. A better hint system or a way to skip these challenges would have gone a long way to making the adventure more accessible.
6 Best: The Story
The narrative is once again the very best thing about this game. The acting is out of this world and seeing the relationship between Kratos and Atreus build and break throughout the adventure is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. There are a lot of emotions to be had in the game.
Players may rush through the game just to see what’s going to happen next as it is that engaging. It may not be as surprising or feel as fresh as the 2018 reboot, but God of War Ragnarok will surely have players on the edge of their seats for about twenty hours.
5 Worst: The PS4 Version Is Holding It Back
There is a legion of technical things that make God of War Ragnarok feel more like a 1.5 upgrade than a full-on, next-gen sequel. For example, the load times on most PS5 games are lightning fast. Load times were decent with the 2018 reboot on PS4 but that’s because many load times were disguised through environmental pathways.
For example, hugging between cracks in walls and using the fast travel system were disguised loading sequences. They aren’t needed on PS5 but they return. That’s one example of many that make this sequel feel locked in as if it hasn’t gone through any evolutionary changes like creating a true open world with no cuts in between.
4 Best: Mimir And Sindri
The story deserves a lot of praise in God of War Ragnarok but there are some characters in the game that need a separate mention and that doesn’t include the ever-stoic Kratos. Mimir is a great companion similar to the role of Navi from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time but less annoying.
His advice is useful and thoughtful, and his dialogue can be funny as well. Perhaps the funniest character, for the second game in a row, is Sindri. His OCD has not gone away, making for some of the most hilarious moments in the game whether he’s complaining about muddy footprints or his broom closet space.
3 Worst: You Don’t Kill The Dog!
Whenever a pet shows up in a game, the first thought on the mind of players is whether that animal is going to die or not. Seeing a cute pup or kitty can be enjoyable but in dramatic games like God of War Ragnarok, there is a worry for their safety. Well, this game begins with a real kick in the teeth for wolf lovers.
Fifteen minutes in players have to watch Atreus say goodbye to his sick wolf, Fenrir. Not long after that Atreus has to live with the fact that he killed a mother bear, leaving two cubs to fend for themselves. That is too much animal trauma to begin a game with even in the most brutal of action games.
2 Best: A Nice Amount Of Saves
This feature may not have every player sing its praises but God of War Ragnarok allows players to save nonstop. As long they have space on their console, players can save until the cows come home. Allowing players more than one, or three save files, which are the traditional amounts, is great for archiving purposes.
Players may wish to preserve each chapter with a save if they want to replay them whenever they wish. More saves also means more ways to backup files in case there is a glitch leading to corrupt data.
1 Worst: Missing Features
The save system is great, but there are many features missing in this game too. The developers have already promised Photo Mode will be added at a later date which is good. However, that doesn’t help players who wish to go through God of War Ragnarok now and don’t plan to replay it anytime soon.
It’s also a shame co-op wasn’t added to the sequel as Atreus is more capable of fighting. It would make sense to add co-op online or offline but maybe that can happen with the next game. Finally, the lack of a mini-map makes exploring that much harder.
God of War Ragnarok was released on November 9, 2022, and is available on PS4 and PS5.