The God of War series documents the life of Kratos, a Spartan warrior who was deceived into murdering his own family. The experience set him on a vengeful path, but he eventually came to seek a life of peace with his son, Atreus. Sadly, their lives only remain peaceful for so long, as they are constantly being pursued by a variety of angry gods.

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God of War Ragnarok kicks off shortly after the climax of the previous title. It follows Kratos and Atreus as they both attempt to navigate the vast Fimbulwinter that lies before them. The initial goal is to return home from a hunting trip, but Freya shows up to make the task a bit more difficult.

Surviving Fimbulwinter Intro

The first chapter of God of War Ragnarok is entitled Surviving Fimbulwinter. The player will gain control of Kratos after the opening cutscene and will then be forced to traverse a snowy landscape with the help of two wolves and a sled. Thankfully, the way forward is linear, so reaching the end of this segment can be done with relative ease.

Shortly into the journey, Freya appears and mounts an attack on Kratos. It seems the death of her son, Baldur, in the previous God of War has fueled her with hatred, but Kratos has no intention of letting her avenge him. She attacks several times throughout this segment, but each of her advances can be shrugged off with some appropriately timed blocks. Once she is dealt with, the player will gain full control of Kratos.

Kratos' Dream

Atreus will then run to Fenrir, his dying pet wolf. A heartbreaking scene will ensue, documenting the bond they share before Kratos retreats into his cabin and falls asleep. The next segment takes place inside Kratos's head. Faye comes to him in his dream and asks him to follow her. She informs him that she is hunting a predator, so all the player needs to do is trail behind until they encounter it. After lifting three logs that block his path, Kratos meets the wolf before being awoken from his dream.

He then learns that Atreus never returned, so he grabs his iconic Leviathan Axe and sets off to find him. Exploring behind the shack will permit a brief insight into Kratos' questionable parenting methods, but finding Atreus requires the player to return to the area they just came from.

After crawling through the cave, Kratos will be forced into a battle with a group of raiders. Pressing L1 blocks oncoming attacks, R1 performs Light Attacks, and L2 will deal a Heavy Attack. This is also a good time to practice dodging by tapping X. If the player is low on health after the battle, they can find a Healthstone in the next area to replenish.

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Following the trail of blood in the next area will lead to another encounter with raiders. Like before, they can be vanquished easily with some well-timed attacks, blocks, and dodges. This area is home to multiple enemies, so it's important to be prepared for anything. It's easy to get lost here, but thankfully, the path forward is marked with a series of colorful drawings on cliff faces.

To access the next area, Kratos will need to scale the wall at the back of the arena. There is plenty of Hacksilver scattered throughout this area, so it's recommended the player takes the time to collect it before progressing forward.

Upon entering the next cave, Kratos will learn how to perform attacks from high ledges. There are several raiders inside this chasm that need to be dealt with before leaving, but they all go down with little struggle.

Bjorn Fight

After climbing out of the cave, Kratos will get attacked by Bjorn, a terrifying bear who can be quite challenging if the player isn't patient. Bjorn has several openings, but they can be difficult to predict, given the creature's speed.

Attacking from a distance can go a long way, but it's much faster to engage the beast up close. If he grabs Kratos, the best way to escape is to mash the O button. The key to victory is to time each dodge and avoid being hit while delivering a few blows in between. Yellow attacks can be blocked, but the red ones need to be dodged.

Rescuing Atreus

Upon defeating the bear, Atreus will emerge from its body. A short scene will play in which Kratos comforts his son before the two begin their journey home. Kratos will then gain the ability to call upon Atreus in combat. He can be a great help in dealing with distant enemies, so the player should familiarize themselves with how he works. The journey home is crawling with raiders, but they are easy to deal with, thanks to Atreus's bow and arrows.

Thor and Odin Enter

Kratos and Atreus arrive home after following the path. The two prepare for bed before being rudely interrupted by Thor and his father, Odin. After a tense conversation, Thor grabs Kratos and commands him to pay for what he has done. The two engage in a visceral brawl in which Thor provokes Kratos to reveal his true self.

Thor can be tricky to deal with due to his unpredictable ranged attacks, but he goes down quite easily when compared to Bjorn. Once the battle is over, Brok and Sindri appear to offer their help. They create a door for Kratos to return home through, and when he does, he discovers that Odin has left. The player then unlocks the opportunity to customize the Leviathan axe.

The Huntress Fight

The next part of the story requires Kratos to follow Atreus into the woods. The Blades of Chaos are needed to get passed certain obstacles, so it's vital to have them ready to do so. They can also come in handy for the upcoming battles against the reanimated raiders.

The route will eventually split into two diverging roads. The path to the right, however, is the only means of progressing forward. Kratos must then descend a cliff face, enter a small cave, and emerge from the other side, where he will need to use the Blades of Chaos to remove a pillar from his way.

Eventually, the player will encounter the Huntress, a human and horse hybrid. The battle can be quite challenging without access to Kratos's shield, but it isn't as tough as the previous bosses.

After the battle, Kratos and Atreus will reach their destination. They take a moment to examine their findings before setting off once again to return home. Sindri will greet Kratos and Atreus once they arrive back at their house. Knowing their situation, he offers to help by finding them a place to lie low. Entering into the portal he creates marks the end of Surviving Fimbulwinter.

God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.