God of War, Ragnarok, and Ragnarök: The New Adventures of a Strongly Coupled, Persistent Family?
God of War is not very good as a stand-alone story. It is a sequel, after all, so of course it is not supposed to. But it truly does feel like the next, necessary chapter in a complex, ongoing tale versus, say, a new adventure in the same universe. Aside from an optional recap — that’s not especially thorough — it doesn’t do much to welcome complete newcomers. If you haven’t played the original, I suggest doing so, or at least watching a more complete recap, before diving into Ragnarok.
Kratos and Atreus had a great success with their first adventure and the success of the sequel puts it in a bad position with unrealistic expectations to re-raise the bar. It has been suggested by fans that it might be held back technically by Sony’s decision to place it on both the PS5 and last-gen PS4.
The snow is where the expectations of a re-imagining on par with last game should be buried. Ragnarok is unquestionably bigger and better, the product of a game that’s retained – yet refined and polished – what previously worked, while complementing that formula with a slew of enhancements, both subtle and significant.
The recently released Ragnarök is a direct sequel to that game, picking up after its predecessor revealed that Kratos’ son, Atreus, is actually the Norse god Loki, and that the mythological end times— Ragnarök—are upon them. With Odin hunting for Atreus/Loki, and Kratos now desperate to find a way to keep his son safe while allowing him to embrace his divine identity without helping bring the world to an end (typical parent stuff, really), the stakes are much higher for the protagonist on both a personal and existential level. Kratos continues to evolve as a father and a character in general. Though the 2018 God of War had established him as a kinder, gentler sort of bloodthirsty musclebound warrior—one capable of forming a proper relationship with his son—the sequel poses a follow-up question: How does Kratos behave once that relationship is put to the test by his child growing into an adult and being brought into confrontation with the Norse gods?
I don’t like that movie, but like a cranky god-slayer, I have to point out a few things. It feels bloated at times, especially when it focuses on Atreus and Kratos, and I really liked the game, but I was not happy with how it was written.
I was more impressed by how it revealed new shades of Kratos’ and Atreus’s personalities, while also putting a fresh spin on their relationship, than I had thought.
The blades of chaos and the Leviathan Axe return to give death with an evolving variety of up- close and ranged attacks. Runic attacks, Spartan Rage, and the ability to call on Atreus to bring his own type of punishment are all back. There is no excuse for enemies to be silenced the same way twice, even if you add in the numerous upgrades, unlocks and other progression paths.
Of course, the deity-destroying daddy isn’t the only one with new tricks tucked into his tunic. Enemy variety has also been beefed up, with new creatures of the clawed, horned, and fanged variety popping up regularly, many leveraging strength-sapping status effects to put Kratos in his place. Some of the most inspired monsters to fall before Kratos’ feet, are represented by screen-swallowing bosses in greater abundance.
Toss in combat that feels faster and more fluid thanks, in part, to new death-from-above attacks, as well as a friendlier, more streamlined user interface for managing character progression, and the blood-letting gameplay is both deeper and better than ever.
The only button you might mash more than Kratos’ brutal attacks is the controller’s screenshot-snapping input. The sequel to God of War was easy to play and one of the prettiest games on the PS4. I can’t imagine a console producing a more beautiful interactive adventure if this cross-generation entry not harnessed the ample horse’s beneath the PS 5’s hood.
God of War: Is God Too Small or Too Dwarf? The Case of God and Faye’s Mistress in Ragnarok
When not splitting skulls and lopping limbs, you’ll explore Ragnarok’s nine, breathtaking realms, each packed with puzzles, collectibles, crafting resources, side-quests, and, yes, constant justification for the game’s photo mode. New areas will immediately make you fall in love with them. It is very impressive how returning realm such as the Midgard has been re-imagined in the wake of Fimbulwinter.
The side characters from the first game, including the dismembered head Mimir, the dwarven brothers brok and Sindri, and the witch of the Woods Freya, join a number of new faces. Sometimes, the expansion of the cast makes for a story that is unnecessarily complex and frustrating, but I want the simple simplicity and quiet dignity of Kratos and Atreus during their journey to spread Faye’s ashes.
The comic relief delivered by the sibling blacksmiths was doubled-down on. These characters brought some welcome levity to God of War’s serious subject matter, but they try too hard here, being overly chatty and even barking out hints before you actually need or want them.
I’d also argue the game overstays its welcome a bit, especially for a story-driven, single-player campaign. While it can’t be accused of not providing variety until the credits roll, there’s some padding in the form of quests that, while engaging, seem superfluous in the face of the supposed urgency of the critical path.
Santa Monica Studio knew their next game would continue to show Kratos moving farther away from his original character. In an interview with WIRED, narrative director Matt Sophos writes that his team definitely knew they wanted Kratos to evolve in both big and small ways. The last game of the series had Kratos tell Atreus that the pair must be better, as a central philosophy guiding his further development.
The similarities between the character Atreus of God of War and that of Atreus in Ragnark were explained in an email by the actor who played Atreus in both films.