This game is unbelievable good. God of War Ragnarök has not disappointed as it has surpassed, in my opinion, its predecessor in almost every aspect of gaming and storytelling to create a certified Game of the Year favorite.
This game is one of the best I’ve ever played. And that’s an understatement.
This game had everything that a gamer could ever have hoped for: great gameplan, unique combat system, fantastic weapon and armor designs, intricate puzzles, and unbelievable storytelling and characters. The God of War franchise has always been one of the best and has hosted games that consistently scored above 90 on Metacritic, but this latest edition might very well be the best.
The story of Kratos and Atreus fighting against the forces of Odin, Thor, the Asgardian pantheon to subvert their foretold destiny was the best part of the game for me, just as I imagine it would be for many other, as the characters of this franchise are some of the very best in gaming.
The stoic yet kind-natured Kratos, the naive, compassionate Atreus, and the smart and witty Mimir make for a great trio to follow and watch develop, while some of the supporting characters, such as Freya, Thrud, and Angrboða, also add a tremendous amount of emotional depth. And what makes this game even more special for me is how the antagonist are handled.
(PlayStation/Santa Monica Studio-God of War Ragnarök-Reveal Trailer)
Enemy characters such as Odin, Thor, and Heimdall are given fantastic backstories, realistic character goals, and believable motivations for the horrific actions they take throughout the game. Yes, we may not spend a ton of time following these characters, but the time we had with them made them extremely memorable.
It’s just a testament to the game creators and voice actors for portraying relatable villains who have sympathetic problems (ex: Thor and Lady Sif).
Anyways, as for the gameplay itself, it was a great improvement on God of War (2018). The new Leviathan Axe and Blade of Chaos mechanics, skills, and kill moves were masterfully done, while the addition of the Draupnir Spear was an amazing touch. It was great to play with a Spartan-esque spear with a former Spartan.
As for the open-world mechanics, it was not quite what I was hoping for, but I can’t complain too much. Personally, I was hoping for a bit more Skyrim/Witcher 3 type of exploring and side quests, but the ones we got in this game were more than sufficient.
Exploring the Nine Realms with pretty much total freedom (if you advanced the story far enough) was as enjoyable as one could have expected that statement to be, while it was also nice to hear the commentary and banter between Kratos, Freya, Mimir, and Atreus along each journey.
It really developed the world to hear about the backstory of buildings (i.e.: Tyr’s broken temple) and the characters themselves as they traversed the frozen tundra of Midgard to the desert badlands of Alfheim. The story with the frozen lightning bolt on Vanaheim had to have been my favorite as it not only expanded the backstory of an extremely important character, but it also was nice to hear more about the history of the Nine Realms before Kratos arrived.
The one thing I grew a little annoyed with was how many puzzles that filled every single section of the game. I was nearly pulling my hair out with some of the early Svartalfheim and Alfheim puzzles, though that was probably just because I was just starting off the game. Yet, even that wasn’t that bad once I got the hang of the puzzles…especially the Nornir Chest ones.
(PlayStation/Santa Monica Studio-God of War Ragnarök-Reveal Trailer)
Anywho, I’ll get into a more story-spoiling article another time, but I just wanted to get this one out about the mechanical aspects of the game. Without a doubt, this is one of the best made games of 2022 and will be more than deserving of its Game of the Year contention.
And, with Elden Ring still as popular as ever, this year’s Game of the Year award will have two extremely strong nominees (which is another article to be written).
Oh, and Bear McCreary’s soundtrack was brilliant as always.
God of War Ragnarök gets a 10/10 from me!
Images Source: Featured Image: (PlayStation/Santa Monca Studio) (God of War Ragnarök – State of Play Sep 2022 Story Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games – YouTube)
In Text Image 1: (PlayStation/Santa Monica Studio) (God Of War Ragnarök – PlayStation Showcase 2021 Reveal Trailer | PS5 Games – YouTube)
In Text Image 2: (PlayStation/Santa Monica Studio) (God Of War Ragnarök – PlayStation Showcase 2021 Reveal Trailer | PS5 Games – YouTube)
