original image from IGN
Right off the bat lemme say this: I loved God of War Ragnarok a LOT. It’s a serious contender for game of the year, an amazing sequel to a beloved Playstation exclusive, and one of the best story-driven games I’ve played, period. BUT . . . that does not mean it is bulletproof and beyond critique/criticism. So for the record, I give this game a 9/10. That being said . . .
A Quick History
The 2018 God of War was a reboot/re-imagination/continuation of the 2005 God of War franchise created by David Jaffe (Twisted Metal) at Sony's Santa Monica Studio. The initial series introduced us to anti-hero protagonist—and murderous edgelord supreme—Kratos, who cut a bloody swath through ancient Greek mythology. I say edgelord because it’s true. He was a provocative, extreme character whose exploits ranged from cold-blooded murder to in-engine sex mini-games. BUT, this is not necessarily to insult Kratos’ early work, but so we as an audience can see how far he’s come as a character. Sure, they attempted to humanize Kratos early on in the series by explaining that he accidentally killed his wife/daughter, was then cursed to wear their ashes on his skin, and thus became the Ghost of Sparta. Kinda cool, right? Well… let’s be honest, that’s a typical D&D character backstory created by an angsty youth high on Mountain Dew and 2000’s Nu-Metal. Ya feel me? Edgy for the sake of edgy. Ahh, we were all young once.
Image from Youth Culture
2018 God of War Gameplay
So when the 2018 God of War came out—helmed by the GoW2 director and former lead animator Cory Barlog—I was amazed to see how Kratos, now living in Scandanavia, had matured. Not just his glorious beard, but as a person. Recognizing the pain and grief he had caused, Kratos has put away his past, choosing to be better. He was once again a father and as we soon learn, a widower. A very recent one in fact as the game opens with Kratos preparing the funeral pyre for his late wife Faye. Ouch. This—this was not what I was expecting. Like the action-comedy Guardians of the Galaxy, I was not expecting such an emotional, weighty start. When Kratos’ son Ateyus stood before the flames of his dead mom, Kratos’ hand hovers over his son’s shoulders, but doesn't rest there. He does not give comfort. Fuck, he doesn’t know how to be a dad. That moment stuck with me.
Image from CNET
Instead of traditional mourning, Kratos takes Atreyus on a hunt, forcing him to bottle his feelings. This hunt then leads is the first plot step which culminates in an incredible adventure spanning the Norse Nine Realms. And I loved every damn moment. The Leviathan axe and the new combat system were freaking DOPE! Then came the puzzles, the open area design, and the MetroidVania style of returning to areas w/new equipment to do new things. And all of this “game” was wrapped around a tight, yet simple, narrative of a father and a son connecting, really for the first time. Sniff.
SIDE NOTE: Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t bother hiding my daddy issues, and I’m a mark for such stories. Still, I’m not ashamed to admit I cried a couple times during GoW18. By this time, I too was a father now. I too had been an edgy young man. And I too now had a son and was desperately trying to not repeat the sins of my youth and be a better man for my child. Playing Kratos, the former edgelord murder hobo, who had all that violence and rage still in him, but was using it to protect his son? MWA! Chef’s kiss. All that hit me in the fee-fee’s.
original image from Entertainment Weekly
God of War Ragnarok
Image from hyperxgaming
Like I said in the preamble, this sequel is SOLID. Picking up a couple years later, Atreyus is a little older and right in that sweet spot of mid-teen angsty, emotional, sweet, awkward, and annoying all at the same time. Hormones . . . am I right? Parents back me up here. I saw some reviews from folks who were irked by Atreyus. And no offense to those folks intended (seriously I know how condescending this can sound, so please know it isn’t condescension but context,) but those of us w/kids know this as fact and deal with it daily.
The story of the sequel goes deeper. Not just in lore, but in character connections. Rivalries from the past, goals and ambitions, furious conflicts, heartbreaking reveals, and even young love are all there, just waiting to be explored. I LOVED IT. Through the campaign, amid the blood, battle, and intrigue, Kratos and Atreyus’ connection was tested to the point of breaking, yet masterfully told, came out stronger . . . if a little melancholy. You’ll understand if you play. Not all endings are happy, but many feel “right.”
Images from hyperxgaming
Classic characters like Brok, Sindri, and Freya return and are vastly more fleshed out in this game. A couple take narrative turns I was not expecting. Bravo! The new characters, like Thor, Odin, Sif, Agraboda, Heimdall, and Thrud are incredibly welcome additions. Each has a uniqueness all their own and enough character growth to avoid being two-dimensional. And I’d be a liar if I didn’t say that Ryan Hurst’s (Remember the Titans, Sons of Anarchy) portrayal of Thor wasn’t one of the best ever.
Image from Charlie INTEL
But again, with Kratos and Atreyus being the leads, there were many moments in the game that bookends the series with such a delicate touch that I had to pause and appreciate the craft. Like the 2018 GoW, Ragnarok is ultimately a story of father and son. And like all good parents, they can admit when they are wrong and tell their children that they shouldn’t be another version of the parent, but the best version of themselves. But that’s the writer in me. Sadly, the gamer in me was a little disappointed.
See, not much—if any really— gameplay was changed. That’s both good . . . and bad. The puzzles were there, but felt fewer and more of the same. Tacked on really, borrowing heavily from the previous game instead of making new ones that felt inventive. The new playable areas came across to me as more maze-like and less exploration based, choosing instead to funnel the player from point A to B. I got to go to more realms this time, but they felt somehow . . . smaller? Shallow perhaps? Maybe I’m being hyper, or overly, critical, but I swear the new locations didn’t have the same build craft as the worlds in the 2018 version. And, I’m sad to say a couple were just . . . meh? The land of the Dwarves kinda looked like any generic southwestern US state. The home of the Vanir was basically just an idyllic Poison Ivy rainforest. But maybe that’s me being picky? To be sure, the character animations and combat graphics were on point (beyond really), but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed in the set design.
But all that aside, the plot was SO DAMN GOOD! Yet that’s the real sticky wicket for this review, the plot-to-game imbalance. While I won’t go into spoilers, there are several times when Atreyus has to go off on his own, as young people do. In the interim, Kratos is accompanied by an old frenemy who fills the Atreyus role of the “shoot that so I can do X” mechanic (at least it did in my play though, don’t know if that’s by design or order of events is optional.) And while it’s good, and the drama that unfolds in said time with the frenemy is solid, my (well, Kratos’s) goddamn son is out there! I don’t need to be doing side plot! Who gives a crap about breaking pots, banging bells, bringing ghosts their . . . whatever McGuffin so their spirits can move on?! They had their chance. MY SON IS MISSING! I NEED TO GO! NOW!!
Whew . . . got a little heated there.
Point is, if you liked the 2018 God of War core story, then you will LOVE the story of God of War Ragnarok. If you liked 2018 GoW just for Kratos killing everything and couldn’t give a crap about the plot, then there’s more of that. But, it’s just the same killing. Valkyries are replaced by Berserkers. You can do the challenges if you want, just like before. Combos and weapons play galore. But aside from a new weapon, there is very little that’s different overall.
A fair comparison would be The Last of Us transition to The Last of Us II. Both series sequels (Ragnarok and TLoU 2) had nearly identical gameplay as their predecessor. Ragnarok, however, I find to be a better narrative. Come at me all you want, but I did not care for TLoU 2’s story as much as the rest of the internet.
In the end, I gave God of War Ragnarok a 9/10. That was an average between a 10 for story, 9 for graphics, and an 8 for gameplay. While I wasn’t ga-ga for the gameplay, that freaking story had me riveted.
What did you think? Did you play the game? What are your thoughts?
As always, live long & strong!
~Gibby