Play as Kratos and save the world from Ragnarok! I love nearly every aspect of this game, whether it’s the game’s incredible story, beautifully synchronized gameplay, stunning visuals and graphics, superior character development, and the list goes on and on. “God of War Ragnarok” was developed by Santa Monica Studio and released on November 9, 2022. I commend their work in developing this remarkable game. Moreover, they designed this game to be so good that it nearly surpasses its prequel, the infamous “God of War” from 2018.
Cory Barlog pushes the boundaries of what is possible in gaming and does an excellent job. With such rich Norse mythology, “God of War Ragnarok” promises an experience that is more refined than its predecessor but has shown to be a masterclass in storytelling and gameplay.
Graphics and visuals:
Not only does “God of War Ragnarok’s” visuals remain realistic and beautiful, but it is also one of the best-looking PS5 video games I’ve seen in 2023. The game’s most polished section is Midgard. Those high-quality snow traces and trees just make me shiver. The game is available for both PS5 and PS4 consoles, and you should watch the comparison between the two; it’s outstanding!
Santa Monica Studios spent a lot of time designing the character models in this game. Characters such as Thor, Odin, Freya, Atreus, Angerboda, and Kratos look outstanding. They all exude a Norse warrior vibe. But characters like Thor and Odin are remarkably well-designed and fit the theme of gods in Nordic mythology. Once you look at the characters, it automatically tells a story about them and what they have been through. “God of War Ragnarok” makes all characters and enemies feel like they belong in each realm. For instance, Helwakers, are the indigenous enemies of Niflheim, and their design reflects that. Despite that, they are not the only enemies that fit their biomes; there are countless others, but that would take me ages to list.
The game captures the Nordic art style very well. If you look at buildings, houses, realms, and characters, the developers have accomplished their goal to achieve a current art style. Additionally, in comparison to its 2018 prequel, the developers have added more mystique and jaw-dropping structures to each realm to keep it from looking boring. Look at Muspelheim; it was just a volcano in the original game, but now some structures make it look beautiful.
Overall, the graphic improvements from “God of War Ragnarok” to its predecessor are not a crazy difference. I mean, there is not much to improve on in the original “God of War.” Despite that, the current modifications they have applied to their newest title make the game look outstanding.
Gameplay
The combat mechanics have improved in comparison to the previous game. “God of War” had a perfect combat model, but Ragnarok just perfected the perfect! There are a lot more new elements to the combat, such as companion ultimates, new rage alternatives, and new elemental combat abilities. These additions make the combat experience way more enjoyable and provide more variety in “God of War Ragnarok.” Exploration is much of the same compared to the original game. This time, there is only more to explore and more problem-solving. Yes, this game does have more problem-solving to go.
“God of War Ragnarok” added some major new features to the gameplay by introducing more verticality in platforming during battle phases. This greatly supports the flow of the combat, as Kratos can either leap over to another platform or swing himself over so the player can have a break. There are also new shields added to the game, with each shield having its abilities. For example, I had a shield where Kratos would dash and bash at an enemy, but there is a shield variety, each having its own abilities. Furthermore, this makes the shields in the game more useful than just defending and blocking, in comparison to the previous game.
Story and narrative
“God of War Ragnarok” does a beautiful job at storytelling due to a stronger, emotional, action-packed story in comparison to the previous game. The game starts immediately after “God of War” during Fimbulwinter as the two protagonists await the event of Ragnarok. They face impending Ragnarok, a great war while encountering all the realms and their enemies. Both Kratos and Atreus go on their way to find a solution to stop Ragnarok and the Aesir gods once and for all. The game explores themes of destiny and sacrifice in highly detailed and immersive Norse storytelling while offering players an epic journey and rich combat. Image how good this game would be in the playstation VR 2. Now that we mentioned, we recommend anyone that has a PSVR to scrap it and get the latest PSVR 2
The quality of storytelling in the game affects the player’s immersion in the game world. Events such as Ragnarok, Fimbulwinter, and the protagonists’ quests feel like you’re in a Nordic environment. The character development in the game makes you feel like you’re one of the characters in the game. Atreus and Kratos change so much throughout the game; it almost feels like you are the characters themselves, playing in the world, fighting enemies, reacting to the story, and feeling their pain.
Santa Monica Studios did a marvellous job in selecting their voice actors. They have brought back the notorious Christopher Judge as Kratos, Sunny Suljic as Atreus, and Danielle Bisutti as Freya. However, they have also introduced newer ones such as Richard Schiff as Thor, Laya Deleon Hayes as Angrboda, and Ryan Hurst as Thor, who do a remarkable job. The immersion of the game enhances as you hear the emotions through the character’s voices, and it hits you. You feel all the characters’ pains, joys, humour, and anger through their voices, resulting in an enhanced connection between the player and the characters.
Audio
“God of War Ragnarok” upholds its ability to have awesome sound effects and music in comparison to the previous game. I can tell they have spent a lot of time on the music because it’s so beautiful. The ambient noise fits well in the game but varies in each realm. Each realm has its ambient noise; for example, Svartalheim has its blacksmith sounds and waterfall sounds in the cityside. Muspelheim has the sound of magma all around (it is a volcano land), and you hear the little bursts of magma popping.
The music in the game is the best part of the audio section of this review. When the “God of War Ragnarok” soundtrack starts playing, you know it will be an epic battle. Each song fits in every situation where it is played, so good job to Santa Monica Studios. Combining all these audio elements intensifies the “God of War Ragnarok” experience. It makes it feel more adventurous, lively, fun, and many more virtues. It complements the game’s atmosphere to feel like a real Norse god killer.
Overall impressions
In conclusion, “God of War Ragnarok” is a phenomenal game that remains a memorable piece in the “God of War” saga. The game excels in all elements such as visuals, gameplay, sound, and story. Overall, this game remains a must-play for anyone who owns a PS5 or PS4. However, it is not a perfect game, as some combat sections remain repetitive, traveling can be tedious, and the game has some minor bugs. Nevertheless, all its pros outweigh its cons, and therefore, our final verdict for “God of War Ragnarok” is a 9/10. Want to buy this game? Click the Amazon link here.
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