Video Game Review: God of War Ragnarok

Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

Developed By: Santa Monica Studio

Published By: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Released: November 9, 2022

Genre: Action-Adventure, Hack and Slash

At the end of 2018’s God of War, a sequel was teased through a vision of Thor, the God of Thunder, confronting Kratos and Areus. However, no release date was announced until Sept. of 2020, although the game was ultimately pushed back into 2022. Until then, enthusiasts patiently waited for the follow up, God of War: Ragnarok. 

Ragnarok’s Myth

Like 2018’s God of War, the story follows Norse Mythology, so Kratos travels throughout all nine realms: Midgard, Alfheim, Vanaheim, etc. 

God of War: Ragnarok starts a few years after the events of God of War. Kratos and his son Atreus near the end of Fimbulwinter, and with the end of the long winter comes the destruction of the nine realms, a phenomenon known as Ragnarok. 

Atreus seeks to learn how to prevent Ragnarok from destroying the nine realms while Kratos seeks to protect Atreus at all costs. 

In pursuit of these goals, Kratos and Atreus begin a journey through the nine realms in order to protect themselves. However, this journey proves difficult as the Aesir gods like Odin, Thor and Heimdall begin searching for the duo. 

Ragnarok’s Gameplay

God of War: Ragnarok plays similarly to the previous entry. The player controls Kratos and fights hordes of enemies while exploring the nine realms. 

Kratos starts with two main weapons: the Leviathan Axe, which possesses ice properties and can be thrown and called back similar to Thor’s Mjolnir, and the Blades of Chaos, two blades connected by chains around his arms which possess fire properties. Kratos can also command Atreus to fire arrows at any time. 

While Ragnarok plays similar to its predecessor, the quality of life updates to combat and world exploration make the game flow easier. One such addition is Kratos’ ability to grapple up walls with the Blades of Chaos, which eliminates having to fully climb them. 

When not in combat, the player can explore the vast realms and progress the story by solving puzzles and collecting items throughout the areas. These items range from poetry written by Kaviser, artifacts, and currency for shops towards new armor for Kratos to use in combat. Kratos will also be offered side quests to complete, which typically give experience points to level up his moveset, new armors or currency.

Puzzles in this new entry vary in terms of difficulty, but all require players to use Kratos’ weapons, Atreus’ arrows or the environment to solve them. Sometimes, the solution is as simple as freezing a geyser with Kratos’ axe, while other times it requires aiming runic arrows at very precise points to light torches. 

God of War: Ragnarok is a marvel in graphics. The environments are varied and realistic, but also retain a distinct style so no two areas look the same. The character models and animations are also wonderfully crafted, and the use of motion capture helps to accurately  portray the emotional moments of the story. 

The soundtrack is also memorable, as it uses low energy tracks with a nordic style during exploration and fast-paced songs during major story beats. Some tracks are also reused from 2018’s God of War.

God of War: Ragnarok is a climatic story-driven experience that grants players both thrilling combat and a tense narrative. Currently, the game sells for $59.99 on PlayStation 4 and $69.99 on PlayStation 5, but starting with this title may leave players confused because the game assumes the player has already experienced the last title. Otherwise, God of War: Ragnarok is worth its full price.