God of War Ragnarok review – The Bjorn Supremacy

2018’s God of War represented a seismic shift for the franchise, one that moved protagonist Kratos in a new direction that felt entirely divorced from the games that had helped define him as a PlayStation icon. A somber but beautiful tale of fatherhood enhanced by gorgeous level design, excellent voice-acting, and satisfyingly savage combat, God of War emerged as one of the defining games of the PS4 era.

Four years later, Kratos is back for another journey alongside his son Atreus, as the pair find themselves thrown into the middle of a simmering conflict between the realms, vengeful Norse gods, and an odyssey to defy fate itself. God of War Ragnarok doesn’t stray far from its established playbook, but with incredible refinement, subtle tweaks, and a realm-hopping story that brings the Nordic saga of Kratos to an emotional ending, it creates the definitive God of War experience.

In case you missed the first game (there’s a handy recap in Ragnarok’s main menu for this), things are looking dire for Midgard after Kratos killed a maniacal Baldur back in God of War. Baldur’s death has kicked off the Ragnarok prophecy, Fimbulwinter has spread across the land, and the mad warrior’s mother Freya has been hunting Kratos and Atreus for years as part of her undying quest for vengeance. That’s the least of Kratos’ problems, as his son Atreus has grown stronger and seeks answers about his life even if it means drawing the attention of dangerous Aesir gods.

It’s not long before Thor and Odin come knocking on the door of Kratos, and after a cataclysmic battle with the thunder god, God of War Ragnarok’s story dials up the action to 11. From that starting point, Kratos and Atreus find themselves on a journey that is grand, epic, and constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat. The biggest surprise here is that while Kratos is still as formidable as ever, Ragnarok gives equal billing to Atreus in standalone levels that show just how far the little godling has come.

With prophecy and sacrifice established as two major themes in Ragnarok, the game makes the most of its 20-hour campaign to give everyone in the cast a chance to shine, and playing as Atreus helps shake up the formula thanks to his nimble skills, ranged expertise, and other magical skills. Kratos hasn’t dulled in the years since he was last seen in action either, as the Greek god-slayer can still easily cleave monsters in half with his Leviathan axe, burn scores of enemies to ashes with his signature Blades of Chaos, and dives into his Spartan heritage later in the game when he obtains the Draupnir spear.

Each character has a meaty skill tree that experience points can be invested in, unlocking deliciously devastating abilities and combo finishers that can be used to inflict a vulgar display of power on anything that crosses your path. Kratos can charge his blades or axe with their respective elements to deal more damage, unleash runic attacks to blast through opponents, and his Spartan Rage ability is more functional than ever before with its evolved forms.

The genius here is that there’s an almost Soulslike layer of depth to how combat functions against a vastly improved selection of enemy types, requiring players to not only switch tactics on the fly but be more mindful of their surroundings than ever before. Focus, timing, and perfect execution feels incredibly rewarding when playing as either Kratos or Atreus, and the more time you spend experimenting with their abilities, the more divine their devastation feels.

You’ll often find yourself engaging in some excessive violence within tight arena spaces, with each realm offering plenty of scenic beauty to soak up. It’s here where God of War Ragnarok does admittedly show some last-gen design issues (it is after all available on PS4 and PS4 Pro as well), with these levels featuring a number of soft barriers to help load up new assets ahead of you. If you’re a fan of literal load-bearing walls, boy are you in for a treat!

But those are minor annoyances when you stop to admire the sights and sounds of familiar locations and new destinations. The dwarven city of Nidavellir is a quirky collection of low architecture and dangerous streets, Alfheim now has new puzzles to test your mental might, and other realms have an expanded design that encourages you to explore them so that you can unlock more treasure for your upgrades. Side missions are surprising standouts here, providing more character development and challenging encounters along the way, with some endgame missions being difficult enough to count as a labour of Hercules.

There’s also plenty of collectible fluff to pursue if that’s your bag, ranging from treasure chests that require cracking a puzzle code to tracking down Niddhoglings, Odin’s ravens, and plenty of other secrets that I’m leaving out on purpose. They’re not necessary to complete the game, unless you really want that Platinum trophy. However, they are sprinkles of extra content on a decadent sundae of unrelenting violence that helps extend the life of Ragnarok beyond its campaign.

But it’s that story that’s the main attraction here, as Ragnarok’s tale is a thrilling emotional rollercoaster that speeds through titanic tussles and cataclysmic clashes that all take place across beautifully-rendered locales. It’s a game that can be surprisingly intimate in its quieter moments before it throws you into a battle against demonic wolves and smug gods who get what’s coming to them. Meanwhile, standout performances from the cast deliver some of the finest moments of raw emotion that you’ve ever felt in a video game, helping to make this one a powerful Game of the Year contender.

Play God of War Ragnarok now on PlayStation 5 and 4.