God of War Ragnarok Review

about time you think you can come here come on Daddy get a clean slate that ain't how it works you're a destroyer like me how do you follow up on one of the greatest video games of all time Sony Santa Monica finds itself in a situation not dissimilar to when Francis Ford Coppola created the sequel to his mob movie Masterpiece The Godfather like part two of the Corleone story God of War Ragnarok puts a fierce younger member of the family directly under the microscope in doing so it manages to reach the heights of its predecessor and in some ways even Tower above it the writing performances and music are each exceptional bringing this expansive Norse tapestry to life but even as it holds your heart in one hand with its elegantly told story it's crunching bones in the other with fantastically ferocious combat it all binds together to forge a Monumental action Epic that adds yet another impressive Landmark to the video game landscape I need more than that I need answers answers you don't have answers all your mother had keeping things Broad and spoiler-free crates this story picks up a few years after the final Revelations of 2018's God of War the apocalyptic Ragnarok is coming and its events circle around his son atreus like one of Odin's Ravens Ragnarok wastes no time in stepping into the action and after a Breakneck opening battle the first step of this new journey is to leave the Frozen realm of midgar behind and find a missing Norse god in the broader and varied Universe it may not be as tightly a told story as 2018's but Ragnarok has much grander designs this is a sprawling epic that always keeps things on the move without ever becoming disorientating gluing me to the edge of my seat as it repeatedly toyed with expectations it's an ambition regularly met by stunning execution with a momentum that never slips as you hurtle towards its bombastic ending this journey to me just over 28 hours with a fair few side quests completed along the way but with plenty still left to do afterwards prophecy and sacrifice Swirl at the story Center as it repeatedly prodses the concept of Destiny and whether blood runs thicker than the ink that pens it it doesn't merely offer up surface level readings of these themes instead each character and their motives are given the respect they deserve by delving in deep it's a truly special and fittingly Grand conclusion of kratos's Norse Saga despite being Laden with myth and melodrama there's still plenty of time for welcome pockets of self-aware silliness that almost always elicit a laugh whether that be another bizarre Dwarven Contraption or the simple thrill of Kratos eating a sausage when not eating dinner kratos's thunderous voice actor Christopher Judge frequently engages in smartly realized dialogue with his equally impressive castmates make no mistake though this is firmly judges court and one he frequently dominates kratos's traumatic personal history is reflected in everything from his mournful tone of voice to his appearance to me his Icarus wings are long since clipped but his complexion is still pale like a square of wool where a family portrait used to hang the Everlasting cycle of violence between parents and their children has long been a theme ever since the original God of War Trilogy although one though is only truly emphasized in 2018's Revival now it's an inescapable fixture of Ragnarok an exploration of the rawest and most human of emotions and what happens when they are channeled through superhuman vessels pain leads to anger anglese to hate this is the Genesis of the stalking threat embodied by the incomparable force that is a grieving mother portrayed incredibly with a newfound Fury by Daniel bissuti Freya is a striking presence to be reckoned with in the sequel no longer just a helpful witch in the woods she's given a whole new spectrum of emotional depth to play in and Ragnarok is all the better for it each character is given their own moments to shine throughout Sunny soljic fires back regularly with the sharp teenage tongue of abrasher more confident atreyas and Aleister Duncan's severed head accessory mamir continues to provide levity and Exposition in abundance smashing through things for Fun and Profit lovely various newcomers to the vastly expanded cast also deliver fantastic performances with a particular standout being Leia Hayes radiating infectious energy from the mysterious anger Boda the Falmouth Brock and skittish syndrie provide pockets of humor as well as a lot of genuinely helpful info along the way as they play a much more Central role in the story this time around also returning is composer bear McCreary whose score like the Dwarven Smith Brothers goes hammer and tongs from the first moment to the last there's some truly beautiful music to be heard along the journey as well as explosions of rural orchestral power during intense fight scenes layered writing impeccable acting and stunning set design are all crucial aspects in driving God of Wars filmic aspirations home but they're also never let down by the Rock Solid technical craftsmanship at work the one continuous camera shot style of 2018's reboot returns impressively snaking through the entirety of Ragnarok as if mimicking the world serpent jorman Ganda himself my goodness what a strapping physique capable of an astounding variety of acts of violence I imagine God of War's combat has always been the fleshy attraction that draws a crowd in to be wowed by its story however and Ragnarok continues that tradition kratos's blades whip around in every direction delivering a clanking fiery pain to any face they meet heavy Cleaves of his ax crunch into enemies making them fold like bloodied origami and yes that ax still slices through the air meterly lodging itself into anything unfortunate enough to be in its path before being recalled to your palm with what remains one of the most satisfying button presses ever assigned to a controller it's all unapologetically fast and undeniably glorious harking back to the brand of frantic action in which the series was originally rooted but even with that slight shift to old school action ragnarok's eyes are still drawn more to the Shimmer of Nathan Drake's gold rather than bayonet as Platinum cinematic spectacle takes precedence over the chaotic bordering on cartoonish action of Old the ax feels largely similar to how you remember and that's no bad thing with its Dynamic mix of heavy attacks and ranged power but how you build the blades is noticeably different there's a greater emphasis on using them to hook enemies and maneuver them around the arena whether that be dragging them in towards you or juggling them in the air like the hottest of potatoes they're much closer to how they felt in the original games a nostalgic moveset with a brilliant Modern Edge both weapons have new tricks to show off too you can Frost awaken the ax by holding in the Triangle button to power up your next attack or mash the same button while the blades are equipped to ignite them even The Shield is now more of an offensive tool and different types can be important crafted to fit your playstyle runic abilities special cooldown attacks assigned in your inventory also return and while there isn't the same abundance of choice this time around each is devastatingly effective brutal finishes on stunned enemies are another enjoyable throwback to the God of War of old there's noticeably a good amount of variety in the randomly chosen weapon-specific animations too movement is further emphasized by the way you can now grapple up from a distance using the blades and launch across gaps to dive into combat taller area design literally adds extra layers to battles allowing you to LEAP from a ledge to deliver Death from Above combat sequences can feel akin to Doom kill boxes as you dash and swing around elevated platforms towards your next victim in performances of acrobatic Bloodshed juggling cooldowns addresses arrows and your rage meter to efficiently and spectacularly destroy everyone's sin to stop you each fight feels like a real occasion as you slalom your way through ranged parryable and unblockable attacks in order to sneak in a hit or two enemies can now perform powerful but interruptible attacks signified by a blue ring above their head in addition to their regular skills a double tap of The Shield will sort these out but get your timing wrong and you're in line for some considerable pain there are plenty of other big additions to combat that I won't divulge so as not to ruin the sensation of discovering them yourself but rest assured Ragnarok has mirror already add more Tools in its bag than God of War 2018 ever did and is all the more enthralling for it all feels exceptional when in full flow often mesmerizing with its top tier action drenched in rhythmic brutality and is quite simply the best combat I can remember playing in a game and that just goes for the regular fights boss battles are of both a higher quantity and quality including one encounter that makes the opening stranger fight from 2018 look like a playground scuffle it's not just the story bosses either I thought massive alligator bastards called dreky on more than one occasion which are a real event to fight and more of a challenge than 2018's trolls ever posed it's great to see sprinklings of that old school monster Mayhem thrown into the mix which manages to successfully offset some of the more serious stretches of the story smart new puzzle ideas are consistently introduced and building complexity throughout as more abilities are added to Your Arsenal they're often fun and never in danger of slowing your progress to the detriment of the plot but even so atreus omimir can't help but come in with a hint far too early and sometimes rob you of that satisfying aha moment it's a very rare annoyance in a world where normally every last word is a joy to listen to armor customization has been streamlined resulting in the removal of the slotting system for a more straightforward upgrading mechanic enchantments are now placed inside a separate amulet rather than spread over various pieces of gear this division makes seeing what you have equipped easier and means you aren't lost delving into too many menus within menus this also means you can upgrade a piece of armor and take it with you through your journey if your playstyle happens to perfectly clip with a certain set or you just love how it looks the same goes for Weaponry which can be upgraded as well as fitted with attachments such as individually named hilts and handles each with their own perks and bonuses who wouldn't want to play with the Stone Cutters knob after all foreign [Music] 's older new are regularly a sight to behold many looking torn from the pages of fairy tales stopped with oversized flora and fauna there's an extra effort to delve deeper into the mythology this time around and as someone who's a fan of the Nordic Source material it's a real pleasure to see all of the different interpretations of creatures people and places they inhabit brought to life in all manner of delightfully weird ways for example the Dwarven city of nederville is a welcome rural change of scenery with its many homes and tunnels that Kratos must amusingly crawl around in it's at the center of the rocky realm of smart alphheim where waterways weave through islets littered with bubbling geezers there's a real sense that this realm was ripped right out of the Old Norse poetic edda's home of Iceland those geezers are also key to solving many of the puzzles in the region as you freeze them to create stepping stones and manipulate Machinery quirks like this help in making each Place feel unique similarly fun ideas are introduced in the returning alphheim such as reflective crystals that you can Ricochet your acts off of to open doors or even use the Blind Side unwitting opponents in combat it's a further example of not only each realm looking distinct but also feeling distinct to play in from one another every location almost feels like a puzzle box that you're gradually unlocking for a combination of brain and Brawn as you make your way through it these worlds bring with them dangerous new threats if there are any faults to be found in 2018's Revival their modest enemy variety May well have been one of them however there is no such issue in Ragnarok with its B Street fastly expanded to accommodate all sizes and shapes of creatures familiar foes such as drowger and elves have made their way across but this time they're joined by creatures like Grims which you guessed it a pretty Grim scuttling toad people then there's a personal favorite the einhei Asia Warriors who harness the power of the bifrost that makes a section of your health bar glow before removing that Chunk on the next hit there's an engaging but never unfair difficulty curve throughout as you're met with progressively greater threats Dragon well at least it's attacking someone besides that side missions are sometimes spectacles in their own right they're a great source of character development as you learn more about your friends and companions by helping them write past wrongs some side quests do just present a pure gameplay challenge over extra stories however such as hunting down powerful legendary enemies dotted across the Realms of ictrasil's roots there is no shortage of genuinely tough side boss encounters either chipping away at larger health bars is a really satisfying Challenge and remarkably well balanced against the standard Quick Hill Nature of the majority of ragnarok's fights it's yet another Testament to the masterful combat design on display and yes there are some absolutely tough as nails and game level challenges to rival the Valkyries of 2018 but I'm gonna let you find out what those are for yourself there's a substantial slew of Collectibles to clean up as well with Odin's Ravens puzzle chests artifacts and much more to find in every corner there's a ton to be done after the main story has been brought to a close all of its incredibly Moorish and fun to complete Ragnarok never once rests on its Laurels throwing new ways to play at you until the very end despite having a seemingly endless amount to praise here I really have barely scratched the surface of what God of all Ragnarok has to offer I'm deliberately omitting dozens of Secrets and surprises I wouldn't dare spoil what's to come for anyone booting it up for the first time but rest assured there are both huge story moments and fresh gameplay additions that live up to and often surpass expectations taken all together much like The Godfather Part 2 God of War Ragnarok delivers not only a chapter that reaches the lofty Heights of its predecessor but leaves it impossible to imagine the series without it foreign spectacle to behold and an even more exciting one to take the reins off God of War Ragnarok melds action and adventure together to create a new Unforgettable nor Saga impeccable writing Pitch Perfect performances knockout action it's a complete work of art from top to bottom reflecting its core themes it's everything a sequel should be respectful of its legendary lineage but not afraid to take it to exciting new places God of War Ragnarok Is An Almighty achievement and creates a new high that makes many of its peers look positively mortal by comparison [Music] for my full written review check out the article on ign.com and for everything else God of War Ragnarok stick with IGN [Applause] [Music]

Channel: IGN

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Id: wi63uvjs6Uc

Length: 15min 30sec (930 seconds)

Published: Thu Nov 03 2022