I think it’s safe to say that God of War (2018) was a lot of people’s game of the year when it was released, it certainly was for me. It set the bar pretty high, so going into God of War Ragnarok I couldn’t help but think, could Santa Monica Studios do it again?

God of War Ragnarok continues the story of Kratos and his son, Atreus, who has been sneaking around behind his father’s back looking into what happened to Tyr, the Norse god of war. The story kicks off with an unannounced visit from Thor and his father, Odin, and Kratos and Atreus soon find themselves preparing for a potentially world-ending event that directly follows the conclusion of God of War (2018). 

While 2018’s God of War was mostly focused on the relationship between Kratos and his son, God of War Ragnarok continues this father-and-son relationship, alongside this epic and action-packed story that focuses on the retelling of Norse mythology. Ragnarok is also Santa Monica Studio’s funniest God of War to date, with Atreus all grown up, cracking jokes about his father, as well as dwarves with foul mouths that would make any sailor proud. 

As for gameplay, Ragnarok is pretty much the same as the previous game, which I was happy to see. I’m a big believer in the saying, if it isn’t broken, don’t change it. Kratos returns with both his signature weapons, along with some new toys that you’ll have access to at certain points of the story. One of the biggest changes this time around is being able to play as Atreus, including his own skill tree and all, which we’ll talk about a little later. 

The combat in Ragnarok is just as satisfying as it was in the previous title, complete with the God of War ultra-violence it’s known for. God of War Ragnarok is a big game, clocking in at good 40-plus hours, depending on what side quests and exploring you do, with ALOT of fighting, yet not once did it feel repetitive. It was the complete opposite actually. After each section I cleared, I was keen to get back into more action. 

All the God of War hallmark mechanics returns in Ragnarok such as dodge, parry, and block. As mentioned earlier, Krato’s signature weapons, his Leviathan axe, and Blades of Chaos make a return with an emphasis on elemental attacks. Holding the triangle button will freeze Kratos’ axe, though while using his blades, rapidly pressing the triangle will set them on fire. 

Weapons can also be upgraded to improve their strength and effectiveness. The old enchantment system has been replaced with a single amulet that can take nine enchantments, giving you the ability to buff different stats like damage and health, while armour sets focus more on damage, Runic (magic), and cooldowns. The whole system overall is much easier to manage than before. 

As mentioned earlier, Kratos and Atreus both have skill trees giving you access to new skills and abilities. I found the more of these I unlocked, the more fun the combat got and the more I felt like a god. Once I found the perfect set of gear and unlocked most of the abilities, I was unstoppable, and yep, takedowns/finishers are back, baby. Triggered by pressing R3 after you’ve almost killed an enemy, this will activate a brutal finisher. These were different depending on the situation and/or enemy type. 

While the main story does focus on a more linear path for its main objectives, the game does, at times, open up for you to explore, providing you with plenty of side quests to run off to complete, and often tied to the story and characters you meet along the way.

God of War Ragnarok also has some pretty satisfying puzzles which mix up the pace between combat encounters. I really enjoyed these. Some were pretty easy to work out, while others will have you taking a moment to really think about how to solve them. 

Levels are very well-designed and stunning to look at and explore. A lot of the time you’ll be visiting new locations out of the nine different realms, but also re-visiting new versions of older locations from the previous game. Combat arenas and boss fight areas are also well designed, giving you multiple environmental options for attacking, such as huge slabs of stone laying around to pick up and hurl at enemies. God of War Ragnarok does an amazing job at giving the player choice and options when it comes to progressing or taking on foes. 

With all that said, God of War Ragnarok is a prime example of how to continue a franchise and is yet again a contender for game of the year for me. Sony Santa Monica has done an outstanding job at delivering an incredible sequel with a great story, unforgettable characters, amazing visuals, and combat that I couldn’t get enough of.

Written by: MKAU Gaming