God of War Ragnarok Review: An Action-Packed Emotional Journey To The End Of The World
The game entirely surrounds Atreus and his quest for answers as he takes a more prominent role in the story this time, while Kratos deals with challenges every father of a teenage boy faces while realising that he needs to understand and trust Atreus into picking his own path.
If there was one game many PlayStation players were waiting to play for several years now, it was God of War Ragnarok -- the second instalment to the 2018 reboot to the franchise by Santa Monica Studios.
However, when I started with the game, I never realised that apart from being an action-packed monstrosity, it was also going to be an emotional roller coaster..
Ragnarok is coming
God of War Ragnarok¡¯s story is set after the events of the 2018 reboot -- Fimbulwinter is here and Freya is pissed that Kratos has killed Baldur. Atreus has also discovered his second name, Loki and that he¡¯s somehow connected to the giants.
Both Kratos and Atreus are trying to survive the merciless Fimbulwinter and Atreus now is far more independent and capable than he was in the previous iteration of the game. However, amidst this, Atreus is curious to learn more about his past and how it is connected to Ragnarok and how one can bring it to a stop.
Santa Monica Studios
Kratos, on the other hand, albeit still pretty powerful, is shown to have aged and is no longer looking for a fight. Instead, all he asks Atreus is to keep his curiosity contained in order to not sound any alarms for harm of the Aesir gods to come their way. But just like every other teenager, Atreus and his rebellious spirit isn¡¯t the one to listen.
Santa Monica Studios
The game entirely surrounds Atreus and his quest for answers as he takes a more prominent role in the story this time, while Kratos deals with challenges every father of a teenage boy faces while realising that he needs to understand and trust Atreus into picking his own path.
Grand, beautiful open world
God of War Ragnarok takes place across all nine realms, including many that we¡¯ve visited in the past.
The realms that we¡¯ve seen in the previous game have also been shown through different perspectives, to keep things interesting.
Santa Monica Studios
The game starts with Midgard that¡¯s affected by Fimbulwinter or ¡®The Long Winter¡¯ where the entire world is clad in snow everywhere. However, as the story progresses, you get to visit reals that aren¡¯t affected by the Fimbulwinter. Each realm looks more breathtaking, and grander than the other, offering stunning detail.
Moreover, what I thoroughly loved was how the gameplay kept pushing me to explore its nooks and crannies, into finding new things and seeing different facets of the stunning open world.
A more intuitive combat system
The core gameplay experience is similar to the 2018 God of War, and it¡¯s a good thing -- the combat offers a cool fast-paced experience that rewards you if you master it, but doesn¡¯t punish you if you¡¯re not as skilled. God of War: Ragnarok however has made some noteworthy upgrades in the combat mechanics.
Santa Monica Studios
For instance, the shield now can also be used for offence, not just for defence. You also have a wide variety of shields to pick from, based on your combat style. You also get access to Blades Of Chaos from the boot and the devs have also found a way to use them as tools to climb through ledges, apart from the action-packed slashing they're pretty good at.
Another inclusion is the ability to execute plunging attacks, which can be a pretty satisfying way of taking down Elves, Draugrs and other annoying creatures that are always ready to attack.
Santa Monica Studios
The game offers you the option to pick a style that rewards your combat technique -- if you¡¯re a high-risk taker, you can equip your arsenal accordingly, which will reward you with better luck or faster health regen.
Atreus gets to take centre stage in various levels, where the story only involves him, without the God of War. Atreus has his own set of combat styles that we need to master. The gameplay often reminds us that he¡¯s not as strong as his father, but that he¡¯s getting there slowly, and steadily.
A movie that you control
God of War: Ragnarok is a video game that looks and feels a lot like a movie, especially during interactive cutscenes involving intense action, that feels immensely exhilarating.
What added to the experience was the deeply emotional script that made you feel empathetic even towards individuals who would never want to show your mercy.
Santa Monica Studios
This along with some kickass background score, that made the scenes in the game feel larger than life and didn¡¯t shy away from making me feel the sheer gravity of the situation. The overall result is a game that¡¯s probably one of the best on a Playstation.
Pursuit of destiny versus defying destiny
God of War Ragnarok is a powerful, action-packed journey that also comprises strong emotions of grief, trust, forgiveness and acceptance.
Santa Monica Studios
The game offers the fans of the 2018 reboot to once again take a stroll through the nine realms and beat some new monsters into a pulp with more fun combat.
It is a journey of self-realisation for the characters and what destiny holds for them and if it is really set in stone as they say.
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