God of War Ragnarok is epic. It lives up to the hype and is an absolute masterpiece. 

Everything we mentioned in the Early Impressions article pretty much held through and only kicked up a few notches higher as the game progressed. That said, it is incredibly hard to review the game while completely dancing around the spoilers. Regardless, that’s what this review will try to accomplish. 

If you want to go in completely blind, just know that you’re in for one of the best gaming experiences ever. As God of War Ragnarok is a masterclass in gameplay, combat, writing, and overall presentation. Again, we will certainly not spoil any big story moments, but if you feel that learning anything at all about how the game plays might be a spoiler then this is your warning. 

Play the first game

I know we said you can just rely on YouTube for the recap. But you’ll have a better level of appreciation for Ragnarok if you labor through the first game. Everything from how things are presented, how puzzles and combat work, and how the story progresses just feels more satisfying if you do so. 

Deep and satisfying combat

The biggest change that Sony Santa Monica Studios made with God of War 2018 was how it was presented which affected the combat heavily. Gone is the fixed camera with a wide angle view. In its stead, is the more modern, more intimate over the shoulder shot. Putting you right in the thick of the action. 

That was a huge gamble at the time. But one that paid off. Because the combat was in line with the story being told. Much of the same is true for Ragnarok. The kills are all still quite graphic with you feeling the weight of every hit.

WARNING: VIDEO BELOW IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART

The studio did not reinvent the wheel here. They didn’t need to. As you may have seen in the early impressions in trailers, the biggest addition to combat is the sense of verticality. Kratos can now grapple, to higher platforms adding a new dynamic to how you’ll execute your enemies. 

Speaking of enemies, there’s a greater variety of enemy-types. And these aren’t just re-skinned versions of ones you encountered earlier. The enemies will also force you to learn the various skills and techniques at your disposal. 

The Weapons 

You still have the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, Shield, and your bare hands at your disposal. The Axe and Blades have a sort of power up now. For the Axe, you can press the triangle button to imbue ice which adds Frost status to your attacks. Meanwhile, the Blades can be swung by pressing triangle again multiple times adding Burn status to your attacks. 

The Shield has variety too. Developers have revealed that you’ll have a selection of Shields at your disposal. Other than the one you used in the first game you’ll have a choice of a Shield that prioritizes parrying, and another that absorbs attacks and then disperses it — similar to how Black Panther’s armor worked in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Armor and play style

You’ll also have your choice of armor that will certainly affect your play style. Personally, I’m pretty bad at parrying and sometimes forget to block and/or dodge. That’s why I went with a high-defense build. 

But if you’re skilled enough, a build that prioritizes strength and parrying might be the most rewarding animation-wise. There will be plenty of options even at the early hours of the game. So, you can definitely have a pick of armor that will fit your play style.

Atreus now more experienced

Like usual, you’ll have Atreus by your side as you combat enemies. Now a more seasoned fighter, Kratos’ son has more melee attacks at his disposal in addition to his bow abilities. 

You’ll also be able to do more with him as his skills have expanded. 

Some enemies will even force you to use Atreus in battle. That’s how deep the combat in God of War Ragnarok is. It’ll challenge you to use nearly every skill and weapon at your disposal. 

Environmental puzzles

Much like the first game, Ragnarok is littered with environmental puzzles that present a different challenge. You’ll also be forced to use a combination of old and new abilities to complete them. 

One new thing they added is the ability to yank certain obstacles with the help of the Blades of Chaos. Some puzzles will also require you slay enemies first. While others will have you moving from one area to another first before completely being allowed to move forward. 

These are all fun and present a decent challenge without slowing down the game much. They’re a nice break from the beat-to-beat story and combat that you’ll be faced with as you go along on this journey. 

Writing, storytelling, and dialogue 

What elevates and connects everything together is the phenomenal writing of the game. Everything from how scenes transition to one another, to the witty banters in-between, as well as the dialogue in cutscenes just flow and work seamlessly together to tell this massive, epic story. 

The Dynamic between Kratos and Atreus has evolved just as the boy has essentially grown into a young teenager – one that’s eager to know more about his origins as well as the prophecy that was revealed to them at the end of the first game. Atreus wants to push forward while Kratos —  old, tired, and battered — wants to keep the status quo if it means keeping his son safe. 

While the story certainly still anchors on the relationship between the father and son, how they relate with both the returning and new characters also play a huge part. The Dwarf brothers Brok and Sindri return to support the father and son. And as seen on the trailers, Freya is out for revenge against Kratos. 

New characters

Of the new characters showcased though, my personal favorite is the All-Father himself — Odin. Up to this point, we’ve only heard about stories of how absolutely horrible he is as god. But his demeanor, especially towards Atreus, might make you think otherwise. 

Another new character which has interesting interactions with Atreus is Angrboda. There’s this undeniable chemistry between the two and it’s amusing to see it play out.

The performances also take the writing to another level. The voice acting is superb and is helped by how each character model is animated. You get as much information with words both spoken and otherwise. 

The news that God of War is getting an Amazon Prime Video series is a welcome one. If the show’s writers can capture the same magic and wonder of these last two games, then we’re all in for a treat. 

Overall presentation

Ragnarok carries over the one-shot approach from the first game. Although, I have to admit, while this early access we got is pretty excellent as it is, some lag was apparent especially during the latter part of the game. But this is pretty understandable as this Ragnarok is packed to the brim with many quests and collectibles. 

We also have to take into account that the studio wanted to make sure this game is playable on the PS4. On that note, the game doesn’t take full advantage of the DualSense controller. It’s mostly as an add-on and doesn’t feel like necessary implementations the way Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Returnal did it. 

You do get multiple graphical options. One that prioritizes resolution and another that focuses on framerate. For my playthrough, I selected the resolution priority, but because the TV I use (the LG C2) has gaming-specific features, I was constantly getting around 119 to 120 fps. 

The accessibility options have also been expanded. The studio made sure that the game will be enjoyed even by those with physical disabilities. 

An epic experience

God of War Ragnarok takes everything good from the first game and cranks it up a few notches. You can expect the same level of excellence in gameplay, story, and presentation but all improved and expanded to deliver a gaming experience that’s nearly generation-defining. 

This is one of those games that you have to play, you have to immerse yourself in, no matter what. That’s how excellent it is.

God of War Ragnarok will launch on November 9 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.