God of War Ragnarok review

God of War Ragnarok is arguably the year’s most-anticipated game, and you needn’t look further than its predecessor to understand why. Released exclusively on PlayStation 4 in 2018, Sony Santa Monica’s God of War simultaneously delivered a canon-respecting sequel and a significant series reboot. It also turned the medium’s most perturbed protagonist into a burly, bearded dad, paired with an AI pre-teen companion. Any of these potentially problematic choices would have sunk a lesser game, but God of War pulled it off brilliantly, delivering the long-running franchise’s best entry yet.

Of course, the popularity and success of Kratos’ and Atreus’ first adventure puts its sequel on the spot, saddling it with unrealistic expectations to re-raise the bar. Toss in the fact finicky fans have suggested it’ll be held back technically by Sony’s decision to put it on both the PS5 and last-gen PS4, and the father-son duo face a challenge as daunting as thwarting a pack of angry Draugar.

Thankfully, they’ve returned prepared, armed with new weapons, allies, and a fresh dynamic fueling both their evolving relationship and ability to reduce mythical monsters to pulp. Ragnarok will still feel comfortably familiar to anyone who’s split an ugly beast’s skull from behind Kratos’ Leviathan Axe, but by layering fresh elements into its proven formula, it also nails a rewarding balance between retaining what previously worked and taking that reliable template to new heights.

The most surprising aspect of 2018’s God of War was the emotional story at its center. Earlier entries put Kratos front and center, but his PS4 debut saw him sharing the spotlight with Atreus, a young son he hardly knew. Watching their connection evolve over the game was a highlight, one that presented the previously one-note protagonist as a more nuanced character — a widowed father struggling to bond with his child in the wake of his mother’s death.

Rather than recycling this same relationship dynamic, God of War Ragnarok — which picks up a few years later — takes it in riveting new directions. Atreus is now a teenager, more mature, confident and, to Kratos’ dismay, cocky. They are at once closer than ever and pulled in separate directions, a complicated scenario shaped by both Atreus’ teen angst and the events the two set in motion during the last game’s conclusion.

Spoiler warning for those who skipped God of War: The pair inadvertently triggered the Norse apocalypse, while also discovering Atreus may be a god himself, specifically Loki. These preceding events and revelations mold Ragnarok’s overarching story, but they’re also pretty personal to Atreus and his journey. And, by extension, they significantly alter — for better and worse — his relationship with his father. The game doesn’t brush any of this aside in favor of spotlighting the titular god-slaying antihero, but rather gives Atreus’ path the space and respect it deserves.

In fact, Ragnarok feels more like Atreus’ story, a surprising, yet welcome turn that twists the narrative in a number of unexpected, emotionally-charged ways. This focus on the former “boy”

takes the broader, central story-line in some compelling directions, but I was even more impressed by how it revealed new shades of Kratos’ and Atreus’s personalities, while also putting a fresh spin on their relationship.

Ragnarok smartly retains its predecessor’s brilliant blend of hack-and-slash action and deeper, more thoughtful strategy. If you enjoyed opening baddies from brain-stem to bellybutton in God of War, you’ll have a wide smile plastered across your mug during Ragnarok’s thumb-blistering melees.

The Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos return to deliver death with an evolving variety of up-close and ranged attacks, all executed with cinematic style to spare. Screen-clearing Runic attacks and Spartan Rage also return, as does the ability to call on Atreus to bring his own brand of punishment. Toss in the various upgrades, unlocks, and numerous other progression paths and RPG-flavored enhancements, and there’s no excuse for permanently silencing enemies the same way twice.

While the core combat mechanics — and varied, inventive ways in which you can free foes of their innards  — don’t stray far from the established formula, a number of new wrinkles layer in additional depth. For starters, you can wield both of Kratos’ signature weapons from nearly the game’s start. Ragnarok complements this early access with more creative encounters, some requiring the use of both weapons to clear the battlefield. The pair of killers can also be imbued with elemental powers — frost for the Axe, fire for the Blades — before being sent to do their bidding.

Elemental damage, in general, plays a larger role, as does Kratos’ rib cage-demolishing shield. But these examples barely scratch the surface of how Ragnarok has built on the foundational mechanics, complementing them with fresh attacks, weapons, character-building features, and even brand new, bacon-saving allies. Multiple additions, like the ability to rip a tree from its roots before introducing it to an attacker’s face, spice up the returning formula, but more significant inclusions — game-changing weapons and companions we won’t spoil here — considerably alter how you bloody the battlefield.

Of course, the deity-destroying daddy isn’t the only one with new tricks tucked into his tunic. Enemy variety has also been beefed up, with new creatures of the clawed, horned, and fanged variety popping up regularly, many leveraging strength-sapping status effects to put Kratos in his place. Screen-swallowing bosses, which were in short supply last game, are also in greater abundance, representing some of the most inspired monsters to ever fall before Kratos’ feet.

Toss in combat that feels faster and more fluid thanks, in part, to new death-from-above attacks, as well as a friendlier, more streamlined user interface for managing character progression, and the blood-letting gameplay is both deeper and better than ever.

The only button you might mash more than Kratos’ brutal attacks is the controller’s screenshot-snapping input. God of War was one of the PS4’s prettiest games, and its sequel is just as easy on the eyes. For all the concern over this cross-generation entry not harnessing the ample horse’s beneath the PlayStation 5’s hood, I can’t imagine a console producing a more beautiful interactive adventure.

When not splitting skulls and lopping limbs, you’ll explore Ragnarok’s nine, breathtaking realms, each packed with puzzles, collectibles, crafting resources, side-quests, and, yes, constant justification for the game’s photo mode. New areas, like Vanaheim – with its dazzling detail and rainbow-shaming color palette – will immediately drop jaws. But it’s equally impressive how returning realms, such as the blizzard-battered Midgard, have been re-imagined in the wake of Fimbulwinter’s years-long freeze.

Ogling some of these areas while manning the reins of Kratos’ new dogsled only ups the immersion. Likewise, many other non-visual touches deserve equal credit for ratcheting Ragnarok’s cinema-rivaling presentation. From Bear McCreary’s atmospheric, incredibly moving score to the DualSense controller’s ability to make something as mundane as whittling wood seem cool, Ragnarok’s absolutely brimming with reasons to show it off to friends.

There’s not much to dislike about Ragnarok, but like a cranky god-slayer critiquing his teenage son’s combat skills, I can nitpick a bit. While I loved the game’s story, especially in regard to how it focuses on Atreus and further evolves his relationship with Kratos, it can feel bloated at times.

Fan-favorite side characters from the first game, including severed head Mimir, dwarven brothers Brok and Sindri, and Witch of the Woods Freya, are joined by a number of new faces, like heavy hitters Odin and Thor. The expanded cast can occasionally make for a story that’s unnecessarily complex, snaking in so many directions I sometimes pined for the straightforward simplicity and quiet intimacy of Kratos’ and Atreus’ journey to spread Faye’s ashes.

Ragnarok also doubles-down on the comic relief delivered by Mimir and the sibling blacksmiths. These characters brought some welcome levity to God of War’s serious subject matter, but they try too hard here, being overly chatty and even barking out hints before you actually need or want them.

I’d also argue the game overstays its welcome a bit, especially for a story-driven, single-player campaign. While it can’t be accused of not providing variety until the credits roll, there’s some padding in the form of quests that, while engaging, seem superfluous in the face of the supposed urgency of the critical path.

Finally, God of War Ragnarok doesn’t work very well as a standalone story. It’s not supposed to, of course — it is a sequel, after all. But it truly does feel like the next, necessary chapter in a complex, ongoing tale versus, say, a new adventure in the same universe. Aside from an optional recap — that’s not especially thorough — it doesn’t do much to welcome complete newcomers. If you haven’t played the original, I suggest doing so, or at least watching a more complete recap, before diving into Ragnarok.

Anyone expecting a gob-smacking re-imagining on par with the previous game’s should bury their expectations in the snow. Ragnarok is unquestionably bigger and better, the product of a game that’s retained – yet refined and polished – what previously worked, while complementing that formula with a slew of enhancements, both subtle and significant.

But no, Kratos isn’t suddenly packing a shotgun in turn-based battles or harvesting resources on a farm. This is a sequel in the tradition of most follow-ups to acclaimed games – it doesn’t fix what isn’t broken, and it smartly builds on what came before it. That’ll be more than enough for most, but given how much 2018’s entry changed the game, literally and figuratively, it’s worth mentioning to nip any potential disappointment in the bud.

God of War Ragnarok is not without flaws, nor does it represent a dramatic series’ re-imagining on par with its predecessor. But it is a highly ambitious, incredibly polished follow-up that smartly retains and refines its forerunner’s best elements, while building on that winning formula in meaningful ways. It’s also one of the absolute best PS5 games, and a more than worthy sequel that should have fans raising a celebratory mug of mead.