Back in 2018, God of War took the gaming world by storm with an intriguing story and excellent gameplay, winning plaudits all around, considered not only the game of the year for some critics but also one that defined an entire console generation. The time has now come for its sequel, God of War: Ragnarok, and expectations are understandably quite high.
Once again, it's all about Kratos and Atreus. Kratos was a revenge-seeking Spartan who nearly wiped out all of Olympus. After his quest for vengeance, he retired to the world of the Norse gods and fathered a son with his wife Faye: Atreus.
In God of War, the two set out to the highest point of Midgard to burn the ashes of the dead Faye. The sequel doesn't quite follow seamlessly from the 2018 game so if you want to keep up with the story, you should have played the first part.
Atreus is now a bit older and he has, without his father's knowledge, dealt a bit more with who he is. After a short introduction to the game, Kratos and Atreus meet the great antagonists of Ragnarok: Odin, the father of the gods, and his son Thor.
Soon an all-out brawl kicks off. It’s a brilliant opening for a story that’s both moving and captivating. Once again, the relationship between father and son is at the center, but at the same time, the fate of the world is also at stake.
As is typical for the genre, Ragnarok repeatedly switches between the classic elements of action adventures, namely solving puzzles, fighting, dialogues and video sequences and continuing the journey. Like its predecessor, it remains seamless throughout with smooth transitions between gameplay and video sequences.
The fights haven't lost any quality either. You can now choose between two weapons for Kratos right from the start: his axe, one of the best weapons in video game history, or the "Blades of Chaos," two blades on chains that Kratos whirls around.
Both have certain advantages and disadvantages and you'll be encouraged to keep switching between the two options. With unlockable additional abilities, the game has a depth that gives players many ways to eliminate enemies.
The PlayStation 5 also makes use of the features of the Dual Sense controller. The adaptive trigger buttons give the axe in particular even more force.
The violence in Ragnarok is very explicit. Kratos splits skulls and cuts his opponents in half while blood spurts without end. It’s certainly not a game for those aged under 18.
Atreus also deals with a lot of violence. In the beginning, he uses his bow. Later, as with his father, other abilities are added. Improving weapons and armor is important and takes place in various menus that are sometimes a bit confusing and overloaded.
The puzzles that appear in the course of the game are generally easy to solve. The scope of the game remains more or less the same. It takes a good 30 hours to complete the main story and one or two side quests.
Among other things, the studio has improved the number of boss fights – an important pillar in the first God of War series. Visually, the vivid design of the different worlds can take your breath away.
So is God of War: Ragnarok the worthy successor fans have been hoping for? If it was a TV series it’d be the third season: The strengths are clear, the weaknesses mostly reduced, and the characters have found their roles. Those who liked the original game will find further satisfaction here.
It’s a sequel that does little new, but almost everything is right. The elements that made the first part seem so revolutionary are still there and are even improved in some cases. So more of the same – but in a good way.