God of War: Ragnarok

The Scandinavian adventure arc of Kratos has come to a grand conclusion in God of War: Ragnarok — an action-adventure game from a third-person perspective with RPG elements, puzzles, and metroidvania features. This is a classic sequel, where everything — from the plot and the size of the world to character development and ways to deal with enemies — has increased, but the core gameplay mechanics have changed little.

Ragnarok is a project of the PS4 generation, with plenty of loading screens during transitions and minor graphical improvements. The color palette and lighting system have been revamped, making the visuals more realistic. The updated particle system delights with colorful effects. Surfaces now react to physical contact. Model detailing has increased, and the environment is enriched with numerous small elements.

Three years have passed since the ending of God of War . The terrible winter of Fimbulwinter is about to end, forever changing the worlds of mystical Scandinavia — Midgard and the Lake of Nine have frozen over, the dead find no peace, turning into zombies, and other horrors emerge.

During this time, Kratos and Atreus have been hiding on the run — searching for the Scandinavian god of war Tyr to prevent Ragnarok, and fearing revenge from the angry native gods, especially Freya. Finally, they are discovered by the All-Father Odin and the god of thunder Thor, who offer to resolve the conflict peacefully, but are not afraid of confronting the god killer.

During this time, Atreus has become a difficult teenager, wanting to discover his destiny and break free from his father's guardianship. Kratos, on the other hand, has grown accustomed to the small things, trying to be a good father and protect against the unhappy prophecy of the first game.

In Ragnarok, players will visit all nine worlds of Scandinavian mythology — each with its unique natural landscape and climate zone, flora and fauna, enemies, and quests.

Everything is drawn and designed authentically to ancient sagas and embodied in large (or medium) seamless locations — giving enough time to feel the atmosphere of each world, but not fully realizing them. The worlds are brought to life through NPC characters and extensive visual diversity.

Traveling between the nine worlds is facilitated by a hub location, where players can also rest, interact with characters, upgrade Kratos and Atreus's weapons and gear, trade, and exchange unnecessary loot for useful crafting items. Additionally, the hub itself plays an important role in the narrative.

Level design has changed. There are fewer caves and more open spaces, some of which are simply monstrous. Arenas for major encounters have become more spacious. There is more "verticality," which the heroes have learned to use while flying over open areas. And spatial puzzles, sometimes consisting of several stages.

The plot of Ragnarok is an exciting and large-scale action designed for young players and modern issues, shown through the lens of Norse mythology, deviating significantly from it. The story unfolds in two interconnected planes — the relationship between father and son and everything else. Knowledge of the GOW 2018 plot is not required, although it is desirable.

The personal part is presented intimately and somewhat sentimentally, raising issues of fathers and children; Atreus's development as a warrior; the emergence of new acquaintances, not all of whom Kratos welcomes; fatherly lessons; as well as Kratos's transformation into a wise but depressed man. A focus on emotions, drama, and healthy humor.

The rest of the plot is simple and straightforward (good is better than evil, and peace is better than war), there are no antagonists defined by genre laws, no conflict or delineated sides either. The end of the universe happens somewhere in the background. There's no need to look for logic; the plot needs to be felt.

Along the way, you will meet many characters — well-written, with personality, temperament, motivation, and transformation as you progress. Some will even temporarily join the party. The dialogues are crafted very skillfully — the heroes not only discuss their problems and current events but also share anecdotes from the past, joke, tease, explain the lore, and raise serious topics.

A quality leap has been made in direction and scene staging. Animations, facial expressions, camera positioning, episode dynamics, and acting will make you believe in the characters, empathize with them, and become emotionally involved in what is happening.

The combat system has become broader and more diverse, faster and more energetic, but not deeper or more complex: we roll, block or dodge, parry, hit the opponent until their attack recoils, enjoying spectacular strikes and brutal finishers. The heroes have learned new tricks and movesets (the old ones have been reworked), which has expanded combo chains and created new ones.

Kratos has had his progress reset, runic attacks have been moved to the skill tree, and Spartan rage has been divided into switchable types with different effects. Weapons now have elemental damage, and shields can be charged with energy, leading to various effects. New weapons and gear have also appeared, such as spears and amulets. Enchanting the latter can influence all aspects of combat.

Weapons and all gear can be upgraded multiple times by collecting a dozen resources in the game world, extracting them from chests, and taking them from enemies. Upgraded weapons are often better than newly found ones. The world is interactive in places — you can grab something heavier and throw it at enemies.

There are more bosses and mini-bosses (dragons, berserkers, draugr), with non-story ones offering inventive combat mechanics and making you sweat, while the story branch is not particularly difficult and features "staged" fights, but they have unique designs.

Leveling up is divided into two. Normal, when experience is given for enemies and quests, it accumulates into levels, and for each level, we receive character development points. And like Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Special Edition: the more a skill is used, the better it works and can be enchanted for various effects. The enemy auto-leveling system in Ragnarok will not allow over-leveling, which encourages searching for the most suitable Kratos set for each battle.

Completing Ragnarok will take 50-60 hours — a large prologue, major story acts, side quests lasting 2-4 hours in separate locations, regular side tasks, challenges, and many small activities. After a lively start, the pace slows down, allowing players to settle in, explore everywhere, and get a feel for the combat, while by the middle, the narrative and gameplay become increasingly intense and engaging.

The locations in Ragnarok gradually expand as you progress, opening new areas in one way or another and allowing you to venture further. Exploring the worlds thoroughly is an important part of the game, as notes explaining the lore, collecting chests and resources, hidden quests, and item searches are interconnected with the overall progression.

The freedom of action is complete — at any moment, you can switch from exploration to crafting and leveling up, abandon them for side quests, and then advance the story. It’s easy to miss something — there is so much content, activities, and options for spending time that they collectively overwhelm the player's attention. The quests are handcrafted, richly seasoned with explanations and CGI cutscenes, making them much better than the tasks in the previous game.