It’s been two weeks since I wrote my first impressions, having scratched the surface of God of War Ragnarök, but it seems like several months have passed. In this temporary state of limbo, I allowed myself to be completely absorbed by the story the game proposed to me, and now the hardest part remains: telling the Ragnarök his desvelar el Ragnarok. So I’ve carefully written the entire analysis (although I assume you’ve finished the previous God of War) without gouging anything about the plot or the fates of the characters. For that you will have to explore the Nine Realms yourself and I assure you that it will take you quite a lot of hours and all of them will be a complete pleasure.
God of War: Ragnarök is one of those titles that you know touches you in a special way. A story that many of us have been following for more than fifteen years, but even those who joined the fight in God of War (2018) will appreciate the importance of the moment. We’re right in the middle fimbumwinter, the long winter prophesied in Norse mythology, preceded by Ragnarök: the end of the world, the final battle. And in this chaotic context we are at a Kratos in which, although only a few years have passed since the events of the previous game, his face and expression reflect the tiredness of an old man. The proud spirit of Sparta remains rock solid, but his will has become a protective father and staunch friend to those close to him who seem almost to avoid violence. And he harnesses the power of youth and the curiosity and rebellion of adolescence Atreus/Lokia character who goes from being the companion of the first part to carrying a good deal of the narrative weight, albeit always in the imposing shadow of his father.
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I was talking about Kratos’ tired face because honestly, GoW: Ragnarok has some of the best shots of facial expressions I’ve seen it in a video game, even one where you didn’t actually have to do them. It’s true that most of the characters aren’t very remarkable, but the war god’s scowl, his beard (that sways even in the gusts of wind) and his weary eyes know that this may be his final adventure, but there can be more of himself. There was no need to give so much detail to a face that has its back turned 95% of the time, just It is another example to recognize the level of production and quality You have reached the Santa Monica Studio. And that also applies to landscapes.
Because dozens of little stories, quests and side quests are woven into the plot to explore every square inch of the Nine Realms, which can now be accessed from any mystical portal (if we have the right key). And each of the kingdoms is a small open world in its own right, with its own color palette, geography, enemies and even its own architecture. From the frozen lands of Midgardwhere we can no longer navigate the lake, to the smoke areas of Muspelheimthe lush forests of alfheim or the green meadows of Asgard. Each location will be important for our adventure and in each one we will be able to get resources and carry out secondary missions also called Favors. These favors will help us find materials and items that we can use to improve equipment and skills. They can range from a simple treasure hunt, to rescuing an alien animal from peril, to defeating a unique enemy now free and uncontrolled.
There are so many different resources to craft armor pieces, amulets, accessories and all kinds of variables for Kratos’ stats that it can be overwhelming, and That’s the main goal of wanting to move Over there. You need better gear to take on stronger enemies, who in turn drop better resources that you can use to further upgrade gear pieces or build new ones. Personally, I’ve been pretty indifferent to upgrading armor to higher tiers unless you’re interested in the passive benefit it provides. Because in the end everything is based on the points of attack, defense, vitality, runes and luck. Increasing these five variables with newly acquired new armor allows you to save materials and silver for upgrades when you really feel like you’re at the end of the game or when you see fights getting extremely difficult.
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We have them for the fight Leviathan Axe and with that Blades of Chaos from the beginning of the adventure, and we’ll have to switch between one or the other, both for the various environmental puzzles (like the chests of the norns) and to take advantage of the elemental year for the enemies. For example, if in a frozen wasteland we find opponents who wield frost weapons, it is very likely that the Blades of Chaos will be very effective against them, and if we face a demon or a fire-breathing being, the ax may be the most effective option reliable . These two weapons already achieved a good balance in the combat system we knew from God of War, but there was still more to be achieved. And here comes the only paragraph with a spoiler warning.
Leviathan is tough but a bit slow. Swords are slightly faster, but sometimes too imprecise. Therefore, the next step would be a versatile weapon with precise hits. It may not hit that hard, but give it a try Lanza de Draupnir You’ll love his moveset and special abilities. It’s an object that you get very late in the adventure and although I won’t reveal any more details, when you get it you’ll feel the need to revisit all the paths you’ve already taken in order to create new ones unlock paths and secrets thanks to him. A small advantage they offer us Whine j Sindriwho will hold an honored position among Kratos’ allies here and consider themselves part of the family. Freya will also play a prominent role, and just like our inseparable severed head, mime. There are new faces, of course, and their importance is crucial to the story, but just naming them might spoil the surprise, so once again I must ask for your patience and understanding.
That Battle In Ragnarok, even though he adds a new weapon and the companions are good support, he’s still one of the most challenging in an action-adventure. I won’t compare it to Souls because they are very different systems and approaches, but I think that in the early stages of the game I was able to get through most of the confrontations with relative ease, but in the second half of the adventure each Combat is an Odyssey and the difficulty curve begins to taper into infinity, and it can be shocking that after a few hours into the game you’ve defeated a certain famous mythological creature, only to have a weird nameless lizard appearing around your waist making you repeat five times . The struggle of having dodged badly once. The game is permissive in its beginnings but I can only offer advice before starting your game, it is this: Learn to dodge, use your skills and know your moves.
Regarding the response of the command, I refer to what I already said in the impressions, since at least in the PlayStation 5 version I used for the analysis, the controls were smooth and precise. Also, the haptic features are used so well here that they manage to add their own weight to the game’s narrative. And I can say the same about the incredible variety that is made up of it Bear McCreary About the original score. Every kingdom has its tune, every character has its little beat, and every poignant moment is at the heart of this new series. I’m not going to lie: I had a few moments where I was more emotional than I care to admit, and it was more of a dramatic break than any event in the story. That’s a good direction.
I’m having a hard time getting anything but God of War: Ragnarok. The decision to narrow a trilogy down to just two parts may have made this second part a little longer than necessary, but it makes up for it with a great story and a result that lives up to expectations. God of War: Ragnarök is the best thing you’ll play this year, and it’s certainly a title that will take years to capture my head. An indispensable PlayStation, and maybe so far the best reason to get the current generation of sony, because its advantages in the PS5 system go hand in hand not with the visual but also with the narrative immersion. And this story deserves it.
