Board 8 > God of War: Ragnarok Review Zone

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://opencritic.com/game/12919/god-of-war-ragnar-k

Boy the time has come to kill all the Norse Gods for good. We got a 94% through 54 reviews so far which is just shy of challenging Elden Ring for the best reviewed game of 2022 so far. Same score that the previous game got though! The game doesn't do much re-invent what worked with that game, it just gives you even more of it with the same stunning visuals and great combat along with an enthralling story full of twists and turns.

IGN - 10/10
Ragnarok represents a step forward in single-player adventure games, outperforming its predecessor in every aspect, concluding Kratos journey through the Norse lands in an epic from the first to the last moment without leaving any chance to catch your breath, presenting a story far deeper than just a raging war between legends, and excel in developing Gameplay, narration style, and customization options, and provides a greater variety of battles with high-quality sub-content spanning dozens of hours, as well as clearly overcoming the most prominent problems of the last title of the limited variety of enemies and the pace of the slower narrative, making it one of the best PlayStation exclusives in its history, if not the best.

Push Square - 10/10
God of War Ragnarok is phenomenal. Even amongst PlayStation Studios' typically stellar output it's a showpiece - a masterfully crafted game that smashes expectations at almost every turn. The sheer, often ridiculous scope of Ragnarok makes 2018's God of War feel like a prologue - and that's perhaps the highest praise we can bestow upon a sequel.

EGM - 5/5
God of War Ragnark is a worthy continuation of (and conclusion to) 2018's God of War, building on that already strong foundation to deliver an experience deserving of a spot in gaming's pantheon. New tools and greater enemy variety elevate combat, and the expanded environments and cast give this sequel the epic scope its story demands. But the beating heart of the game remains its characters, and Ragnark delivers an immensely satisfying next chapter for just about everyone-Kratos and Atreus, returning friends, and new faces alike.

Game Informer - 9.5/10
God of War Ragnark feels a lot like God of War (2018), which is a compliment considering how fantastic that game is. Sony Santa Monica was right to not break what wasnt broken and it has expertly continued the story threads that were left hanging from the previous game. Any complaints about the overall experience (familiar combat, collecting and leveling up equipment isnt particularly interesting) are quickly forgotten in the face of the compelling narrative, believable character relationships, and incredible visuals and animation. Even from its early PlayStation 2 days, the God of War series has always set a high, quality bar for itself, and with few exceptions, it manages to leap above that bar. God of War Ragnark is no different.

Gamespot - 9/10
And that's what distinguishes God of War Ragnarok from its predecessor, and most other action games. Despite being a story about warring gods and the end of the world, the soul of the game is something far more sentimental. You may have noticed that I've avoided mentioning the names of characters or describing plot beats, and that was intentional. To talk more about anything or anyone would be to rob you of some of the most unexpected things that God of War Ragnarok achieves with its narrative and the themes they explore. The last game's thoughtful approach to exploring fatherhood was unexpected, Ragnarok somehow manages to feel like an even more personal tale about the complicated nature of families and the people that make them up. For every moment of brutality, there is one of genuine and relatable emotion. How they land will vary from person to person, but there were multiple that left me with tears welling up. If nothing else, God of War Ragnarok further cements Sony Santa Monica's narrative team as one of the best in the business.

DigitallyDownloaded - 8/10
But I cant help but wish for something more. Not in terms of visuals or gameplay. Those technical elements are fundamentally flawless. Rather, in this story-driven, narrative-focused experience I want a game that is brave enough to actually say something, and give me something to think about. Challenge me on a level beyond my ability to press buttons. God of War: Ragnark manipulates emotions expertly and people often mistake that for depth. The relationship dynamic between Kratos and Atreus is appealing enough and Im sure plenty of other reviews will talk about how it made them feel things. There are also plenty of big moments that were not allowed to talk about because of spoilers but, yes, those narrative set pieces really are dramatic. These things arent depth, though. Ragnark is popcorn entertainment, and theres nothing inherently wrong with that. This games going to sell a billion copies for a reason. Its just worth drawing the distinction, because Sony could also be pushing for much more than what it does with these blockbusters.

I think a critic saying it falls short of expectations on a thematic, narrative level and still giving it an 8/10 is a good sign.

Man, I wanted to like God of War for the PS4 and then it was an open world game and I noped out.

Doesn't sound like that changed

It wasn't really open world though it was more like an Ocarina of Time Hyrule Field type of situation

How many times does Kratos say "BOY" during the game?

SHINE_GET_64 posted...

It wasn't really open world though it was more like a Hyrule Field type of situation

Basically. You had a hub and then some flexibility on which dungeons and small areas to go into when.

Yeah I would not call God of War open world at all, though I can see why people might mistake it for one.

Very, very excited for this! It what I had in mind when I decided to finally get a 4K TV over the summer.

_PandaMaster_ posted...

How many times does Kratos say "BOY" during the game?

I would assume not a lot, all things considered!

I am so hyped for this game

I would've given the first game a 10. I'm not one of those people who says "A 10 has to be actually perfect," I just really enjoyed it and have no meaningful overall complaints about it.

bumped up to 111 reviews now

Still a 94

Reviews are about as expected. Which is ridiculous that it has lived up to such a hype.

Can't wait to play this game.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Yeah I would not call God of War open world at all, though I can see why people might mistake it for one.

Very, very excited for this! It what I had in mind when I decided to finally get a 4K TV over the summer.

Hmm, I spent 30 minutes finding treasure on a minimap and then remembered how much I hated that

The big open areas of GoW were the worst, yeah. Exploration felt absolutely terrible.

SHINE_GET_64 posted...

God of War: Ragnark manipulates emotions expertly and people often mistake that for depth.

Damn, true though.

I did think the original was sterile, but the gameplay was just awesome. Seems like the gameplay's even better here, and story has potential to go a bit further.

masterplum posted...

Man, I wanted to like God of War for the PS4 and then it was an open world game and I noped out.

I fundamentally hate open world design in pretty much every case, but this not that at all. It even has a loot system but it feels really nice with no grind. It's way closer to the original GoWs than you expect.

Easy Allies - 9/10

God of War Ragnarok is a worthy follow up to the 2018 masterpiece. Its easily one of the most epic games of the year, but its hard to shake the sense of safe familiarity, diminishing that rare, magical feeling that came with its predecessor. Combat is undeniably superior and more polished, but the story can drag on for long stretches of time, while the limited exploration is saved by excellently balanced puzzles, meaningful side activities, and engrossing conversations. Expectations are enormous, and despite some limitations, God of War Ragnarok delivers another precious entry to the tale of the Ghost of Sparta.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18x01iMWtak

foolm0r0n posted...

I fundamentally hate open world design in pretty much every case, but this not that at all. It even has a loot system but it feels really nice with no grind. It's way closer to the original GoWs than you expect.

The loot system isn't necessarily grindy (though I think it is if you want the best equipment), but it also adds nothing to the game than annoying busywork. GoW would've been better off without it.

All the non-vendor gear in GoW (including the best sets) are totally determined and found in specific locations as rewards for specific things, so there's actually no grind at all in that sense.

I'd tend to agree that the system isn't exactly a natural fit and the game would probably largely be just as good mechanically without it, but it does serve to offer a solid reward for partaking in optional content, especially compared to most of the game's contemporaries.

I paid attention to loadouts. There are benefits to doing so. It's not as open but there's also not much useless junk because almost everything is predetermined by location

I still don't see why GoW 2018 is so revered. The idea of it being one long cinematic "take" is interesting but I hated the actual act of moving around in that game. Also, I hated the kid sidekick but I generally hate all kid sidekicks.

What's wrong with moving around in that game?

paperwarior posted...

What's wrong with moving around in that game?

It's incredibly slow and restricted. Exploration in particular feels terrible because of how clunky it is to get anywhere.

I never had that experience. Running and evading speed is quite quick, as it needs to be for combat. You hit a button to jump across things.

https://www.polygon.com/23439365/god-of-war-ragnarok-performance-resolution-graphics-modes-ps5-ps4

Feels like this will be my first real chance to try all the new display mode stuff that PS5 is capable of with my new TV

Framerate is all that matters.

The HDR running the previous game was kind of bizarre-looking. Very red fire and blue uh, anything remotely blue.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Framerate is all that matters.

The locked 40 sounds really cool for a cinematic experience but I'll still probably go framerate + HFR and VRR and be in that 80-90 range

The first new God of War is the very first game I booted up on my PS5 to test out a back to back comparison of 60 vs 30 for the same game.

The horror of 30 when you can swap back and forth will never be forgotten.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Framerate is all that matters.

Wow, you're going for the 120 FPS mode then?

Naw, because honestly after 60 I really can't tell the difference!

Once you hit 60 its as good as it needs to get.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Once you hit 60 its as good as it needs to get.

I felt this way until I spent months in a row playing nothing but 120+ fps games on variable refresh rate monitors and then went back to a 60 fps capped game. It's still absolutely fine but you can definitely notice it's not as smooth as it could be.

I get that, but the gains aren't nearly as significant. The noteable difference between 60 and 120 is pittance compared to the difference between 30 and 60. Obviously there's no reason to not do 120 if you can, but I wouldn't sacrifice anything else about the performance to achieve it.

Oh yeah, 100% agreed. Anything past 60 is definitely pure luxury. The difference from 30 (or worse, as is too often the case) to 60 is legitimately a question of whether I can fully enjoy the game or not at this point.

It's time to admit you guys have a problem

Time to attend your Framerates Anonymous meeting

With their 120-step program you'll make smooth progress towards stability

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Naw, because honestly after 60 I really can't tell the difference!

Once you hit 60 its as good as it needs to get.

Weak

Extremely hyped to play but probably have to wait until a few days after release, but then I'll have some days with nothing else scheduled, so it's okay.

And yeah first one was honestly pretty linear if you wanted it to be. Ocarina of Time is a decent comparison in thar regard.

I assume everyone is just too busy playing to talk about it lol.

About 5 hours in and having a blast.

Dumb question but is there no drift button in this game?

This game is so good and Im still so early

Kratos is too slow to drift. Maybe if he had some Chaos Emeralds

https://images.app.goo.gl/MGFqvihNY27VYmek7

I like a good 4th wall joke but this game maybe goes overboard with making jokes about going off the path to find treasure.

I haven't been counting but I know it's been at least 6, and at least 4 of those were in the same area.

loving it so far, as expected