God of War: Ragnarök Platinum Review
How do I feel about God of War? God of War is one of my favorite game series. I loved God of War on my PlayStation 2 back then. After that I played and finished all the games in the series. This year I replayed God of War 1 and 2 on PlayStation 3 to refresh my memories and got the platinum trophy in both games.
Of course I also played God of War 2018 and thought it was phenomenal. Not everyone liked Kratos transformation - but I particularly liked it. I only missed the big boss fights and the varied enemy designs. God of War for the PlayStation 2 just set the standard back then and I hoped God of War 2018 would do the same. However, I was a bit disappointed in this regard.
I have to say God of War Ragnarök completely convinced me, from my point of view it does everything better than its direct predecessor and is one of the best games I've ever played. And for me, God of War Ragnarok precedes Elden Ring on this year's Game of the Year throne.
Story:
God of War: Ragnarök follows on directly from its predecessor. The characters have aged, the world has changed and from my point of view you should have played the predecessor to be able to fully immerse yourself in the gameplay and story.
The events of the predecessor have caused the so-called Fimbulwinter. Kratos and his son Atreus are again the focus of the story and familiar people return again.
I just loved the story. Characters change their behavior that you cannot predict. The supporting characters are an absolute highlight. They're just so well crafted. The emotions that are captured by the respective actors are just terrific. Really every acting performance is on a consistently high level - unbelievable. I kept hanging on every word and just wanted to see more of these characters. I just really liked the story. In my opinion, the structure is even better than in the predecessor and the twists are even more powerful.
The game starts with a firework of emotions. The first hours alone are worth having experienced this game. Incredible moments, situations and clever tricks from the developers.
Without giving too much away - this game was declared in advance as the conclusion of the Nordic saga and I really liked the ending.
The game just blew me away. As a longtime fan of the series, I've experienced moments that really made me cry. I even put this story and narration above The Last of Us Part II - and that meant a lot.
Gameplay:
If you have played God of War 2018, you will quickly find your way around. Kratos and Atreus slice through their opponents as before, this time leaving no limb in place. I actually felt that the combat system was a bit too monotonous for me up to a certain point. But then... the game introduces various mechanics that completely change the gameplay. At that point, I jumped out of my seat and screamed loudly. This was such a great moment that I don't want to take away from you. The soundtrack combined with the art direction with creates a perfect synagogue. A magical gaming moment that I will never forget.
You will learn new skills that will change your way of playing. I've always really liked the hunt for experience points. The chest puzzles, which have been taken over from the predecessor and only slightly adapted, are also well known. They're a nice change of pace but not the highlight of the game.
However, the absolute highlights are the side areas and side quests. I'll even go so far as to say they're among the best I've ever played. They are so big, so well crafted, and just plain awesome. I recommend turning every stone and completing the side quests - it's worth it, I promise!
Kratos also learned some new moves or remembered the past time. He can now pull himself to certain points and go straight into a combo attack from here. Furthermore, he can jump from edges directly onto opponents and attack them here. The additional options are well integrated into the game and you can tell that the developers have also built the combat arenas around these new features.
More is more:
MORE is a good keyword. God of War Ragnarör has more bosses (which are just plain awesome), more characters, more variety, more locations, more memorable moments, more emotions and more songs that stuck with me. So I liked God of War Ragnarök a lot more than its predecessor.
The soundtrack of the game is simply sensational. Bear McCreary, who recently provided musical accompaniment for the Lord of the Rings series - has outdone himself with his new pieces. Two of the tracks, which I don't want to reveal to you for spoiler reasons, are among my absolute favorites - ever. Every moment has a certain heaviness, drama or impact. There's a moment towards the end where I get goosebumps just thinking about it again. Absolute madness. Together with the imagery, all your hair will stand up and you will really feel what is happening. Anyone who doesn't feel anything here is either dead or dead.
Controls:
The controls are easy to use and never overloaded. The high FPS also ensure that everything just feels very good. You can always parry, dodge and hit back in time. That's exactly how it should feel. Nothing is sluggish, just powerful.
I would recommend everyone to select a difficulty level above "normal" for the game. I really felt at home here. I was always challenged but were never unfair. The optional bosses demanded a lot from you but the victory felt all the better.
I beat the game all the way to the platinum trophy and haven't regretted a minute of it. The game has a - for me - perfect length. The side quests were just great and added to the story in a meaningful way. Areas are actually deliberately hidden here, which would have been great showcase areas in other games. The fact that such areas can simply be missed shows that the developers don't want to tell the player everything in this area and challenge the explorer all at once.
I can only recommend everyone to play this game - and to consciously achieve 100 percent. For me this game is a masterpiece and the best God of War game so far. My game of the year - even above Elden Ring.
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