God of War Ragnarök
- September 19, 2024
- Santa Monica Studio
- 10h median play time
In "God of War Ragnarök," players continue the journey of Kratos and Atreus in a stunning Norse world filled with gods, monsters, and the impending threat of Ragnarök. As they travel across the Nine Realms seeking answers, they must confront enemies, make difficult choices, and learn more about their familial bond. This Digital Deluxe Edition includes the full game, Darkdale armor and weapons, a digital art book, and the official soundtrack.
Reviews
- Incredible story that deeply explores the relationship between Kratos and Atreus, filled with emotional depth and character development.
- Stunning visuals and well-optimized performance, providing a beautiful experience across various PC setups.
- Refined combat mechanics that enhance the gameplay experience, making battles feel dynamic and engaging.
- Mandatory PSN account requirement for a single-player game, which frustrates many players and detracts from the overall experience.
- Frequent crashes and performance issues reported by players, particularly on certain hardware configurations.
- Some sections of the game, particularly those involving Atreus, are seen as tedious and detract from the pacing of the main story.
- story1,386 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "God of War: Ragnarök" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its emotional depth, character development, and engaging narrative that continues the journey of Kratos and Atreus. However, some players feel that the pacing is uneven, with certain segments dragging on or feeling rushed, particularly in the latter parts of the game. Overall, while the storytelling is often described as compelling and cinematic, it does not consistently reach the heights of its predecessor, "God of War (2018)," leading to a divided reception among fans.
“The story is rich and well written, the voice acting is insane.”
“The story, combined with the previous one, was truly something special.”
“The story is a beautifully crafted narrative that explores themes of family, destiny, and the consequences of our actions.”
“The story bounces around way too much in this one, and frankly by the end of the game I really no longer knew what was going on.”
“Still finished it, but man the final 25% or so of the story feels kinda like they just gave up.”
“The story feels rushed and inconsistent, mainly at the end.”
- gameplay468 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in *God of War Ragnarök* is widely praised for its engaging combat mechanics, refined controls, and the introduction of new features that build upon the successful formula of its predecessor. While many players appreciate the depth and variety in combat, some note that certain mechanics can feel repetitive or cumbersome, particularly in boss fights. Overall, the game offers a satisfying blend of action, exploration, and puzzle-solving, making it a worthy sequel that enhances the experience of the original.
“The gameplay is a refined evolution of its predecessor, retaining the satisfying weight of Kratos’ Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos while adding new weapons and abilities.”
“With its engaging storyline, improved gameplay mechanics, and stunning visuals, it's an unforgettable experience that will keep you hooked from start to finish.”
“The gameplay builds upon the foundations of the previous installment with a variety of new dynamics and fresh combat mechanics that keep the experience exciting.”
“And this restrictive and rigid gameplay was never my cup of tea to begin with.”
“The gameplay doesn't feel too repetitive with lots of different bosses with different fight mechanics, and enough skill progression to feel like you're consistently getting strong and more skilled throughout the story.”
“The game doesn’t innovate enough beyond what was already established in 2018, which leaves it feeling like a polished sequel rather than a groundbreaking leap forward in terms of combat mechanics.”
- graphics405 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of *God of War Ragnarök* have been widely praised for their stunning visual fidelity and intricate detail, with many players noting the breathtaking environments and character designs that enhance the overall experience. While some users experienced technical issues and crashes, the majority found the graphics to be a significant improvement over its predecessor, showcasing the game's ability to push hardware limits and create an immersive world. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing to the game's status as a modern classic in interactive entertainment.
“Not only does this game have an excellent narrative throughout, but the graphics are also stunning and breathtaking.”
“The game's environment is meticulously crafted with breathtaking graphics and intricate details, enhancing the overall experience and bringing the mythological tales to life in a visually stunning manner.”
“The graphics are stunning — the world feels alive and realistic, and both landscapes and characters are meticulously crafted.”
“It's disappointing because the graphics and story are incredible, but all that potential is wasted when I can’t even get through a single session without a crash.”
“The graphics are improved somewhat, but the new armor models are not good in design, they have a lot of clipping, and textures are reduced in quality in comparison to God of War 2018.”
“On launch, there was a VRAM memory leak that slowed FPS a lot, the graphic options are bugged still and introduce huge FPS drops in certain places.”
- optimization340 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The optimization of "God of War: Ragnarök" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its performance on high-end systems, reporting smooth gameplay and excellent graphics. However, numerous users have also highlighted significant performance issues on PC, including stuttering, crashes, and inconsistent frame rates, particularly in certain areas. While some updates have improved the situation, many recommend waiting for further patches to address ongoing optimization concerns.
“Performance-wise, the game runs beautifully and has many optimization options; it is also Steam Deck verified, which means that most people will be able to play it even with lower-end hardware.”
“It's really rare to see games looking this good, even nowadays, and despite what some people may say about the port, it's amazing to me that it's so well-optimized that, no matter what graphical settings you apply, nothing will ever look bad or off.”
“The game runs exceptionally well even on mid-range PCs, thanks to its optimization.”
“At last, very poor optimization on PC compared to the original PlayStation edition.”
“The game is atrociously optimized.”
“Very poor optimization and an infinite load screen just after the dwarf village means it is completely unplayable.”
- emotional120 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "God of War: Ragnarök" is widely praised for its profound narrative that explores themes of father-son relationships, destiny, and sacrifice, often leaving players in tears. The game effectively combines stunning visuals, a compelling soundtrack, and strong character development to create an emotionally charged experience that resonates deeply with players. While some critiques mention pacing issues and predictability, the overall consensus highlights its ability to evoke a wide range of emotions, making it a standout title in modern gaming.
“The game’s narrative is intricately woven, drawing players into a profound and emotionally charged saga that explores themes of destiny, sacrifice, and the complex relationship between father and son.”
“The father-son relationship between Kratos and Atreus is the emotional core of the story, evolving in ways that are both heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring.”
“Building upon the foundation of God of War (2018), Ragnarok took me on an emotional journey as Kratos comes full circle, learning to embrace love and loss, while guiding Atreus from boyhood to manhood.”
- stability113 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 58 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant issues such as frequent freezes, crashes, and visual glitches, particularly during loading zones and cutscenes. While some users report a smooth experience with minimal bugs, others highlight persistent technical problems that detract from gameplay. Overall, the game's stability appears to vary widely depending on the player's hardware and settings, with many hoping for future patches to address these issues.
“Runs great as well, on laptop RTX 4070 on QHD resolution maxed settings and get 90-120+ fps.”
“The game is also bug free and I just had one crash 26.6 hours in.”
“Game runs great for me on a mid PC, seen no bugs, had no crashes.”
“Every time I hit a loading zone in Midgard, my game freezes permanently, including when I'm getting ready to head to Tyr's Temple.”
“The game is good, but it constantly hard freezes.”
“Well, you see, for some reason I encountered a lot of stutters, freezes, and crashes (especially during cutscenes), even though my GPU and CPU can easily handle it.”
- music94 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in "God of War Ragnarök," composed by Bear McCreary, is widely praised for its epic and emotional quality, enhancing the game's storytelling and immersive experience. While many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to elevate key moments and create a memorable atmosphere, some express disappointment that it lacks the originality and impact of the previous game's music. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant strength of the game, contributing to its emotional depth and cinematic feel.
“The ambient soundtracks in God of War Ragnarök are amazing and contribute significantly to the game’s immersive experience.”
“The music complements the game's themes and settings, enhancing the emotional impact of key moments and providing a memorable auditory experience.”
“The soundtrack, composed by Bear McCreary, is epic and emotional, complementing the highs and lows of the story.”
“Be prepared for remarkably quieter cutscenes, with characters and music barely audible and being blasted by loud sound effects in normal gameplay if you put the sound hard enough to be able to hear what's going on in cutscenes.”
“The composer, Bear McCreary, is the same for both, yet the music in Ragnarök didn’t stick with me in the same way.”
“That's because Ragnarök’s soundtrack mainly consists of redone versions of tracks from its predecessor, with not many new compositions that stand out.”
- grinding51 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 61 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time to achieve completion. While some appreciate the engaging side quests and story elements, many criticize the repetitive combat and backtracking, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite some improvements over previous titles, the grinding remains a common complaint, with players feeling that it overshadows the game's artistic achievements.
“Play both God of War (2018) and Ragnarok for an amazing time and amazing story. If you are a perfectionist like myself, 100% completing this game is not tedious by any stretch.”
“No tedious fetch quests here—every quest feels significant and fleshes out the world in profound ways.”
“Easily the most tedious, drawn-out, dull AAA game I have ever played in my life.”
“Once the initial wonder wore off, I realized every single gameplay element is filler - tedious, repetitive, and boring puzzles, environmental hazards, and critical chests also hidden behind puzzles and environmental hazards.”
“The combat sucks, enemy animations are vague and hard to read, almost every combat encounter is just a gankfest, too many quicktime events, too many tedious puzzles and annoying NPCs.”
- character development51 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
Character development in "God of War: Ragnarök" is widely praised for its depth and emotional resonance, particularly in the evolving father-son dynamic between Kratos and Atreus. Reviewers highlight Kratos' struggle with his violent past and his desire for redemption, alongside Atreus' journey towards independence, creating a compelling narrative that balances personal growth with epic storytelling. While most feedback is overwhelmingly positive, some critiques mention pacing issues and a perceived lack of depth in certain character arcs.
“The character development is profound, with Kratos embodying the struggle between his violent past and the desire to be a better father.”
“This sequel continues the character development of the father-son dynamic, with Atreus coming into his own and Kratos grappling with his mistakes from his past.”
“The storytelling, character development, and dialogue are all a masterclass and extremely well thought out, and the world feels amazing to explore.”
“Now my single complaint: seems character design was assigned to people who hate both women and men: women are portrayed as toxic, entitled, non-feminine, non-appreciative, and men are portrayed with weak personalities, drunk, submissive, forced into following orders.”
“The second part is that they apparently handed off some of the character development to their interns - I can't explain it any other way, but for a game where the main game takes around 30 hours to complete I expected a bit more fleshed out character arcs - the results were all great - but the way they got there was very sudden - given the amount of space for story and conversations this felt rushed and badly paced.”
“Felt the same but the character development was slightly lackluster in this game.”
- humor24 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The humor in "God of War: Ragnarok" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the clever dialogue and character interactions that provide comic relief amidst the serious narrative. While many found the banter between Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir to be engaging and funny, others felt that Atreus's frequent commentary became annoying over time. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with its emotional moments, although some players noted inconsistencies in the comedic elements and found certain jokes to be unfunny or forced.
“Small things like developers having a sense of humor and actually adding it to the game with clever dialogues by our characters is like the cherry on top we didn't even know we needed.”
“The game can also be intentionally funny in a lot of places, which is a nice contrast to the otherwise serious tone.”
“The dynamic between Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir adds humor and depth, making their journey even more engaging.”
“The plot is unfocused, the character arcs feel forced, the jokes and quips are unfunny, and for some reason the words 'intel' — as in information gathering — and 'ecosystem' are used in a game about an ancient Greek god visiting an ancient Norse mythical world.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, featuring dynamic weather systems, stunning visuals, and captivating lighting effects that enhance the overall experience. Each realm is intricately designed, offering distinct landscapes that feel alive, while the soundtrack and storytelling further contribute to a rich, cinematic environment. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as breathtaking and deeply engaging, making it a standout aspect of the experience.
“The atmospheric effects, such as the dynamic weather system that includes snowy weather, add to the immersive experience, making the game world feel alive and vibrant.”
“Each realm is meticulously crafted, bringing a variety of landscapes and atmospheres that feel distinct and full of life.”
“The game brings the nine realms to life with breathtaking vistas, atmospheric lighting, and incredible attention to detail.”
“Comparing *God of War (2018)* to *Ragnarök*, the former felt more 'hopeful' and uplifting, whereas *Ragnarök* truly captures the atmosphere of desperation and the end times, as it rightfully should.”
“The attention to details, the story, the music, the atmosphere, the dialogues, the combat... everything was perfectly executed and delivered on top of the first game by 5 times.”
“Pros: the game is beautiful, the different places we go and colors and atmosphere really make you feel a part of the game.”
- replayability21 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The reviews on replayability are mixed; while some players praise the game for its high replay value, particularly with features like New Game+ and additional modes, others criticize it for lacking sufficient replayability and express disappointment in its overall longevity. Overall, the game is seen as having potential for replayability, but opinions vary significantly among players.
“Great and replayable in the best ways.”
“With New Game+ it's replayable, and the Valhalla game mode is another bonus.”
“Beautiful story, amazing gameplay, and phenomenal replayability.”
“Another big thing for me to not grant this 5-stars is its lack of replayability.”
“I do not see it as very replayable.”
“I cannot recommend this game because of the non-replayability, slow pace of this game, and the controller bug.”
- monetization7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- -14 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of "God of War: Ragnarök" has received mixed reviews, with some praising it as a well-crafted AAA title that avoids exploitative practices, while others criticize it for perceived microtransactions and issues related to the PC port, labeling it as a cash grab by Sony. Overall, the sentiment reflects frustration over monetization strategies that detract from the game's quality and performance.
“Microtransactions are well-balanced and don't feel intrusive.”
“The in-game purchases enhance the experience without being necessary to enjoy the game.”
“I appreciate that the monetization model allows for free play while offering optional purchases.”
“God of War: Ragnarök is a shining example of what AAA devs can do when making art instead of a soulless cash grab.”
“Sony cash grab for what otherwise is a great game.”
“Edit: the longer you play after you bought the game, the later areas are less optimized; they crash way more because they already have your money on the subpar cash grab port.”