God of War Ragnarok MSRP $69.99 Score Details DT Recommended Product “God of War Ragnarok delivers more thrilling action in in a bigger, though not necessarily better, sequel.” Pros Cons About 25 hours into God of War Ragnarok, I experienced the thunderous action game’s first real moment of quiet.
While the story is entertaining enough as a mythological romp, it’s a bit of a step down both in the context of Kratos’ previous adventure and on its own merits. 2018’s God of War was a groundbreaking moment for video game narratives when it launched largely because it was a game in conversation with its own past. It reexamined the hyper-violent series and deftly spun them into a moving story about a grieving father who’s desperate to make sure his child doesn’t inherit his mistakes.
There’s a touching moment that sticks with me as I reflect on the messy adventure. During a trip to Valheim, the animal-loving Atreus insists that Kratos stop to free a jellyfish imprisoned in the sand. The two traverse through a long dungeon, working together to get the creature out. At the end, Atreus wonders why Kratos would halt his world-saving quest for an unnecessary rescue mission.
The big change here is an increased emphasis on elemental attacks. Holding the triangle button freezes Kratos’ axe, while rapidly pressing it sets his blades on fire. Both give Kratos access to even more attacks, widening out his already impressive move set via skill trees. There’s a much better incentive to actually use those attacks, too. Perform them enough times and players can add a modifier to an individual move, boosting its damage, stun, and more.
Companions play a much bigger role in this game, too. Atreus is particularly more instrumental in battle, which adds some welcome variety to the mix. And while I won’t go into specifics on what role he plays, there’s a reason we spend so much time with Atreus in the sequel: Ragnarok’s story is ultimately about him more than Kratos.