God of War Archives

An epic journey across the Nine Realms fueled with action, emotions and heartbreaks
From Rs. 3,999; PS4, PS5

The 2018 God of War set the benchmark high, which meant any game following up has to match the greatness of the critically acclaimed game, if not surpass it. And after playing through the main story of the God of War Ragnarök for about 30 hours, we can say that the sequel lives up to the hype.

If the previous game centred around Kratos coming to terms as a single parent, God of Ragnarök centres around their evolved relationship of father and son and forging new bonds or amending old ones.

Its a story that was already in motion when Kratos killed Baldur and Atreus learned his identity as Loki in a prophecy. But since these incidents happened in the previous game, Santa Monica Studio offers a brief refresher found in the game’s main menu. Thoughtful, but the recap felt short and hurried, which may be difficult for the new players to grasp due to the different characters and storyline. We would recommend playing the previous game first or watching the videos online. Anyway, here we are, in Ragnarök, where Kratos and Atreus embark on a journey traversing through the Nine Realms with the hope to change the outcome of the prophesied war.

But as they say, it’s the journey that counts and it’s true here. The different realms are beautifully designed and feature breathtaking vistas along with extreme attention to detail showing the uniqueness of each realm you visit.

When it comes to the narrative, there’s a nice ebb and flow to the story that feels well-paced giving users the rush and calm as we progress through the campaign. The story is predictable, but we were genuinely surprised by the few twists and turns. Sprinkled around the main campaign are side quests, which are abundant and can result in unlocking some cool gear and abilities. Enhancing the story further is a top-notch performance by all the actors involved. Mimir’s conversations (voiced by Alastair Duncan) keep us entertained throughout whereas the deep grunts by Kratos (voiced by Christopher Judge) show his interest in the conversation. However, it was Richard Schiff’s voice and acting that made Odin’s evil intentions seem noble and believable.

Combat is where the God of War Ragnarök shines through. The hack-and-slash attacks originating from Kratos’ Leviathan Axe and the Blades of Chaos are so satisfying that is elevated with runic attacks and adequate defence to take the enemy down. Of course, there’s no specific playstyle to defeat the enemy and the game encourages you to try different move combinations, be observant or just experiment with different gear. Atreus is no longer just a sidekick. Well, he still is but his combat is more in sync when fighting alongside Kratos. Atreus’ expanded role in the game means there are instances where you’ll play as Atreus and frankly, some of them were more enjoyable than fighting as Kratos.

The God of War Ragnarök is available on both the PS4 and PS5 where players can choose to prioritise performance or quality. Playing on the PS5 has its advantages like faster loading via SSD, improved visuals, DualSense integration and 3D audio support but we went with the performance mode on the PS4 Pro and it fared fluidly without discernable compromises.

Overall, God of War Ragnarök tells an epic story that fuses gameplay, character performances and the overall atmosphere so well. It’s a must-play for a GoW fan and for someone who is dipping their toe in the franchise for the first time.

RATING 5/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Story, visuals, optimised performance
WE’D IMPROVE N/A
THE LAST WORD God of War Ragnarök is a fitting sequel and our GoTY for 2022

Kratos has been an off-the-rails rage-filled killing machine who finished off the Greek pantheons in the past. But things have changed now. Kratos is done with the old ways and has settled down in the Norse realm with his new family. However, it’s his wife’s demise that sets him and his son, Atreus on a personal journey that is long, treacherous and ridden with monsters.

While the previous God of War games have been more about Kratos’ revenge and the resulting violence, this game focuses on Kratos and Atreus’ relationship as father and son.

Atreus is his mischievous self who fails to exercise caution early on whereas Kratos is seen as a protective father but as we progress through the story, it’s endearing to see both characters warm up to each other and even see Kratos drop fatherly wisdom and share stories during their journey.

The game takes place in Midgard with the developers giving their own spin to the Norse mythology that blends well with the main narrative. The semi-open world nature of the game allows players to pursue the objective at their own pace. You can wander around to explore the detailed Norse world or complete side missions. Either way, God of War ensures you’re adequately rewarded that will aid you in the main objective.

The world is beautifully designed with amazing detail and breathtaking vistas, which is all the more evident when you play the game on PS4 Pro with 4K and HDR enabled. However, the game is locked at 30fps while playing it in 4K but allows 60fps at 1080p that can be easily switched from the in-game menu. That said, the game is also optimised for the regular PS4.

Combat has been a major draw for a God of War game and the latest game delivers on that front as well. Leviathan axe is Kratos’ primary weapon of choice that is good enough to rip through the most powerful foes and can also be thrown at enemies like Thor’s Mjolnir hammer, which when recalled when you’re in the front of the enemy, there’s a higher chance of inflicting more damage. Kratos being Kratos, he can also throw some punches around but also channel his Spartan rage to throw some powerful ones that come in handy during boss battles. Atreus is not just the companion for the journey but a handy ally during fights who can be directed to shoot arrows at your will.

Complementing the combat is the well-designed weapon upgrade system. Armour and weapons can be upgraded with experience points that you gain as you progress through the game and the materials you collect across the realms.

All said and done, there’s not much to not like about the new God of War. It offers a compelling story along with amazing visuals and fluid combat.

RATING 5/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Strong narrative, detailed world and combat makes the God of War fun to play
WE’D IMPROVE N/A
THE FINAL WORD God of War is one of the best PlayStation games you can play right now