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Review: God of War Ragnarök

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

God of War Ragnarok

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. 

God of War Ragnarok

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. 

God of War Ragnarok

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.   

God of War Ragnarok

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. 

God of War Ragnarok

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. 

God of War Ragnarok

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 

Review: TP-Link RE505X

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Not the usual Wi-Fi range extender
Rs. 5,999, tp-link.in

It’s safe to say that most of us have a wireless router at home but there have been instances where the Wi-Fi network is spotty in some areas compared to another in your home. One can address these deadspots is by installing a repeater or use mesh routers. Both TP-Link and Asus allow transforming select regular routers into mesh ones but TP-Link has gone a step further by allowing repeaters to act as mesh network nodes. This month we have the RE505X, which does exactly that. It works as a repeater for any non-supported OneMesh router but transforms into a mesh node with a compatible one.

Clad in white, the RE505X has a design similar to most other repeaters in the market but two things that set it apart are the external antennas for better reception and its sheer size. The RE505X is a giant compared to other repeaters but sports a clean, streamlined design. There are four status LEDs on the front with the WPS button and reset key on the right whereas the gigabit ethernet port is placed on the left.

One can setup the repeater via the web interface or can download the Tether app from the respective app store. The RE505X can be used as an access point or as a repeater. Irrespective of the modes you use, setup is a cinch. The only thing we did not appreciate is the fact that it does not allow to set a separate password of the extended network. It allows to create a separate SSID but keeps the same password as the network that is being repeated.

The RE505X is an AX1500 range extender, which means it supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard. Needless to say, older devices are compatible as well and supports theoretical speeds of up to 300Mbps on 2.4GHz band and up to 1200Mbps on 5GHz.

The RE505X delivers decent coverage to eliminate deadspots and even comes with handy features like Location Assistant that is accessible via the app. A quick scan will tell if the repeater is placed in a good wireless coverage area of the main router. There’s an intelligent signal light on the device as well that indicates the same. The app and the web interface gives granular controls to get the most out of the RE505X. One can control the wireless coverage and access, enable/disable high-speed mode that repeats the router’s connection via one frequency band and transmits on the other. OneMesh works with compatible TP-Link routers and all it takes a single to transform the RE505X into a mesh node.

That said, RE505X is a power-packed range extender that delivers on what it is intended for. Get a compatible OneMesh device and you can create a cost-effective mesh network of your own.

RATING 4/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Performance
WE’D IMPROVE Set separate passwords
THE LAST WORD A power-packed repeater that can be transformed into a mesh node with OneMesh support.

Review: BenQ EX2780Q

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Gaming monitor with an entertainment card up its sleeve
Rs. 34,220, benq.co.in

Gaming monitors are available at varying price points, but if you are willing to part with the kind of money BenQ is asking, you’d want something immersive, right? Well, that’s the thing about EX2780Q. It’s a gaming monitor that offers good quality visuals and audio for an improved immersive experience that not only appeals to gamers but users who watch a lot of multimedia content.

EX2780Q’s design means business. It doesn’t try to attract anyone with flashy RGBs but keeps it minimal and classy. The large display and thin bezels on the three sides do the talking while a thick bezel at the bottom houses an ambient sensor and two speakers. The easy-to-attach metallic brown stand matches the monitor’s colour tone and features space in between that lets you keep things like the monitor’s remote control in between. The compact remote control allows controlling OSD settings, change input, volume without having to touch or fiddle with the buttons on the monitor. However, if you still prefer, there are buttons at the back with a 5-key navigator. There’s a volume wheel at the bottom of the left-hand side. In terms of connectivity, everything’s hidden at the back with two HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, USB Type-C and a 3.5mm audio jack. Overall, we like the design except for the part that the EX2780Q only tilts and does not allow any height adjustment or swivel.

When it comes to visuals, the EX2780Q does not disappoint. The 27-inch IPS panel supports QHD resolution (2560×1440) with a pixel density of 109ppi. The result is good viewing angles and crisp looking text. The colour reproduction is great with 95% of DCI-P3 colour space support and decent contrast. The high 144Hz refresh rate ensures smooth gaming along with FreeSync Premium support for tear-free gaming experience. The monitor also comes with features like black equalizer that expose the shadows and colour vibrance to give an edge during gaming.

The monitor features BenQ’s proprietary HDR implementation – HDRi that delivers three different HDR results, depending on the mode you choose. Display HDR delivers standard HDR10 output while the Game HDRi focuses on brightening up the dark areas, and Cinema HDRi improves colour saturation. The screen is certified with DisplayHDR 400, which is not great but not bad either considering it’s crossing the minimum threshold for HDR.

Audio in monitors is always an afterthought, but the EX2780Q is an exception. Powered by treVolo’s 2.1-channel audio, the front hosts two 2W speakers while a 5W sub-woofer is at the back. The audio isn’t loud enough to fill up a room but scores high on clarity and one of the best you’ll hear on a monitor.

RATING 4/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Performance, audio
WE’D IMPROVE No height adjustment or swivel
THE LAST WORD The EX2780Q promises to deliver an immersive experience, and it does with a combination of good audio and video performance.

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Review: Fossil Gen 4 Explorist HR

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SPECIFICATIONS
PRICE  Rs. 21,995 URL fossil.com/in STORAGE 4GB OS Wear OS by Google SENSORS Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Heart Rate COMPATIBILITY Android OS 4.4+ (Excluding Go Edition), iOS 9.3+ CONNECTIVITY Bluetooth Smart Enabled/4.1 LE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n BATTERY LIFE Estimated all day PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 CASE SIZE 45mm STRAP SIZE 22mm INTERCHANGEABLE STRAP Yes 

The thing with Google’s Wear OS-powered smartwatches is that most of the offer similar set of features. One way for them to differentiate is the design, which is what Fossil has been doing for a few years now. Generation 4 Explorist HR Smartwatch is their recent offering but is it worth the spend? Let’s find out.

The Explorist HR’s design makes it clear cut about its target market. The smartwatch is big and perfect for anyone who prefers a large dial. The 45mm dial is undoubtedly, large but the case thickness is just 13mm and shaves off some extra grams to make the smartwatch lighter. The watch we received had a rose gold finish with black leather strap and while we weren’t fond of that combination, Fossil actually sells a few other colour options with leather straps and metal links. For customers looking for a smaller watch, Fossil also sells Venture HR, which is essentially a 40mm watch. Mumbai monsoons shouldn’t be botherful because the Explorist HR has a waterproof design.

When it comes to performance, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 powers the smartwatch. The overall performance is smooth but would have appreciated Fossil to go with the latest available chip instead of the one announced way back in 2016. There are no surprises if you’ve used a Wear OS smartwatch before.

The heart rate tracking is good, comparable to some dedicated fitness bands in the market and untethered GPS makes it possible to track runs, bike rides without the need to connect to a smartphone to record it. Not that we would want to take a good looking watch like this for a run but it’s a good feature to have.

One gripe we have is the battery life and if you use GPS, you’ll hardly get a day out of it. Use it more conservatively and you’ve got a chance to extend it to more than a day.

To wrap things up, we found the Fossil Explorist HR to be a decent smartwatch if you’re looking for something big and runs Google’s Wear OS. However, if you’re not a fan of Fossil’s design or want a different look, you can also look at some alternatives like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch or Apple’s Series 3.

RATING 3.5/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Features
WE’D IMPROVE Battery life
THE LAST WORD A large smartwatch that boasts a decent feature set but with a mediocre battery life

 

Review: Devil May Cry 5

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Hack and Slash, Baby!

Rs. 3,999; Xbox One, Sony PS4, PC

T3 GAMING RIGCPU AMD Ryzen 7 2700 RAM Corsair Vengeance Pro 32GB DDR4 GPU Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 STORAGE Teamforce T-Force Delta RGB OS Windows 10 MOTHERBOARD Asus ROG Strix X470-F CHASSIS Corsair Obsidian 500D with Asus ROG Thor 850P PSU KEYBOARDCorsair K70 RGB MK.2 MOUSE Asus ROG Gladius II Wireless

Devil May Cry 4 (DMC 4) came out in 2008 and it goes without saying that fans were looking forward to the next instalment with great anticipation. Here we are 11 years after and we’ve finally got Capcom’s latest hack and slash action-adventure, Devil May Cry 5.

Set a few years after the events in DMC 4, the game brings three characters in focus – Nero and Dante from the previous games and V, a new character who brings different combat play with the end goal of slaying demons and in style.

It pays to know the background of the almost two-decade-old franchise but if you’re just jumping into the action-packed world of Devil May Cry, Capcom has got a nice introductory video at the start of the game for newcomers to bring them up to speed with the series.

The new game follows a storyline, but that’s not why everyone likes a DMC game. It’s the fast-paced action and the ability to better oneself with every battle is what keeps everyone hooked. While button mashing works to a certain point, it always helps to learn some combo moves that help to earn a stylish rank. It’s the rank that displays on the right-hand side of the screen showing how a player is faring in that particular combat.

Capcom’s RE Engine did wonders to its last two Resident Evil games and DMC 5 also takes full advantage of it. DMC 5 looks beautiful with realistic character design, combats and world detail.

Devil May Cry 5 is a game that takes around 10-12 hours for its first playthrough but it’s the replayability factor and impressive combat makes the game fun.

RATING 4/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Gameplay
WE’D IMPROVE Story
THE LAST WORD If fast-paced hack and slash combat is what you’re looking for, Devil May Cry 5 will not disappoint