I’ve been a little detached from the outside world this week, as I only existed in the Fimbulwinter filled world of God Of War: Ragnarok. I know I am a respected and highly regarded film reviewer, whose insightful and influential reviews shape the box office and industry alike. However, today I won’t be tackling our usual celluloid, I’ll be eviscerating the boring, overhyped and frankly offensive God Of War sequel.
Picture this, a sad and notably lonely boy in 2021, who saved up just enough money from Covid isolation to be able to afford a rare Playstation 5. Having been an Xbox loyalist throughout his teens, this boy had some catching up to do on the first party titles that Playstation gifted PS4 owners. He watched on in disgust and anger as those who played the games rubbed his face in it, experiencing the apex of what narrative gaming had to offer. All he wanted was to feel something. So, on that faithful restock day, his luck turned around and the light at the end of the tunnel was visible. 5-8 business days later, he unboxed the console and began his journey into the stories that he longed to experience. That boy, well, he’s me.
After going through Spiderman, The Last of Us and Uncharted, I turned to God of War (2018), not really expecting it to be my thing. Big shirtless man hitting monsters with an axe didn’t seem like my vibe. I was almost right too, until we travelled to Alfheim as Kratos and Atreus. At the point of Kratos stepping into the light, I felt my entire perspective shift on the game and from that point on, I went through every single emotion along the journey of grief and growth alongside them.
When those deep Nordic chants built intrigue on a black screen before illuminated with the logo to announce the next God of War instalment, I was not okay. It was a level of anticipation and excitement that can only be described as visually embarrassing and vaguely vomit inducing. I built the game up in my head until its release, and then I held off on playing it until my circumstances were just right. I wanted all the alone time I could have (to freely cheer and cry at full volume), I wanted a big TV and some very loud sound. That fateful day finally came where those conditions were met, and I could load up the game, with more expectation than it could handle. Well, it blew those impossible expectations out of the water and delivered a more in depth, emotionally intense and visually stunning masterpiece to follow up what already was a masterpiece in the previous instalment.
For context, I had never played any of the previous God of War games, the 2018 one was my first introduction to the series, knowing about it previously as an angry game where you got to kill big monsters to loud music. I am much like Atreus in this regard as I have no idea what Kratos’ past is like and how much he’s been through. I understand that I am playing the game with a much different outlook than most, who have spent years with Kratos. I don’t feel this has ever detracted from my experience playing these games. Sure, maybe with more context I would understand the weight of Kratos’ previous life, but as I said, my ignorance to it, is aligned with the rest of the characters in this game, only knowing him for who he is now, and not what he once was.
I also know nothing about Norse mythology so I was learning as I went along, and of course, taking extensive, colour coded notes.
All that being said, I felt the need to write this “review” down to put my feelings on this game somewhere, because otherwise I would have to talk about it with everyone around me for a very long time. I’m already on the edge of losing those people for various other boring conversational reasons. I don't need this one to be added to the list.
I’d like to begin with the behemoth that is the story, as someone who is used to writing out quick plot synopsis of films, this feels like an Asgard wall level to get through. I don’t want to write out the plot play by play but do have a few things to discuss within the confines of the main story that will definitely spoil the journey if you have not been blessed with playing it yourself. There will be occasional deviations, watch out for them, maybe jot them down for future reference.
I think the timing of the story is perfect, it wasn’t enough to continue the adventure with Atreus at the age he was in the 2018 game. He needed to be at a different stage in his life, changing the themes of the story from one of fatherhood and grief, to fatherhood, grief and hormonal identity crises.
To begin with Freya’s continuing threat, throwing me into the action and pace of the game put me at an elevated heart rate while also at complete ease that this game was going to rival the first (at least in its set pieces). It packed so much emotion into that first section as you feel the sorrow for Freya, lashing out against Kratos and Atreus for the killing of her son. Then leading an immediate Odin and Thor threat followed by a dog death was not cool, I was on a high from that chase scene, and to be thrust into a tearful situation really killed my fast paced vibe. I was back on the rollercoaster of emotions that I felt during my first ride around the Norse world.
This leading into the boss fight with Bear Atreus sets up the story so well, as we watch him grow and gain control of these emotions.
There is a similarity in Kratos and Atreus as far as their emotions are concerned, Kratos’ rage comes out in an aggressive and fiery attack while Atreus’ sadness and confusion is channelled into an outburst of rage. Both are unable to control these emotions and have no avenue to deal with them in a rational and controllable way. As Atreus learns to deal with these emotions, he is able to control the form he changes into and while Kratos learns to channel his emotions, we are given the option to convert this rage he feels into other avenues, like healing. I think this mechanic helps to understand that Kratos is gaining a much better control on how he reacts to the world around him. Having the option to heal instead of just lashing out against his enemies feels like a big step toward a positive change in his expression of emotion.
Atreus is on a quest for his own discovery, after learning his identity at the end of the last game. Kratos goes along with him, while they explore who he is and how he can fulfil his destiny.
The second theme going on is the father and son relationship, which is pretty up and down throughout the game. Kratos’ trust in Atreus grows from chapter to chapter, faltering at some points with the decisions that Atreus makes. Kratos struggles with Atreus growing up and becoming more independent, finding it hard to protect his only son from the inevitable dangers of the world when he is not invited into it. Atreus’ heart never falls out of place in the game, all his motivations are true and he makes decisions with intent to benefit those around him. Not necessarily going about things in the right way sometimes, his naivety getting in the way and causing him more trouble than good.
The bond they share is often quite silent in their love. They spend quite a bit of the game apart but we never lose the connection they have, even in moments of tension between them. The frustration that Kratos feels pushes Atreus away and the lack of communication from Atreus fuels the frustration, leading to a cycle that is only broken at the end of the game.
Even though the cycle is there, Kratos’ journey is met with advice from those around him, like Mimr, Freya and Faye that make him step back and understand his parenting needs to change to allow Atreus to grow into who he is. This leads to a much higher level of understanding between them both, learning that Atreus growing up is something they’re both going to have to deal with.
As the father and son collect Tyr from Odin’s captivity, we learn about the secret Groa prophecy, in which Asgard will fall to Ragnarok, saving the other realms from destruction.
Prophecy and fate are analysed throughout, with so many characters on their own journeys to fulfil or amend their destiny. As Atreus looks for who he is, he seeks out the prophecies of the Giants to guide him, knowing that the path they took before had all been laid out in the jotunheim temple.
This obsession leads to him flipping his mindset and trying to subvert his fate, to avoid the death of Kratos. Kratos has a silent understanding that this fate may come true while also presenting to those around him that he is more of the belief that we create our own paths.
This idea rubs off on Atreus as he first meets Angrboda in Ironwood. This little side plot is so lovely, we take a break from the impending doom of Ragnarok and just collect some things, chat to someone and see some pretty sights. As we reach the hiding place of the Giants, Angrboda’s demeanour changes, as she realises her fate has been fulfilled. As it is written, her story is over. The words from Atreus give her pause and motivate her to find meaning and write her own ending, which we see that she is going off to explore with Atreus at the end of the story.
The painted boards showing us how things are supposed to happen are often not exactly how events play out. This gave me some hope that Kratos wouldn’t die at the end, but I was still mentally preparing myself for it. It feels like a very subjective idea, which goes against the “written in stone" kind of message that is portrayed by some characters. There were some depictions that didn’t play out or changes that were made that changed the outcome. The only fate that was predicted correctly was the flip side of the final board, showing a path that Kratos never could have imagined, but Faye did.
Along with the obsession of prophecy that some characters possess, some of the others have an obsession with knowledge and power. Odin in particular, with the mask being his main objective, he wants all the answers available to him right now. Odin has such an impactful and menacing patience about him that just simmers in the background, looming over the rest of the characters. He’s quiet and unassuming for most of the beginning of the game. Using his words to speak instead of his braun, which most default to in this game. He is silently manipulative from beginning to end, making people doubt their closest friends and family’s intentions.
The reveal of Tyr can only be described as the face crack of the century. It was not even on my radar that he could have been anyone else.
Tyr as a character was frustrating, obviously for good reason as he was never truly there the entire time. The concept for Atreus is a build up of someone in his head that he thought would be the answer to a lot of the questions he was having about himself. The let down he felt, allowed Odin to cast that little shadow of doubt in himself, and gave him an in for manipulation.
We see Odin’s manipulation manifest in characters living in Asgard, like Thrud.
Thrud is a huge part of Atreus’ story, as he learns to look outside of how he was brought up and understand that others were brought up in different ways, giving them a big difference in outlook and the choices they make. Thrud, although under Odin’s spell of disillusion, deals with issues in a very responsible and mature way. She doesn’t immediately act out in anger, and even when she does, she can catch it within herself and pull herself back to a grounded position. I think a great example of this is when we meet up with Thor, who is drunk in the tavern of Asgard. She is disappointed in her father’s actions, expressing that to him but also letting him know that he is loved and that she is always there for him, to help him through his trauma, and not just blame him for it.
Thrud has grown up in the opposite way of Atreus, as Kratos is careful to ensure Atreus is set up to act the way that Kratos wishes he had acted and how he would like to react to situations. Thrud has clearly done a lot of reflection on her upbringing and there is suggestion that her parents weren’t the best example for her growing up, nor were her brothers. She took these negative lessons and flipped them to help her avoid the path that her parents seemed to go down.
Much like the game gives you, I’m taking this opportunity to just row on the lake and take a break from the action. These quiet moments are such an integral part of the story, walking from objective to objective, riding on that woolly mammoth or the ever so peaceful Mimir story time boat rides. I often found myself continuing to circle a small area to allow them to finish the story or thought because it felt rude to interrupt. This shows one of two things, this game is very well made and does a lot of work to make you care about these character’s backstories. Or, I am a passive people pleaser who thinks that a video game character is not going to like him if he interrupts their fictional story. You decide.
Back in it, with the blacksmith boys, Brok and Sindri. They were a breath of fresh air in the first game. Coming back from a difficult boss fight to hear them chirp about something arbitrary, it was the familiarity and comfort I was looking for. To continue their relationship in this game, with Sindri welcoming Kratos and Atreus into his home, there was an added layer to this, making them an extended family.
I was never bored of having these characters tag along for the odd mission, to break up the pacing and give you some more insight to these interesting characters.
Brok’s arc in this game was so wonderful, a straight talking dwarf who showed his love in an odd way, similar to Kratos. One of my favourite missions in the game was going to get the spear with Brok. You learn more about him, and he learns more about himself. We know that he is missing a quarter of his soul from when Sindri brought him back, but this only manifests as the mermaid at the forge doesn’t speak to him. Another example of the build up of someone for so long and the disappointment felt after meeting them. I think this occasion is a little bit more poignant though as we later learn that when Brok dies again, he is a lost soul.
The forge itself is such a creative concept, as Brok explains to Kratos that it is not the form that makes something, it’s the nature. I think this is such a great sentiment, and is returned to Brok when Kratos asks Brok to bless the weapon, showing his respect for Brok.
Sindri has a really strong arc in this story too. Growing from someone with clear boundaries that manifest in a fear of germs to gaining his confidence through his rage in the loss of his brother. He is a character that clearly cares a lot for Atreus, helping him in his discovery of himself in the interim of now and the previous game.
The limit is pushed when Brok dies, changing his perspective on how those around him have been treating him. He has let so many people into his home, welcoming them without judgement, just to have lost all that he had before. We are clearly only seeing the beginning of Sindri’s grieving period, and I think that the story recognises that he can’t forgive Atreus just yet for what he has done and needs that time to be angry and work through his emotions.
This brings up another idea, in forgiveness not being binary. Freya’s growth is one through forgiveness and the nuance of this theory. I have previously thought of forgiveness as something that is either true or not true. That if you forgive someone, you forgive them as they are, you are back to level, maybe with a hint of hesitation of trust. Freya’s evolution of forgiveness is forgiving Kratos and Atreus while not forgiving their actions, she holds hurt and pain from what they’ve done and is not ready to let that go. She may never be able to let that go, but that’s also not something either Kratos or Atreus hold against her, they allow her the space to let herself in at her own pace.
Jump Scare! Out of nowhere, there is a giant boss approaching and you have to kill it, quick and fast.
The thoughts of having to take on these colossal bosses, in both scale and general difficulty was painful. Being in the boss fights though, was a different story, one of strain, stress and bewilderment. So many times, I sat back, shocked at how these fights were being played out, from the Giant granny in Ironwood to the Valkyries in Ragnoarok’s birthplace. The range of challenge, fight type and connection to each boss varied enough to make all these sections feel like their own. It didn’t feel like an obligation, it was something that the story led itself up to.
I did admittedly begin the game on “Give Me Story” because that’s what I was there for. It did become a little tedious though for me in the interim of the story where the game throws disposable enemies at you, that I was just mashing attack buttons with no strategy. A quickly upped the difficulty significantly, came against my first boss and dropped it back to a happy medium of challenge while avoiding frustration or full on defeat.
I do think my favourite one is the final fight you have with Thor, where there is so much emotion behind the fight, both fathers fighting for their honour. I also really enjoyed beating up Heimdall, who I imagine was such a fun character to write, he was packed with cocky arrogance from every single moment on screen.
Considering this is a game, I have very little to say on the gameplay of it, as you may be able to tell from the few words I’ve jotted down on the story.
The gameplay of the game was complimentary to the main event of the story for me. The accessibility settings, allowing you to enjoy your experience without hindrance really impressed me. I was able to play the game, at the difficulty I was comfortable with, without punishment or barriers. As someone who doesn’t utilise all accessibility settings, it's hard to comment on how effectively they are implemented, and if they detract from the story, but from my scroll through the options, they are extensive and I imagine their actual applications while playing.
More generally, I thought that the smooth gameplay, from scene to scene, helped with the immersion, and the transitions from cinematic to gameplay were seamless, allowing me to stay in the story, while I killed my 200th elf for the night.
Kratos’ arsenal of weapons are so varied and powerful that I never felt put out by having to use one over the other if one of the weapons was more effective on a certain enemy type. The ability to level up the weapons, learning how to use them more and more to deal deadly damage, kept the gameplay interesting from beginning to end, giving you new moves to drop into almost each fight.
Atreus had a lot less to do but the sidekicks he was put with really help to balance out the enslught of enemies when you are slightly weaker. His bow feels good to use, and its nice to get into a rhythm with this gameplay, but at times it does feel as though you are hanging back quite a bit, not being up in the action like you would be with Kratos. It feels like a harsh thing to comment on, considering I would have harsher criticism if he were to be almost identical to Kratos’ gameplay, but a happy medium would have made his gameplay sections that little bit more engaging. Big shoutout to Ingrid and her tireless work floating about, killing enemies and raising the bar for floating swords everywhere, huge fan.
Speaking of huge. I think this game does scale better than anything I’ve ever seen, fluctuating from being a giant and unstoppable force, to a teenie tiny unstoppable force. No challenge phased me, but having to fight a wolf that I was comparable to the height of its claw, was quite the experience. Not only in characters but the world, while having a beautifully convenient and linear progression, the world felt so open and lived in. While it wasn't an open world in the likes of Grand Theft Auto, the story puts the world into a perspective that you believe people have and do exist in the areas you frequent.
Just to continue the theme of mentioning my favourite things, the World Serpent is the most insane experience, with booming speakers and a dark room, being fully immersed. That boy is huge and loud.
These huge and loud moments are blended so perfectly with an intimate story between two characters experiencing relatively human issues. Making this fantastical world one we can emotionally resonate with. The overarching story is one where we’re on the cusp of the world’s end, while this goes on, we shrink our perspectives down to evaluate minute elements of interpersonal relationships. Boiled down, I think this is what makes the game so special, combining striking visuals, aggressive action with emotional manipulation, sucking the dudes and bros in to feel some real shit.
I will forever champion this game, especially combining it with the first one. It is also very helpful for me to have this piece of distinct and insanely wordy literature floating around in the world, for me to either reference back to or to just point people in the direction of if they ask me to justify my love for this game. Its merits seem genuinely inarguable, I would go as far to say that all the points I have made above are objective, factual and most importantly concise. I’m writing this final sentiment for myself, if you read to the end of this manic and deeply troubling exploration, I hope you find peace and happiness in your life, and maybe some sort of way to fill your time more effectively. Until you do though, give it another read, and ignore any grammatical errors or misplaced opinions.
This game is absolutely perfect, and will remain one of the most impactful pieces of media on my life for quite some time. The end, that’s all I needed to say.
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