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Reviews
God of War Ragnarök (2022)
Held back by Glaring Issues
The game is an absolute wonder in terms of world crafting and beauty in graphics. The characters are very well done and the story is absolutely intriguing from the start. The combat is much like its predecessors but with a lot more combos and experimenting. That said however, there are glaring issues in the story which show signs of lazy writing and rushed story beats. Many plot points and details from the first game are never expanded upon in this game and many character motivations (mainly Freya) are quickly abandoned for story convenience. Many major threats and enemies like Odin or Thor whose immense power is alluded to in the first game, are lackluster and boring. This game's narrative simply could not live up to the hype and worldbuilding its predecessor built for it. The ending, While I won't get into too much conveys this perfectly. The time travel story element is never expanded upon is just an a**pull and the entire ending sequence boils down to a blackout, where you the player do not get to see anything. The combat is more fleshed out and gives you a lot more experimentation. That said, however, coming from the previous game's uninteresting enemies and most notably the absence of cool finishers and set pieces (think the god of war 3) God of war Ragnarok does not address these issues either. One thing I greatly wish they improved upon was exploration. Exploration is largely the same, while the levels are more fleshed out, they are empty and void of any interesting characters apart from the same souls providing fetch quests and the enemies of course. Some side bosses do have a sliver of that energy found in pre reboot God of war. Needless to say, If you did not like the combat in the previous game, there is not much for you here in God of War Ragnarok. Lastly, this game is clearly a PS4 game. Looking at exclusive PS5 games like Demons Souls or the new Final Fantasy 16, this game pales in comparison. The art direction is wonderful, cinematography and dialogue are great, but ultimately this game was a victim to what the notion it's predecessor built for it. In conclusion, God of War Ragnarok showcases impressive world crafting and graphics, but suffers from lazy writing, rushed story beats, and unexplored plot points. The lackluster enemies, disappointing ending, and unchanged exploration further detract from its overall experience. While the combat sees some improvements, it fails to reach the level of excellence set by its predecessor and other exclusive PS5 titles. Collapse.