I got the platinum trophy




What a fucking incredible game

This is one of the best games I’ve ever played. Hands down.

- The narrative beautifully combines the mystical and unbelievable of being a god with the relatable themes of family, coming of age, grief, and anger.
- The world feels so real and alive, even after beating the game, which I feel like is usually pretty rare. I felt immersed and enamored the whole time.
- The combat is so smooth, natural, and FUN.
- The soundtrack is absolutely stunning.
- The puzzles are very fun and are just the right level of challenging.
- I experienced no bugs, which is a welcome divergence from other launch titles I’ve played this year (I.e. Forbidden West and Cult of the Lamb).
- I love Atreus’ characterization as a whole. It’s not an easy feat to craft a believable child character and then continue that characterization in a natural way as that character ages. His dedication and kindness towards animals especially hit me in the heart.

GOTY for me, for sure.

Depois de mais 50 horas nos noves reinos, eu posso dizer que os desenvolvedores superaram e muito minhas expectativas além de encerrar a saga de forma excepcional .
ele não inova e nem tem mudanças radicais porque ele não precisa, a formula do 2018 tinha bastante potencial e Ragnarok aprimora e muito com tds suas melhorias e adições . Ragnarok em suas primeiras horas já tem mais inimigos e chefes do que o primeiro jogo inteiro além da evolução dos laços de Kratos e Atreus que me fizeram chorar de tão fortes e emocionantes e não são feitos só na historia principal as missões secundarias são extremamente importantes para o enredo.
fui pego de desprevenido com essa conclusão da saga nórdica.

Making a beloved game is hard. Following up a beloved game is even harder. And when doing so there's usually two paths for devs to take; Path A (The correct one) You fucking send it. Just go for something bold and either stand out from the rest, surpass the original, or die trying. Then there's path B, where you play it safe. And unfortunately, Ragnarok takes path B and is a pretty safe sequel. Now that's not to suggest the game is bad (A retread of the first game is still a good game) or that it doesn't improve upon the original at all (the already excellent combat system has been expanded, and the increase to boss variety is a very welcome change) But the structure, level design and exploration function the same as they did in 2018. Only this time it's been deemed illegal for players to solve puzzles on their own, as your companions will make sure to give you every solution before you even realize there's a puzzle in the room. But that stuff's just small potatoes, my biggest problem with Ragnarok is undoubtedly the writing.

The easiest way to describe the writing in this game is to say that it's uneven. Because while it has some really good moments, it's littered with constant diarrhea-of-the-mouth from NPCs, as well as plenty of major plot points/sub plots that are shockingly underwritten.

Starting with the side characters, they refuse to ever shut the fuck up at any point during the game, always reminding you about every basic mechanic, or beating you over the head repeating the same tHeMaTiC dialogue bits, just in case their stance on an issue wasn't clear the 10th time they repeated it. There is also an issue with occasional out of place dialogue that either doesn't make sense, or is something that's just objectively incorrect. Both of which would have been solved if the character simply didnt fucking talk 24/7.

Then on the underwritten side of things, there are multiple moments where the game just brushes past something without anybody stopping to question the logic of the situation. And considering that some of that logic falls apart under the slightest bit of scrutiny, it feels like either the writers simply missed it, or they knew it doesn't make sense and were just hoping you didn't notice. And while the big picture story they want to tell is mostly really good, the focus on flimsy MacGuffins and the inclusion of tons of new characters weakens the impact of most big moments, and makes things messy towards the end. Because when you spend so much time developing 5 different sub-plots, its not only hard to make them all interesting, but it puts pressure on the writers to find a way to tie up all the loose ends before the game is over. And as a result, the finale feels a bit more like housekeeping to make sure everything is accounted for, instead of being the bold, triumphant capstone to this saga that I was hoping it would be... Maybe thats a bit harsh, as I still liked parts of the ending, and the thematic stuff they did with Kratos and Atreus was good. I just wish it was less messy and did a better job at earning the thematic stuff throughout the rest of the game. Admittedly though, it's hard to fully articulate my thoughts since Im trying to keep this spoiler free, so I'll just say that it felt a bit weird to me that the game dealing with "the end of days" concludes with less of a bang than the one about being a decent father.

And while I could go on about the other small issues I had with the game (Sloppy menu UI, completely botched muspelheim trial system, nonsensical health system that hasn't been fixed from 2018, that fucking train-car bit that should be banished into the depths of video game hell for wasting 2 minutes of my life) I'll end it here by saying that God of War: Ragnarok is a good game. It has satisfying combat, great voice performances, and is definitely one of the better games to come out in 2022. It's just that it also plays it pretty safe, and is unfortunately riddled with bursts of shoddy writing, and occasional lapses in rational game design logic.

EDIT: After going back over the narrative stuff and thinking about it more, I like it less. So many major plot points are really dumb or dont make any type of sense, and the sheer amount of MacGuffins in this is staggering. Still a fun game, but a farcry from 2018 from a writing perspective.

O jogo que eu mais me diverti, O jogo que eu mais chorei, o jogo que eu mais vibrei. (editando aq que eu coloquei CHOREI duas vezes era 3 da manhã ok relevem)

God of War Ragnarok senhoras e senhores, que experiência única e sensacional.

O GoW que mais humanizou, e mostrou o íntimo de Kratos da forma mais crua e real possível que gera cenas de arrepiar pra quem é fã da saga (no meu caso eu chorei mesmo, tchola).

O jogo mais emocionante de GoW juntando com seu enredo sensacional, sua direção espetacular trazendo cenas de uma certa forma simples mas que significam tantas coisas em um plano só, uma trilha sonora de arrepiar, vibrar e chorar, uma direção de arte magnífica (aliás se o jogo do gato não ganhar direção de arte neste tga va toma no cu geral ok) e atuações que entregam muito, mas muito mesmo. A atriz da freya merecia MUITO MESMO uma indicação no tga, ela entrega demais como uma mulher que sofreu muito sua vida toda e que perdeu tudo.

É isso senhoras e senhores, fácil um dos meus top 5 da vida e que eu sempre irei amar.

Edit 28/11/2022: Platinado :))))))

I think every once and a while, I play a game that just outright blows me away. Whether it was my first time playing the Witcher 3, Persona 5 Royal, or GOW 2018 these games became my golden standard for what video games should be and what they can achieve. God of War: Ragnarök, is one of these masterpieces that will be looked fondly as one of the greatest video games of our generation.

The formula and mechanics the original game created is evolved and expanded to new heights. The wonderfully crafted story of GOW 2018 is continued with elevated heights. Kratos and Atreus have both come to understand each other as a family, and now they must survive together from their own supposed fate. This focal point of Ragnarök guides the story to beautiful new areas across the nine realms, all of which are absolutely stunning and wonderful to explore. The characters all undergo arcs that is a natural progression from where 2018 left off, and the wonderful acting from the cast deserves every award imaginable, for they truly shined to make this game one of the most emotional experiences on the market. Kratos in this game is finally given closure, and how it was handled in game was incredibly fitting and respectful to one of gaming's biggest icons.

The gameplay of GOW 2018 was already perfect in my opinion, so in Ragnarök they allow you to experiment with new powers, combos, and enchantments to build Kratos into whatever the player wants to focus on. Want to make Kratos an unstoppable tank? Go right ahead. How about a berserker wizard who focuses on status affects to burn/freeze/stun enemies? Well sure thing. The amount of choice the player has to create their own experience in this game via the combat is astounding to me for a non-RPG linear title, and it makes everything so personal to the player that is rare to find in many of these cinematic games.

There are plenty of things around the world to do that will keep any player busy for hours to come. Some do range from some typical fetch quests to "Go here and kill bad guy" but the story of these quests in relation to the characters or the world really make them feel important, and the rewards for doing them are well worth it. I am going to try to platinum the game, so I still have much more to discover.

God of War Ragnarök is a true work of art. Santa Monica once again has created a game for the ages, one that pushes the boundaries of interactive storytelling to places that never seemed possible. It's a game that is worth every penny, and I am excited for the future of Santa Monica Studio, and God of War.

Whilst still falling into the trappings of narrative exploration titles (why do I still have to shimmy here, push the stick to climb, quick time event action cutscene there? It's 2022?) This game absolutely sets a new standard for video game storytelling and character action pacing, progression and combat variety.

It's not perfect, there are a slew of strange technical issues; some mechanics, such as the tunic arrows and their puzzle applications, are temperamental due to their interactions with the game's physics systems, and are often unreliable. There's considerable pop-in at seemingly random points and when moving between different map areas on PS5, and combat music can sometimes cut off abruptly. These are all minor issues though that can easily be fixed in a small patch. Larger issues, however, are mostly just decisions aimed at trying to appeal to the widest possible audience. First, much like the 2018 game, it takes exactly two hours before the game actually gives you all of the basic combat tools. In the 2018 game this makes sense, you're playing an aging character who has not been in a real fight in maybe decades and needs to re-learn the ropes. Here it just feels like... It wanted to do the same as that game. Another issue comes in the puzzles. They're some of the best in the series! And miles above the simple affairs of the 2018 game, but you'd be forgiven for not noticing as the moment you get into a puzzle room in this game, your companion NPC will instantly, without any hesitation, tell you the solution to the puzzle in no uncertain terms. Again, toward the end of the 2018 game this made sense to show how Atreus is opening up and becoming more confident, but here, much like holding back giving you combat mechanics, it's only happening because it happened in the last game and they expect you to be nine years old.

Negatives aside, though, let's go into that combat! From the get-go you have everything Kratos had at the end of the previous game, and whilst I was at first disappointed that unlocked abilities didn't carry over (the character action game curse strikes again), it soon made total sense, because combat has been completely re-worked and rebalanced here. The camera now sits further away from Kratos, there's an even greater emphasis on combos as opposed to pure timing and speed as in the previous game, though that is still there. There is also a greater variety than ever before in the series. New types of elemental shielded enemies, more enemy types than every other entry in the series put together, different types of attacks and ways to approach them (I'm an especially big fan of the changes to shield bashing and interruptions, making them a much more integral part of combat). Of course, there are also many more ways to fight, and instead of just giving you little things at a moderate pace, this game slowly drips out powerful abilities that change how you use each weapon in your arsenal. It's a great pacing and momentum keeper. There are also much more satisfying and varied bosses here, instead of fighting the same trolls fifty times each boss here is unique, often even minibosses are completely unique, which is insane considering what the next section of this review is about.

The open world is leagues above the last game. Where that was mostly just a proof of concept for side quests and post-gsme content, this game encourages you to scour nine huge realms for tons of meaningful and impactful side content that genuinely adds to the world and story of the game in a way few other games have achieved before.

And speaking of the story, what a treat. For the 25-30 hour runtime of the main story of this game, it's paced more like a movie. Now, someone just read that and raised an eyebrow, I don't mean it's all cutscenes, that's insane, why would you have got that from what I said? No, I mean it's not the usual video game 'it takes you an hour long mission to learn basic information'; here it feels like every conversation, every interaction, and every moment you're learning something new, strengthening character bonds, and meaningfully progressing. The pace never slows, never takes a break, there's always a new setpiece or boss fight around the corner, always a new twist coming up, and you'll hang on every word. And they're not empty words either, even the new characters feel rich and juicy, not nearly to the extent of the main cast and returning characters, but still interesting to watch and play with nonetheless. I would have perhaps liked more from Odin, his primary motivation felt only-just not well enough established, but it was no major detractor.

As always happens with Sony exclusives and highly-rated games, a lot of people are criticising the game, but the only reasons you wouldnt like this game would be if you don't like narrative action-adventure and don't like fantastic character action. If you like either or both of those genres, then this is for you!
I'm very glad this is a duology, and this game ties everything up in a neat bow, it works perfectly, and I can't wait to keep exploring the nine realms to see everything they have to offer!

Sequência de 2018 que acabou me fazendo gostar mais do de 2018, O jogo tem muito mais momentos de anda anda, toda a seção do atreus e angroboda, parece que pegaram as críticas do jogo anterior de andar lento ouvindo personagem falar e jogaram fora, e fizeram coisas piores que isso, ah e como não esquecer dos Npcs toda hora te dando respostas de puzzles, até eles querem q vc termine logo esses puzzles medíocres de acertar alvo, me faz pensar q eu nunca vou jogar esse jogo em NG+, simplesmente acabaram de lançar o jogo com o pior fator replay da franquia, só preciso ter um save nos chefes, q são ótimos, thor, odin, heimdall, e as partes secundárias são até melhores q muita coisa da campanha principal, a gameplay melhora algumas coisas ao de 2018, mas não acho que o Ragnarok substitui o jogo anterior, o final achei um pouco anticlimatico, a luta do odin não é nem um pouco satisfatório com o Ragnarok q dura 30 minutos,coisa mt foda é que tem a lança, e ela é uma arma mt foda

Went into this game completely blind and holy shit! What an experience! Compared to the GOW (2018), Ragnarök trades open-world gameplay with more story and character development. Not complaining though. As a matter of fact, I like this more than the previous one. God of War Ragnarök is one of those sequels that improves upon the original in almost every way that you can never go back and play the first one. It'll just feel like you're playing a downgraded version of the sequel.

My biggest gripe with Ragnarök are the Atreus mission. I enjoyed them, they're cool for story purposes, but they are the one thing keeping me away from doing a NG+ playthrough. That's the biggest problem with story games. They're awesome the first time around, but not exactly the most replayable. Not too big of an issue for me to dock off a point.

God of War Ragnarök is THE PlayStation 5 video game and I dare say Kratos has become its poster child. Or is it poster man? God? You get the idea.

Seeing a lot of people complaining about it being a "movie game" because of its big focus on narrative and cutscenes and so? This isnt anything new. 2018 was just like that stop playing these kinds of games then if you don't like them 😭

Anyways. The combat still isn't perfect but it is a good step up and all the additions still make for a really fun time. The world and environments are stunning. Nearly all of the side content is cool as shit. The story is absolutely phenomenal. It's pretty close to perfect

Ragnarok coge todo lo que hace bien el reboot y le da una pequeña vuelta para hacerlo mas grande, mas impactante y mejor en (casi) todo.

El giro hacia la narrativa mas fuerte me ha convencido infinito, y aunque el juego baje en espectacularidad por ello (aunque ese tramo final ojo cuidado) le sienta de maravilla, la relacion de los personajes esta muy bien trabajada y su evolucion en el juego se siente , aunque a veces algo rusheada, totalmente natural y logica.

La ultima gran joya de PS4, una tremenda manera de despedir esta consola.

i feel like i can't really add anything to the conversation as to why this is one of the greatest video games ever made, most people have already covered it but everything they say is completely true. they took everything the first game did and made it better! one of the greatest video game stories ever, some of my favorite combat in any game, amazing bosses, amazing graphics, soundtrack, voice performances, writing, everything you can think of that a video game should be this game excels in. there are games i find more pure fun, but there is not a game, and likely won't be a game for a very long time that ever reaches this height of the medium in my opinion. an absolutely beautiful triumph of an experience from start to end.