Great game! As an old school fan of the franchise, I still preferred those old games to the 2008 reboot, but Ragnarok managed to finally surpass those old games in my mind. The combat is improved as the 3rd pillar of combat is held up with an excellent new weapon instead of the unexciting, though effective, bare knuckles. Exploration felt a lot less dull as the world felt a bit more dense with things to do, secrets to find, and stories to hear.

And the story left a much bigger impact on me. The reboot had a great narrative, but with it being solely about breaking Kratos' shell, his character was too one note for a world full of more vibrant characters. Now he feels as vibrant as anyone else, and the new characters he gets to interact with are even more facing to watch. Plus, the story gets way more variety thanks to the additional perspective. I was initially concerned that the lack of one specific goal in this game would have lead to a meandering plot, but it instead managed to build intrigue and deeper context with every seemingly insignificant diversion from the main path.

I liked God of War (2018), and I was excited to like Ragnarok as well. But I'm pleased to report I love God of War Ragnarok. It's my favorite in the franchise now and, while I can't go as far as to say it's one of my all time favorites, I think it might be one of the most satisfying games I've ever played, from it's narrate & world design to it's gameplay & art design. It tries for quite a bit and lands it all with flying colors. Excited to one day return to clear the quest log, max out my character, and get that Platinum.