Following up God of War 4 is a herculean task, that game is near perfect with a disciplined focus both in gameplay and narrative. This I feel is a good follow up but it does not match 4's balance. I've seen takes saying that this game is two games crammed into one in terms of content and story, and I agree. I did not realize just how big this game is and I don't mind long games; I've enjoyed both Elden Ring and The Witcher. However, what those games do is keep itself interesting by never having you just walk at a snail pace as characters talk or watch cutscenes that go on and on. The best and worst instincts from 4 are on full display.

The combat feels much more snappier, however the parry windows on the yellow circle attacks are not as indicative as they seem. There were times where my parry was too early and I got severely punished and there were times where I thought I blocked way too late. I replayed 4 in anticipation and that game's parries felt fairer than this time around. This does not hinder common enemies and story bosses too much, but when it came to the optional bosses it made them cheap and frustrating than challenging and fun. I was disappointed by them as I thought the Valkyries in 4 were worth playing the game on their own. I do enjoy the combat overall, I love the addition of the Spear as it is such a fun weapon that the game introduces way too late in the campaign. The game has your companions backseat your playing incessantly. It becomes white noise after a while until they start insulting you. If you let an attack that can be blocked hit you, Mimir will say "What good is a shield if you're not going to use it" to which made me so mad that I wish there was a button that would have Kratos spike Mimir like a football. This design philosophy is greatly condescending, especially if you chose Normal Mode. The backseating should have been reserved for Easy Mode, not for Normal and Above because you saying that you think I am dumb even for average difficulty and need help. That kind of accessibilty is bad because you think I am a dimwit. As of writing this I have not seen any news about Santa Monica patching in a way to disable Backseating but that hinders the quality of the game.

The story is much more complex compared to the simplistic goal of 4 and has way more characters this time around. 4 feels like a stage play whereas 5 is more of a TV show. People need to start comparing games to TV and Plays since that's a much more apt way of describing games like Ragnarok. The performances are stellar, you have to remember these actors are doing this wearing a ball studded jumpsuit in a warehouse and they are so believable. The writing may come off as typical modern dialogue, but so many exchanges are incredible and the way the plot unfolds is top notch. I do think the execution of the themes: Destiny, Parental Expectations, Familial Bonds, Loss, and Self Realization are done well. The main issue: it is long. The TV comparison I used not only describes it's story beats being episodic, but this feels like a full 13 1 Hour HBO TV show with a gameplay loop all too familiar that makes it feel much longer. According to HowLongToBeat, 5 is only 4 hours longer than 4 but that goes to show that simplicity makes all the difference. You can probably use one hand to count the major points in 4, in 5 you're going to need all limbs. Like I said I do not mind length, but it does make me not want to replay this immediately.

Overall Ragnarok is a fine follow up that gets too big for its britches, it needed a trimming before release. Also Atreus > Freya. PS: Sif is hot I'm getting the PC port for ahem reasons

Finally got around to playing this and it rocks. The controls are tight, incredibly responsive. Love how much of a callback to Gamecube and Wii era games. Love how ambitious it is with its boss battles, and sequences such as the train self destruction. Alpine has to be my favorite world, it's both beautiful and really showcases the dev's level layout. All the other worlds try to switch it up, no basic fire level or jungle level you'd see in average platformers. The bit with the Haunted House was genuinely terrifying. They push this T rating lol, but older platformers had a little bit of attitude to it. Truly a great indie title!

An insanely detailed RPG. Feels like I'm actually playing a tabletop and has so much variety that regardless of actual length that replays are mandatory to get the full experience. I can just see the type of personalities you can assume through response choices. Love that boss battles are correctly navigating through tough conversations. Each dialogue exchange feels fully realized. You get an idea for each person you talk to what you assume they know and don't know. The game has such a deep rich understanding of Human Thought and Expression, this needs to be cherished. I look forward to what they do next either as a new project or a continuation of Disco.