God of War Ragnarok doesn’t unseat the pantheon because it doesn’t have to | Preview

2018’s God of War wasn’t just a reboot of a popular series, it was a new reinvention that turned a gritty fighting game into an emotionally resonant story and established Sony’s first party as the creative force to beat in the world of blockbuster games.

god of war ragnarok You don’t have the luxury of being able to hit the streets on PS5 with a new look, a new perspective (both in gameplay and story), and a new world to set. But while it’s remarkably similar to the last game, given its undoubted brilliance, that’s not a bad thing, is it?

I was a bit worried at the beginning of God of War Ragnarok. Before he’s really had time to reset his characters, setting, and setting, he’s no longer tugging at his heartstrings but tugging at his arteries with the Chains of Olympus. If the entire game were this thick, we’d be veering off into the nine realms of melodrama, but thankfully Ragnarok quickly finds its place and settles into the tonal ping-pong of a contemplative coming-of-age story that explores interpersonal relationships. with a grim edge that also takes regular breaks to bash monsters with a giant ax until their heads fall off. So are video games.

God of War Ragnarok is a very direct sequel to 2018’s God of War, dealing with the aftermath of the last game, the conflicts that arose from the reveals at its climax, and fleshing out existing character arcs while introducing new ones.

In the first part of the game, it’s all wrapped up in the well-balanced, barbaric combat familiar package that’s easy to pick up but demanding enough in terms of reflex action and combos to be as challenging as you want.

Also, the sound and visual design are as good as ever. It’s become a cliché to talk about the “weight” of combat, but audio tricks and clever slowdowns of the action to maximize skin-on-skin slamming and ax-on-bone crunching get every drop of adrenaline out and ensure masterfully that your eyes are only front and center during every fight. And, of course, all of this is played from that over-the-shoulder perspective that feels like lugging a fully loaded backpack up a flight of stairs: bumping but safe.

However, the main problem with God of War Ragnarok so far is that the bar is set so high that it’s all too easy to take some of its best elements for granted. A couple of times I found myself running through lush, detailed environments, not really appreciating their scope and atmosphere as I jumped from one monster locker to another. This is a lengthy retelling of Norse mythology with lots of impressive lighting, so perhaps it’s to the game’s credit that the fantasy world around you doesn’t engage in suspension of disbelief.

But it’s the same with sets, whether they’re staggeringly huge or intimate and creepy. They come so abundant and fast that it almost makes you want to action. Consistently delivering on that front, though, is unmistakably a Ragnarok credit and surely there are still a few surprises lurking to take things to the next level as the stakes rise.