Posted: Posted Date – 12:15 AM, Mon – 11/14/22
Adolescent Atreus is great as he worries about Kratos and laughs at him equally
Aditya Deshbandu
A must-play game if you manage to get your hands on a PS5. Nearly perfect—to sum it up in two words, for a game five years in the making, and one that caps off Kratos’ journey with Norse mythology and the gods of Assassin. Ragnarök was always going to be difficult to make because of the high expectations, the new format, and the matchup with the Thor blockbuster.
Add to that the challenge of portraying a beloved superhero as a flawed counterpart — Santa Monica has a lot on her hands, and pretty much everything is good. This is the kind of explosive first-party exclusive I bought when I bought the PS5, and it’s worth every minute.
My early days in Ragnarök were quite a challenge on No Mercy difficulty, as my muscle memory took a while to recover. This time around, the game lets you toggle between the x and o buttons for interaction and dodge, and I was able to hack enemies with the ax a lot faster. I also managed to get my hands on a limited edition God of War controller, but I quickly realized that the new controller was more difficult to play with because it looked foreign and my palms were a bit cold.
However, with my trusty PS5 controller in hand, I was able to fend off whatever the game threw at me. While I solved puzzles and outfitted Atreus and Kratos with the best gear, I let myself go and slay annoying drekis and acid-throwing swamp creatures.
Combat-wise, it’s a great experience, it’s just sometimes let down by some game mechanics where you can’t hit critical hits and replenish health with smooth motion, or when you’re ready to launch Only when you hit hard do you realize the game will punish you for frontal attacks. More difficult combat mechanics are all about blocking and counter-attacking at precise moments, sometimes looking a little off. However, when you really master it, Kratos and Atreus can work together as forces of nature.
Ragnarök’s plot focuses on Atreus’s tryst with fate and his role as Loki, as predicted by his huge legacy. As a dutiful father willing to protect his son, Kratos worries as he tries to fulfill the prophecies about him. With Fimbulwinter raging and Ragnarök seemingly near, Kratos and Atreus must fend off Odin and Thor. The conflict doesn’t last long, as the game has you fighting Thor and Quake in less than three hours.
The dialogue writing here is great, and the character development is top-notch. Adolescent Atreus is great because he worries about Kratos and mocks him in the same way. Mimir and Dwarf Smith brothers Brock and Sindri are back, and they lighten up the conversation with some great one-liners.
There’s a lot to remember and cherish here, and I really think it’s the whole bag that makes Ragnarök click. It’s not just great combat, great premise or characters you put in, it’s all complementing each other as the game progresses. It’s really an experience where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you manage to get your hands on a PS5, this is a must-play game in 2022. Should be a contender for the year in December.
