Four years after its predecessor, Santa Monica Studio's latest installment in the "God of War" series, "God of War Ragnarök," is finally set to officially release on November 9th.
This highly anticipated masterpiece from SONY not only inherits the exhilarating action gameplay of its predecessor but also brings a brand new story for Kratos and Atreus, the father-son duo. Toy People was fortunate enough to get early access for a preview, so let's use this simple hands-on experience to introduce you to the charm of this title!
The following content will contain some plot details. Please avoid if you wish to remain spoiler-free.
The story of "God of War Ragnarök" is set several years after the previous installment. After Baldur's death in the last game, the Nine Realms plunged into Fimbulwinter. Kratos and Atreus hide their tracks while intensifying their training, preparing for the impending Ragnarök.
However, Atreus, bearing the blood of giants, remains preoccupied with his identity as Loki. He hopes to find the prophesied God of War, Týr, and discover a way to oppose Odin and avert Ragnarök. Kratos, already aware of the full prophecy, wishes for his son to avoid danger, leading to friction between them. In this upheaval affecting all Nine Realms, will the father and son achieve their desires?
To avoid too many spoilers, we will now primarily discuss changes in gameplay and systems. For instance, in combat, in addition to Runic Attacks, Spartan Rage bursts, and the two elemental reactions of ice and fire, this installment builds upon the combat style of its predecessor by adding a significant number of variations.
The biggest change is the new weapon acquired in the mid-to-late game, the "Draupnir Spear." This spear not only allows Kratos to become like Zhao Zilong of Changshan (a famous warrior known for his spear), but it can also be thrown indefinitely to pierce opponents and trigger explosions, making it a primarily throwing-based weapon.
Furthermore, this weapon is also key to new puzzles. It can be embedded into specific walls to serve as platforms and can also blast through certain obstructing rocks with its explosive effects. Naturally, it also comes with dedicated Runic Attacks and a skill tree. The author found themselves using this spear for almost all enemies in the latter half of the game, except for those with specific elemental weaknesses, truly making it a formidable and powerful new weapon.
For veteran players, the familiar rage-consuming Spartan Rage is no longer just a simple burst of power followed by furious punching. This time, it's divided into three forms: "Fury," "Valor," and "Wrath." Setting aside Fury, which remains unchanged from before, Valor is a pure healing ability that directly restores Kratos' health. Wrath, on the other hand, is an explosive damage ability that can instantly kill regular fodder enemies and knock back opponents within a certain radius. Players can now freely switch between these three Spartan Rage forms based on their situation, using them as a final trump card.
It's worth noting that, perhaps feeling there was still room for operational improvement, a new item called "Ancient Stone" has been introduced this time.
You can think of this Ancient Stone as an accessory that comes with its own Runic Attack. Its effects range from increasing your attack power to unleashing lightning shockwaves, and just like equipment, all of them can be further enhanced at the blacksmith. Honestly, it's surprisingly practical, and pairing it with specific builds can make combat much more efficient.
Additionally, shield parrying this time is noticeably less omnipotent than before. Not only has the variability of monster attack speeds increased significantly, but different shields and a new "Shield Bash" mechanic have been specifically designed to make player actions more challenging.
Other elements include the addition of "Mod Coins" for skill tree enhancements, the "Yggdrasil Amulet" which can be socketed with nine different runes, and a plethora of new monsters. While the overall rules remain similar to the previous game, combat this time is not only more exhilarating but also addresses many criticized aspects of its predecessor. From the author's perspective, this seems to be the correct design direction.
As for the puzzle-solving aspect, it has improved even more. In the previous game, the Nornir Chests and certain puzzles were nightmares for some players. While it's not to say there were no puzzles designed, roughly eighty percent of the solutions still relied on keen eyesight, making finding the key points several times harder than solving the puzzle itself.
This time, the puzzles have significantly improved upon the experience of the first game. The means of solving puzzles have become richer, and designs that test eyesight have been relatively reduced. In addition to classic methods like igniting with the Blades of Chaos and freezing with the Leviathan Axe, new puzzle elements have been added utilizing "Sigil Arrows," "Sonic Arrows," and the new Draupnir Spear. Personally, I particularly like the connection design of the Sigil Arrows, which allows you to carve runic circles on surfaces to expand or enhance the effects of elemental bursts. The design of these puzzles alone is satisfying. For players who often get dizzy searching for things, this time's puzzle segments will surely give you more motivation to challenge them.
Furthermore, another relatively less significant feature this time is the presence of "companions."
In the previous game, being able to control only Kratos and Atreus made combat feel somewhat monotonous. However, this time, not only will the dwarf brothers Sindri and Brok join the fray, but Freya will also be elevated to a position equivalent to Atreus, even possessing her own independent skill tree and equipment slots. These characters also have different mechanics when they become companions. While the control methods aren't drastically different from the original, this adds a good deal of variety to combat.
Even more impressively, this time you can directly control Atreus, who will also have many melee attacks and skills to choose from that are not often used when he is a companion. Players who want to be a giant archer will surely enjoy his agile combat style.
In summary, while "God of War Ragnarök" may not be as astonishing in its initial impact as the first time we saw the new "God of War," the overall performance of the game, whether in art, music, or gameplay, lives up to Santa Monica Studio's excellent reputation. Not only are the combat and puzzle-solving experiences far superior to its predecessor, but the compelling narrative and AAA-level presentation are also deeply impressive. It is absolutely enough to inject new life into the PS5, which hasn't seen a major exclusive title in a long time. Below, we've also shared a boss battle performance from the early stages, allowing you to experience the power of this new title's boss battles up close.
"God of War Ragnarök" is scheduled for official release on November 9th. Interested players should pre-order quickly and witness Kratos and Atreus' new adventure!
"God of War Ragnarök" Personal Brief Review:
Epicness of Presentation:★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Story Rating:★ ★ ★ ★
Combat Exhilaration:★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Innovation Level:★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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