*spoilers ahead*
The highly anticipated God of War: Ragnarök was released on November 9, 2022, as the 8th game in the popular franchise developed by Santa Monica Studio. Fans and streamers everywhere were more than excited about this release, as there were a lot of expectations to live up to, due to the previous game God of War (2018) winning game of the year.
Now, I know my extensive knowledge of this masculine video game is intimidating you. But actually, I knew virtually nothing about this franchise until this summer. All thanks to my beloved boyfriend, I was thrown into this world of mythology driven by a protagonist whose legacy revolved around the horrifying adventures of his past. After many youtube videos and lectures from said boyfriend, I learned more about GOW than an almost-20-year-old woman should probably know.
However, it would be criminal if I didn’t leave a review on GOW’s newest game, as I was there watching literally every step of the way. This review will be different than others you see because it comes entirely from a backseat gamer’s perspective. Seriously, I have literally not picked up the controller once when it comes to this game. But sitting next to my boyfriend while he plays and analyzing the storyline has been, quite honestly, one of the most memorable experiences of my semester.
Straight from the loading screen, Ragnarök plunges you directly into the storyline with absolutely no cut scenes and no warning. Cut scenes, although typically used in other video games to separate the technical gameplay from the plot, can ruin the immersion with the vast distinction between the two. However, Ragnarök has an enthralling movie-like feel, since the technical game mechanism is completely intertwined with the “plot” if you will. Especially from a backseat gamer perspective, I literally feel like I’m watching a 30-hour-long movie.
Although the storyline was bound to be good, there were some doubts that Ragnarök could be any different from its predecessor. Ragnarök did something that God of War (2018) didn’t do, and that is actually playing as Atreus. With a new character to play as, there are new and different game mechanics to learn that break up the monotony of Kratos’s attacks. Additionally, these solo Atreus adventures lead us to subplots of the story that genuinely makes the audience feel like a 14-year-old teenager lying to their parents again. Although in a mythical world, the relationship dynamic between Kratos and Atreus feels so authentic, and that feeling of authenticity only heightens when playing as Atreus without the presence of Kratos around.
Another aspect I enjoyed about Ragnarök was just how badass the fight scenes were. I mean, just the opening fight scene with Thor had my jaw on the floor. Like there’s absolutely no way Thor kills you, but then MID LOADING SCREEN REVIVES YOU JUST TO FIGHT YOU AGAIN. That is wild for no reason.
Even the “boring” parts of the game are filled with anticipation and thrill about what’s to come next. Personally, I wasn’t even bored once watching the game and was fully captivated and emotionally invested. GOW does something that many video games don’t do (but are starting to pick up on) and it is having nuanced character development. When any piece of media can make you relate to its characters, it’s already going to mean more to you. Atreus brings a sense of nostalgia, like what it means to be a defiant teenager again. Truly believing you know all the answers when in reality you have no idea about what’s to come. So much emotion was elicited while watching the game, that it’s hard for me to rate this game anything other than a 10/10.
God of War: Ragnarök was definitely worth the money spent. The only negative thing I can say about it is that I feel bad for those who don’t own a PlayStation and can’t play it.