The sequel to the critically acclaimed game “God of War” (2018), “God of War Ragnarök” immerses players into its rich and evocative setting of Norse mythology and keeps them drawn in all the way to the credits. From its balanced and satisfying combat to the ever-expanding story, this game is truly the pinnacle of its genre.

“God of War Ragnarök” follows Kratos (Christopher Judge) and his son Atreaus (Sunny Suljic) as they try to rebel against their prophesied fates, while still remaining loyal to their allies from the previous game. However, this becomes increasingly difficult, as Odin seems to have the answers the protagonists search for, making it a matter of who to trust and when. 

The story of this game is far more expanded and grand than the last game, as it features a vast array of characters from across the nine realms that are impossibly interwoven together. Unfortunately, this does cause “God of War Ragnarök” to lose some of the masterful simplicity of its prequel’s plot. Granted, the clarity displayed in the first game’s story just wouldn’t have worked for the epic scenes woven into the game.

What really carries the story in “God of War Ragnarök” is the voice acting. Everyone, from Freya (Danielle Bisutti) to Brok (Robert Craighead) to Sindri (Adam John Harrington) to Thor (Ryan Hurst), are all impeccably portrayed by their actors. This gives everything so much more weight, as every piece of dialogue, no matter how mundane or unimportant, is delivered with this flawless perfection by the cast. 

The actual gameplay of “God of War Ragnarök” is impressive. It draws the combat from the previous game and adds many new mechanics to it. The main new ability the player gains is the ability to charge Kratos’ weapons by holding down triangles, allowing for more powerful attacks. Additionally, the game also encourages players to be far more mobile during combat, with Kratos being able to grapple up to ledges and swing across gaps. Plus, there is far more variety amongst the enemies and mini bosses, encouraging the player to get experimental with different mechanics. Every movement Kratos makes has so much more weight to it, making the combat incredibly satisfying.

Like the original “God of War,” “God of War Ragnarök” motivates the player to explore the nine realms to find resources and upgrades, along with side quests. However, the side quests in this game are far superior to the last game, in which side quests were weak for the most part. “God of War Ragnarök’s” side quests are more interesting and tie back into the story a lot better. 

“God of War Ragnarök” is a brilliant balancing act of powerful storytelling and epic combat, all intertwined into a near perfect experience. This will make the player excited, angry or even emotional, but when the credits roll, one cannot help but be completely speechless at this masterpiece. 

This story was originally published on The Foothill Dragon Press on December 10, 2022.