Our return to Midgar and the other nine worlds is near. God of War Ragnarok releases on PS5 and PS4 on November 9, and I had the opportunity to explore and get my hands on the PS5 version of Kratos and Atreus' ongoing journey.
No major plot spoilers expected in this article, and that's fine as there's a lot to talk about with clean gameplay, visuals, innovative new enemies, locations, and more. Without mentioning specific characters or moments, this sequel will not take long to offer unforgettable and unexpected moments with various mythological characters.
Familiar yet fresh combat system from God of War Ragnarok, deadly new enemies, exotic locations and more. Read on to know about
Mythic immersion on PS5
World of Winter Wonderland: Midgard shines on PS5 with stunning 4K graphics and smooth frame rates (I played in performance mode). Fimbulwinter roams the land, including the gardens of Kratos and Atreus. Tiny ice crystals on its surface catch the light, and the snow cracks and flakes when characters walk on it. Frozen waterfalls look like towering and intricate works of art. This snow-covered Midgard setting perfectly reflects the peaceful atmosphere of a winter walk in the woods.
Tactile Immersion : Santa Monica Studio took full advantage of the DualSense wireless controller's touch capabilities. One sequence involved driving a dog through a powerful avalanche. The tactile sensations of the DualSense controller hit my hand, conveying both the deep rumble of the ground and the light layer of rolling snow. In combat, the leviathan ax deals extra visceral blows and, in reference to the boomerang weapon, the tactile cues gradually increase until the ax comes down on the hand with a meaty slap. Various touch devices also add texture to subtle moments, such as when Kratos lays his tired body down on the bed to sleep.
Different combat options.
Getting Accustomed Again – I'll admit, it took me until the latter half of God of War (2018) before I felt comfortable with the new combat mechanics. I wasn't a bit impressed with the close camera position, the leviathan ax for ranged and close combat, and the sheer number of combat options. On the contrary, the return of Kratos' ax and Blades of Chaos at the beginning of God of War Ragnarok filled me with confidence and fighting spirit. Using both weapons early on encouraged me to use Kratos' arsenal more fully, which was great.
Death From Above : Kratos can now jump off a cliff and crash into enemies below, a furious start to any group fight that will confuse enemies. The new battle variant is a prime example of the increased focus on verticality in the God of War Ragnarok environment.
Stay Frosty – By pressing the triangle button used to equip and summon Leviathan Axe, the Frost Awakening effect can be applied to your next melee or ranged attack. Pressing R1 while Frost wakes up performs a group freeze - applies a wide slam and ice to nearby enemies. Aim with R1 pressed as Frost's Awakening summons Frost Spike, a quick throw from Leviathan's ax that creates a blast of frost on impact. The extended range of Kratos' basic attacks adds new possibilities to each encounter.
Blazing Blades of Chaos – Just like the Frost Aken Leviathan Axe, you can hit the triangle button with Blades of Chaos equipped for Blazing Blades. This unleashes Kratos' chain of fire, completely melting the enemy's ice defenses. More importantly, Kratos looks undeniably cool as he spins his chain of blades to ignite the fire.
Huldra's Garden - Kratos and Atreus visit Brok and Syndra's shop and house to prepare. While there, I upgraded my Leviathan Ax to level 2, greatly increasing the damage and unlocking a new skill level from the skill tree. Atreus was also equipped with new armor. My favorite part is the Chest of Lost Loot, where the Halder brothers store resources that players accidentally find on the battlefield.
Gear Customization: You can re- customize your weapons and armor, including the gems for Kratos' Leviathan axe. After a fight with an evil stalker named Hunter, I got Winter's Bite, a light runic attack that creates a mass of ice around Kratos's ax for extra damage. Another uses a fire hook in Blades of Chaos. I found both of these moves useful as get out of jail cards when surrounded by enemies. Just think about that cooldown timer.
Shield of Choice – Kratos' Guardian Shield is damaged during battle and offers additional protection while Brock repairs it. For starters, players can choose between two new shields: the Stone Shield, which specializes in absorbing and deflecting attacks, and the Relentless Shield, designed for high-risk, high-reward combat. Eventually, players can collect enough resources to build all the shields.
Try the Dauntless Shield – I took up the Dauntless Shield hoping that my experience mastering the correct passes in action games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice might come in handy. This is the end! A carefully timed L1 hit against an incoming hit deflects attacks and creates an impressive flash of light over time. I found it very useful for crowd control and enjoyed the thrill of learning more about enemy attack patterns.
threat to the world
Launch Thor If you enjoyed the epic encounter with Baldr at the start of God of War (2018), expect to wield your ax and hammer with Thor in an equally epic battle. Thor's grabs, Mjolnir's lightning-filled blasts, area-of-effect volleys, and more. offers a combination. The two gods collide and fly through the air as the battle takes place across a vast frozen landscape. Thor's attacks are relentless and Kratos insults his ancestry by not attacking directly. It was an unforgettable encounter that made me seek revenge against the God of Thunder.
Roar of the Raiders - Strange and fierce raiders roam the forest and attack Kratos because they know he is the one responsible for the appearance of Fimbulwinter. These melee and ranged enemies are easy prey for the dummies to hone and test their combat skills.
Bjorn Battle - In one of the first boss fights, a powerful bear attacks. The Great Beast starts off with predictable hits that Kratos must parry, and also provides additional clues, such as yellow circles indicating Kratos can block but still deal damage, and red circles indicating unblockable attacks. The bear's attack pattern is a brutal yet forgiving path hinting at a tougher battle ahead.
Battle with Drake . In one of my favorite fights in this part of the game, our duo fight Drake, a crocodile-like dragon. The four-legged creature snaps its giant fangs, swipes its scales, and unleashes an electric attack that keeps players running. Using the Dauntless Shield to dodge attacks and dodge hits at the same time feels natural and satisfying – a well-crafted fight that perfectly tests players' growing abilities with brutal but fair intensity.
Bifrost Damage – Near the end of the preview session, a bloodthirsty new type of enemy is guarding something deep in the dwarven mines. The Pale Tattooed Einherjar uses frenzied attacks that deal Kratos' Bifrost damage, represented by the purple part of the health bar. Bifrost damage is harmless at first, but when these enemies hit a second time, it explodes in agony and cuts off a significant amount of HP. Watch your back, dodge with ease and get ready to survive the armed bifrost.
field exploration
Blocking Worlds: Odin, the god of war, cuts off worlds at the start of Ragnarok so that Kratos cannot use the Bifrost to travel. Fortunately, Brok and Sindri reconfigure the mysterious gate as an alternate means of travel.
Winter in Svartalfheim. Although Fimbulwinter covered Midgard with cold and snow, it affected the other worlds in different ways. For example, in Svertalfaim, the underground pressure increased, as a result of which powerful geysers appeared on Earth. Mimir (a sentient talking head attached to Kratos' belt) also notices a strong odor on the ground.
To move through the tangled world of platforming , you must skillfully use Kratos' tools. In one case, a post blocking the road had to be removed. To do this, I first had to throw the leviathan ax and break the board under the pillar, then swing the Chaos Blades to move the pillar. Another example involves cunning use of the Leviathan Ax's elemental properties to manipulate the water barriers in the Kingdom of Savartolpheim... but I'll leave that to you.
Sonic Arrows – In the dwarven city of Nidavelir , Cindri equips Atreus's bow with a new sonic string. This update is meant to destroy objects that emit a blue-green light in the environment, such as paths that lead to new areas and pits that contain chests full of hacksilver. Atreus' ability to destroy this glowing item creates a deeper level of puzzle-solving and navigation for the pair.
Browse and Secondary Search . Fans who enjoy flipping every rock in the universe can be sure that the exploration in this sequel will be rich and rewarding. Wandering through a magical yet alluring dwarf town, Kratos and Atreus cross paths with a dwarf who has a past with Mimir. The dwarves point out that the mining platforms Mimir once protected have damaged these lands. If players choose to claim this reward, they will be able to fix Mimir's previous bugs for the reward. Later, when I crossed the big bright blue lake in a canoe, I saw black smoke coming out of these pits. I decided to continue with the main quest, but calmed down when Atreus organically mentioned that we could come back to complete the bounty later.
Gnome Compass - Sindri gives Kratos a "fantastic gift", a compass that allows players to track targets on a map and then navigate to their destination using the compass at the top of the screen. Ideal for efficient tracking of items such as favorites and other secondary tasks.
God of War Ragnarok hours of exciting story moments and high level combat encounters. Certain moments and details make me so excited to dive deep into the battle, explore worlds, and discover what fate holds for our heroes.
Not long to wait: God of War Ragnarok will be released on PS5 and PS4 on November 9.
