The year 2018 was huge for gamers as they got to play titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Dark Souls Remastered, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and more. However, no game came close to 2018’s Game of the Year award winner, god of war. The new reimagining of Kratos’ journey into Norse mythology had everything from a great story to timeless combat design and a long-running campaign. Some would say it was perfect.
With that said, God of War Ragnarok is out now and taking the world by storm. Some players praise the visuals, while others love the narrative. However, most people agree on that God of War Ragnarok it’s a brilliant sequel to the 2018 masterpiece for different reasons. Let’s take a look.
10/10 More shields make the defense interesting
Shields have been a huge part of video games for the past three decades. Starting all the way from games like The Legend of Zelda to newer titles such as Fire Ring. However, not many players would have thought that the shield would become an important part of a game like God of War, especially since the series became popular due to its fixed-camera cinematic mechanics with hack-and-slash gameplay.
When Kratos arrived in Norse mythology, Santa Monica Studio took the game in a new direction, making it a more up-close and personal experience. Therefore, the shield became a central element of the combat design in the 2018 title. Fortunately the sequel God of War Ragnarok just takes it to a new level by introducing a variety of shield upgrades and types, further enhancing the combat.
9/10 Boss/Enemy Variety keeps things fresh
When Santa Monica Studio built the 2018 game, they made sure the combat remained interesting by creating different enemy types. These included ice-infused monsters Hel-Walkers, Revenants, rocky Ancients, liquid nightmares, Draugrs and more. However, there still wasn’t enough variety compared to the game’s scale, and there were too many troll battles.
Fortunately, the developers have fixed all this God of War Ragnarok. In the sequel, players face a wide variety of enemies, each unique for their own different words. Also, almost all bosses are different, and Trolls have taken a back seat.
8/10 Overhauled upgrade system but simplified user interface
god of war won the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards. However, that doesn’t mean it was perfect. In fact, the 2018 game had many problems, especially related to the user interface. The first game in the Norse saga introduced the new weapon and armor mechanics, which was a complete overhaul of the simple orb-based upgrade system of the classics.
Unfortunately, the new system was too cluttered with data, making the upgrade menu confusing for players. Luckily, God of War Ragnarok fixed it by minimizing the details on the screen, which made the menu much easier to understand.
7/10 Weapon use expands beyond attacks
When Kratos became part of the Norse mythology, he threw away most of his old things for an ax his wife gave him. While it may sound like a downgrade, this new weapon had enough variety to keep players happy for the rest of the game. If that wasn’t enough, the developers also gave players the iconic chained blades.
God of War Ragnarok takes everything that Kratos had in the 2018 game and amps up its use. Now players can use the chained blades to swing around faster, use the ax to freeze in a combination of the companion’s powers and get very creative with the weapons.
6/10 Overwhelming amount of companions
god of war 2018 is a nicely balanced game. It has just the right upgrades, a good skill tree and a decent narrative. Also, the journey is mostly centered around Kratos and his kid Atreus, which keeps the story tightly together.
God of War Ragnarok builds on that and features a story where players can team up with different characters over the course of the story. These include the Norse god Tyr, the goddess Freya, Brock, Sindri and the adult Atreus. Each character has their own moves, with unique abilities and use cases.
5/10 Expanded use of Spartan Rage
The Spartan Rage was one of the most significant powers in the god of war 2018, when it showcased the true power of Kratos through his battles with Baldur, Sons of Thor, Dragon and more. However, it was quite limited in terms of movement and underwhelming during normal battles.
Luckily, God of War Ragnarok fixes that by adding a huge list of things players can do while in Spartan Rage. Now players can use Kratos’ special abilities passively for healing, aggressively for attacking and more.
4/10 Faster animations result in faster gameplay
It cannot be denied god of war 2018 is a cinematic game with a good amount of slow paced scenes and climbing sections. It’s also a game that uses realistic animation to bring Kratos and Loki’s movements to life. Unfortunately, the cinematic approach slows the game down during the exploration sections, which was a trade-off.
Luckily, God of War Ragnarok changes it by adapting the old animations to be faster. Whether you’re taking out your boat or climbing a mountain with the push of a button, most things are now fast, which affects the overall speed of the game. In addition, the search is now less cumbersome than before.
3/10 Better puzzle design
While god of war was a brilliant game in 2018, it had a few things that left players underwhelmed. These include the tank-like controls, the lack of bullets, and the inability to revisit certain locations. However, the biggest disappointment to longtime fans was the lack of challenging puzzles.
Most things are now fixed God of War Ragnarok. Additionally, the developers have built new mechanics for players to use, moving platforms and mixing their skills with their companion’s powers to uncover secrets. It’s safe to say that the new game will definitely make players think.
2/10 Dual protagonists
God of War Ragnarok allowing players to experience the story in the most varied way possible. Not only does it offer a good selection of companions, but it also shakes things up by letting players play as Loki.
This time, Kratos comes with a huge skill tree and various upgrades, and so does Atreus. Also, the son of the Greek god of war has his own unique special ability, which allows him to transform into a wolf and reduce his enemies to dust.
1/10 Extra brutal finishers
One of god of war 2018’s best features were the finishing moves that made Kratos seem like an authentic badass. He could tear enemies apart, crush their heads under his feet, gut them with his knives, or simply split them in half. Still, the animations became repetitive for most players after a while, which was a problem.
God of War Ragnarok solves this problem by expanding enemy variety and adding far more finishers to Kratos’ arsenal. Now he looks badass and attacks like the true monster he has become over the years.
God of War Ragnarok is available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
