“We must be better,” an older, more contemplative Kratos told his son Atreyus several times throughout 2018’s God of War, and it's a refrain that Santa Monica Studio took to heart with this franchise. God of War began as a hack-and-slash series that confused having adult themes for being an adult game, as Kratos murdered his way through the thousands that got in his way, occasionally stopping for a threesome minigame in his quest for revenge.
Yet with 2018’s God of War, Kratos underwent one of the most incredible transformations for a character in video game history, as Kratos went from a bloodthirsty vengeance machine, to a father just trying to do his best and struggling with the sins of his past. Spilling an ocean’s worth of blood might have been fun at the time, but the weight of these decisions still hangs heavy over our once rage-filled Kratos. Much like how Kratos wanted Atreyus to reach his full potential, Santa Monica Studio took their iconic character and made him even better by embracing the possibilities of telling a deeper, more intricate story.
Four years after this stunning transformation, Kratos and Atreyus return for God of War Ragnarök, and Kratos's evolution remains remarkable. With the original God of War in 2005, we first met Kratos surrounded by flame, covered in blood, and with seething eyes that stared directly through the player. But even before pressing play on Ragnarök, we see a bearded Kratos sitting in a cave, with a face full of uncertainty, pain, and—maybe for the first time—fear. Through the original series, we saw what happens when Kratos lost his wife and child and the absolute destruction he could lay down after having what matters most ripped away from him, but after the events of 2018’s God of War, Kratos now sees just how easy it would be for him to lose the only family he has left in Atreyus.
Ragnarök sees Kratos and Atreyus three years deep into a Fimbulwinter, which according to prophecy, comes right before the cataclysmic battle known as Ragnarök. Since we’ve last seen these two, Atreyus has been traveling the realms to try and figure out why he was called Loki in a prophecy, while Kratos has been preparing his son for the upcoming battle. But after their last adventure, Kratos and Atreyus have made new enemies, including their former companion Freya, and now, both Thor and Odin come knocking around, threatening the father and son. As Kratos aids Atreyus in his attempt to learn about who he is, Kratos once more has to reckon with the choices of the past, and make sure his son learns all he can in order to avoid making the same mistakes Kratos once made.
God of War Ragnarök understandably isn’t the same massive leap forward we saw with 2018’s God of War. Combat, gameplay, and the upgrade system all remain relatively similar to the last game, albeit with slight tweaks. Even though Ragnarök feels much bigger than the 2018 God of War, Ragnarök also seems much more linear, as Kratos and Atreyus explore the various realms one-by-one. The player can explore these worlds at their own leisure, but unlike the previous game, Ragnarök doesn’t rely quite as much on its open-world aspects. There’s a very direct story to be told here, and while you’re free to explore to your heart’s content, the real meat of the story comes in that narrative.
But this more linear approach is a benefit to this story and to these captivating worlds. Every realm that is opened has to be explored multiple times to discover all the secrets, with each new area opening up even more, depending on what weaponry and tools one has accrued. Whereas God of War has plenty of additional side missions scattered throughout its overworld, these extra missions are more refined and tie into the overall story in a much more natural way, as these worlds reveal themselves in new ways and let the player spend time with this expansive cast of supporting characters. Ragnarök might not have Kratos and Atreyus boating through an open world as much (most of the water is frozen thanks to Fimbulwinter anyways), but still, the more structured approach to Ragnarök makes this feel even more grandiose and expansive in its possibilities than previous games.
Especially for those who have been waiting for Ragnarök these last four years, one of the biggest disappointments here might be that Ragnarök still feels like a PlayStation 4 game. Since the game was developed for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, both consoles have to be able to pull off this story effectively, and that’s sort of a shame for those who want to see Kratos’ highly-anticipated story told through next-gen technology. Even back on the PlayStation 2, God of War felt massive in its ambitions and scale, and while Ragnarök certainly still feels gigantic throughout, it’s slightly disappointing that we don’t get to see just how far Santa Monica Studio could push this technology. Ragnarök still has some nice added touches when played on the PlayStation 5, like extra pressure added to the shoulder buttons during particularly tense moments, but it would be great to see what this studio could do if they harnessed the full power of this new console.
But regardless of what Ragnarök changes or keeps the same from a gameplay perspective is largely irrelevant, since the true power of this game comes in this tremendous story. As Kratos and Atreyus search for answers, they’re both asked to question what power destiny and fate have in their lives, if it’s something that defines who they are, or if it’s all nonsense. For Atreyus, he’s the son of a revered warrior trying to find his own path, yet trying to make his father proud. Meanwhile, Kratos is reckoning with the idea of his own mortality. Early on in the game, there are several reminders that there’s still so much to do and so little time to do it, and we can see Kratos trying to make the most of whatever time he might have left.
The absolute brilliance of God of War in these latest games is how despite Kratos being mostly quiet about his past, we see the scars on his body, we see the pain that killing now causes him, and his painful past never leaves him. For those of us who have played the earlier games, we know the trials that Kratos has gone through, and where those scars come from, and we can sympathize with the weight that continues to hold him down, but for those unaware of Kratos’ past, the small bits of himself that he reveals throughout the game feel like tremendous divulgences that get us closer to the former god of war.
But beyond the world-annihilating stakes, realms that need assistance, and huge battles, Ragnarök is simply a game about a father and son and all that entails. With this story, Santa Monica Studio has made one of the most compelling and emotional narratives in modern gaming, an often staggering and powerful story that thrives in the quieter moments. Kratos is often a silent protagonist, yet through Ragnarök, we can feel this warrior’s every emotion in the way he looks at his son, the way he rests for the night, or when he allows the fear of what could potentially come to wash over him. This is a remarkable performance that says so much while saying so little, as our compassion grows for this man who just wants to make the most of his second chance at life. In the past, Kratos’ adventures found victory in obliterating a towering monster or killing a god, but in these recent games, a hug from his son or a kind word shared between the two is where the true excitement comes from. Here, one of the most powerful moments in this entire franchise comes as Kratos watches his son as he sleeps, a moment just as moving as any I've seen in a video game in recent years.
Ragnarök certainly isn’t the enormous leap that 2018’s God of War was, and it might not be the next-generation God of War game that people were hoping for on the PlayStation 5, but when exploring these nine realms and this loving bond between father and son, these minor concerns wash away for one of the best stories in modern gaming. Santa Monica Studio has pushed the story of Kratos in a fascinating direction, and this compassionate, caring, and concerned version makes Kratos far more of a fully fleshed-out character than ever seemed possible. With these last two God of War games, Santa Monica Studio has proven that they can make this character and world even better, a rich character study that makes this the best game in the God of War franchise so far.
Rating: A-
God of War Ragnarök comes to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on November 9.