God of War Ragnarök G|OT|Y

Im finding myself enjoying the game and games in general much more not discussing them in threads as I play them. Barely reading any impressions, not going into a section and anticipating it to be great or suck - Just finding everything out on my own. Heightens the experience.

Lmao at useless ass
Tyr
, I chuckled when he was just curled up in the corner while I was ripping people in half.
 
Pedro Motta said:
Who are you trying to fool here? Hope you bough physical, you should sell it right away.
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There is no reason to be upset.gif

As someone who is a huge fan of the series I can't help but be disappointed. I must admit the hype got to me - I fully expected a masterpiece given the reviews.

I'm 12 hours in and I'd like to still complete it but I'm just surprised at some of the design decisions they have taken.

The core gameplay does improve when you unlock more abilities and moves. The boss battles are fun - they addressed that complaint certainly. The art direction is nice.

Downsides? Writing can be bad at sections. Pacing is off. First 10 hours of the game could easily be condensed or slimmed down. There are a lot of segments which artificially slow you to a halt. I'm never a fan of artificially padding out a game. I've completed God of War 2018 three times but I don't think I could play Ragnarok more than once. A game should never feel like a chore to play.
 
This game man. This fucking game. It just keeps going. I just unlocked a new open world area after thinking i was at the end of the game. This game is huge. Just wow.

I hit level 6 so tried to take on some purple bar berserkers. Nope. They are just as hard. I also found a gold bar berserker which might be even harder than the purple bar ones but I'm super confused about the yellow bar now. Anyway, this alfheim beserker is just kicking my ass. 1 hour wasted. My hands are shaking. I know i should leave and come back but like a good souls boss i feel like I'm almost there and keep going back.
 
SLB1904 said:
Axe always. Fire against ice. I had no much problem with. Just parry and dodge the unblockable, also dont let them charge up as soon as they are charging up throw the axe. Easy
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Yeah, I think I get how to fight them effectively, but the margin for error is so small. Especially if I let it level up, I only get to make one mistake, the other one means death. But I've managed to beat it right after posting lol.
 
SlimySnake said:
This game man. This fucking game. It just keeps going. I just unlocked a new open world area after thinking i was at the end of the game. This game is huge. Just wow.

I hit level 6 so tried to take on some purple bar berserkers. Nope. They are just as hard. I also found a gold bar berserker which might be even harder than the purple bar ones but I'm super confused about the yellow bar now. Anyway, this alfheim beserker is just kicking my ass. 1 hour wasted. My hands are shaking. I know i should leave and come back but like a good souls boss i feel like I'm almost there and keep going back.
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That berserker on Svartleheim is insane

Gave up at lvl 5

What do the colored bars mean?

Also, am I close to where you are in the story?
just got the Draupnir
 
That
double dreki boss fight
was something else...

Never even meet these berserkers you people talk about...
 
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Finished the game today with 35 hours on the clock. Did all the side content except for the muspelheim challenges, too.
Imho the game`s story and story pacing stumbled and fell on its nose and the backtracking went too far in the 2nd half of the game and I´m really....really tired of that last gen "arena-narrow path-crevice-arena" level structure.....
8/10 for me overall.
 
I've been playing like 2 hours a day since launch in the morning before work. Yesterday I climbed the giant Asgard wall and fuck me if that wasn't a videogame event. Insane quality in the graphics. In my simple eyes that thing was close to the U5 first tech demo. The whole village is astounding. Back to Kratos and just freed both the flying medusas and now with Freya on forest boat just exploring and doing side quests. The game is so enjoyable and looks stunning for most of the time. Flawless performance on the 60 fps. Everything is so smooth. I also loved the volcano area with Thor.

Note: I find playing with Atreus much more fun. Arrows and melee is a great combo. Still very far from the end I imagine. Also, Odin is the actual fun character in the game. Love him.
 
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That Berserkers Svipdagr The Cold And Sisters Of Illska is the most annoying boss I ever faced. I beat it but god damn, the way the camera is in this game, it makes super annoying fight while trying keep eye on this two sisters…..fuck! I was at level 5.
 
Danjin44 said:
That Berserkers Svipdagr The Cold And Sisters Of Illska is the most annoying boss I ever faced. I beat it but god damn, the way the camera is in this game, it makes super annoying fight while trying keep eye on this two sisters…..fuck! I was at level 5.
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sisters share a health bar so taking them down first is I think they key to winning the fight, the dude left on his own was perfectly manageable. If you kill him first both sisters seem to get a buff and new attacks making it extremely difficult, at least on give me no mercy. The other balls breaking Berserer fight was the duo in Svartalfheim until I figured out they always alternate, only one attacks you at a time and they switch when jumping back / teleporting out after you land a couple hits.
 
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Late game Major game boss and mini boss spoilers




First the ugly.

That grim mini boss on Svartleheim can fuck off Lol. I think I had the most trouble with him so far such an annoying little shit. I beat him but not very well does anyone have any good tactics if he crops up again? Really annoyed me that this little shit was beating up Kratos the god of war lol.

The amazing

The Garmr Boss fight was spectacular. Both visually incredible (maybe best looking boss ever) and mechanically engaging. Felt like how a giant creature should fight. Previous Giant God of war Bosses looked amazing but act very stupid and passive to let the player win. I'm looking particularly hard at you Chronos. Not Garmr though he felt really aggressive and took advantage of his size.

 
40 hours in and this game is already one of the most epic action adventures i experienced. Everething the 1st game was missing this one fills the gaps and add more layers on top of it. While it uses the same combat system as the 1st one, the combat in Ragnarok feels better with the aditon of more shields, weapons and companions.

So good!
 
Aenima said:
40 hours in and this game is already one of the most epic action adventures i experienced. Everething the 1st game was missing this one fills the gaps and add more layers on top of it. While it uses the same combat system as the 1st one, the combat in Ragnarok feels better with the aditon of more shields, weapons and companions.

So good!
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reading these posts feels like I'm playing a different game, I loved 2018 but this just feels (to me) inferior in almost every way, including combat, pacing, story telling and writing :/
 
K' Dash said:
reading these posts feels like I'm playing a different game, I loved 2018 but this just feels (to me) inferior in almost every way, including combat, pacing, story telling and writing :/
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Nah this one is superior in every single way. But what stands out is the side content. My mind was blown. Plus the boss battles here are gow tier boss battles
 
James Sawyer Ford James Sawyer Ford Not going to risk clicking on that spoiler but here is the lowdown on Enemy levels.

  • Light Green - Kratos > Enemy by 2+ levels
  • Dark Green - Kratos > Enemy by 1 level
  • Yellow - Kratos = Enemy
  • Orange - Kratos < Enemy by 1 level
  • Purple - Kratos < Enemy by 2 levels
  • Purple + Skull - Kratos < Enemy by 3 or more levels
I was basically confused about the Yellow and Orange. The Beserker I fought in Alfheim last night was orange. The one I fought in Svartherheim was Yellow after I hit level 6. The yellow one was hard but at least I was doing some damage to him. BTW, that fight is mostly a shield block fight so bring the shield that gives you increased strength and defense after a parry or block for five seconds. You still need to be perfect with some dodge. They really messed with the timing on dodging the range attacks by these beserkers. They were much easier to dodge in the first game.

But yeah, if you see purple. Nope the fuck out. Purple travelers might be doable but purple beserkers or mini bosses are suicide. I did beat those two purple travelers in Alfheim and it took a good half an hour on No Mercy.
K' Dash said:
reading these posts feels like I'm playing a different game, I loved 2018 but this just feels (to me) inferior in almost every way, including combat, pacing, story telling and writing :/
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I felt a bit meh on the game at the start but I have come to love it despite its shortcomings. Yes, the pacing is off but can you blame them for adding like 30 hours of extra content? And almost all of it is just as good if not better side content than the first game. Combat I love because they added a bunch of runic attacks to the main moveset essentially increasing your moveset by ten fold. Yes, the fights are a bit too hectic and the small areas really limit mobility but its still not as bad as HFW's aggressive enemies which made playing the game a chore and sucked all the fun out of the combat.

Writing and storytelling isnt bugging me. I dont like them making Loki unlikeable. A trend in Sony games to make the leads unlikeable is something that hurts my attachment to the story. But Kratos and other characters are well written and still fun to see. I wasnt expecting an oscar caliber story so maybe thats why I am more forgiving of the writing. But you're not the only one. Pretty much all of my friends dont like the writing and especially Odin's acting. I dont mind it myself but you might have a point or two.
 
I can change time of day in Vanaheim?!

QONVIyz.gif


This fucking game keeps improving and improving and improving..
 
I wanna go back to the Svartalfheim mines and I'm told that I have to use the raft I left with to go back but it's not working at the moment. Do I have to get to a certain point in the game before it becomes available again?
 
K' Dash said:
reading these posts feels like I'm playing a different game, I loved 2018 but this just feels (to me) inferior in almost every way, including combat, pacing, story telling and writing :/
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I can understand pacing being better in the 1st game but...story telling and combat and writing?

I feel like characters like Thor are excellent. Both dwarfs are so much better here and at least not one-dimentional as in the first game , Kratos character evolution is just outstanding, etc.

I do feel this game is what TLOU2 was for the 1st TLOU. Both first games were more intimate, you follow the same set of characters 100% of the time, they never get separated and the game revolves around them almost always. The sequels are much more ambitious, both have more than one playable character and that can lead to these pacing issues. I also feel like both these sequels are so ambitious that the studios let the storytelling take priority to the gameplay, which is why we get walking sections and boring gameplay areas in both. Most Atreus sections so far or Abby's flashbacks for TLOU2.

But shit, there's just so much to take in Ragnarok that it's hard to not appreciate all of this. It makes the first game look basic in comparison in every sense.
 
G-Bus said:
Where I'm at right now and wasn't expecting it. Very cool.

Feels like the right time to stop and do a bunch of side stuff.
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That's exactly what I'm doing. Did some more side stuff out in the islands, and going to head into the mines and do stuff I could not access there prior.
 
Credits have rolled, 43 hours, did *most* of all the side quests/collectathons but still have a fair amount of stuff to wrap up as I edge my way to the plat trophy. Need to gather my thoughts but what I *can* say right now is it exceeded my expectations and is my number 2 game of 2022 (nothing is touching Elden Ring), PlayStation 1st party *always* delivers the goods, had a hell of a time.
 
Just to let people know, it is really important to do at least half of the "eyes of odin" quest, the one where you have to kill the green crows around the realms, there is a rather huge plot point that happens after opening 3 of the chests, not sure if it continues when you open all of them

If you've finished the game and havnt done that yet, I strongly suggest you do
 
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K' Dash said:
reading these posts feels like I'm playing a different game, I loved 2018 but this just feels (to me) inferior in almost every way, including combat, pacing, story telling and writing :/
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I think it's the new car smell. The 2, 3 month later discussion on this will be interesting.

I replayed GoW 2018 last month in preparation for this, and this game has a lot of padding, and the general pacing like you said is much worse. Repeat missions in the same linear realms that go on far longer than they should etc. I'm in the 4th, 5th repeat mission in Niphelheim running through the same copy paste corridors right now and boy I wish this segment was either a cut-scene or much much shorter.

It's starting to feel like the final act of TLoU Part 2, they're extending the game a little way too much.

For people who like this game play, I do appreciate that there is a big island that has a dozen or so side quests enclosed within it for people who want, and those things are great as a side thing, but even the linear narrative path is starting to become a slog.
 
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K' Dash said:
reading these posts feels like I'm playing a different game, I loved 2018 but this just feels (to me) inferior in almost every way, including combat, pacing, story telling and writing :/
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adamsapple said:
I think it's the new car smell. The 2, 3 month later discussion on this will be interesting.

I replayed GoW 2018 last month in preparation for this, and this game has a lot of padding, and the general pacing like you said is much worse. Repeat missions in the same linear realms that go on far longer than they should etc. I'm in the 4th, 5th repeat mission in Niphelheim running through the same copy paste corridors right now and boy I wish this segment was either a cut-scene or much much shorter.

It's starting to feel like the final act of TLoU Part 2, they're extending the game a little way too much.

For people who like this game play, I do appreciate that there is a big island that has a dozen or so side quests enclosed within it for people who want, and those things are great as a side thing, but even the linear narrative path is starting to become a slog.
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Yes yes yes. I agree with both of you. Maybe it's people who haven't touched GoW2018 in a long time and jumped straight into Ragnarok that are feeling like this (that Ragnarok is better).

I played GoW2018 and Ragnarok basically back-to-back. Rolled credits on 2018 the same day i booted up Ragnarok, so i am able to do a better comparison. And i have to say GoW2018 is just better in most aspects. GoW2018 has a tighter and more focused story, just better written i think, more attention to minor narrative details, much better pacing throughout the runtime, a solid beginning and ending. Gameplay and combat was mostly the same in both. My most trusted reviewers also said they loved it (ACG and SkillUp) sso i thought i was going crazy.

I read somewhere on Reddit that Cory Barlog was the director of GoW2018 but not of Ragnarok and maybe that's what made the difference.
 
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I don't think 2018 was better than this. It's simpler and has less padding, but as bang for your buck experience I feel like this game is above it. I also liked odins characterization and the acting in general - even if it isn't all written brilliantly it's still better writing than like 99.9 percent of video games. It's like a big blockbuster movie
 
Some things are better in 2018, some are better in ragnarock.

Also depends how much weight you put in the different parts that make the game, some people love combat and rpg stuff and they are gonna adore ragnarock way more, some want a smaller, better paced story and less ND shit and they are gonna love 2018 more, some are gonna love old kratos and a small cast some are gonna love a bigger cast of character even if kratos is a bit overshadowed sometimes, etc.

I think that overall i'm enjoying ragnarck more but the shortcomings are clear, final judgement when i'm gonna finish the game.

I heard that the second half is the best one so basically i just played the "bad" part until now...
 
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GymWolf said:
I heard that the second half is the best one so basically i just played the "bad" part until now...
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I believe the consensus is divided on that too. I liked the first third much better. The middle was boring and the final third was messy. BUT it's still head and shoulders above standard AAA fare these days, so enjoy the game bro!
 
RickSanchez said:
I believe the consensus is divided on that too. I liked the first third much better. The middle was boring and the final third was messy. BUT it's still head and shoulders above standard AAA fare these days, so enjoy the game bro!
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Can you tell me how much campaign i have left in percentage? (Like 50% etc.)

little turd just escaped to midgard after i returned to sindri's house after my adventure with freya, there was a fight and he turned into a bear
 
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Bartski said:
sisters share a health bar so taking them down first is I think they key to winning the fight, the dude left on his own was perfectly manageable. If you kill him first both sisters seem to get a buff and new attacks making it extremely difficult, at least on give me no mercy. The other balls breaking Berserer fight was the duo in Svartalfheim until I figured out they always alternate, only one attacks you at a time and they switch when jumping back / teleporting out after you land a couple hits.
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That was my first thought but the problem was that boss with two axes is always on your ass, there was no way I could fight the sisters while Axe boss was attacking me.
 
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I unfortunately ended up dropping this game after about 10 hours.

It's just more of God of War 2018. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I guess I've found that I had my fill of the new God of War formula after the 2018 game. I don't need more.

I wanted/hoped for something more of a leap akin to TLOU Part II or Uncharted 2 or Witcher 3 or Half-Life 2 or something more of that nature, where the game feels like a true leap over it's predecessor. Instead, Ragnarok feels like a continuation of 2018. It feels like the same game but just more. More enemies, more upgrade paths, more story, more setpieces. Just... more. I disliked Horizon Forbidden West for similar reasons.

Oh well, I'll chalk this one up as a disappointment for me and move on.
 
My god does this Ironwood section just keep going and going, its easily the most boring part of the game, still great looking and story
 
Just did some stuff in the crater and I seriously cannot even believe what the fuck I'm playing at this point.

I think this is officially the best videgame I've ever played.

GymWolf GymWolf keep playing dude, keep playing. Greatness upon greatness awaits, you have no idea.

analog_future said:
I unfortunately ended up dropping this game after about 10 hours. It's just more of God of War 2018.
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You'll never know how wrong you were then. It's the most evolving game I can think of.
 
Vick said:
You'll never know how wrong you were then. It's the most evolving game I can think of.
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How so? I did watch a story summary after deciding I was done. Nothing particularly revelatory from my point of view. Again, not that it's poorly written or anything, but the game appears to just go on to continue to be a continuation of 2018. Which for many means that's the rightful GOTY. Just not me.
 
analog_future said:
How so? I did watch a story summary after deciding I was done. Nothing particularly revelatory from my point of view. Again, not that it's poorly written or anything, but the game appears to just go on to continue to be a continuation of 2018. Which for many means that's the rightful GOTY. Just not me.
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I played GoW 2018 until 5 minutes before starting Ragnarok, both at GMGOW, and it certainly starts like a standard sequel, a refined and more polished more of the same. Then it introduces a very disorienting formula in the main story, Iron Wood, which goes on and on and on and pissed me off to no end, only to redeem itselft a bit at the end of the section.
But then the game gets better, and bigger, and then better and bigger again, and then absolutely ridiculously massive to the point GoW 2018 feels like a mini prequel DLC of the game. It's absurd.

MastAndo said:
I didn't mind the introduction and end of the Ironwood section (actually kind of enjoyed it), but what were they thinking with that long, drawn-out middle segments? I get that there's a story to be told and time needed to tell it, but it seems like a master class in how to ruin replay value in your game. Still loving the game for sure, but sheesh.
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Agree 100%.
 
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I didn't mind the introduction and end of the Ironwood section (actually kind of enjoyed it), but what were they thinking with that long, drawn-out middle segments? I get that there's a story to be told and time needed to tell it, but it seems like a master class in how to ruin replay value in your game. Still loving the game for sure, but sheesh.
 
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MastAndo said:
I didn't mind the introduction and end of the Ironwood section (actually kind of enjoyed it), but what were they thinking with that long, drawn-out middle segments? I get that there's a story to be told and time needed to tell it, but it seems like a master class in how to ruin replay value in your game. Still loving the game for sure, but sheesh.
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I've just got to the end of that section and its so drawn out, its making me not want to replay the game again later on PC I know that
 
Need to get back into it this weekend, but not gonna lie....im still right at the end of the ironwood section...it was that bad it put me off playing it for a couple of days.
 
Vick said:
But then the game gets better, and bigger, and then better and bigger again, and then absolutely ridiculously massive to the point GoW 2018 feels like a mini prequel DLC of the game. It's absurd.
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Been a while since I played GoW2018, but for as much trash as people talk about Ironwood section I found it to be better than the terrible Helheim level in 2018

Every realm in Ragnarok is so much better then what's on offer in 2018
 
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