• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

God of War Ragnarök G|OT|Y

zkorejo

Member
first like hour and 15 mins was great. Combat improvements are small but cool. Boy is an ugly lil sob. he's got a very cringey big bang theory looking face.
The game is too dark. I had to go into HDR brightness and max it out. Something is def off there. I feel like HDR implementation has gotten worse every year in games.

Had a weird glitch where boy kept sliding into place in this one area for no reason. very odd loooking. And just in general walking slowly the animations look a little jittery and unpolished compared to what i remember from the last game. Like its slighty more janky looking for some reason.

when i was finally able to see after turning the brightness all the way up, the detail on Kratos is incredible.
Just don't turn on Quality mode cuz it doesn't look any prettier and turns the game into a 25 frame per second shit show
Try messing with tv settings. I had dynamic tone mapping turned on on tv which was making everything dull and dark. Toggling it off made everything pop up.
 

gow3isben

Member
Alright boys can anyone tell how far into the game I’m in:

Just fought “that” Valkyrie and entered the gate intoVanaheim


Past few sections were top tier holy shit this is blowing 2018 out the water so bad
 
Last edited:

zkorejo

Member
Very early very minor spoilers. Don't even think it's a spoiler but I will tag it just in case:

Ashen God scroll found early on in the game mentions a
Witch telling these raiders etc how Kratos killing Baldur brought the Fimbulwinter and it only goes away if Ashen God is dead. I'm assuming it's Freya and the second part is basically lying to avenge Baldur. A small detail but it gives context to why every enemy is attacking.
 
Last edited:

yamaci17

Member
Can someone advise me if two venheim quests are worth doing? The ones you can take after you are done with the main quest there.

Also. What were they thinking with you allies spoiling puzzles as soon as you take 5 seconds to look at it?! And every ledge and interaction is painted. They should borrow uncharted world designer. In that game it feels like you have free reigns. Here you follow markers.
But exploration is still very addictive
yeah man I even think it is bugged bcoz as someone pointed out once they start telling you the answers, then they will keep repeating the same thing in quick intervals.... its actually aggravating. I was led to believe it is a bug because even after I do the deed they suggest, they still keep saying it unless I progress the area

cmon man make hand holding a choice. I played the freaking hitman 1-2-3 modern triology with NO huds no markers. I can handle some puzzles here and there. I literally like the aspect of finding the solutions on my own in games like these. game robs me of that experience whenever I stumble for a bit, at best, a minute
 

solidus12

Member
Very early very minor spoilers. Don't even think it's a spoiler but I will tag it just in case:

Ashen God scroll found early on in the game mentions a
Witch telling these raiders etc how Kratos killing Baldur brought the Fimbulwinter and it only goes away if Ashen God is dead. I'm assuming it's Freya and the second part is basically lying to avenge Baldur. A small detail but it gives context to why every enemy is attacking.
Yup that's correct.

HOLY SHIT WHAT A GAME. Santa Monica Studio has surpassed Naughty Dog.
 
Last edited:

gow3isben

Member
The last game I played before this was Last of us Part 1 remake and while that may have better technical graphics the art direction and HDR in this game overall make the visuals blow last of us out the water.

The characters are also in my opinion better and obviously more diverse. The walking sections are more enjoyable here. Basically it surpasses Last of us in Last of Us's best aspects and absolutely obliterates it in all the countless things it does better. Of course that is a 2013 game but keep in mind it used to be known as the pinnacle of cinematic games. It definitely is an achievement that Ragnarok dwarfs it so much.

I need playable setpieces in which we have control of the character that aren't just bosses though!
 
Last edited:

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
In the PS5 settings, go to audio settings and choose AV amplifier instead of Soundbar. Choose 5.1 channel, even if you have 3.1 so it supports subwoofer. Every other option is stereo which is shit.

Choose PCM. In order for it to work perfectly, Make sure your soundbar is connected to TV through eARC. If you don't have eARC on your tv then connect it to ps5 as source.
Yep. I found an article that basically said the same thing. Did all the ps5 settings tweaks. However, gow still sees it as stereo.!
 

zkorejo

Member
Yep. I found an article that basically said the same thing. Did all the ps5 settings tweaks. However, gow still sees it as stereo.!
Are you sure you did everything right? I have a 3.1 soundbar with Dolby Atmos. But don't expect Atmos to work as games don't really support Atmos. If the sub and rear speakers are not utilized at all, then you're probably doing something wrong. If they are working but not like when you watch movies, that means they are working.

Btw It's working just fine without Atmos, the sound is actually really good compared to Ghost of Tsushima, the bass is pretty good.

Edit: Also try changing from PCM to DTS and Dolby to see if rear speakers and sub is working then.

Edit 2: oh you mean GOW audio settings sees it as Stereo? Ignore that. You're getting 5.1 but since it's through TV and not directly connected to Ps5, the game thinks it's your tv speakers. As long as you are getting surround sound with rear and sub working, you're good. This setup with eARC to tv is the best settings possible afaik.
 
Last edited:
I felt like I was Nathan Drake playing as Atreus. He’s climbing everywhere, sneaking under things that look like buses, and he’s talking to himself
I love that part. Asgard and every realms in this game looks so beautiful.
Except Atreus is talking too much. Why do you talking about how you want to spy on Odin with his raven lol.
 

G-Bus

Banned
Felt a bit unsure hitting the dwarves area but it's starting to click with some weapon upgrades and what not.

Think im close to freeing buddy. Wish I had more time to play and really sink into this. These short bursts of being able to play kind of suck.

4 hours in and I feel like I'm just scratching the surface here.

Hopefully get some time this weekend to sit down and play for a while.
 

BadBurger

Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
After another session:

The Thor fight isn't tuned well, and frankly isn't fun. I never felt in control, and all of the counters and everything felt very sluggish. Obvious scripting issues, like when it says to hit L1 and you hit L1 and nothing happens. What a disappointment after all this build up. Due to the fucked up tuning and scripting it felt like a button mashing, die again-and-again weak exercise from lesser games of yore. After that awesome first boss fight, in which everything clicked and worked, this is an absolute eye sore as far as boss design goes

The UI is fucked. People are right. This needs a top-down overhaul to make it elegant. It's useable, certainly, taking just a few moments to get used to.... but that doesn't mean it's good

The weird tutorial type shit forcing one to press specific buttons or do specific things before they can regain agency is some of the worst I've seen. Worse than some Japanese games in this regards

Everything else is spectacular. The story, the acting. The graphics and 3D audio are amazing, and to think this isn't even what the PS5 is fully capable of. The use of the DualSense rocks - the awesome haptics and subtle use of the speaker. All combat and gameplay outside of that awful Thor fight has been absolutely excellent, like 10/10 fun and rewarding

TLDR: They badly need to fix the UI, need to remove tutorial type stuff that eliminates agency, and the Thor fight needs tuning - it merely outstays its welcome (way too long) and has some fucked up scripting issues that I am surprised made it past testing. The high level of storytelling one expects from these first-party Sony games. So far it's a 8/10, would be a 10/10 if that Thor fight was good
 
Last edited:

BadBurger

Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
A boss fight pushes the whole game two points up?! :messenger_open_mouth:

Hell yes man. That fight was hyped to high hell. And then one plays it and, well, it sours the experience

Edit: it also hurts that the scene leading into it built up mad tension. I was ready to go. Then all of the sudden a few minutes later it's like womp womp
 
Last edited:
I'm 12 hours in and completely blown away. I've skimmed through some replies here and see it's devolved into some franky ridiculous arguments so let's make clear what a sequel is supposed to do:

A sequel needs to build and expand upon the foundation set by it's predecessor while introducing new ideas so that hopefully, by the end, it ends up being superior.

Well, Ragnarok does that in *spades* whether it's combat possibilities, narrative twists, character development, a far greater scope to the world, traversal mechanics, unique gameplay sequences, meaningful side content and more. I've laughed out loud multiple times now whether because of the clever and amusing dialogue or because of the sheer joy I feel at the spectacle I'm witnessing/playing through on screen. This sequel delivers big time. PlayStation 1st party output continues to deliver BIG TIME.

No game is "perfect", nothing is beyond criticism. I have my own minor quibbles but that's exactly what they are: minor quibbles. When measured against the glory of the whole it's almost comical to sit here and nitpick. When the industry produces gems like this it should be celebrated and held up as a beacon to inspire ALL devs, regardless of what platform you prefer to game on, steel is supposed to sharpen steel, expect and demand *more*.

I'll lay out all my thoughts once I've finally finished it, including any criticisms I may have (whose bright idea was it to make Odin look and sound like a retired accountant?). For now I embrace the gift we've been given. For all the many years I've been gaming I've never once lost my joy and passion for it, sad to see some of you seemingly have, become cynical and jaded, might be time for a break or another hobby. Now please excuse me, a grand adventure beckons and I wouldn't miss it for the world.
 
Last edited:
I think I’m at the halfway mark and it’s a beaut.

My only gripe is the one area where it slows down a bit BUT the ending part of said area and boss is amazing. One of the best bosses I’ve ever faced in gaming so far.
 

MidGenRefresh

*Refreshes biennially
After my game shit the bed and prevented me from progressing further (this glitch), I’ve decided to reply GOW 2018. Played the first 4 hours, finished around 1AM.

I think I like GOW 2018 more. Better UI, better dialogues, more interesting areas and IT FUCKING WORKS. The fact that I remember close to nothing from my first playthrough 4 years ago helps a lot.

I will return Ragnarök today and pick it up later when they fix the game. Maybe even when it comes to PC. My backlog is crazy as it is now.
 
Last edited:
game's wild like brooo

Game make people go wild bro....

Fire Oops GIF
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Does anyone know how to get the game to use 5.1 surround on a sound bar? It sees me soundbar as a dual channel Stereo, and tells me to go update it in system settings. I played around with it and apparently selecting Dolby Audio makes the PS5 think your Soundbar is stereo so I had to change that. That fixed my PS5 system audio which is clearly 5.1 surround now, but GOW still shows it as Stereo Dual channel. I do hear some audio coming in from the rear speakers but it doesnt feel like 5.1 surround.

Any ideas?

I'm having the exact same problem and it's pissing me off.

All settings in system to 5.1 I have my sonos sound bar and sonos 1s as rears but can't get anything but stereo. The ps5 has these weird niggles and it's annoying af. Have you managed to fix it. I bet this game has amazing surround sound but I got shitty stereo.
 
Last edited:

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Games good....but another case of a sequel with messed up design imo as they didn't know what to do to make it bigger and better than 2018 so they did strange things like throw crazy loot systems at it etc. I guess 2018 was pushing the ps4 to the limit so they didn't really have anything else they could do but add systems and instead of combat systems and AI etc they just added loot to buff stuff.

Really enjoying the game but it's not as good as 2018 for me so far, it feels like everything is done by the book and a check list type thing..."how do we have an opening nearly like the stranger fight... etc."

Interested to see where this goes but so far it's another case of the media being so parched for any big gaming entertainment phenomenon that they can get behind that they just shower it with love and attention....its not like anyone would want to upset the market leader too much I guess.

I dunno I'm in a strange place with my opinion on the influencer reviewer that we have now...no one dares rock the boat or its career suicide.

To be clear I think the games great...like I am really enjoying it ...I'm just fed up with games getting constant gushing over them when there is clearly flaw's and corners cut that can be seen by anyone who's played games for maybe more than a couple of years.

Getting back to it and at least my Mrs can really enjoy it with me because of the absolutely amazing cut scenes and acting.
 

zkorejo

Member
I'm having the exact same problem and it's pissing me off.

All settings in system to 5.1 I have my sonos sound bar and sonos 1s as rears but can't get anything but stereo. The ps5 has these weird niggles and it's annoying af. Have you managed to fix it. I bet this game has amazing surround sound but I got shitty stereo.
Also SlimySnake SlimySnake

You were right, It's Stereo with PCM in Ragnarok for some reason. The game audio changes in settings to surround once you change to either Dolby or DTS.

Ignore my previous post.
 
Last edited:

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Also SlimySnake SlimySnake

You were right, It's Stereo with PCM in Ragnarok for some reason. The game audio changes in settings to surround once you change to either Dolby or DTS.

Ignore my previous post.
OK, so I need to set the system settings to 5.1 sound bar but change to Dolby or dts and then I'll get 5.1 in god of war?
 

zkorejo

Member
OK, so I need to set the system settings to 5.1 sound bar but change to Dolby or dts and then I'll get 5.1 in god of war?
Yes go to sound settings on PS5, then audio output then change device type to AV amplifier, select 5.1 and then the last option Audio format priority, change that from PCM to Dolby or DTS whatever sounds better to you. Usually PCM is best buy Ragnarok isn't recognizing it as surround.

Once you do that game should automatically say "surround".
 

GymWolf

Member
Yesterday i must have been drunk while playing because perf mode locked 60 looks sharper than quality mode somehow...
Also almost 7 hours in and i just did the first sidequest avaialbel for mimir in the first realm, not sure how people can 100% finish this game in only 40 hours...

So happy that the game is so big.
 
Last edited:

D A R K

Member
FwnbyFG.jpeg


Ahh... 6/10

i really appreciate the good dialogs, characters, environment design, and some the epic encounters, but the game's pacing flopped after the intro, lots of stretching and padding, and loads of boring combat sequences every inch you walk in. I lost my interest in the story after the middle, and I started playing it just to finish it and see the ending and.... and the end was meh

I expected a better plot a better story, I don't know if GOW 2018 is better than this one, at least GOW 2018 gave me a new fresh experience but this? This feels more of the same

just.. disappointing
 

tommib

Banned
Yesterday i must have been drunk while playing because perf mode locked 60 looks sharper than quality mode somehow...
I tried quality 30 fps for like 5 seconds after hours on performance and wanted someone to shoot me in the head to make the pain go away. I get FPS whores when you play higher-frame rates for long stretches. I couldn't tell any difference on image quality as well.

Anyway, what's your poison these days?
 
Played the first 2 hours.

Honestly? Not impressed so far. It was basically a reskin of the first 2 hours from the last God of War. Like, exactly the same shit happening just with a different boss. For real? Even the small enemies are the same, only it's not Draugrs but humans.

Also, I can't put my finger on it but Kratos gives an extreme old man vibe here - unlike in the last God of War where he had a very intimidating appearance.
 

solidus12

Member
Played the first 2 hours.

Honestly? Not impressed so far. It was basically a reskin of the first 2 hours from the last God of War. Like, exactly the same shit happening just with a different boss. For real? Even the small enemies are the same, only it's not Draugrs but humans.

Also, I can't put my finger on it but Kratos gives an extreme old man vibe here - unlike in the last God of War where he had a very intimidating appearance.
Hold on to your butt...
 

BadBurger

Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
OK redownloaded. Lord I hope that bug doesn't strike again.

This new zone is amazing. Like Horizon: Forbidden West for Norse mythology. I am really loving this

Edit: it's an achievement they made this game in just three or so years. I keep being impressed over and over, all while this game looks like something that should be played on my $2k+ gaming PC
 
Last edited:

GymWolf

Member
After another session:

The Thor fight isn't tuned well, and frankly isn't fun. I never felt in control, and all of the counters and everything felt very sluggish. Obvious scripting issues, like when it says to hit L1 and you hit L1 and nothing happens. What a disappointment after all this build up. Due to the fucked up tuning and scripting it felt like a button mashing, die again-and-again weak exercise from lesser games of yore. After that awesome first boss fight, in which everything clicked and worked, this is an absolute eye sore as far as boss design goes

The UI is fucked. People are right. This needs a top-down overhaul to make it elegant. It's useable, certainly, taking just a few moments to get used to.... but that doesn't mean it's good

The weird tutorial type shit forcing one to press specific buttons or do specific things before they can regain agency is some of the worst I've seen. Worse than some Japanese games in this regards

Everything else is spectacular. The story, the acting. The graphics and 3D audio are amazing, and to think this isn't even what the PS5 is fully capable of. The use of the DualSense rocks - the awesome haptics and subtle use of the speaker. All combat and gameplay outside of that awful Thor fight has been absolutely excellent, like 10/10 fun and rewarding

TLDR: They badly need to fix the UI, need to remove tutorial type stuff that eliminates agency, and the Thor fight needs tuning - it merely outstays its welcome (way too long) and has some fucked up scripting issues that I am surprised made it past testing. The high level of storytelling one expects from these first-party Sony games. So far it's a 8/10, would be a 10/10 if that Thor fight was good
Completely disagree on the thor fight.

Are you playing on easy\normal? Because on max difficulty you could not beat the mofo if the fight was clunky or i didn't felt in control or whatever you say, i'm not sure what are you even talking about tbh, fucked up tuning and scripting? What?

Not sure what is better in the previous boss fight other than being simpler and easier with way less spectacle.
 

Vick

Gold Member
Also, I can't put my finger on it but Kratos gives an extreme old man vibe here - unlike in the last God of War where he had a very intimidating appearance.
I am finally going to pick up my copy in a few hours, but this is something I've noticed even in promo material.

Kratos doesn't look as good as it did, and it's even more apparent now that I've put a hundred hours in the first game. Not sure exactly what it is, maybe longer beard, maybe less vibrant eyes, but the different vibe is obvious.

The 2018 model was PERFECT, every cutscene was a joy to watch because of that insane model/character.
 
Last edited:
I am finally going to pick up my copy in a few hours, but this is something I've noticed even in promo material.

Kratos doesn't look as good as it did, and it's even more apparent now that I've put a hundred hours in the first game. Not sure exactly what it is, maybe longer beard, maybe less vibrant eyes, but the different vibe is obvious.

The 2018 model was PERFECT, every cutscene was a joy to watch because of that insane model/character.
Yeah, it's very weird. It's not just his face/beard but also his body posture. In the last God of War it was like... when this MOFO talks, you shut the hell up. Here it's more like... whatever, old man.
 

GymWolf

Member
I am finally going to pick up my copy in a few hours, but this is something I've noticed even in promo material.

Kratos doesn't look as good as it did, and it's even more apparent now that I've put a hundred hours in the first game. Not sure exactly what it is, maybe longer beard, maybe less vibrant eyes, but the different vibe is obvious.

The 2018 model was PERFECT, every cutscene was a joy to watch because of that insane model/character.
Isn't on purpose tho?

He had already old man vibes in the first one when he finish his first fight with baldur and he can barely heal himself, this is not young kratos from the trilogy and imo it was already clear in the first game.
 

Vick

Gold Member
Yeah, it's very weird. It's not just his face/beard but also his body posture. In the last God of War it was like... when this MOFO talks, you shut the hell up. Here it's more like... whatever, old man.
Fuck..

Kratos being so insanely badass in every way played a huge part in my love for the game. Hopefully it's not as bad as this sounds.

Isn't on purpose tho?

He had already old man vibes in the first one when he finish his first fight with baldur and he can barely heal himself, this is not young kratos from the trilogy and imo it was already clear in the first game.
He had "aged spartan God" vibes in the first one. A stoic, imposing motherfucker you would never want to displease. The manliest character I've personally ever seen in any medium.
 

GymWolf

Member
Fuck..

Kratos being so insanely badass in every way played a huge part in my love for the game. Hopefully it's not as bad as this sounds.


He had "aged spartan God" vibes in the first one. A stoic, imposing motherfucker you would never want to displease. The manliest character I've personally ever seen in any medium.
Yeah i'm not seeing this major difference then.

He is just less grumpy because now he know the dwarf, mimir etc much better.
 

Pedro Motta

Member
Does anyone know how to get the game to use 5.1 surround on a sound bar? It sees me soundbar as a dual channel Stereo, and tells me to go update it in system settings. I played around with it and apparently selecting Dolby Audio makes the PS5 think your Soundbar is stereo so I had to change that. That fixed my PS5 system audio which is clearly 5.1 surround now, but GOW still shows it as Stereo Dual channel. I do hear some audio coming in from the rear speakers but it doesnt feel like 5.1 surround.

Any ideas?
Nope no problem, works really well with the Samsung Q950A. Home Theater on both console and game.

Never really had sound issues with the PS5, on the Xbox Series X on the other hand...
 

Vick

Gold Member
Yeah i'm not seeing this major difference then.

He is just less grumpy because now he know the dwarf, mimir etc much better.
Good to know. Afterall: "Death can have me.. when it earns me." It doesn't get more badass than this.

But the model looks unquestionably different, worse in my opinion. Heading to GameStop right now btw, so damn excited.
 

gow3isben

Member
Vanaheim spoilers:

Soo..Nidhogg might just be one of my favorite bossfights ever that I can think off.

Holy shit so many moves it blows that mid tier dragon from 2018 out the water. Design is top tier as well. How on Earth can people remotely consider that 2018 is as good as this game. Loved it but it was pure blueballs. Scope was so much lower and there were like 6 characters. This is a true masterful epic with such well written and acted characters.

Best bossfights I have ever played alongside God of War 3. The sheer scope of God of War 3 may still be a bit more but in terms of overall quality I rate them on par.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Also SlimySnake SlimySnake

You were right, It's Stereo with PCM in Ragnarok for some reason. The game audio changes in settings to surround once you change to either Dolby or DTS.

Ignore my previous post.
Maybe that’s why 3d headphone audio sounds so weird?

Btw. I have ps5 set to pcm and soundbar. Some games have tiny sound with tv setting and setting ps5 to soundbar really helps. My tv really has much better speakers than Sony thinks tv can have.

For example, uc4 remaster sounded super narrow and changing to soundbar helped.
I don’t understand the idea of limiting the range. Just give me full range always.

Also, anyone figured out volume balance difference in game?
 

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
guys i'm just here to ask how the fuck to turn off the compass and ONLY the compass


how-to-turn-Compass-off-in-God-of-War-Ragnarok.jpg


It's all greyed out and I can't choose ONLY to turn off the compass.

Turning "Hud Customization" to the right puts it to "Immersive" mode but then ALL of the UI disappears instead
 
Last edited:

GooseMan69

Member
Seeing people play the first couple hours and say “it’s just 2018 again” is fucking hilarious as somebody who’s about 12 hours in. They have no idea what they’re in for lmao.

I’d have to see how it holds up on repeated playthroughs, but it’s already had multiple ALL TIME gaming moments. Just fucking unbelievable. It’s giving me that same feeling I got playing other all time greats for the first time. That feeling where you don’t want it end, because you only get that “first play through” experience one time obviously. But you also can’t stop playing because it’s that damn good.

No fanboy shit here. I’m just genuinely excited because I feel like games like this only come around once every few years or so. I didn’t even think GOW 2018 was THAT great. It was really really good. But not an all timer for me. Ragnarok though...my god.
 

GooseMan69

Member
guys i'm just here to ask how the fuck to turn off the compass and ONLY the compass


how-to-turn-Compass-off-in-God-of-War-Ragnarok.jpg


It's all greyed out and I can't choose ONLY to turn off the compass.

Turning "Hud Customization" to the right puts it to "Immersive" mode but then ALL of the UI disappears instead

Have you actually gotten the compass yet? I couldn’t switch to custom either until I got the compass. Now I swipe up when I want to see it. Combat UI automatically comes up during fights, which is how I wanted it.
 

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
Have you actually gotten the compass yet? I couldn’t switch to custom either until I got the compass. Now I swipe up when I want to see it. Combat UI automatically comes up during fights, which is how I wanted it.
I'm going to double check now, thanks!
 
Top Bottom