• 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

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
I'm about 30 hours in and I actually have mixed feelings about this games.. I absolutely love some parts, the exploring and side stuff is great (except for some ridiculously hard optional bosses haha) but would anyone else agree about these parts?

Being forced to play as Atreus. I can't STAND that little fucker, I just hate him and his attitude. I also hate all of his teenage friends, making childish jokes and what not. I absolutely hate his voice, that disgusting puberty voice that breaks when he yells during attacks, his body language.. everything. I also hated that stupid part where you had Angrboda as company, and right now I have Thrud or whatever Thor's daughters's name is .. I love playing as Kratos but it feels like a different game when you play as that little bastard. I hate how he does melee attacks with his bow, what is that?

Also, all the "funny" and "witty" dialogue combined with the Atreus stuff almost ruins the game for me. At least it takes the fun down a couple of notches and I just want to rush all the parts where you play as Atreus. Playing as Kratos with Freya as company is soooooo much better, I can't believe it. That should be the whole game, then I could easily rate it at 95/100 or something. Now it's more like 80/100 to me.

Granted, I haven't finished it yet! Maybe it gets better or there is something redeeming, I dunno.
I somewhat agree with you, one because these sections just drags on way too long and two because I don’t like the way these kids in this game talk, all them talk like school kids in modern world which doesn’t fit this game’s setting AT ALL and takes me out of the expriance.
 
I somewhat agree with you, one because these sections just drags on way too long and two because I don’t like the way these kids in this game talk, all them talk like school kids in modern world which doesn’t fit this game’s setting AT ALL and takes me out of the expriance.
Yeah, the modern teen talk really breaks the immersion.
 
Yeah theres a part where Atreus goes
no shit?
in response to what another teen said and I almost physically cringed. I don't mind games copying the buddy formula, but every time they feel the need to put sections in where you play as the side character and it's NEVER good and nobody enjoys them. I hope studios learn but the main games are usually good so I dont think they get the message (last of us, spiderman, gow)
 

GymWolf

Gold Member
The worst part about Atreus is how he tries his best to be Nathan Drake, talking with himself while climbing, saying "here goes nothing" before making a jump etc

Its super cringe lol, plus he isnt 1/100 as cool as Nate so it becomes old really quick
Yeah, atreus and the other kids writing is by far the lower point of the writing.

The adults are all much better.

Atreus saying yakes or other modern shit is pretty bad.

Odin use some modern word aswell but the voice actor\character is so much better, same for thor.

Not sure how much cooler bootleg indiana jones is, never being a fan of him or ND writing tbh.
 
Last edited:

tommib

Gold Member
I'm about 30 hours in and I actually have mixed feelings about this games.. I absolutely love some parts, the exploring and side stuff is great (except for some ridiculously hard optional bosses haha) but would anyone else agree about these parts?

Being forced to play as Atreus. I can't STAND that little fucker, I just hate him and his attitude. I also hate all of his teenage friends, making childish jokes and what not. I absolutely hate his voice, that disgusting puberty voice that breaks when he yells during attacks, his body language.. everything. I also hated that stupid part where you had Angrboda as company, and right now I have Thrud or whatever Thor's daughters's name is .. I love playing as Kratos but it feels like a different game when you play as that little bastard. I hate how he does melee attacks with his bow, what is that?

Also, all the "funny" and "witty" dialogue combined with the Atreus stuff almost ruins the game for me. At least it takes the fun down a couple of notches and I just want to rush all the parts where you play as Atreus. Playing as Kratos with Freya as company is soooooo much better, I can't believe it. That should be the whole game, then I could easily rate it at 95/100 or something. Now it's more like 80/100 to me.

Granted, I haven't finished it yet! Maybe it gets better or there is something redeeming, I dunno.
I pray to god you don’t have children, ever.
 

GymWolf

Gold Member
Yeah, wait till level 7 for beserker fights. level 8 for the multi beserker fights and the beserker king. level 9 for the final side mission boss.
the gear they drop its not really needed for the story. they might help with the musphelheim challenges but tbh, id recommend doing musphelheim challenges before doing the beserker fights.

i spent hours dying to these guys. the dual fights are just bs.



Yeah, thats what I was trying to say. I complained a lot about the unfair balance of the game, but it was really me who didnt understand the new mechanics. I did the same with Sekiro back in 2019. I remember being stuck at Genichiro for six hours until it clicked and then breezed through the game. so i went back and replayed the whole game instead of doing in a NG+ and found it much easier than everyone including myself had made it out to be be.

If you are struggling with enemies leveling up, just use the lunda armor that you get in vanaheim. it applies poison to enemies which should level them down. the wrist and waist armor adds 40% extra melee damage to poisoned enemies. if you level up freya to apply poison to enemies. it should make things pretty easy on GMGOW.
It is not fun to use lunda armour and the punches.
 

Neff

Member
Regarding the dialogue and quips, it's very Naughty Doggy, far more than the first one was. And sometimes to its detriment, at least in terms of pacing. That said, I did welcome the lighter tone, and Mimir steals the show once more. There's some good Kratos gags too which I didn't expect.

As far as the language itself goes, it's worth bearing in mind that the idea of any of these Greek and Nordic characters speaking english in the first place is ridiculous. Any clichéd forms of Shakespearean english we associate with mythic or biblical movies and literature are equally nonsensical. So the fact that they went with a modern dialogue style is nothing to be upset about imo. And I think it works well. Portraying Odin as a slimy, charismatic mafioso isn't something that automatically suggests itself to me, but in the context of this story it's perfect. And by and large I think most of the cast is very well done.

Atreus is still a wanker though.
 
I feel like fighting berserkers and sidecontent while still being at level 4 is not ideal...fucked 3 of them but the one with the 2 bitches, the thunder one and the one that spawn minions are fucking impossible on max difficulty while being underlevel...


I tried the lava zone and it kicked my fucking ass, only managed to do 2 of them...

Maybe i should just complete the main path before doing everything else...
Lol at fighting the berserkers at Level 4 you mad man😄

I will echo slimly thoughts in that you should wait till the end get to about level 7 and they will be much more manageable.

You can get different armour sets etc that can change up your playstyle as well you probably want something to try them on.

Where you at in the main story? It sounds like you got alot of awesome main story content ahead of you
 

GymWolf

Gold Member
Lol at fighting the berserkers at Level 4 you mad man😄

I will echo slimly thoughts in that you should wait till the end get to about level 7 and they will be much more manageable.

You can get different armour sets etc that can change up your playstyle as well you probably want something to try them on.

Where you at in the main story? It sounds like you got alot of awesome main story content ahead of you
I just killed
the shit stain that hold the horn
 

shubik

Member
This game is an absolute borefest. I really regret buying it.

The amount of overhype these narrative driven PlayStation walking simulators get is weird now. Ragnarok is graphically stunning but it's just so....tedious.
How the hell is this game or The las of Us, Spider-Man or any other big narrative-driven Playstation title a walking simulator?!? The actual gameplay in all these games is superb and often industry-leading. Like, come on. If you don´t like story-driven games, that's fine. Play something else.
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
How the hell is this game or The las of Us, Spider-Man or any other big narrative-driven Playstation title a walking simulator?!? The actual gameplay in all these games is superb and often industry-leading. Like, come on. If you don´t like story-driven games, that's fine. Play something else.

It's called Hyberbole, it takes some getting used to but the point is the comically overstate a point to level of parody that it is humorous but also still makes your point.

Sadly the yanks struggle with this concept often as they are much more literal talkers. But essentially the point is that PlayStation really like the forced walking sections where control is not taken away from your character but heavily limited until the game decides you can play again. It's essentially just a cutscene the player can't fall asleep in because they have to push up to slowly walk to the point they are allowed to play the game again.

I don't think I remember this too much in Spiderman as it was mostly traditional cutscenes, I think Miles Morales featured it more heavily, the other example certainly features it heavily though.
 
Last edited:

damidu

Member
How the hell is this game or The las of Us, Spider-Man or any other big narrative-driven Playstation title a walking simulator?!? The actual gameplay in all these games is superb and often industry-leading. Like, come on. If you don´t like story-driven games, that's fine. Play something else.
its top tier trolling, i like how these games continuously break people honestly.
like a decade of trying to push this stupid narrative to no success.
 

shubik

Member
It's called Hyberbole, it takes some getting used to but the point is the comically overstate a point to level of parody that it is humorous but also still makes your point.

Sadly the yanks struggle with this concept often as they are much more literal talkers. But essentially the point is that PlayStation really like the forced walking sections where control is not taken away from your character but heavily limited until the game decides you can play again. It's essentially just a cutscene the player can't fall asleep in because they have to push up to slowly walk to the point they are allowed to play the game again.

I don't think I remember this too much in Spiderman as it was mostly traditional cutscenes, I think Miles Morales featured it more heavily though. The other example certainly features it heavily though.
I agree with you. SONY likes this type of story exposition gameplay. But I really don´t mind it. The story bits you get like in Ragnorak or The last of us 1 and 2 are worth it. You get to explore beautiful environments.

At this point, if you tried all those games and you don´t like that type of "gameplay", then maybe those games are not for you. Obviously a lot of people like it. Otherwise, those games would not sell that well.

You are right about Spider-Man. I was more talking about the heavy story-driven aspect of it.
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
I agree with you. SONY likes this type of story exposition gameplay. But I really don´t mind it. The story bits you get like in Ragnorak or The last of us 1 and 2 are worth it. You get to explore beautiful environments.

At this point, if you tried all those games and you don´t like that type of "gameplay", then maybe those games are not for you. Obviously a lot of people like it. Otherwise, those games would not sell that well.

You are right about Spider-Man. I was more talking about the heavy story-driven aspect of it.

I think the issue is people used to talk shit about the amount of cutscenes in a say Final Fantasy or Metal Gear Solid, these same people just want to play the game however the recent trend is to have these forced walking sections where the story happens, these can take up a considerable amount of time and can be annoying for people who just want to play the game the same way a cutscene did back in the day.

It's why I appreciate games like Left 4 Dead, Vermintide and Darktide where characters have conversations between themselves in the middle of combat, you can still let the player engage with the narrative without forcing them into a slow walk.

As someone who plays alot of turn based RPG's I also do not mind them, but this essentially just the same people from decades past that used to hate cutscenes now hating the new "solution" to that problem that does not solve the root cause.
 

SLB1904

Banned
This game is an absolute borefest. I really regret buying it.

The amount of overhype these narrative driven PlayStation walking simulators get is weird now. Ragnarok is graphically stunning but it's just so....tedious.
 
This game is an absolute borefest. I really regret buying it.

The amount of overhype these narrative driven PlayStation walking simulators get is weird now. Ragnarok is graphically stunning but it's just so....tedious.

You're walking simulator.

Participation Trophy GIF
 

Pelta88

Member
Went against Freak The Zealous completely underpowered and got slaughtered every single time. That is until I decided to stop double tapping parry and stick with the single parry, which is much more reliable.

Most satisfying kill thus far.

57Iko18.jpg
 

tommib

Gold Member
Cool still got a reasonable amount left. Maybe follow a dog at some point...
Is that what takes you to the crater? I didn’t even notice. I’m still there and don’t want to get out. I love self contained levels like that. Reminds me of old Tomb Raider.
 

K' Dash

Member
I pray to god you don’t have children, ever.
I have a 15 year old boy and a 16 month old baby girl, I absolutely hate all that shit, I tolerate it because their peers talk like that and I understand that he wants to fit in and everything, but having that kind of talk and stupid behavior in my Norse Gods game is a no no.

I mean, I'm annoyed, but it's not a game breaker thing.
 

Jebron

Member
45 hours in and this game is so average it hurts. Pacing is so inconsistent, puzzles are boring af, menu system is awful, the reliance on last-gen game design is frustrating, and the gear system seems so hollow. Not to mention the boring, meandering fetch-based side quests. If this is Sony AAA now, count me out.
 

Filldo

Member
45 hours in and this game is so average it hurts. Pacing is so inconsistent, puzzles are boring af, menu system is awful, the reliance on last-gen game design is frustrating, and the gear system seems so hollow. Not to mention the boring, meandering fetch-based side quests. If this is Sony AAA now, count me out.
Cool!
 

scydrex

Member
45 hours in and this game is so average it hurts. Pacing is so inconsistent, puzzles are boring af, menu system is awful, the reliance on last-gen game design is frustrating, and the gear system seems so hollow. Not to mention the boring, meandering fetch-based side quests. If this is Sony AAA now, count me out.
45hr in and still playing it? Don't torture yourself... sell it if physical.
 

FunkMiller

Member
Finished main campaign after 44 hours.

Elden Ring is still GOTY.

Just.

An actual Ps5 God Of War game, though?

That'd probably be a different story.
 
Last edited:

K' Dash

Member
Finished main campaign after 44 hours.

Elden Ring is still GOTY.

Just.

An actual Ps5 God Of War game, though?

That'd probably be a different story.

45 hours in, I think I'm at the final stretch of the game, now Callisto Protocol is my next contender for GOTY, if it sucks then this year can suck a dick.
 

FunkMiller

Member
45 hours in and this game is so average it hurts. Pacing is so inconsistent, puzzles are boring af, menu system is awful, the reliance on last-gen game design is frustrating, and the gear system seems so hollow. Not to mention the boring, meandering fetch-based side quests. If this is Sony AAA now, count me out.

It’s literally a PS4 game.
 
Is that what takes you to the crater? I didn’t even notice. I’m still there and don’t want to get out. I love self contained levels like that. Reminds me of old Tomb Raider.
Yep! Interesting did you just stumble across it and not trigger the sidequest?
 
I pray to god you don’t have children, ever.
I don't think kids continuously talk to themselves when they are alone like that, even the modern ones.

Also, the teens I know aren't annoying (mostly), it's kids in their 20s who think they know everything and think there are a gazillion sexes and genders and you can pick one like you pick your nose.
 
One last thing I will say and I will probably create a thread for this because we simply cannot allow this kind of shit to go unchecked, and that is the ironwood Naughty Dog level. I got to that point in the story just 6 hours in. that means I did the entire svalterlheim hubworld, the alfheim open world in just 6 hours. but the ironwood level took me 2 hours. A full 2 hours. i couldnt rush through it, period. it is everything thats wrong with Naughty Dog games and there is literally 2 hours of it in a game far superior than anything naughty dog has made in 9 years.

SSM should NOT be copying Naughty Dog. ND should be copying SSM. GOW 2018 was perfect in terms of pacing of the main campaign mixing in with optional islands involving combat and puzzles. This is torture. There is combat here. You get new abilities. there is a cool boss fight at the very end, but TWO FUCKING HOURS?? thats the length of an entire movie. You go on FOUR collectathons wih angroboda. FOUR. This after TWO walking sections with her with unskippable cutscenes.

It shouldve been a 20 minute section with just one buffalo riding sequence, not four. maybe 2 combat sequences ending with that cool boss fight. Dont get inspired by Naughty Dog please. Your crater level is something ND doesnt have the talent or patience to produce. Stick to that kind of game design.

If I read one more comment like that I'll have to rip someones head off and shit down his throat.

How fucking impatient are folks like you that you can't get over that kind of stuff. Its 30 or 40 Minutes out of an AT LEAST 30 hour game.

And if you are replaying it I assume you like the game and actually spend eve more time for a playthrough so more like 50hours.
Stop making this a fucking big deal.
 
Last edited:
I think the issue is people used to talk shit about the amount of cutscenes in a say Final Fantasy or Metal Gear Solid, these same people just want to play the game however the recent trend is to have these forced walking sections where the story happens, these can take up a considerable amount of time and can be annoying for people who just want to play the game the same way a cutscene did back in the day.

It's why I appreciate games like Left 4 Dead, Vermintide and Darktide where characters have conversations between themselves in the middle of combat, you can still let the player engage with the narrative without forcing them into a slow walk.

As someone who plays alot of turn based RPG's I also do not mind them, but this essentially just the same people from decades past that used to hate cutscenes now hating the new "solution" to that problem that does not solve the root cause.
I hate dialogue mid fight because I can't cocentrate on both.
 
Enemy and boss spoilers for the entire game below.

So I done all of the beserkers accept the trio. The duo has honestly been my favourite so far. Died loads but I always felt like I was in the fight with a chance got close multiple times but finally broke them down and got them comfortably only got hit 2 or 3 times.

The camera was fine as long as I positioned myself correctly I could keep track of them fairly well.

I still maintain that the camera is what makes god of war stand out amongst action games. It has it's limitations obviously but it has it's strengths too. You can't see everything so you need to constantly move deal with enemies quickly and efficiently not get greedy use AOE attacks etc. If you get hit off screen well position yourself better next time.

The only fight where I feel the cameras stressed is the berserker that spawns minions but even that's manageable . Maybe the trio will change my mind but I doubt it we will see.

Boss and enemy variety

This was my main concern but SSM really exceeded my expectations here.

There's 9 big story bosses, 13? Unique mini bosses, the beserkers, big enemies that aren't bosses god knows how many normal enemies it's nuts! Yeah other games have more but within the action game genre it'd basically top tier other than maybe the Ninja gaiden games.

Some of the mini bosses are fairly complex and impressive like the dragons, drakes and phantoms. ( This is how you do dragon fights FROM!)

The bosses and mini bosses have been great fun too fight on give me no mercy. Challenging but its always clear what you need to do dying is nearly always my fault and I slowly break them down and its always satisfying to finish them off!
 
45 hours in and this game is so average it hurts. Pacing is so inconsistent, puzzles are boring af, menu system is awful, the reliance on last-gen game design is frustrating, and the gear system seems so hollow. Not to mention the boring, meandering fetch-based side quests. If this is Sony AAA now, count me out.
WTF is the new generation game design? I want to see it!
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
WTF is the new generation game design? I want to see it!
Well for one the hand holding in this game is out of control and I'm not just talking about the puzzles. Do you know how many time I heard the line "Kratos you are on fire, it will pass"? Does the game really need to remind me EVERY TIME I'm suffering from status elements even tho you can clearly see on the character and UI? Or tell me use the shield bash even tho you already see blue circle that indicates you need use that move? Or when you fighting phantom for 4th time, the character needs remind you that they vulnerable when their heads glow?

Why this game is treating me like a baby or someone who never played video games in their life?

When I was playing Ragnarok I was also playing Mario + Rabbits 2 and unlike the first game Beep-O is fully voiced this time around, they could have easily make it so that every time you get stuck in puzzles Beep-O gives you hints but it doesn't do that. So how is a game that rated for "E" treats me like an adult more than a game that rated for "M"?
 
Last edited:

keefged4

Member
I've platinumed it now. Nowhere near as good as 2018. Angriboda bits were cringe. It all feels as if its building up to an epic conclusion then just shits the bed. Still a decent experience.
 
Top Bottom