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[LakeOf9]

I am not at all a big fan of the new era of God of War. 2018 is just not compelling to me, and while I like Ragnarok a bit better it still has to work within 2018's framework which holds it from being anything better than alright.

But I really like Valhalla. Valhalla, in my opinion, does a lot to double down on what the Norse games do well, while also sidestepping most of what I don't like about them:

• It emphasizes the combat, this is the big one. God of War 2018 and Ragnarok have great combat, but it is constantly interrupted by the poorly paced levels and story cutscenes (it is also not helped by the poor enemy design variety and the zoomed in camera). Valhalla fixes most of this.
  • It's non stop combat, the enemy variety is a lot better (in large part because it dips into the Greek games)
  • every story cutscene happens either before or after a run (any story developments during a run happen via dialog while you play)
  • while the camera is still zoomed in, most combat levels in Valhalla are linear, rather than larger scale arenas, which means typically directional considerations in combat are minimal (although in especially later areas, the arenas do get bigger).
• The flow of the game is a lot better. Because the game is basically structured like Hades, it is you going from one room to the next, in a non stop flow of combat. It is punctuated only by you picking (and stacking) modifiers for combat for yourself. As mentioned, story developments happen organically as you play. There are no interruptions by weirdly placed story cutscenes, you are constantly playing. It is pure gameplay.
• There are no puzzles or level and environment "challenges" that interrupt the gameplay (or are spoiled by the chattering NPC companions who don't shut up)
• Valhalla continues the examination of Kratos as a character. This is something 2018 and Ragnarok were both great at, and Valhalla continues it. I think Valhalla rings truer to me than Ragnarok because Kratos' actions are placed in context of what he did in the Greek games - meaning those Greek games aren't largely ignored any longer, but are central to the plot Valhalla has (which is trying to resolve Kratos' sins and guilt). While you get some big acknowledgments of Kratos' past in 2018 and Ragnarok, mostly those games and Kratos' actions in them are relegated to stories told during boat rides or easter eggs. In Valhalla, they are central. They are the plot. This feels a lot more authentic to the character development Kratos gets.
• The music is a lot better! (again, in part because it actually acknowledges and brings back music from the original games too, rather than ignoring them entirely)
• The boss fights are fun! Now, again, this is something that 2018 and Ragnarok were good at - when they tried, which was about once in each game. In Valhalla, the lean combat focus and rogue like nature means the bosses are a lot more fleshed out now

Overall, Valhalla is great, and has some of the brilliance of the older God of War games that I thought the Norse ones lacked. It is also a very compelling rogue like in and of itself. If you have not yet played it, I greatly recommend it. Even if you did not care much for 2018 and/or Ragnarok, Valhalla might surprise you!

 

[J3nga]

Edit: Scandinavia related titles got either Valhalla or Ragnarok in it. I thought OP meant Assassin's Creed.

 

[Gojiira]

I am not at all a big fan of the new era of God of War. 2018 is just not compelling to me, and while I like Ragnarok a bit better it still has to work within 2018's framework which holds it from being anything better than alright.

But I really like Valhalla. Valhalla, in my opinion, does a lot to double down on what the Norse games do well, while also sidestepping most of what I don't like about them:

• It emphasizes the combat, this is the big one. God of War 2018 and Ragnarok have great combat, but it is constantly interrupted by the poorly paced levels and story cutscenes (it is also not helped by the poor enemy design variety and the zoomed in camera). Valhalla fixes most of this.
  • It's non stop combat, the enemy variety is a lot better (in large part because it dips into the Greek games)
  • every story cutscene happens either before or after a run (any story developments during a run happen via dialog while you play)
  • while the camera is still zoomed in, most combat levels in Valhalla are linear, rather than larger scale arenas, which means typically directional considerations in combat are minimal (although in especially later areas, the arenas do get bigger).
• The flow of the game is a lot better. Because the game is basically structured like Hades, it is you going from one room to the next, in a non stop flow of combat. It is punctuated only by you picking (and stacking) modifiers for combat for yourself. As mentioned, story developments happen organically as you play. There are no interruptions by weirdly placed story cutscenes, you are constantly playing. It is pure gameplay.
• There are no puzzles or level and environment "challenges" that interrupt the gameplay (or are spoiled by the chattering NPC companions who don't shut up)
• Valhalla continues the examination of Kratos as a character. This is something 2018 and Ragnarok were both great at, and Valhalla continues it. I think Valhalla rings truer to me than Ragnarok because Kratos' actions are placed in context of what he did in the Greek games - meaning those Greek games aren't largely ignored any longer, but are central to the plot Valhalla has (which is trying to resolve Kratos' sins and guilt). While you get some big acknowledgments of Kratos' past in 2018 and Ragnarok, mostly those games and Kratos' actions in them are relegated to stories told during boat rides or easter eggs. In Valhalla, they are central. They are the plot. This feels a lot more authentic to the character development Kratos gets.
• The music is a lot better! (again, in part because it actually acknowledges and brings back music from the original games too, rather than ignoring them entirely)
• The boss fights are fun! Now, again, this is something that 2018 and Ragnarok were good at - when they tried, which was about once in each game. In Valhalla, the lean combat focus and rogue like nature means the bosses are a lot more fleshed out now

Overall, Valhalla is great, and has some of the brilliance of the older God of War games that I thought the Norse ones lacked. It is also a very compelling rogue like in and of itself. If you have not yet played it, I greatly recommend it. Even if you did not care much for 2018 and/or Ragnarok, Valhalla might surprise you!

Yeah it was fine as a free dlc except the series is known for having exploration/puzzles etc breaking up combat. And 2018/R both did a great job at this even if the level design etc wasnt as good as the original series.
But the one thing thats actually way more important than anything you mentioned is BOSSES. 2018/R both suffer in that department and the Valhalla update doesnt address that either so having more combat really doesnt mean anything.
Music is subjective, but its always been stellar. Personally I prefer how 2018 handled it with just small samples and motifs reflecting the original series. When Kratos first retrieves the Blades of Chaos that whole section was incredible.

 

[lordrand11]

I am not at all a big fan of the new era of God of War. 2018 is just not compelling to me, and while I like Ragnarok a bit better it still has to work within 2018's framework which holds it from being anything better than alright.

But I really like Valhalla. Valhalla, in my opinion, does a lot to double down on what the Norse games do well, while also sidestepping most of what I don't like about them:

• It emphasizes the combat, this is the big one. God of War 2018 and Ragnarok have great combat, but it is constantly interrupted by the poorly paced levels and story cutscenes (it is also not helped by the poor enemy design variety and the zoomed in camera). Valhalla fixes most of this.
  • It's non stop combat, the enemy variety is a lot better (in large part because it dips into the Greek games)
  • every story cutscene happens either before or after a run (any story developments during a run happen via dialog while you play)
  • while the camera is still zoomed in, most combat levels in Valhalla are linear, rather than larger scale arenas, which means typically directional considerations in combat are minimal (although in especially later areas, the arenas do get bigger).
• The flow of the game is a lot better. Because the game is basically structured like Hades, it is you going from one room to the next, in a non stop flow of combat. It is punctuated only by you picking (and stacking) modifiers for combat for yourself. As mentioned, story developments happen organically as you play. There are no interruptions by weirdly placed story cutscenes, you are constantly playing. It is pure gameplay.
• There are no puzzles or level and environment "challenges" that interrupt the gameplay (or are spoiled by the chattering NPC companions who don't shut up)
• Valhalla continues the examination of Kratos as a character. This is something 2018 and Ragnarok were both great at, and Valhalla continues it. I think Valhalla rings truer to me than Ragnarok because Kratos' actions are placed in context of what he did in the Greek games - meaning those Greek games aren't largely ignored any longer, but are central to the plot Valhalla has (which is trying to resolve Kratos' sins and guilt). While you get some big acknowledgments of Kratos' past in 2018 and Ragnarok, mostly those games and Kratos' actions in them are relegated to stories told during boat rides or easter eggs. In Valhalla, they are central. They are the plot. This feels a lot more authentic to the character development Kratos gets.
• The music is a lot better! (again, in part because it actually acknowledges and brings back music from the original games too, rather than ignoring them entirely)
• The boss fights are fun! Now, again, this is something that 2018 and Ragnarok were good at - when they tried, which was about once in each game. In Valhalla, the lean combat focus and rogue like nature means the bosses are a lot more fleshed out now

Overall, Valhalla is great, and has some of the brilliance of the older God of War games that I thought the Norse ones lacked. It is also a very compelling rogue like in and of itself. If you have not yet played it, I greatly recommend it. Even if you did not care much for 2018 and/or Ragnarok, Valhalla might surprise you!

Even hotter take, God of War has declined heavily since it's peak in GoW 3.

 

[Chiggs]

Even hotter take, God of War has declined heavily since it's peak in GoW 3.

A hot, but accurate take, much to the chagrin of new dads everywhere who somehow identify with the journey and lessons Kratos and his son experience.

 

[Gaiff]

Even hotter take, God of War has declined heavily since it's peak in GoW 3.

Not a hot take at all.

 

[anothertech]

Even hotter take, God of War has declined heavily since it's peak in GoW 3.

I don't understand why they didn't take that formula and run ham with it. It was awesome. Just do it again with another set of gods.

I loved the new games, but wow did they slow down the essence of God of war.

 

[Zephyranthes]

I was surprised at how much they put into it for being a free DLC. Really fun 5-10 hours, and it leaves a nice connecting point for future GOW stuff.

 

[lordrand11]

I don't understand why they didn't take that formula and run ham with it. It was awesome. Just do it again with another set of gods.

I loved the new games, but wow did they slow down the essence of God of war.

I wasn't a fan due to the pacing and how they tried to construct a lame story on a game that is in it's most basic essence like how the Doom creators described story in their games, none or very little needed.

 

[MagnesD3]

I think 2018 is still the GOAT but Valhalla I do believe I enjoyed more than Ragnarok just because it was so fun and had alot of greek callbacks. Ragnarok was a mess.

 

[Dazraell]

I liked 2018 much more, but yeah, to me Valhalla dlc was much better than main Ragnarok's campaign. And ironically I enjoyed it not because of combat or roguelite elements, but how it used these mechanics to tell its story

 

[darthkarki]

A hot, but accurate take, much to the chagrin of new dads everywhere who somehow identify with the journey and lessons Kratos and his son experience.

An even hotter take: God of War was never good until 2018, much to the chagrin of angsty adolescents who don't expect and can't appreciate any more depth or nuance to storytelling than "me angry, kill everything that moves". ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Chiggs]

An even hotter take: God of War was never good until 2018, much to the chagrin of angsty adolescents who don't expect and can't appreciate any more depth or nuance to storytelling than "me angry, kill everything that moves". ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm into games for the gameplay; not for subpar stories elevated to godlike status because of the medium's admittedly terrible offerings.