As God Of War Ragnarok Turns Nearly Two, It Still Remains Blissfully Wonderful

God of War. This is a franchise that I’ve stuck to since the early days of my video game escapades, and I’m glad I did. I’ve watched the series grow, take turns, introduce new iterations, and evolve, and while everyone may not agree with the more mature take of Santa Monica Studio on Kratos with the recent titles, it’s an understatement to say that the series has come a long way from where it once started out.   

It’s been nearly two years since God of War Ragnarok came out, the latest iteration in the franchise that culminates Kratos’ Norse saga expectedly, and oh boy, what a ride has it been so far. This is an action-adventure that you can sink your teeth into any day of the week no matter your preference in modern-day RPGs, and you’ll find yourself having a great, not just good, time.

This write-up celebrates Santa Monica’s legacy, and how it’s managed to craft what is seemingly one of the most jaw-dropping games of all time. Sure, there are a few pain points here and there, but those do not take much away from what is flat-out artistry, 

Santa Monica Did Not Miss With The Combat 

I love Santa Monica Studios for reasons more than one, and it’s impossible not to. The developer has reinvigorated God of War’s combat for the 2018 release, working its way up from there and polishing the bits and pieces of the major mechanic to make sure gamers are taken care of in terms of what matters the most to them. 

That is to say, I think it goes without saying at this point, bleeding into the age-old graphics or gameplay debate, that a game can survive with poor visuals and story, but not without passable gameplay. Santa Monica understands this too well, perhaps, offering the very best of what the action-adventure space in gaming has to offer. 

Many are of the opinion that the predecessor of Ragnarok has punchier combat with a lot more weight to it, and while I personally disagree with the notion, the sentiment still favors the new God of War games as a whole, even if Ragnarok is deemed toned down in that regard.  

Ragnarok Coming Crashing Down Could’ve Been Better Though

Despite the amazing display of some of the best voice acting I’ve seen in a game, especially with Christopher Judge, Ryan Hurst, Sunny Suljic, and others, I’m sure most of us can see to it that Ragnarok’s story and the culmination of it all was a let-down, all things considered.   

All that hype prior to Ragnarok’s release, particularly that post-credits cutscene showing Thor thundering on Kratos’ doorstep, built up quite the expectations in the minds of the average franchise fan, and it’s sad to say that this level of mass-destruction could not take place at the end of the game. The final boss fight was underwhelming, and Kratos vs Thor wasn’t the world-crushing bout we were all anticipating to be. 

God of War Ragnarok had a bunch of missed opportunities and the ending wasn't good
byu/Taluca_me inCharacterRant

Despite its weaknesses, God of War Ragnarok is still an incredibly fun time, with amazing side characters, a fantastic plot twist that’s going to blow your mind, and, of course, the grit and valor of Kratos that will make you fall in love with the character even more. I just wish Santa Monica played out the story’s biggest parts better, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the life out this title. 

The Gift Of The Valhalla DLC

And then there’s God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, Santa Monica’s Christmas gift to fans that made landfall in December 2023, sending shockwaves across the industry for those keeping in touch with the series. This is a rogue-lite take on the game, offering nothing but sheer combat fun with a super promising storyline, added abilities, and more. And guess what? It’s all absolutely free. Didn’t call it a gift for nothing. 

eXputer reviewed God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, rating it 5/5, with author Usama Mehmood remarking, 

On top of it being a free update, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is a love letter to all the old fans of this incredible series.” 

It’s a marvel in the industry, especially in the day and age we live in today, that Santa Monica Studios has remained so thoughtful of its followers even a year after the release of the base game, which is essentially a single-player action-adventure. Not a lot of other game developers that I can speak for in the same vein. 

Are More God Of Wars Coming? 

Honestly, the details are pretty fuzzy at the moment, but a logical guess here would be to say yes. It’s highly likely that more God of War projects are in the works over at Santa Monica, considering the eminence of the franchise. 

However, it’s worth noting that a rumor circulated on various internet forums earlier this year, stating that another God of War project outside of Santa Monica is in the works. Take it with a grain of salt, because there has been no official corroboration on the matter so far. 

Anyhow, let me know in the comments section what you expect form the next God of War and where you’d like it to be set in. I’ll talk to you down there.