For gamers who go in blind, refuse to memorise combos, and somehow still walk away with a platinum trophy.

📅 Release Date: November 9, 2022

🎮 Developer & Publisher: Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment

🎭 Genre: Action-Adventure, Mythology, Dad Sim (Unofficial)

⌛ Hours Played: 75 (Platinum Trophy Achieved)

🤔 Did I Know Anything Before Playing? Technically, no. Unless you count one puzzle-solving side quest for a friend, I went in with zero knowledge of the series and zero expectations.

🎭 First Impressions

I went in expecting a lot of environmental puzzles (courtesy of my friend’s “please help I’m stuck” screen-share) and a mash-up of Greek and Norse mythology based purely on the game cover.

What I got? A heavily Norse-centric story, which was fine by me—turns out I really like Norse mythology, even if my knowledge is very surface-level. The game took poetic liberties, but they felt like a respectful remix rather than a historical disaster.

More importantly, it hooked me fast. I often play games just to get through them, but this one? I actually wanted to turn it on and keep going. The platinum trophy doesn’t lie.

🕹️ Gameplay: Masterfully Fluid, Even If You Ignore Combos

Combat was simple to pick up, and I quickly leaned into a parry-heavy playstyle, getting a few hits in at a time. Did I master the deep combo system? Absolutely not. Did I need to? Also no. The game lets you play how you want, and somehow, I still managed to murder my way through everything without memorising a single combo string.

• Difficulty: Medium for most of the game, except for That One Berserker King and Gná, where I politely tapped out and turned it down. No shame.
• Flow: Pacing was fantastic right up until the final stretch of platinum grinding, where the checklist-heavy endgame slowed things down.
• Technical Issues: No major bugs. One freeze-up, but that’s probably on my PS5, who has been through things.

💡 Gameplay Takeaway: Smooth, satisfying, and forgiving enough that even a combo-averse player like me could thrive.

🎨 Visuals: A Stunner in Every Way

This game? A masterpiece to look at.

• Environmental details? Stunning. Each area felt unique, vibrant, and alive.
• Lighting? Chef’s kiss.
• Animation? Silky smooth, no jank in sight.

Also, giant jellyfish. I spent a solid five minutes just watching them float around because, frankly, it was mesmerising.

💡 Visuals Takeaway: If you can’t appreciate how damn pretty this game is, you might actually be blind.

🎶 Sound & Music: Norse Vibes & Perfectly Timed Grunts

The soundtrack? A beautifully immersive background force. It didn’t demand attention, but it shifted moods perfectly—epic when it needed to be, subtle when it didn’t.

Voice acting? Absolutely top-tier.

• Kratos’ voice? A deep, sexy, all-knowing force of nature. Even when he says nothing, he’s always right.
• Atreus, Freya, Odin? All superb.
• Even the enemies? Quality grunting. And I do appreciate a well-done grunt.

💡 Sound Takeaway: A game’s sound design is flawless when you don’t notice it—it just works. This just worked.

📖 Story & Characters: Emotional, Engaging, & Wholesome in Ways I Needed

The story had real emotional weight, but I wasn’t sobbing on the floor—just deeply invested in what happened next.

• Characters felt fully realised (as expected from a series this long).
• Atreus’ arc stood out. Watching him step out of Kratos’ shadow but still find his way back home was exactly the kind of wholesome character development I needed.
• Dialogue was natural, well-written, and immersive. No cringe, no awkward moments—just great storytelling.

💡 Story Takeaway: A+ writing, engaging character arcs, and no immersion-breaking nonsense.

🗺️ World & Exploration: Open, But Never Empty

Exploration was exactly how I like it—paths exist, but you have to find them.

• Even in open areas, nothing felt empty. Every space had something worth checking out.
• Side quests? A solid mix of story-driven missions and gear collection. Not all essential, but never overwhelmingly tedious.

💡 Exploration Takeaway: A perfect balance of structured paths and engaging open spaces.

💰 Monetisation & DLC: No Scams, No Add-Ons, Just a Full Game

• Full game at launch, no content held hostage.
• DLC? Free. Which, in this economy? Blessed.
• Microtransactions? Nonexistent.

💡 Monetisation Takeaway: A game that actually respects your wallet. Shocking, I know.

🧠 Final Thoughts: 75 Hours Well Spent

This game wasn’t just good—it was the first in a long time that I was genuinely excited to play every day.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Whether you want an immersive story-driven experience or brutal challenge mode, it caters to both.

Would I change anything? Maybe just one thing.

Mimir needs to chill with the fire warnings. Or… maybe I should stop getting set on fire. TBD.

Ready for the next chapter of god-slaying and emotional baggage?
Click below to get God of War: Ragnarok and dive back into Kratos’ chaotic journey. Just remember: it’s not just about surviving gods, it’s about surviving your own parenting decisions. **
Get your copy now—let’s see if you’re worthy.

God of War Merch Here

🏆 Final Rating: "Masterpiece in Motion"

🟢 "Masterpiece in Motion" – I will annoy people talking about this game for the rest of my life.

🔥 Summary TL;DR (For People Who Skim Reviews)

✅ Pros:
✔ Visually stunning—every area is a masterpiece.
✔ Combat is smooth and rewarding, even if you ignore combos.
✔ Fantastic story, writing, and character development.
✔ No DLC scams or micro-transactions.

❌ Cons:
✖ Post-game collectathon dragged a bit.
✖ Mimir needs to let me burn in peace.

💬 What do YOU think of God of War: Ragnarok? Drop your thoughts below! 👇

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