Our return to Midgard and the rest of the nine realms is near. God of War Ragnarök launches on PS5 and PS4 on November 9, and I had the lucky chance to find out in advance and get hands-on with the PS5 version of Kratos and Atreus’ continuing journey.
This article isn’t going to have any major story destruction – and that’s good because there’s a lot to be said about the pure gameplay, visuals, new enemies, invented locations, and more. Without mentioning specific characters or moments, I would say this sequel doesn’t wait long to deliver memorable, unexpected moments with a diverse cast of mythological characters.
Read on to learn about God of War Ragnarök’s familiar yet new battles, deadly new enemies, exotic locales, and more.
Immerse yourself in mythology on PS5
Winter wonder – The world of Midgard sparkles on PS5 thanks to its sharp 4K visuals and smooth frame rates (I played in Performance mode). Fimbulwinter is creeping across the lands, including the homes of Kratos and Atreus. Snow crumbles and parts as characters trudge through it, with light catching tiny ice crystals on its surface. Frozen waterfalls stand like intricate, towering works of art. The atmosphere of this snow-covered Midgard captures the serenity of a winter hike in the woods perfectly.
Haptic soaked – Santa Monica Studio took full advantage of the DualSense wireless controller’s haptics. One scene involves walking a dog away from a violent avalanche. The feel of the DualSense controller pulsates in my hand, conveying both the rumble of land and the lighter snowfalls. In combat, the Leviathan Ax delivers an additional visceral punch, and as the align weapon is withdrawn, the haptics gradually swell until the ax hits the ground with a meaty whimper. The range of haptics also gives texture to delicate moments, like Kratos laying his weary body down in his crib to sleep.
Flexible combat options
Settle back – I admit that I lost the second half of God of War (2018) until I felt proficient with the new combat mechanics. The intimate camera placement, ranged Leviathan Ax and melee combat, and the wide variety of combat options left me a bit overwhelmed. In contrast, picking up Kratos and Blades of Chaos’ ax at the beginning of God of War Ragnarök filled me with confidence and a desire to fight. Using both weapons from the start encouraged me to make fuller use of Kratos’ arsenal, and it was a blast.
Die from above – Kratos can now sprint off cliffs and lunge at enemies below – an angry introduction to any group fight that stuns enemies. The new combat option is a prime example of God of War Ragnarök’s increased focus on verticality in the environment.
Keep cold – The triangle button, used to equip and retrieve the Leviathan Ax, can be pressed while holding to apply the Frost Awaken effect to your next ranged or melee attack. Pressing R1 in Frost Awaken will perform Frozen Breach – a wide swing and apply Frost to nearby enemies. Targeting while pressing R1 in Frost Awaken performs a Frozen Spike – a quick throw by Leviathan Ax that creates a Frost explosion on impact. Kratos’ extended range of elemental attacks introduces new options into each encounter.
Flaming Blades of Chaos – Similar to Leviathan Ax’s Frost Awaken, you can combine the triangle button with the equipped Blades of Chaos to perform Flame Whiplash. This charges Kratos’ chained tools with fire, which is great for melting enemies’ icy defenses. More importantly, Kratos undeniably looks cool when he spins the chain of the blade to ignite the flames.
Huldra’s House – Kratos and Atreus visit Brok and Sindri’s shop and house to prepare items. While there, I upgraded my Leviathan Ax to level 2, greatly increasing the damage and unlocking a new skill level of the skill tree. Atreus is also equipped with a new armor. My favorite detail is the inclusion of a chest containing lost loot, where the Huldra brothers store any resources the player may have accidentally left behind on the battlefield.
Device customization – Again, you can customize your weapons and armor, including drawable gems for Kratos’ Leviathan Ax. After a battle with a ferocious stalker called The Huntress, I obtain Winter’s Bite, a light runic attack that forms a block of ice around Kratos’ ax for extra damage. Another applies a flaming uppercut-style attack to Blades of Chaos. I find both moves handy as quick cards to get out of prison when surrounded by enemies. Just be aware that the cooldown timer.
Shield of Choice – Kratos’ Guardian Shield was damaged in battle, and Brok suggested crafting an extra layer of protection during repair. Players can choose from two new shields to start with: the Stone Wall Shield, specialized for attacking and fighting back, and the Dauntless Shield, all of which are high-risk, high-reward items. In the end, the player can earn enough resources to craft all the shields.
Test drive Dauntless Shield – I chose Dauntless Shield, hoping that my experience mastering narrow windows in action games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice can be useful. It did! A carefully timed L1 hit against an oncoming attack will block attacks and create a flash of light, stunning enemies for a long period of time. I find this extremely useful for crowd management and enjoy the incentive to better study enemy attack patterns.
Threats of the fields
Thor throws down – If you loved the flamboyant Baldur encounter at the beginning of God of War (2018), look forward to clashing axes and hammers with Thor in a similarly breathtaking battle. Thor unleashes a series of grabs, lightning-transmitted Mjölnir explosions, area-of-effect steering wheel shots, and more. The two gods grapple and fly through the air as the battle unfolds across many frozen landscapes. Thor’s attack is non-stop, on par with cutting insults to Kratos’ parenting skills when he doesn’t attack squarely. It was a memorable encounter that made me eager for a rematch with the Thunder God.
Raider rumbles – The tough, violent Raiders roam the Wildwoods, attacking Kratos because they know he’s responsible for bringing back the mob. These melee and ranged enemies are an easy source of food for honing your melee skills and satisfying experimental dummies to boot.
Battle of Björn – A mighty bear attacks in one of the first boss battles. The burly animal begins with predictable swipes for Kratos to dash through, but also gives additional cues, like the yellow circle indicating Kratos can block but still take damage, and the red circle indicates attacks that cannot be blocked. The bear’s attack pattern is a ferocious but forgivable act, alluding to tougher battles to come.
Dreki fight – One of my favorite battles from this part of the game pitted our duo against Dreki, a crocodile-like dragon. The four-legged creature snaps at its giant parrot, stroking with its scale story and performing electrical attacks that force the player to keep moving. Using the Dauntless Shield to strike a barrage of attacks while dodging bumps feels natural and satisfying – a well-tuned fight that perfectly tests your growing skill. players with tough but fair intensity.
Damage Bifröst – Near the end of the preview, a new type of bloodthirsty enemy appears to protect something deep in the dwarf mine. The pale, tattooed Einherjar unleashes furious attacks that deal Bifröst damage to Kratos – represented by the purple portion of the HP bar. Bifröst damage is initially harmless but when these enemies attack a second time, it detonates pain and cuts a significant portion of your HP. Watch your rear, get ready to dodge and get ready to overtake to survive in the weaponized Bifröst.
Explore the fields
Realm lockdown – Odin was cut off from the realms at the beginning of the God of War Ragnarök, so Kratos could not use Bifröst to travel. Thankfully, Brok and Sindri reconfigured the mystical portals as an alternative means of transportation.
Wintering in Svartalfheim – While Fimbulwinter has covered Midgard in cold and snow, it has different effects on the other realms. In Svartalfheim, for example, underground pressure has increased, causing the land to have powerful geysers. Mimir (the wise, talking man whose head was fastened to Kratos’ belt) also mentions a strong odor that has spread throughout the land.
Confusing background – Navigating kingdoms requires skillful use of Kratos’ tools. In one case, I needed to move a pillar blocking the way. This required me to first launch the Leviathan Ax to break a log holding the turret, then swing the Blades of Chaos to knock the turret out of the way. Another example involves Leviathan Ax’s cunning use of elemental attributes to manipulate water obstacles in the kingdom of Svartalfheim… but I’ll leave that up to you to explore.
Negative arrow In the dwarven town of Niðavellir, Sindri equips Atreus’ bow with a new sonic string. This improvement is adjusted to explode objects that form a light green color around the environment, like passages that lead to new areas and chests filled with Hacksilver. Atreus’s ability to destroy luminous material creates a deeper layer of the pair’s ability to solve puzzles and navigate the environment.
Explore and side quests – Fans who love flipping every stone in the kingdom can rest assured that the possibilities for discovery are plentiful and rewards in this sequel. While adventuring through a charming but unattractive dwarven town, Kratos and Atreus cross paths with a dwarf with a history with Mimir. Dwarves refer to the mining rigs that Mimir once championed that caused mayhem in these lands. If the player chooses to pursue this Offer, they can correct Mimir’s past mistakes for a reward. Later, while navigating a canoe across a vast, bright blue lake, I spotted columns of black smoke rising from these mines. I chose to go ahead on the main quest path but was reassured when Atreus organically mentioned that we could return to finish Favor later.
Dwarf Compass – Sindri gives Kratos a “beautiful gift” – a compass that allows players to track targets across the map, then follow the compass at the top of the screen towards their destination. Perfect for effectively tracking objects like Supporters and other side quests.
God of War Ragnarök’s opening hour is chock full of exciting story moments and top-notch combat encounters. These are just a few moments and details from the very beginning that got me excited to dive deeper into combat, explore realms, and learn the fates for our heroes.
No more waiting – God of War Ragnarök launches on PS5 and PS4 on November 9th.
