God of War Ragnarök Review: The One Game Everyone With a PlayStation Needs to Play

You know that feeling when you finish a game, sit in silence, and realize you’re not quite the same person who pressed "New Game" a week ago? Most titles never get close. They drown you in side quests, busywork, and dialogue trees but somehow forget to give you a soul.

Instead of a story, you get content. Instead of characters, you get archetypes. You press buttons, you earn loot, you forget about it all a day later.

If you're tired of that cycle – of bloated open worlds and hollow narratives – you're exactly the kind of player God of War Ragnarök is built for.

Because this isn’t just another action game. It’s a father-son drama wrapped in Norse apocalypse, delivered with some of the sharpest combat and best performances of this console generation.

The Solution: Why God of War Ragnarök Hits Different

God of War Ragnarök is Sony Santa Monica’s follow-up to the 2018 reboot of God of War, and it arrives like a thunderclap. Exclusively on PlayStation (PS5 and PS4), it picks up several years after Kratos and Atreus accidentally set Ragnarök in motion. Fimbulwinter grips the realms, gods are circling, and the quiet, uneasy peace you built in the last game is about to be shattered.

On the surface, it's an action-adventure game about killing gods in spectacular fashion. Underneath, it's a story about parenting, trauma, and the terrifying idea that your child may grow into something you can't control – or protect.

Where many big-budget games talk about consequence, Ragnarök makes you live with it. Choices from the previous game echo into nearly every relationship and conflict here, and the result is a narrative that feels deeply earned rather than artificially dramatic.

Why This Specific Model?

There are plenty of cinematic action games. There are plenty of open-world epics. But God of War Ragnarök stands out because it fuses the best of both while refusing to waste your time.

1. Combat that actually evolves with you

The Leviathan Axe is back, as satisfying as ever – that heavy thunk when it slams into an enemy or returns to your hand never gets old. This time, though, it's joined by a more fully realized Blades of Chaos moveset and deeper skill trees. On PS5, the DualSense haptics make every axe swing, shield parry, and Blades whip feel distinct and tactile.

Enemy variety – often a sticking point in the 2018 game – is significantly improved. Early impressions on Reddit and forums repeatedly highlight that you're not fighting the same few enemy types on loop; realms feel mechanically and visually distinct, which keeps combat encounters fresh over dozens of hours.

2. A story that respects your intelligence

This is where Ragnarök absolutely bodies most of its competition. Reviews and player discussions consistently describe the narrative as "mature", "unexpectedly emotional", and "better than most TV shows". The performances of Kratos (Christopher Judge), Atreus (Sunny Suljic), and key newcomers like Thor and Odin are frequently singled out as some of the best in gaming.

The writing doesn't shy away from awkward conversations, bad decisions, or long-term consequences. Kratos isn't magically healed from his past; Atreus isn't a perfect hero. And yet the game still finds room for humor, warmth, and quiet domestic moments that ground all the god-slaying.

3. Exploration with purpose, not padding

Ragnarök isn't a Ubisoft-style sprawl of map icons. Realms open up in a more hub-like structure, with side quests ("Favors") that feel crafted rather than procedurally generated. Multiple reviewers and players note that some of the best character development is tucked into optional content – and that most side quests actually feel worth doing.

That said, many Reddit threads point out that the game is dense. If you're a completionist, expect somewhere around 40–50 hours to do almost everything, but without the sensation that half of that is filler.

4. Next-gen polish where it counts

On PS5, you get performance modes (commonly 60fps targets) and resolution modes, support for 3D Audio, faster loading thanks to the SSD, and extensive accessibility options that rival The Last of Us Part II. The PS4 version is still strong for last-gen hardware, but nearly everyone who's tried both agrees: this is a game that quietly sings on PS5.

At a Glance: The Facts

Feature	User Benefit
Platform: PlayStation 5 & PlayStation 4	Play it whether you're on current or last-gen hardware, with enhanced visuals and performance on PS5.
Genre: Action-adventure, narrative-driven	Get cinematic storytelling and character depth without sacrificing tight, satisfying combat.
Approx. length: ~25–30 hours main story, 40–50+ for completionists	Substantial adventure that justifies the price without devolving into pointless grind.
DualSense haptics & adaptive triggers (PS5)	Feel every axe impact, shield block, and environmental effect, increasing immersion and feedback.
Multiple graphics modes (performance & resolution)	Choose smoother frame rates for responsiveness or higher fidelity for maximum visual wow-factor.
Extensive accessibility options	Customizable difficulty, input assists, visual and audio aids make the game more approachable for a wide range of players.
Seamless camera & cinematic presentation	One-shot style storytelling keeps you locked into the journey without constant immersion-breaking cuts.

What Users Are Saying

The overall sentiment across Reddit, forums, and user reviews is overwhelmingly positive. The game is often described as a "masterpiece" and a "worthy successor" to 2018's God of War, with some even calling it one of the best games of the PS5 era.

Commonly praised:

• Story & characters: Players rave about the emotional depth, especially Kratos' growth and Atreus' larger role. Many threads mention tearing up multiple times.
• Combat feel: The weight of the weapons, build variety, and enemy diversity are frequently highlighted. Higher difficulties are called "fair but punishing" rather than cheap.
• Side quests: Favors are often described as some of the best optional content in any action game, with real narrative payoff.
• Production values: Voice acting, music, art direction, and technical polish are consistently praised. Bugs are reported as minimal compared to many big launches.

Common criticisms:

• Hand-holding companions: A recurring Reddit complaint: companions sometimes give puzzle hints too quickly, undercutting the satisfaction of solving things yourself.
• Dense pacing: Some players feel the game occasionally tries to do too much, with later sections feeling slightly crowded with exposition and set pieces.
• Not truly "open world": If you want a vast, Skyrim-style sandbox, Ragnarök's more guided, curated structure might feel constrained.
• PS4 performance: While generally solid, a few PS4 users note longer load times and occasional frame drops compared to PS5.

Still, the broad consensus is clear: these drawbacks don't meaningfully detract from what many consider a high point in Sony's first-party catalog. Fittingly, that catalog comes from Sony Group Corp. (ISIN: JP3435000009), which has turned narrative-driven blockbusters into something of a house specialty.

Alternatives vs. God of War Ragnarök

If you're looking at God of War Ragnarök, you're probably also eyeing a few other heavy hitters. Here's how it stacks up in the current market of cinematic action and open-world adventures:

• Elden Ring: If you want brutally challenging combat and enormous freedom, FromSoftware's open-world masterpiece is unmatched. But it offers almost no hand-holding and its storytelling is indirect, more lore than character-driven drama. Ragnarök is the pick if you value narrative clarity and character arcs.
• Horizon Forbidden West: Visually spectacular, with a large, open world and rich sci-fi lore. Horizon is more systems-heavy (loot, crafting, ranged combat) while Ragnarök is tighter, more intimate, and more focused on melee combat and personal storytelling.
• The Last of Us Part I & II: These deliver some of the most intense and grounded narratives in gaming, but they are slower, more linear, and emotionally brutal. God of War Ragnarök hits serious themes but still feels like a mythical adventure, with more gameplay variety and a greater sense of empowerment.
• Ghost of Tsushima: A beautiful open-world samurai epic with satisfying combat and gorgeous vistas. Ghost gives you more map-based exploration; Ragnarök gives you denser narrative and higher emotional stakes.

In other words, if your top priority is story plus combat in roughly equal measure – not endless freedom, not PvP, not live-service – Ragnarök sits right at the top of the heap.

Is God of War Ragnarök Worth It If You Didn't Play the 2018 Game?

You can jump straight into Ragnarök thanks to an in-game story recap and fairly intuitive mechanics. But nearly every review and community comment agrees: you'll lose a lot of emotional nuance if you skip the 2018 reboot.

The relationship between Kratos and Atreus, the weight of their shared past, and the context around the Norse gods are all built on that foundation. If possible, play God of War (2018) first – it turns Ragnarök from a great game into an unforgettable conclusion.

Who Is This Game Actually For?

You'll get the most out of God of War Ragnarök if:

• You care about story and character as much as – or more than – raw mechanics.
• You enjoy deep, weighty melee combat but don't want Soulslike-level punishment unless you choose harder difficulties.
• You're burnt out on checklist open worlds and prefer crafted, meaningful content.
• You own (or plan to own) a PS5 and want a showpiece exclusive that justifies the console.

If you primarily play online multiplayer, competitive shooters, or massive open-world sandboxes where you make your own fun, Ragnarök might feel more like an interactive prestige TV series than your usual jam – polished, emotional, but also very authored.

Final Verdict

God of War Ragnarök is the rare blockbuster that doesn't confuse size with substance. It's big, yes – in stakes, in scope, in set pieces that shake entire realms – but it never forgets that the most important battles are happening inside its characters.

Underneath the frost giants and prophecies, this is a story about a father trying – often failing – to be better, and a son trying to figure out who he is when everyone else has already decided for him. The fact that you're also cleaving through draugr and wrestling mythical beasts at 60 frames per second is almost a bonus.

If you own a PlayStation and you care even a little about narrative-driven games, God of War Ragnarök isn't just a recommendation; it's a requirement. It's the kind of experience that lingers – in your memory, in your conversations, maybe even in the way you think about family, legacy, and the past you're trying to outrun.

You boot it up for the axe. You stay for the story. And long after the credits roll, it's the quiet moments between father and son that hit hardest.