PlayStation’s initiative to break in to the PC gaming market has seen some heavy hitting Triple A titles ported from console.
A couple of years back we had a redo of God of War which played extremely well on PC gaming rigs, gaming laptops and even PC handheld.
Now PlayStation has released God of War Ragnarök.
Kratos and his son, Atreus, continue their adventures across the nine realms of Norse mythology.
Originally a Greek spartan warrior, Kratos was tricked into killing his family, becoming the god of war. Having carried out his revenge on the Greek gods, Kratos settled in Scandinavia, his second wife, Faye, bearing a son.
2018’s God of War swapped Greek mythology for that of the Norse. The game sent father and son on a quest to scatter Faye’s ashes from the highest peak of the nine realms. Upon killing Balder, to protect the Norse god’s mother, Kratos unleashed the Fimbulwinter, heralding the Norse cataclysm of Ragnarök.
God of War Ragnarök has us rejoin the pair some years later. Shortly before a visit from the thunder God Thor, himself. This time, the quest is less defined with Atreus keen to find out more about his legacy and the pair seeking a way to defeat Odin.
The story is epic, drawing on Norse mythology in such a way as to seamlessly create a believable legend of its own. Again the player must navigate between realms, revisiting familiar locations, now ravaged by the Fimbulwinter, as well as some new ones.
The dynamic between Kratos and Atreus has shifted. Whilst Kratos is not as overbearing towards his son, Atreus is more independent now that he is a teen. The game continues the theme of its predecessor in examining family relationships.
Gameplay doesn’t deviate much from that of the last game, which is understandable for the most part, as Santa Monica Studios, who has been at the helm of all God of War titles since the PlayStation 2, has created a rather perfect game.
God of War Ragnarök is very much a “Part 2” (similar to another PlayStation exclusive), rather than the reinvention that God of War was. For such an otherwise violent game full of dismemberment and gore, the story is rather sensitive and meaningful. This is possibly why the combat sometimes feels at odds with the refinement of the game’s puzzle elements and the general polish of the game.
Combat is a big part of the game, not as much as the old-school God of War games. Attacks are visceral and hugely satisfying. Planting a huge hit after mixing up some combos makes for some rewarding gameplay.
The game gives you Kratos’s Blades of Chaos from the start which are great for keeping enemies at arm’s length. You still have the Leviathan Axe for some nice elemental chopping and that satisfying throw and return.
Enemies can be relentless, which means that you need to adjust your attacks dynamically.
The game has a huge mix of enemies, and he game also challenges you with the odd mini-boss as well as some epic boss battles.
When you’re not battling it out there’s some exploring and puzzle solving to be had. Some of this can be in large areas that involve diverting water, releasing platforms, and clearing paths to proceed.
Loot fans will appreciate the drops and chests sprinkled around the game. Some of the chests require a bit of thought to open, which is fun. These optional puzzles often require players to revisit areas later in the game with the required ability or item to solve them.
Having an RPG flavour, there is abilities, upgrades, and crafting options (courtesy of the dwarven Huldra Brothers, Brok and Sindri), and as well as this, an very indepth character customisation.
God of War Ragnarök is absolute eye candy. The environments are massive, perfectly lit, and detailed to the extreme. The game’s playability has some excellent character animation, including for NPCs.
The sombre tone of Kratos and his difficult relationship with his son is offset by subtle and sarcastic humour, some of which is ever so subtle.
God of War Ragnarök is still a relatively ‘new’ PlayStation 5 first party game, releasing in 2022. But given this couple of years since release Santa Monica Studios has had the time to make an otherwise stellar game even better. So what about the PC port then?
On a mid to high spec gaming laptop it runs real well, no stutters or glitches in actual gameplay. There are however, from time to time some moments within the FMV cut-scenes where if you’re on a mid range PC, you’ll get glitch-outs in both video and audio.
God of War Ragnarök also plays smooth-ish on PC handhelds. But depending on which handheld you have, be prepared to tone down the shading and graphics a notch.
My only complaint with this port is the sheer data size. The game is big, like really big, so you’ll need to have some decent storage space.
In all, God of War Ragnarök still holds the magic and engrosing narrative fused with gameplay as it originally did, and this release is now an opportunity for PC gamers to emmerse themselves within Norse lore and become the God of War.
Released: September 2024
Rating: R13
Platforms reviewed: PC
Genre: Action
Developer: Santa Monica Studios
Publisher: Sony