KRATOS AND ATREUS FACE THE END OF THE WORLD IN THIS STUNNING GOD OF WAR SEQUEL
End Of Level Boss God of War Ragnarök (PEGI 18) PS5
★★★★★ IT’S been quite a year already for Kratos.
The antihero dominated the first part of the year with the release of 2018’s God of War reboot on PC. It’s only fitting then, that as 2022 draws to a close, he should rule its dying weeks too.
It’s been nearly 20 years since Kratos made his debut in the ultra violent, ultra slick God of War on the PS2 in 2005. Steeped in Greek mythology, we slavishly followed his journey from Spartan warrior to God of War.
But four years ago everything we thought we knew about Kratos was rewritten, as a ‘second phase’ began for the warrior, this time under Norse mythology.
Retired to the snowy wilds of Midgard, Scandinavia, Kratos was older, calmer, wiser, and after the loss of his wife, a single parent to his son, Atreus.
It is from this story that Ragnarök picks up its thread.
Set a few years after the events of the previous game, the freezing winds of Fimbulwinter have been battering Midgard, making survival for Kratos and Atreus in the Norse wilds more challenging than ever.
It’s been prophesied that when Fimbulwinter, a great winter which spans three summers, draws to a close, it will bring about Ragnarök – the end of the world as we know it.
Atreus is now a teenager, and during the long winter, has been growing stronger and sharpening his skills under the old warrior’s watchful eye.
One of the biggest strengths of the 2018 game was the relationship between father and son. Thrust into single parenthood, Kratos is initially cold towards his son, visibly irked by his lack of skill and annoyed he has no stomach for combat. But as the game progresses you can see Atreus develop from a naive youngster to an impressive fighter, and the bond between the pair strengthens.
There are touching flashbacks to this journey, but with Kratos now dealing with a stroppy teenager, you can see that their relationship is still growing and evolving.
Just like the stunning landscapes you’ll spend a lot of time walking through, the story is a lot more sprawling than what came before. And a word of warning, if you’ve not played the prequel then you might struggle a bit, as there are huge chunks of plot that rely on you having a passing knowledge of the game’s backstory.
There are genuinely moving moments shared between the two protagonists, with Atreus still desperate to win his father’s approval at any cost.
But interspersed with these wonderful conversations are what God of War does best – visceral, bloodsoaked action.
Out of the gate, Ragnarök wastes no time in throwing you into the action, with a simple sledging hunt quickly devolving into a fight for survival.
The Leviathan Axe and Kratos’s double-chained Blades of Chaos are back for you to wield – with a few new tricks up their sleeves – as you tear, hack and slash your way through all that stands in your path.
With the haptic feedback of the PS5’s controller, each blow feels weighty and vital, and the sheer exhilaration of stringing together a combat combo that wipes out a swath of enemies is hard to put into words,
While you play mainly as Kratos, Atreus works alongside his father in combat – and his skillset has greatly expanded. As well as being able to direct him to fire his Talon Bow at specific targets, he now has magical abilities and is able to chain together longer combos under his own steam.
He’ll even start the odd fight, under the proud gaze of his old man.
And if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to play as Atreus, then now is your chance. There are a few side missions that let you play as the teen, as he heads off to explore corners of the wilderness on his own.
Ragnarök boasts a bounty of accessibility options, meaning virtually every gamer can tailor gameplay to their own style and needs. There’s even an option to have a dot on the screen to cut down on motion sickness.
As you’d expect, world building here is exceptional. Each landscape you journey through is breathtaking, the land of Midgard lovingly and painstakingly brought to life by developers Santa Monica Studio.
Just like The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather 2 and (arguably) Aliens, this sequel does the unthinkable, and surpasses its predecessor.
It seamlessly blends an intricate plot, with solid action and puzzle solving, weaving in moving moments that will melt the hardest of hearts. Buy it: £54.99 from hmv.com