A Father-Son Story for the Ages
God of War Ragnarök is the conclusion of Kratos and Atreus' Norse saga, and it delivers an emotionally devastating narrative that stands among the finest in gaming. The relationship between father and son — established so beautifully in the 2018 game — reaches new depths as Atreus comes of age and seeks his own identity while Kratos grapples with the prophecy of Ragnarök and his desire to protect his son from fate itself.
The writing is exceptional throughout. Every character, from the returning Freya and Mimir to newcomers like Odin (a chillingly charismatic portrayal of manipulation) and Thor (a tragic figure hiding behind bluster), feels fully realized. The Nine Realms are in crisis, and the game masterfully balances intimate character moments with epic mythological confrontations. When it reaches its climactic conclusion, the emotional resonance is earned through genuine character development.
Christopher Judge's performance as Kratos remains the beating heart of the experience. His Kratos is a man slowly learning to be vulnerable, to trust, and to believe that he can be more than the monster his past defined. The quiet moments between Kratos and Atreus — teaching, arguing, reconciling — are often more powerful than the most explosive combat encounters.
Combat and Exploration
Combat in Ragnarök takes the already excellent foundation of the 2018 game and layers on additional complexity. The Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos remain your primary weapons, each receiving expanded skill trees and new runic attacks that add variety throughout the adventure. A third weapon, introduced later in the game, opens up entirely new combat possibilities that dramatically refresh the experience when it's most needed.
The nine realms offer tremendous environmental variety, from the lush forests of Vanaheim to the scorching deserts of Alfheim and the frozen wastes of Niflheim. Each realm features unique exploration mechanics, side quests, and optional boss encounters that reward thorough investigation. The Favor side quests are significantly improved over the previous game, often telling self-contained stories that add depth to the world.
The PC Advantage
The PC port, handled by Jetpack Interactive, is excellent. Support for ultrawide resolutions, unlocked framerates, DLSS/FSR/XeSS upscaling, and granular graphics settings make this the best-looking and best-performing version of the game. At 4K with maxed settings, Ragnarök is breathtaking — the facial detail during emotional scenes, the particle effects during combat, and the environmental vistas are all enhanced by the additional horsepower.
DualSense features are fully supported on PC, preserving the excellent haptic feedback and adaptive trigger resistance. Mouse and keyboard controls are well-implemented with full rebinding. Loading times on an NVMe SSD are virtually instantaneous, making exploring the nine realms seamless.
✅ Pros
- Emotionally powerful father-son narrative
- Exceptional voice performances throughout
- Deep, satisfying combat with three weapons
- Nine visually diverse realms to explore
- Outstanding PC port with extensive options
- Improved side quest quality
❌ Cons
- Excessive walking-and-talking segments
- Some pacing issues in the middle chapters
- Puzzle design occasionally feels like padding
- Companion AI can be too helpful with hints
The Verdict
God of War Ragnarök is an epic conclusion to one of gaming's greatest modern sagas. On PC, it reaches its full visual potential, delivering an experience that is as beautiful to witness as it is powerful to feel. This is essential gaming.
"Ragnarök doesn't just conclude the Norse saga — it elevates it into the pantheon of gaming's greatest achievements."