[News] God Of War Ragnarok Review - Blood, Sweat, And Tyrs

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God of War Ragnarok is a lavish production with pristine visuals, jaw-dropping scale, crunchy combat that is as satisfying as it is brutal, and a world that begs to have its every corner and crevice explored. It's a spectacular blockbuster, but these are the least of its achievements.

In a game where a hulking god rips all manner of creatures limb from limb, the most shocking moments aren't bathed in blood, but carried by poignant words and heartfelt emotions. They are a former God of War--known for mercilessly killing his kin--finding the words to empathize with loss; a despondent child emploring a father to break a self-destructive cycle; a moment of tenderness in the life of a boy that has the weight of the world on his shoulders.

 

God of War Ragnarok's most impressive achievements are its exploration of loss and love; grief and growth; determinism and defiance. It's an astoundingly well-written game that deconstructs the mythology of Norse gods and rebuilds it as an odyssey about families. Its story isn't about the end of the world, but those that have a hand in it. They're revered as mythical gods but are characterized by deep flaws, twisted by skewed perspectives, and corrupted by questionable motivations in the same way the people they preside over are. And yet, some also have redemptive qualities. In that respect, Ragnarok's story is told from a grey area where nuances blur the line between heroes and villains; good and evil. By constantly challenging you to reconsider who they are and the factors that drive their actions, these characters remain compelling throughout.

There are moments when characters you're not supposed to be rooting for reveal the trials and tribulations that have shaped them, or the demons they battle. This alone is enough to humanize them, but Ragnarok also mirrors the struggles of the protagonists in the antagonists, forcing you to ask yourself, "If I'm willing to empathize with the good guys because of what they're going through, shouldn't I do the same for the bad guys?" The answer, it turns out, is very complicated, and that's what makes the story so captivating.

Although Kratos and Atreus are the stars of the show, almost every character is in the midst of their own complicated journey. For some, it's one that will lift them from a pit of despair or pull them from darkness and onto a brighter path. For others, it's one that fuels obsessions that could be the undoing of everything and everyone. This is best illustrated by Kratos and Atreus who, by killing Baldur at the end of the last game, act as the harbingers of the end times.

The consequences of this moment weigh differently on them, and what they feel is their responsibility because their actions pull them in different directions. Kratos, who has finally learned to guide his son through love instead of fear, focuses on steering him away from conflict and the affairs of the Aesir gods, but does so with the knowledge that his son is prophesized to play a part in Ragnarok and he is destined to die. Atreus, meanwhile, is compelled to prevent Ragnarok and find out who he is as Loki–the name he was given by the Giants–and sets off to find Tyr, the Norse God of War, to achieve his goals. This complicated dynamic serves as the conflict between them: a man that wants to avoid war at all costs, having learned the toll it extracts firsthand, versus a boy who believes war is the only way to unseat a power that has ruined the lives of so many.

 

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