God of War: Ragnarök (9th November 2022)

[Julius]

Valhalla – free DLC coming December 12th

Quote

Embark with Kratos to Valhalla on a deeply personal and reflective journey towards a future he never thought possible. Master challenges of mind and body on an unraveling adventure that blends the beloved combat from God of War Ragnarök with brand new elements inspired by the roguelite genre.

Developed by Santa Monica Studio for PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5 consoles free to download from PlayStation"Store. God of War Ragnarök base game required (sold separately).

Available December 12, 2023.

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by Julius

[drahkon]

Roguelikes/lites are taking over the gaming world and I love it.

Edited December 8, 2023 by drahkon

[Julius]

1 minute ago, drahkon said:

Roguelike/lites are taking over the gaming world and I love it.

A really, really smart way to get some more content out for single player games that might otherwise just gather dust, and a great way to reuse assets. Makes complete sense to me!

Now watch Shadow of the Erdtree be a roguelike/te and the world implode  (would LOVE a From roguelike in all seriousness)

[drahkon]

Just now, Julius said:

Now watch Shadow of the Erdtree be a roguelike/te and the world implode  (would LOVE a From roguelike in all seriousness)

Yes, and YES!

I always wanted them to expand on the Chalice Dungeons...

[Julius]

1 minute ago, drahkon said:

Yes, and YES!

I always wanted them to expand on the Chalice Dungeons...

With their combat and bosses?! And imagine weapons with slots, or multiple uses, and the trick weapons! AND THE MODIFIERS?! 

AND THEN YOU ADD MULTIPLAYER?!?!?!

scrap Armored Core VII, I want this  (okay don't scrap it but y'know make a rogue-something already!)

[drahkon]

You gotta stop, I won't be able to sleep thinking about the possibilities

More info on the DLC in the PSBlog:

God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla DLC revealed, coming December 12

@Hero-of-Time You may want to stay clear. There are some slight spoilers.

[Hero-of-Time]

4 hours ago, drahkon said:

 

@Hero-of-Time You may want to stay clear. There are some slight spoilers.

Cheers, bud. I figured that would be the case. I'll give it a watch once I've finished the game.

[Julius]

Buried in the PS Blog post were updated sales figures for the game:

Quote

As of November 19, God of War Ragnarök has sold through more than 15 million units worldwide across PS4 and PS5.

Insane stuff, and very much deserved  

[Hero-of-Time]

Gotta say, I'm really struggling to play long sessions on this. I'm sick of being pulled away from Kratos. I didn't like Atreus in the first game and he's even more of a whiny little bitch in this one. Being forced to play as a character I don't like really impacts my enjoyment. It's The Last of Us Part II all over again.

[Hero-of-Time]

I finally managed to have a long session on this today. The story has started to come together now as well.

Spoiler

I hated Heimdall. Cocky little prick. It was ridiculously satisfying when I finally landed a hit and was able to go all in and attack him. Kinda felt like that moment from Rocky IV...

There have been a few great moments in the game that occurred when it was away from the action.

The scene where Kratos removes his armour and weapons and just sits in quiet to try and focus on what has happened was a lovely scene. Another was where him and Atreus finally started talking and began to trust each other. The conversation between them was quite moving.

There have also been some stunning scenes. The visuals are something to behold. Again, how they are pulled this off on the PS4 is a miracle.

 

[drahkon]

On 12/9/2023 at 6:15 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

I didn't like Atreus in the first game and he's even more of a whiny little bitch in this one.

Yeah, you're right

I initially didn't intend to play the rogue-lite mode tonight, but...I just have to. Downloaded the game again and now the waiting begins

[Hero-of-Time]

I finished the main story last night. 

Spoiler

To be honest the whole attacking of Asgard was a big disappointment. Each of the main characters were supposed to go and get an army but you never saw any of them bar a few flying elves. You had Kratos finally decide to be the general he needed to be and lead them all into battle but there was no army to lead. Plus, him and Atreus split off from the main group anyway! It was also very strange that they spent all that time unleashing Ragnarok only to then turn around and decide they don't need him. 

It was great finally being able to fight Odin and the triple attack of Kratos, Freya and Atreus near the end of the battle was great to watch. However, I thought the fight against Thor was better than the final battle with Odin. Thor's character was quite tragic and it was harsh how he was treated over the years.

I have mixed feelings about the game. It certainly wasn't as good as the 2018 God of War game but I think some of the themes in this sequel, such as fate and death, were really well done. Some of these narratives did hit quite close to home for me though and made me quite emotional.

So, the reason I've not been on the forums for the best part of the year was due to personal reasons. My dad took ill at the end of last year and was in and out of hospital numerous times before the mess of a service that is the NHS finally found in February that it was cancer. After having chemo, we found out in August that it hadn't worked and sadly the diagnosis is now terminal (he's still fighting the good fight). Some of the thoughts and things I've gone through during this time were echoed in the game.

Spoiler

The scene where Atreus goes to Ironwood and speaks with Angrboda was the first to hit me hard. Atreus knows that his dad is going to die and he is trying everything he can to stop it from happening. Angrboda tells him that it is fate and there is nothing he can do to stop it and instead should just enjoy the time he has with his father.

The next scene that got me was where Kratos and Atreus are talking about the possibility of the not being able to change fate and that Atreus needed to prepare for a life without his father by his side. Kratos says that he won't always be there for him and that he needed to be strong.

The final scene that broke me was where Kratos is talking with deceased wife, Faye. She is getting things ready before she dies and she is telling Kratos that death is a natural part of life and something that cannot be avoided.

All of these scenes were very reminiscent of the conversations I've been having with my own dad.

Those scenes really hit me on a personal level and appreciate the writing and acting that little bit more. Had I played this when it was first released then these scenes would have certainly had less of an impact than what they had now. I think the game done a fantastic job in general in conveying emotional moments, probably the best the series has ever done. I suppose this isn't hard given that the majority of the games are just about Kratos running amok. Here are a few of the heart warming moments that I captured.

Spoiler

I've now got the tedious task of mopping everything up for the platinum. I really dislike how the fast travel works and I felt the same about it in the 2018 game. I hate having to travel to a door to then fast travel. It should be like Assassin's Creed where once you unlock the tower, or gateway in this case, you can just point on the map and teleport over there.

I've tackled a couple of the Berserker fights but I think I need to level up my armour and weapons before tackling the others. The last one I tried had me fight two of them at the same time and I was killed pretty much instantly.  

Edited December 12, 2023 by Hero-of-Time

[drahkon]

8 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

So, the reason I've not been on the forums for the best part of the year was due to personal reasons. My dad took ill at the end of last year and was in and out of hospital numerous times before the mess of a service that is the NHS finally found in February that it was cancer. After having chemo, we found out in August that it hadn't worked and sadly the diagnosis is now terminal (he's still fighting the good fight).

I'm very sorry to hear that.

11 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Those scenes really hit me on a personal level

I had the same experience.
Since my father died 14 years ago, every story tackling similar themes hits me hard.

It's also why Death Stranding is so very important to me. It may sound overly dramatic but at certain points in my life I have felt the kind of isolation and loneliness that the game so perfectly captures. And I'm not only talking about the game's world.

Spoiler

This cutscene, more precisely these lines always get to me.

"Started meeting people that made me think that maybe it wasn't all bad."

Well, in my case it was my father who told me it wasn't all bad. It took me a very long time to understand that, though. And I think this game gave me the final push (and the many people I've met in my life who I love so much )

 

25 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

  Major Spoilers (Hide contents)

The scene where Atreus goes to Ironwood and speaks with Angrboda was the first to hit me hard. Atreus knows that his dad is going to die and he is trying everything he can to stop it from happening. Angrboda tells him that it is fate and there is nothing he can do to stop it and instead should just enjoy the time he has with his father.

The next scene that got me was where Kratos and Atreus are talking about the possibility of the not being able to change fate and that Atreus needed to prepare for a life without his father by his side. Kratos says that he won't always be there for him and that he needed to be strong.

The final scene that broke me was where Kratos is talking with deceased wife, Faye. She is getting things ready before she dies and she is telling Kratos that death is a natural part of life and something that cannot be avoided.

All of these scenes were very reminiscent of the conversations I've been having with my own dad.

 

Such wonderful scenes.

*clears throat* ehem...

27 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I hate having to travel to a door to then fast travel.

Urrrghhh, so annoying.
This was easily the worst part of the trophy hunt.

28 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I've tackled a couple of the Berserker fights but I think I need to level up my armour and weapons before tackling the others. The last one I tried had me fight two of them at the same time and I was killed pretty much instantly.  

I remember that fight. Brutal
But oh so satisfying once you get that final hit in!

[drahkon]

The DLC is live. 8.4GB download (and a 2.1GB patch).

4 minutes and I'll dive in

[drahkon]

This was me just now:

 

[drahkon]

This is just absolutely incredible

So many hype moments!

[Hero-of-Time]

I didn't realise the DLC has post game story elements to it. I wasn't fussed about playing it as I thought it was a quick roguelike add on but now I may have to give it a whirl.

Continued to mop up all of the collectibles yesterday evening. I went to one area where I had to go through the whole temple only to find there's no way to get back out other than go back the way you came. Shoddy game design right there. They could have easily implemented a gateway there but instead I had to walk all the way back. What a slog. I also went to a sand storm area..

Spoiler

This was pretty cool. Freeing the giant jellyfish and figuring out the best way to detach all of the things holding it in place was quite fun. I also liked how the dialogue has changed now that the game is over. Kratos and Freya were discussing how Atreus would have liked to have seen the animal and how they miss him when they make discoveries like this. Nice touch.

 

[drahkon]

16 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I didn't realise the DLC has post game story elements to it. I wasn't fussed about playing it as I thought it was a quick roguelike add on but now I may have to give it a whirl.

I don't know how deep the story goes (probably shouldn't expect too much) but the two hours of playtime I got in last night have been quite satisfying. Conversations between Mimir and Kratos are always fun

But there are at least two other reasons you should play it. I won't spoil them, but I'd be surprised if they didn't put a smile on your face

Edited December 13, 2023 by drahkon

[drahkon]

Credits have rolled

A lovely and meaty addition to a great game. Lots of hype moments for me and an ending that is very satisfying.

Can't wait to see where the series will go next.

Spoiler

Santa Monica sure know how to tease and/or troll...giving Tyr a samurai sword.

 

[Hero-of-Time]

How are the trophies, @drahkon?

[drahkon]

7 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

How are the trophies, @drahkon?

I unlocked 9 by just playing (some of which are story unlocks, some of which are optional). Didn't even notice the trophy popups at times

The remaining three are pretty easy to get, too, if I had to take a guess from their description. One might be RNG, but I'm not sure.

[Hero-of-Time]

Last night, I had a quick go of the DLC but stopped soon after starting it. I don't think this mode is for me. I'm very hit or miss with roguelike gimmicks and this one doesn't hit the right buttons. It may be that I'm starting to get burnt out with the main game but at the moment I'll be happy to just move on once I've finished mopping up the trophies in the base game.

[Hero-of-Time]

I've had a good session on this, this evening. Completed a few more areas, finished the crucible, took down all but 1 Berserker and finished a bunch of sidequests. Hopefully I will get everything done by the end of the weekend. Although the post game boss may give me some issues. I ran into it by accident and got decimated. 

[Hero-of-Time]

Success.

Crazy that it took another 20 hours to mop things up. There's simply no need for that amount of busy work, especially when a lot of it doesn't really add anything to the story.

Spoiler

The valkyrie queen was pretty easy but it was the berserker king that gave me issues. He has insane amount of HP to whittle down.

I may take another look at the DLC and see if it grabs me before I uninstall the game.

[Hero-of-Time]

Success Part 2

Yeah, I'm so glad I gave the DLC another go. Absolutely loved it once I found that you get to keep upgrades after each run. That meant that I could do a spot of grinding if the situation called for it.

Spoiler

It was awesome reliving Kratos' past adventures. As someone who grew up with and played all the games, this was such a nostalgia rush. Seeing the story snippets and fighting past enemies was great but the big moment was when the Blade of Olympus was unleashed. I wasn't expecting that at all!

Loved the inclusion of Helios. The fact that he was just a head made total sense from a narrative standpoint. He was pretty hilarious, constantly winding up Kratos for his past mistakes.

The story told here is truly a fitting ending, given what was teased at the end of the base game. Kratos having doubts about his role and then facing his younger self was just masterfully done. The speech he gave...beautiful.

Long live the King!

It's nuts that Sony Santa Monica gave this away for free. We live in a time where publishers are constantly trying to squeeze cash out of gamers and so this move was completely against the grain. They could have easily charged for this and I don't think anyone would have complained due to how substantial it is. What a fantastic way to end my journey with the game.