Fimbulwinter has come to Midgard, an apocalypse looms and the already harsh world is far less forgiving. The time for father-son bonding is over, not that Kratos wants to accept that. After spending all of the previous game growing to understand Atreus and teaching him the ways of the world, Kratos just wants to spend time with his son and be a family – Atreus wants different, though.
With the last game ending on the revelation that the giants of Jottenheim refer to Atreus as Loki, it’s understandable that the boy wants to know more about who he really is. However, Atreus is no longer at the age where Kratos can simply tell him “no”. As much as he wants a simple life with his son, their last adventure taught him that if he ignores Atreus’ wants and needs, they’ll fall apart and lose each other forever.
So the new adventure begins, and the shift in power dynamics between the two immediately becomes clear. Kratos is no longer the only one setting the agenda, he’s still stubborn and willful, but there is much more of a balance between father and son this time around. At the same time, these aren’t completely transformed characters. Atreus is still a curious kid who lets his heart get the better of his head and Kratos is still a badass, but the way their previous adventure changed each of them is clear.
After playing the first few hours of Ragnarok, I can tell you that if you want an expanded and improved version of the first game, then you’re getting what you want. The story has more layers, puzzles are more intricate, and boss fights are more plentiful, just to name a few improvements. Still, if that isn’t enough then wolf sledding should do the trick.
Your options in combat are greatly expanded too. Like before, you start with just the Leviathan Axe, but it doesn’t take long for Kratos to break out the Blades of Chaos. Even just these weapons have way more abilities. You can now freeze your axe at will to perform all sorts of new moves and combos, and the chains can be ignited to burn a hole through enemies. Plus combat arenas are more vertical, and you have more movement options letting you change your position on the fly, rather than being so heavily glued to the spot like in the first game.
Of course, every item, weapon, armor piece, and more has options for enhancements and upgrades that you can tailor to your preferred playstyle. None of that freedom has gone away – if anything, there’s more of it.
There’s a lot more of the world to explore this time around, even in this opening section of the game. You’ll move between linear paths and open areas where you’ll be heavily rewarded for branching out and exploring. Optional fights are interesting, optional puzzles are fun, and the loot is worth seeking out. Plus, there are a bunch of character moments hidden around the place that are too good to spoil.
If anything, these opening hours are a little too close to the original game. It’s by design, letting you get your footing in this world again after some time away, but it feels like the game is holding back. As for what follows, we’ll be covering that in our full review, which is coming on November 3.
Written by Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
