The change in Sindri was amazing. Was some serious good writing for his character. And the way he teleports away is uncomfortable too. The way they portrayed it always seemed like we *shouldn't* see it. From watching this whole game's playthrough, you never seen them use their teleportion magic and him doing so on screen was like a taboo being broken. I loved it. And it's heart wrenching.
deff real good writing but also good voice acting too that dude killed it, when he told Atreus like “this is what sorry looks like” talking about himself then is all just get the fuck out of my sight, like it legit broke my heart lol
Fun fact: the reason why Kratos calls Atreus BOY in 2018 was because they hadn't decided on his name yet when recording voice lines. But instead of hindering the writing they managed to spin that in a character arc of father and son growing closer over time. The most clever disguise of development limitations I have ever seen, brilliant!
There are people that hate that and say it’s “not Kratos”. He has never been “open and talkative” they say it makes no sense. They believe his ceiling for character growth was 2018 but that’s far, far from the truth. I agree with you I love how he is more open it makes complete sense for the arc he has been on. I hope they do at least one more game and have him grow even further than he already has.
@@DakBetterThanYourFavoriteQB444 It seemed pretty natural to me. He started in 2018 by being a distance and incredibly cold character, who couldn't express almost any emotion openly, then over the course of the adventure, he learns to open up, even if only a little bit. Then in Ragnarok, he opens by still being slightly cold and a bit distant, but he opens up even further as he learns to build trust with people outside of his own family. I think the progression of his character feels incredibly natural! And it feels earned! They're may be a few story beats in Ragnarok that seemed rushed, but Kratos isn't one of them!
@@DakBetterThanYourFavoriteQB444 in gow4 and 5, kratos talks because he wants to know stuff or explain his own stuff. There is good reason for communicating. In the past games, there was no reason to talk as kratos had no companions who he had to explain his actions to and also that there was nothing he wanted to know. He already knew EXACTLY what he wanted
One underrated bit throughout the 2nd half is when Brok throws the riddle at Mimir. What grows bigger the more you take away, after a joke here and there throughout the scenes with brok it’s only after we see sindri broken that everything clicks. A hole, the more you take away the bigger it grows, and we took everything from sindri growing the hole of pain inside his heart, to the point where even brok was taken from him.
It's certainly a fitting story bit, but let's not act like it was a huge revelation. The "hole" puzzle is one of those that you WILL run across at some point in your life, just like the "4 legs in the morning" puzzle. And that kind of takes the wind out of that story beat's sails. When I first heard it, it took me like a minute and then I just remembered the answer from years ago. Would've been a lot more impactful if it wasn't as glaringly obvious or well-known. Or if the game was aimed at a much younger audience, that wouldn't know the answer instantly. But the whole game is clearly aimed at a slightly more adult audience and as such it not only loses the aforementioned impact, it's also somewhat obvious foreshadowing, when it gets referenced throughout the game again and again.
That moment made me cry my eyes out, during the funeral I was on the verge of tears, and when Mimir solves the riddle, the damn was broken for me, it was such a beautiful and raw moment my god
As someone who's lost their mother to cancer, what Faye had to say about love culminating in grief really hit me. Hard. It felt like she was saying it directly to me. That I shouldn't feel lost because of my grief.
@@tyrantravealpha Much more than I thought I would. Especially since the plot of the first game is very similar to what happened for me and my sister, where we spread her ashes over a hill near our old home town.
This was the exact same for me with the recent passing of my brother. This game helped me heal and realize it was okay for me to feel this pain. Beautiful art through and through.
@@hunterj1312 That's why the best kind of stories are ones where the characters go through struggles that are realistic and relatable. There's a lot of that in this game. Loss, grieving, coming of age, discovering self identity, dealing with past trauma or mistakes, finding forgiveness, letting go of the past and to not be sorry for your mistakes, but to be better. There are genuine life lessons you can take from this game's story. Art imitates life, as they say.
That's why it's such a great game. Just like with music, feeling a personal connection to the media with your own life stories, trials and mistakes. To see yourself from a different perspective can be very powerful. I hope they keep this series going with the same love. I'm sorry for your loss and you wish the best my friend. Through struggle we find ourselves. Never give up, she wants you to succeed. You got this.
Petting the dog(s) absolutely means something AND is key to completion, as one of the trophies for the game is for "Petting the dog(s)". It's also a great character moment for Kratos when he goes from seeing the dogs as tools as companions.
Any other studio would have made The Crater in Vanahiem DLC, but I can never thank Sony Santa Monica enough for putting 100% of what they wanted in the game.... in the game. Having been a huge GoW fan since Day 1, I can safely say that this is the most emotionally grand scaled game of the series and I cannot wait to see where we go from here.
Man, when I got to the top of those ruins, having simply followed a dog, and saw a gigantic, beautiful new area to explore the depths of (and fascinating mystery as well), it was honestly my favorite moment of the game (amongst many).
Literally the only thing that was cut that we have found so far from the full game is a quest right before Ragnarök starts up at the end of the game. Original you would have convinced Surturs wife Sinmara to merge with him to defeat Odin. Id recommend looking up the quest, I feel this quest being cut really hurt the endgame too
Though honestly, should have been a ps5 and pc exclusive. Like with halo infinite, trying to design the game to work on older hardware can limit the creativity of the game and some even further streamlining
I just want more Crater. After being driven down semi-linear paths for most of the story, it was an amazing change of pace. The map design had more complexity than the empty deserts of Alfheim, but was well worth exploring. It kind of reminds me of Monster Hunter meets the design philosophy of Super Mario Odyssey (open world, lot of missions). And yeah, it totally feels like it could have been cut off into DLC, considering it's almost entirely isolated from the rest of the game, and the only way to properly access it is through an optional mission. The only complaint I had was that they didn't make it clear enough that I needed to undam the river before I could progress in the sinkhole area. I didn't even know there was a third section, let alone a way to restore the water to the area. I spent so long looking for a wall to climb or grapple points to use before giving up and using a guide.
@@brandogents6624 Surtur really got burned by the story. He was effectively told that he'd have to become Ragnarok, only for Kratos and Atreus to realize that *maybe* they didn't need him to breach the wall, and it was a dick move to bring death and destruction to a whole realm.
My favorite improvement is how every side character undergoes their own arc: - Freya overcomes the trauma of her son's death and emotional damage done by Odin - Mimir shows remorse and regret for his assistance in Odin's stranglehold of the Realms - Sindri feels like a completely different person after his brother's death. He's still processing that grief, and taking it very hard.
@@DeathAngel-ft8oz Oh, seriously?! Releasing Ragnarok in the Winter for the Fimbulwinter vibes, and dropping DLC in Spring to coincide with the passing of Fimbulwinter perhaps?
I really threw myself into this game and got the platinum after close to 60 hours. I was recovering from Covid and my workplace decided to terminate me without giving me any reason, so I was happy to escape into Ragnarok for a couple weeks as life spiraled out of control. Great video, thanks for all the hard work your team did this year. Happy holidays to you!
I beat the game within the first 5 days of its release, I completed it about a week ago at this point. Easily one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. Very rarely does a game make me cry, not to mention make me cry twice. This game contains one of the greatest stories ever told while also maintaining fun gameplay and action sequences. It’s something I wish I could erase my mind of and experience it all over again
@@ElZamo92 Maybe you just don't have good taste. Ragnarok along with everything leading up to this game is the culmination of one of the greatest stories ever told across all media. It's rare when a character can evolve this much while feeling earned rather than forced.
As the credits rolled for the first time, I felt a feeling unlike any game has ever given me. I was somber. It was a thing of beauty to watch Kratos see he was capable of becoming more than he thought possible. Follow that with the gut punch of Sindri wanting nothing to do with Kratos at the funeral. God of War may not have taken home GOTY, but for me this game will be a memory I cherish for the rest of my days. It was a story wrought with emotion, and one that doesn't hold its punches. A master class in story telling, and a game for the ages.
The third act of the game is utter perfection. I find it hard to believe so many people weren't satisfied with it because I absolutely loved it and I'm not even really a video game guy, but this game was a pure spectacle and I will also cherish the memory of my first playthrough for life. Cory Barlog and SM are geniuses for these two games
@@WaltFromTheFuture same, I can't believe how and why so many people dislike this game and hate it. I've seen so much hate comments I can't understand how can they not like this game and day it isn't an masterpiece
My score for the game was 9.5/10 but because of that fact it goes all the way to 0/10. Completely ruined my experience. This is sarcasm in case someone didn't catch it. Game's a masterpiece imo.
If I was to go over my single favorite scene/line from the game, it'd be Brok's Blessing. However, if I was to go by "the line that'll get a giggle out of me even 10 years from now", it'd be when escaping with Tyr, taking a side-path, and Atreus begrudgingly explains, "My dad likes loot..." The delivery absolutely ruined me until we'd returned to Sindri's.
@@thanatos_razl I LOVE the long pause after Kratos says "Olives"... GREAT comedic timing. Pause like they're in deep contemplation or remembering them, then Mimir just... shatters all expectations.
Atreus' combat reminds me of robin/nightwing since he's acrobatic, agile and more of his own person since every person's fighting style is different. If he's nightwing then kratos is batman by that principle
I really appreciated this completionist review having spoilers. I understand that it alienates a big chunk of the audience and is bad for viewership. But I'd love to see bonus spoiler discussion videos going forward. A lot of people don't even finish games anymore, so its really nice to get someone's complete thoughts on the story.
This is the first game I ever got all the achievements for. Its my first platinum trophy. I would also like to say that this game has a perfect plot twist. It makes so much sense afterwards and on a second play through you pick up little details that you missed or wrote off throughout.
I had a moment when Kratos was cutting the noose on 'Tyr', remembering the stories Mimir told about Odin hanging himself for knowledge - but then did not think any more about it till "that scene" *sobs*
A small detail that I noticed is, after Brok dies, Sindri no longer wears his protective gloves. Quite possibly a sign that he wants to shake off the fear and anxiety that was often a source of ridicule and disagreement between his brother.
No bro sindri lost his self.. and dont give a fck anymore... And its so heart breaking to see.. either we liked it or not brok is the only reason thats holding him together, thats why to somehow still feel the presence of brok, sindri is now using broks hammer
A review code usually implies that a review comes out close to the launch date. I'm glad that he wasn't under that kind of pressure, like he was with The Callisto Protocol.
I really don't understand why people call this a reboot. It's a true sequel with updated mechanics for the modern cinematic action game. This is how you make a good sequel, you evolve the character to beyond recognition and let the story explain the change. Remember when Kratos yelled at everyone and put his foot in people's ass for nothing? He's a far distance from the man he was. Kratos may be one of the greatest fictional characters of all time.
Dude, that berserker gravestone fight with the three mages were stupidly difficult. I raged on that fight until I realized that what makes it so difficult to me was the auto-aim system. that keeps snapping the aim to the nearest target, but would not account for the homing fireballs coming your way, so I was never managing to hit that things until I turned it off. After this and with the experience from the fights before, I managed to beat it.
Man, in 2018 GoW I lost my shit when he picked up the blades, it was such a big scene and it was a complete surprise. Ragnarok doesn't really have THAT big of a moment, but it has MORE moments of "holy shit, this is happening" than the original.
Yeah, the whole "I must return home", then equipping the blades, conquering the past, all for your son; shit was powerful. The Draupnir reveal was nice and Brok's death certainly had some crazy impact, but overall it truly feels a lot more "subdued". Less stuff you've "never seen before" blowing your mind and rather multiple moments of "huh, that's neat".
I think giving a spartan his spear was pretty impactful. The moment when you realize why Sindri did not want Brok to tag along with Kratos made me hesitant to go back to Sindri's house
Kinda bummed you didn’t touch on the massive plot piece tied to the ravens and the witch. Learning what was actually going on with Odin’s Ravens made me enjoy re-killing him on my second playthrough. We don’t really get to see the full extent of how monstrous Odin is in this game, but the Raven subquest really exposed us to just how evil he can be.
You want to know something that I loved in this game. It’s canon that they platinumed 2018. Multiple references and/or actual sightings of completed work. Both big and small.
I don't know if it was intentional but I find it interesting that in 2018 and Ragnarok both times he got those weapons because Atreus was in danger (falling ill in 2018 and the threat of being killed in Asgard) and those weapons end up changing the game hugely both times.
@@braxtonwise9897 If you consider a riddle that any adult in the world has heard before, the "best writing from any media ever", you REALLY should read or consume ever so slightly challenging stories. You like the game, that's fine. But don't try to bullshit about very basic things like they're incredible feats. Makes it feel like you're 6 and you've experienced a story beyond "the hungry caterpillar ate something and wasn't hungry anymore".
@@dowfreak7 I think in my opinion; what he means… the riddle section (not the riddle itself) being a lighthearted way for brok and mimir having banter, mimir (smartest man alive) being outwitted by brok; who is by no means the smartest individual (can’t say that after the tyr debacle XD ) but the theme was carried through a good chunk of the game… where it unfortunately takes broks demise for mimir to figure it out.
I wasn't ready for the journey to be over by the time the platinum popped. This may now be my favourite game of all time. As someone who has only 100% a few games it speaks volumes that someone like me wanted to get every last bit of content, experiences, lore and character conversations that I could out of this game.
I hope they are hard on its hardest difficulty. The bezerker king only took me 2 tries and the queen 4 times. Nothing like sigrun in gow 2018 who took days for me to beat
God of War Ragnarok is one of the only games that not only made me cry but also emotionally moved me. If Elden Ring hadn't won, this game most definitely deserved to win GofY. It's truly a masterpiece.
Really liked that you pointed out the skill usage being meaningful. I found myself often checking those menus to see what things I should focus on in combat and it really made me appreciate the variety in the system they built!
Just finally bought this and finished it over the last few weeks, saw a few videos saying it wasn't a good game and those people were way wrong. It was a masterpiece, felt like I was playing a movie and Kratos' development is amazing. Only played on GMGOW and I heard the king was so tough but I beat him first try I think. Gna wasn't as tough as Sigrund by any means and I'll take the berserker over the Valkyries since the Vs kicked my ass non stop but still real fun fights. I never used one full armor set and was told you can't beat Gna without the right armor or specific tactics but after a couple dozen tries I went in with the stuff I liked and just wailed on her until she stopped moving
I like the story of Surtr in this. Instead of sacrificing both him and his wife, they both swapped hearts to always be together, so Surtr combined the heat with his wife's heart in him to become Ragnarök to keep his wife alive.
Especially the dialogue when you return to Nifilhim later: Freya: Someone's crying. Kratos: Sinmara. Mimir: Ah, Surtur's true love. Perhaps we should tell her what happened. Kratos: She knows.
He went from "I won't help you" to "I will help you" within mere minutes of the game's story. It felt rushed. Actually, the entire story of this game felt rushed.
@@saniakshay12 Thor and Sif-- want revenge for the death of their sons for almost the whole game, especially Sif. At the end of the game, Sif goes full 180 and tries to change Thor's mind. Heimdall-- built up as this powerful villain because he can see the future, dies in a short fight. The Norns-- a huge buildup to the Norns and their importance, but they are immediately obsoleted. They have no real weight. Odin is the only character in the game that didn't change his mind constantly or go full 180. Freya-- Becomes Valkyrie queen and fights Kratos near Kratos' home, almost immediately forgives Kratos in what could have been an even more badass fight if they drew it out longer. Kratos-- We must conquer Asgard! Just afterward-- we must not conquer Asgard! I could go on and on. The whole game constantly felt like a build up to an orgasm that was either ruined or never happened.
This game has become my third favorite game of all time, and I'm comparing it to some of the greats from the 2010's. This is a true masterpiece during a time where game companies only care about putting out a vessel for their battlepass. Santa Monica Studio's did so incredibly well on this game!
I feel vindicated to hear you had a challenging time with that 3 berserker fight too. I was simultaneously livid and motivated to try it over and over again when I inevitably lost over and over again, haha.
oh I thought I just sucked. dude those bosses killed me four like 3 hrs. I even had the final one at literally not even visible health and I knew right then and there I was going to die. It then proceeded to dodge my next attack and hit mne before I could react. another couple hours later I finally beat it
@@Saben.C-Spoon nah its not your fault. but the part that makes it hard its the darn camera angle of the game and the lock system. its ridiculous that you have 2/3 enemies out of site for most of the fight and when you turn to see wtf they doing 9/10 times the 3rd one spams you attacks
Gna was hell! Took me quite a while! Kratos tearing up after Atreus leaves was one the most tear jerking moments in gaming. Other then when Fenrir dies at the start, that got me goooood.
Loved this game so much... GOW 2018 was probably one of my favorite games of all time. This game lived up to all of the hype of 2018 in different ways, I loved the story, combat and graphics. Loved the personal moments, conversations and loved the over arching ending and message. Kratos is the true champion... One of the easiest platinum trophies to achieve because nothing feels repetitive or like a chore. Great video as always Jirard, Happy and safe Holidays to you and your loved ones!
The Axe was made for Kratos wife, he wields it with mournful content, the blades of chaos were forced into Kratos hands by an unwavering master... But the Spear, the spear is a weapon fully embodied by Kratos. He even states it is the first weapon a Spartan learns to use, a weapon made for Kratos that he doesn't hurt to use.. Adding a new weapon/tool could have fallen incredibly flat (like the sword in the OG GoW 1-3), but the spear feels so utterly perfect for Kratos. I loved playing through this game SO much.
I logged 36 hours into this game and just did everything I had found across my path, but didn’t seek anything out, if I was given a side quest, I would explore it, I ended with a quest log empty, and I’m happy with that, perhaps I’ll return in the future to try out some more post game content. But the game was absolutely amazing.
My favourite part about this game is how it subverted our expectations of who Odin really was. The 2018 game built him up to be this big, all-powerful, imposing deity... but Ragnarok reveals he's just some meek old guy who's running Asgard like a manager running a business. I thought that was both hilarious and a nice change of pace from what we've normally seen as a god in God of War games.
I love the way Sindri and Brok's arc went. Brok finally learning him being undead and coming to terms with it. Sindri finally breaking and wallowing in guilt and pity over the 2nd loss of his brother. The riddle Brok gave Mimir had such amazing payoff too. "What gets bigger the more you take away" is such a Brok riddle since he can twist the answer "a hole" into sounding like something vulgar "A-HOLE". But it also clicks in Mimir's head because of him seeing the state of Sindri. He gave away his resources, his safe haven, his skills, his treasures, his secrets and when Brok died, he threw out his friends and companions aswell. The hole grew bigger and bigger. Killing Odin didn't fill the hole, it only made it feel emptier.
The starting armor having the best stata after beung fully upgraded reminds me of ninja gaiden, where you fully upgrade the wooden sword and turn it into the strongest weapon
I was a Nintendo fanboy as a kid but UA-camrs like Jirard introduced me to the wider world of games. I probably wouldn't have ever gave a shit about God of War if it wasn't for TheCompletionist.
"The game respects the player's time". I can't fully agree with this since some of the puzzles feel unnecessary and it is so easy to get lost in the abandoned village in Vanaheim along with there being no fast travel to the Mystic Gates. There's also the fact that Ironwood exists.
I remember the Friday few days before GoW Ragnarok released looking through the online shops and was lucky to get a PS5 bundle with the game. The feeling as it was delivered 1 day before release was amazing. It was a journey i never forget.
I knew it was something special when during launch week I would play til 2-3 in the morning cause I was so hooked into the story and didn’t wanna put the controller down lol. I hope the live action series does it justice.
In a time when game studios crap all over legacy characters to try and uplift poorly written "modern" characters, it feels really nice when a studio like Sony Santa Monica honors a Legacy character like Kratos with proper writing and an EXCELLENT character arch! It also helps that they didn't kill him off in a pathetic way, but actually kept the door open for new adventures with him AND Atreus/Loki! I'm so excited for the future of the God of War series, and who knows, maybe we'll also get a God of Mischief series as well!
I love God of War and God of War Ragnarok. I love all the characters and how beautiful it is. I loved the conversations, especially when they were traveling to another place or just sitting down. I also admit I cried alot during scenes.
DUDE! I’m a father to a 11yo son. This game got me shook. There is almost NO media that more accurately depicts a father/son relationship in a traditional sense - either the dads a piece of shit, or the sons a piece of shit, or one of them is an abc123. This game is important.
I agree, Gna was a brutal challenge but no where near the struggle of Sigrun. Back in 2018 it took me over 200 tries to beat her and this was before the NG+ patch and I was a level 8 AND I was on GMGOW difficulty so that’s that but in this game I was a level 9 and on GMGOW difficulty and I beat Gna in like 5 tries. Heck the berserker king gave me way more problems than Gna, took me over 30 tries to beat him 🥵 but overall this game is a masterpiece in every sense of the word and my personal game of the year. I never played Elden Ring and don’t plan to. Bloodborne is the only from software game I played and I’m fine with that so I can’t have an opinion on Elden Ring. God of War Ragnarok is a definite gem of a game and is a must play for fans and actually a ps5 system seller even if it’s also playable on ps4.
This game truly was phenomenal. They actually made me love the side quests. I have never been so invested in side quests in a game before. Maybe mass effect is close to this. But you learn so much more from every character and just the banter from Kratos to mimir to atreus and freya is just unbelievable so deep and well written. Just a masterpiece nothing else I can say.
My biggest complaint with the story is the section with Angrboda, it was just plain awful. Doing dumb meaningless tasks like gathering fruit, killing bug nests, and fighting her grandmother; man it was such a chore and a snooze getting through all that and going back to the main story.
That's gaming 1o1 man, it works perfectly as a initial "Here's Atreus" level. You can't just throw people into a game with a whole new playset with out starting small...it was also is amaizng storytelling with starting of snall and dumb with "Feeding animals" to going into fighting giants, that way when we get to Asgard it's more in line with GoW gameplay as Kratos
I'm late as I wanted to finish watching the Jesse Cox playthrough, and I thought it was really sweet that Jirard called Jesse his best friend. :') That's so wholesome.
I remember my first “oh shit wasn’t expecting this” moment is the first time Freya XP goes on the screen. From that moment I had to be so careful playing when my wife was as well cause I didn’t want ther to peak over and see that. When she got there I was so relieved
Should've known I'd see the ending b/c spoilers. Oh well, seeing it is one thing. Witnessing it while playing it, is a whole different feeling, and I can't wait to get that feeling. Hopefully by forgetting it
I'm predicting the next GoW will take place in Egypt for three key reasons. 1 The Jotun predicted he would die and that Atreus would curse the heavens as he held his father in his arms. 2 we saw an emphasis on Egyptian artifacts in Tyrs Temple in GoW 2016. And 3 Egypt has a very strong connection to the Land of the Dead/afterlife and having Kratos there while Atreus remains in the land of the living is just too good of a dynamic to pass up.
One day I will watch this whole thing several times over either after I play it myself or see you and Jesse Cox’s playthrough to the end. Cheers to the great work you and your team did to get this video together!
Just finished watching this after completing the game for myself...witnessing these powerful moments again, even in this entirely different format, I still felt the waves of raw feelings I felt in my playthrough. Such a beautiful game with incredible direction that somehow continues to pay homage to long time fans of the franchise such as myself. Amazing.
While I like the game, two words: The Maven. Playing this game on the harder difficulties is already frustrating rather than a challenge but then you get to bosses that are just nonsensical. They literally prepare their big move while you are mid resurrection animation and it still goes off, killing you again, its THE stupidest game design(No you do not have time to shield bash as soon as you res, especially when the gap is 10 feet and the window is 2 seconds on no mercy). Sometimes you gotta question whether you're actually the God of War when even the weaklings have super armor but they can combo you to death in 5 hits. The combat only really felt satisfying and challenging during Atreus' story(probably cause they recognized he's on his own path) and when you get to a certain part and feel that rich culture be revitalized back into Kratos' story. Then there's the obsessive chatter even during simple puzzles like flipping an obvious switch. I won't deny the writing for the story parts are masterfully done, Sindri's story is peak fiction, but there's definitely some areas where they try a bit too hard to liven up things, like how they really push crapping on Mimir despite him already trying to right his old wrongs. Its just not really good comedy with how vicious it feels. The only dialogue I feel was perfect was Kratos and Atreus then Brok and Sindri. Heck Tyr's writing is insanely good, especially on a rewatch of it all. While it is a good game, really feels like people are trying to justify it being this incredible "perfect" sequel when its just a well made sequel. Definitely credit them with at least balancing story and combat better than most titles out there.
Yea, it's far froma perfect sequel, because in many aspect the previous game is still superior in quality and little detail, for example, in Ragnarok they removed unarmed execution, if you fight barehand and do a grab, Kratos get the axe out of nowhere, even if you left it miles away, and do an axe execution instead, and after that he continue to fight with the axe, that you have to get rid of again to return fighting unarmed.
Only downside is that Atreus gets nothing in the post-game, which is why I wish they did a standalone DLC (like inFamous: First Light) perhaps setting up the next step of Atreus' story. ...that and some form of confirmation on the whole mask thing. (that's got to be Athena and Thoth trolling Odin)
Santa monica dont do dlc for god of war they said thays it for this so dont expect any dlc but if they do something with atreus expect it to be a full epic game lol
I managed to finish Ragnarok up yesterday and had time to watch this video today and I'm happy how much love GoWR is getting. I don't use the term "perfect" too often describing things but I can't think of any other way to describe this game. I haven't cried at a game since my first time playing FFX almost a decade ago and this is the first one since. Masterpiece through and through.
An excellent video, no game has stuck with me after 100% completing it like this one. Made me not only go back and 100% it again on the hardest difficulty, but go and play through the original PS2/PS3 games for the first time.
i can only think of a handful of games that reach such hights in theyre series or genre, mario 64, final fantasy tactics, mass effect 2 among them. but i wanna say, rest in peace brok, and thor, and may sindri find peace and forgive his lost friends. in time.
I’m so glad Elden Ring and God of War came out this year! This game is TOO Great! It made 2018 absolutely obsolete thanks to its amazing gameplay with more bosses! It’s a game about countering in different ways, be it the shield with parry and blue ring, with heavy attacks and shortcuts to reach them provided by the combos, or even countering red ring attacks with your Runic Attacks, of which you get “6 shots” by changing weapons and you get them back with time or can get them back faster by building your character. Masterpiece/10.
The writing and acting in this game are simply amazing. I wanted to hear every little line of flavour dialogue because they added to my understanding of the world and characters in a meaningful way.
Finally can watch this video. I was so pissed off at the 3v2 battle in Alfheim, that I was like "okay, this time, I'm not going to attack at all... I'm just going to dodge attacks and break orbs this attempt, to see if it's even POSSIBLE to do this fight." I went about 5 min without getting hit when dodging and breaking the orbs was my ONLY focus. which proved to myself this was possible. Then I died a LOT more.
The final favor absolutely ruined me, such a morose and somber scene that culminates every terrible thing that happened during their journey to one final release. Mimir's solution of the riddle as well, just devastating. Big shoutout to Bear McReary for making one of the saddest and again somber songs ever with Raeb's Lament.
Finally finished the main story, and was able to watch this vid. Damn man, thank you for putting so much time and effort into not just playing these games to 100%, but putting such continual quality into your videos. You've encouraged me to play on NG+! Be well, my man.
Perfect timing. I just 100%ed the game this morning 😂 There are some questions left unanswered and I'm curious, since supposedly they said they'll move on from Norse mythology after this game. Surprised we didn't see Sindri again, nor Atreus. I wish we would've gotten more Angrboda too
Have a feeling Norse mythology will still kinda be involed in the next game or atleast with what atreus us doing. I'm also worried how they will make a sequel with out it feeling forced as Kratos story is kinda over, I feel like atreus finding something and then needing help is the only way. As for sindri, I have a feeling he will become an antagonist, simular to Freya. That's what it seems like
@@Quinnsula5 I doubt they'll make Sindri a villain cuz they'd just repeat the same thing as Freya. Who knows, maybe they'll make a spin off with Atreus and he'll stay there, while Kratos moves to another pantheon. I don't think they'll want to change Kratos as the protagonist, even if it *does* seem his story is over, especially with the scene of him being praised as a god in the prophecy painting
@@KevinAccetta Yes that's why I'm worried as they kinda finished his story and it seems like unless atreus need his help or something Kratos does not want to act. I feel like since atreus is less power full the Kratos sindr as his foe would work as they had the closest bond and also its not repeating the same thing if it's with a different character as atreus was not involed at all with the conclusion of freyas arc
watched this video for the second time while completing the game for the third time and by the end of the video I have 100% the game for the second time. this game has entraped me and it is my favorite video game of all time. even on new game plus I have upgraded all armor pieces, weapons, hilts, shields, shield ronds, all skills, relics, runic attacks, i have every enchantment, and upgraded every one of freyas accessory to tier three. I cannot and have not gotten enough of this game, it is truly insane.
This game is so much more fun if you complete it and then play it a second time. The stoty being build with parallels just make a second run much more rewrding
Beat the game on my first try on Give Me God of War and man…the way you describe the trio berserker fight is exactly how I felt. I spent 6 HOURS trying to kill them. I eventually did…but at the cost of my sanity
I couldn’t imagine on that difficulty, I beat the first game on give me a challenge but decided to this one on the balanced difficulty and that fight was annoying as hell
Fun Fact: Broc was able to resist Odin's manipulation due to the fact that when his soul was a recovered, his brother only managed to collect 3 out of the 4 parts. The part missing was Direction which is the exact part of the soul that Odin uses to manipulate the people around him. Because he didn't have it Broc was able to see through Odin's lies in that crucial moment. RIP King
Just throwing my like on the videoand peacing out until I get a chance to play this game! Just finished GOW 2018 and I was blown away; can't wait to get to Ragnarok!
Whenever Jesse gets around to releasing episodes of your playthrough has been the highlight of the past few weeks. Can't wait for the rest of the episodes to come out!
So I don't know if Jirard already finished filming with Jesse before making this one. Since I really want to see both of their first reaction on that Playthrough.
The change in Sindri was amazing. Was some serious good writing for his character. And the way he teleports away is uncomfortable too. The way they portrayed it always seemed like we *shouldn't* see it. From watching this whole game's playthrough, you never seen them use their teleportion magic and him doing so on screen was like a taboo being broken. I loved it. And it's heart wrenching.
Yup. I felt for Sindri. Man, when I saw he had taken off his gloves I knew he was hurt on a level he never been before.
Completely different game but every time I see his name I can only think *SSSSSSIIIIINDDDDRIIIIIIII*
It was fitting he took off his gloves and used Brok's hammer to deal the final blow to Odin.
deff real good writing but also good voice acting too that dude killed it, when he told Atreus like “this is what sorry looks like” talking about himself then is all just get the fuck out of my sight, like it legit broke my heart lol
At the beginning I thought they were flanderizating him... boy was I wrong.
Fun fact: the reason why Kratos calls Atreus BOY in 2018 was because they hadn't decided on his name yet when recording voice lines. But instead of hindering the writing they managed to spin that in a character arc of father and son growing closer over time. The most clever disguise of development limitations I have ever seen, brilliant!
That’s so sick
they also didn't decide on him being Loki until the very end of development, and it still fits into the 2018 story brilliantly
Those people making both games are god-like geniuses
Really? THAT's the cleverest thing?
@@orangesoda4535 yup they go into more detail in the documentary they made. its on the playstation youtube channel and a great watch
I got to say, I love Kratos's character development in this game. He talks and interacts with his son and others more than he did in the last game.
BOI
There are people that hate that and say it’s “not Kratos”. He has never been “open and talkative” they say it makes no sense. They believe his ceiling for character growth was 2018 but that’s far, far from the truth. I agree with you I love how he is more open it makes complete sense for the arc he has been on. I hope they do at least one more game and have him grow even further than he already has.
Same I’ve been with this series since 2 and everything feels pretty natural. It’s not perfect they still did great with it imo
@@DakBetterThanYourFavoriteQB444
It seemed pretty natural to me. He started in 2018 by being a distance and incredibly cold character, who couldn't express almost any emotion openly, then over the course of the adventure, he learns to open up, even if only a little bit. Then in Ragnarok, he opens by still being slightly cold and a bit distant, but he opens up even further as he learns to build trust with people outside of his own family. I think the progression of his character feels incredibly natural! And it feels earned! They're may be a few story beats in Ragnarok that seemed rushed, but Kratos isn't one of them!
@@DakBetterThanYourFavoriteQB444 in gow4 and 5, kratos talks because he wants to know stuff or explain his own stuff. There is good reason for communicating.
In the past games, there was no reason to talk as kratos had no companions who he had to explain his actions to and also that there was nothing he wanted to know. He already knew EXACTLY what he wanted
One underrated bit throughout the 2nd half is when Brok throws the riddle at Mimir. What grows bigger the more you take away, after a joke here and there throughout the scenes with brok it’s only after we see sindri broken that everything clicks.
A hole, the more you take away the bigger it grows, and we took everything from sindri growing the hole of pain inside his heart, to the point where even brok was taken from him.
Damn I don't know if that's the legit answer but golf clap to you good sir, that sounds pretty spot on. 🤙
@@joeybebop Mimir literally gives the answer at Brok funeral.
@@15OgLoc yea I was just coming back to say I just finished the funeral favor.
It's certainly a fitting story bit, but let's not act like it was a huge revelation.
The "hole" puzzle is one of those that you WILL run across at some point in your life, just like the "4 legs in the morning" puzzle. And that kind of takes the wind out of that story beat's sails. When I first heard it, it took me like a minute and then I just remembered the answer from years ago.
Would've been a lot more impactful if it wasn't as glaringly obvious or well-known. Or if the game was aimed at a much younger audience, that wouldn't know the answer instantly.
But the whole game is clearly aimed at a slightly more adult audience and as such it not only loses the aforementioned impact, it's also somewhat obvious foreshadowing, when it gets referenced throughout the game again and again.
That moment made me cry my eyes out, during the funeral I was on the verge of tears, and when Mimir solves the riddle, the damn was broken for me, it was such a beautiful and raw moment my god
As someone who's lost their mother to cancer, what Faye had to say about love culminating in grief really hit me. Hard. It felt like she was saying it directly to me. That I shouldn't feel lost because of my grief.
I'm sorry for your loss. But I am also glad you managed to get some catharsis through this game.
@@tyrantravealpha Much more than I thought I would. Especially since the plot of the first game is very similar to what happened for me and my sister, where we spread her ashes over a hill near our old home town.
This was the exact same for me with the recent passing of my brother. This game helped me heal and realize it was okay for me to feel this pain. Beautiful art through and through.
@@hunterj1312 That's why the best kind of stories are ones where the characters go through struggles that are realistic and relatable. There's a lot of that in this game. Loss, grieving, coming of age, discovering self identity, dealing with past trauma or mistakes, finding forgiveness, letting go of the past and to not be sorry for your mistakes, but to be better. There are genuine life lessons you can take from this game's story. Art imitates life, as they say.
That's why it's such a great game. Just like with music, feeling a personal connection to the media with your own life stories, trials and mistakes. To see yourself from a different perspective can be very powerful.
I hope they keep this series going with the same love.
I'm sorry for your loss and you wish the best my friend. Through struggle we find ourselves. Never give up, she wants you to succeed. You got this.
Petting the dog(s) absolutely means something AND is key to completion, as one of the trophies for the game is for "Petting the dog(s)". It's also a great character moment for Kratos when he goes from seeing the dogs as tools as companions.
If a game doesn’t have a dog to pet it’s not worth playing
@@galactichasyoutube775 soy
@@godzillazfriction Incel
@@godzillazfriction feel the touch of a woman
@@godzillazfriction this guy is definitely more of a cat person
Any other studio would have made The Crater in Vanahiem DLC, but I can never thank Sony Santa Monica enough for putting 100% of what they wanted in the game.... in the game. Having been a huge GoW fan since Day 1, I can safely say that this is the most emotionally grand scaled game of the series and I cannot wait to see where we go from here.
Man, when I got to the top of those ruins, having simply followed a dog, and saw a gigantic, beautiful new area to explore the depths of (and fascinating mystery as well), it was honestly my favorite moment of the game (amongst many).
Literally the only thing that was cut that we have found so far from the full game is a quest right before Ragnarök starts up at the end of the game. Original you would have convinced Surturs wife Sinmara to merge with him to defeat Odin. Id recommend looking up the quest, I feel this quest being cut really hurt the endgame too
Though honestly, should have been a ps5 and pc exclusive. Like with halo infinite, trying to design the game to work on older hardware can limit the creativity of the game and some even further streamlining
I just want more Crater. After being driven down semi-linear paths for most of the story, it was an amazing change of pace. The map design had more complexity than the empty deserts of Alfheim, but was well worth exploring. It kind of reminds me of Monster Hunter meets the design philosophy of Super Mario Odyssey (open world, lot of missions). And yeah, it totally feels like it could have been cut off into DLC, considering it's almost entirely isolated from the rest of the game, and the only way to properly access it is through an optional mission.
The only complaint I had was that they didn't make it clear enough that I needed to undam the river before I could progress in the sinkhole area. I didn't even know there was a third section, let alone a way to restore the water to the area. I spent so long looking for a wall to climb or grapple points to use before giving up and using a guide.
@@brandogents6624 Surtur really got burned by the story. He was effectively told that he'd have to become Ragnarok, only for Kratos and Atreus to realize that *maybe* they didn't need him to breach the wall, and it was a dick move to bring death and destruction to a whole realm.
My favorite improvement is how every side character undergoes their own arc:
- Freya overcomes the trauma of her son's death and emotional damage done by Odin
- Mimir shows remorse and regret for his assistance in Odin's stranglehold of the Realms
- Sindri feels like a completely different person after his brother's death. He's still processing that grief, and taking it very hard.
Thor bouncing between sobriety and alcoholism because of the shitty way he's being treated. Like an abused attack dog. His ending hit hard.
The fact that you get all the best abilities and armor at the end of the game is exactly why this game needs a new game plus
It's gettign one in Spring, i heard.
@@DeathAngel-ft8oz yep, hope it’s pretty extensive since it’s such a long wait 🤞🏾
Right? Getting the hilt, and only having Gna to use it on was such a bummer.
@@DeathAngel-ft8oz Oh, seriously?! Releasing Ragnarok in the Winter for the Fimbulwinter vibes, and dropping DLC in Spring to coincide with the passing of Fimbulwinter perhaps?
your wish was recently granted. The bear cloak is also an armor set.
I really threw myself into this game and got the platinum after close to 60 hours. I was recovering from Covid and my workplace decided to terminate me without giving me any reason, so I was happy to escape into Ragnarok for a couple weeks as life spiraled out of control.
Great video, thanks for all the hard work your team did this year. Happy holidays to you!
Hope everything's alright, brother!
Hopefully in some small way this game has done for you what it has for me. A fulfilling experience and focus in tough times
Your work fired you for catching a cold? What?
Well that’s a lawsuit lol
That's wrongful termination and a lawsuit I'm pretty sure your workplace will regret getting into.
I beat the game within the first 5 days of its release, I completed it about a week ago at this point. Easily one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. Very rarely does a game make me cry, not to mention make me cry twice. This game contains one of the greatest stories ever told while also maintaining fun gameplay and action sequences. It’s something I wish I could erase my mind of and experience it all over again
The game made me cry the most in any game I have ever played in my life.
💯 my dudes
@@joeldean2706then you haven’t played many games. I mean, the game is really good, but it’s not one of the best ever, not by a country mile.
@ElZamo92 actually it is. I bet you're one of those witcher 3 people
@@ElZamo92 Maybe you just don't have good taste. Ragnarok along with everything leading up to this game is the culmination of one of the greatest stories ever told across all media. It's rare when a character can evolve this much while feeling earned rather than forced.
As the credits rolled for the first time, I felt a feeling unlike any game has ever given me. I was somber. It was a thing of beauty to watch Kratos see he was capable of becoming more than he thought possible. Follow that with the gut punch of Sindri wanting nothing to do with Kratos at the funeral. God of War may not have taken home GOTY, but for me this game will be a memory I cherish for the rest of my days. It was a story wrought with emotion, and one that doesn't hold its punches. A master class in story telling, and a game for the ages.
The third act of the game is utter perfection. I find it hard to believe so many people weren't satisfied with it because I absolutely loved it and I'm not even really a video game guy, but this game was a pure spectacle and I will also cherish the memory of my first playthrough for life. Cory Barlog and SM are geniuses for these two games
Same
@@WaltFromTheFuture same, I can't believe how and why so many people dislike this game and hate it. I've seen so much hate comments
I can't understand how can they not like this game and day it isn't an masterpiece
Unfortunately in this game Kratos only says “boy” once.
Makes it even better considering how and when he says it
My score for the game was 9.5/10 but because of that fact it goes all the way to 0/10. Completely ruined my experience.
This is sarcasm in case someone didn't catch it. Game's a masterpiece imo.
Now that's some character development
But it’s the ‘boy!’ of all ‘boys!’
Not unfortunate because its part of the character development
If I was to go over my single favorite scene/line from the game, it'd be Brok's Blessing.
However, if I was to go by "the line that'll get a giggle out of me even 10 years from now", it'd be when escaping with Tyr, taking a side-path, and Atreus begrudgingly explains, "My dad likes loot..." The delivery absolutely ruined me until we'd returned to Sindri's.
Mimir calling Odin "All-Fucker" during the final battle had me cackling.
@@drakontisaraptikos9927 I swear, Odin going "What did you call me?" really made it.
For me(where I'm at is going to the Norns), I laughed at Mimir's "The hell's an olive?"
@@thanatos_razl I LOVE the long pause after Kratos says "Olives"... GREAT comedic timing. Pause like they're in deep contemplation or remembering them, then Mimir just... shatters all expectations.
@@smartboy201 exactly. It's the pause then Mimir being flabbergasted at an olive
Atreus' combat reminds me of robin/nightwing since he's acrobatic, agile and more of his own person since every person's fighting style is different. If he's nightwing then kratos is batman by that principle
True. Atreus is like Robin
I really appreciated this completionist review having spoilers. I understand that it alienates a big chunk of the audience and is bad for viewership. But I'd love to see bonus spoiler discussion videos going forward. A lot of people don't even finish games anymore, so its really nice to get someone's complete thoughts on the story.
This is the first game I ever got all the achievements for. Its my first platinum trophy. I would also like to say that this game has a perfect plot twist. It makes so much sense afterwards and on a second play through you pick up little details that you missed or wrote off throughout.
I had a moment when Kratos was cutting the noose on 'Tyr', remembering the stories Mimir told about Odin hanging himself for knowledge - but then did not think any more about it till "that scene" *sobs*
A small detail that I noticed is, after Brok dies, Sindri no longer wears his protective gloves. Quite possibly a sign that he wants to shake off the fear and anxiety that was often a source of ridicule and disagreement between his brother.
No bro sindri lost his self.. and dont give a fck anymore... And its so heart breaking to see.. either we liked it or not brok is the only reason thats holding him together, thats why to somehow still feel the presence of brok, sindri is now using broks hammer
Sindri turning blue next game
Of all the GOW fans that deserved a review code - why didn’t our boy get one?? Thanks for an awesome 2022 Jirard and Team Completionist! 👌
I mean, some people put in the work to get a review code!
Jirard didn't just put in the work, he became a GOD of work! What gives!?
They knew he needed to review it with full ability to gush over all of the spoilers.
A review code usually implies that a review comes out close to the launch date. I'm glad that he wasn't under that kind of pressure, like he was with The Callisto Protocol.
I really don't understand why people call this a reboot. It's a true sequel with updated mechanics for the modern cinematic action game. This is how you make a good sequel, you evolve the character to beyond recognition and let the story explain the change.
Remember when Kratos yelled at everyone and put his foot in people's ass for nothing? He's a far distance from the man he was.
Kratos may be one of the greatest fictional characters of all time.
0:56 and some of us still wait, for an episode of the completionist on "God of War: Chains of Olympus"
Dude, that berserker gravestone fight with the three mages were stupidly difficult. I raged on that fight until I realized that what makes it so difficult to me was the auto-aim system. that keeps snapping the aim to the nearest target, but would not account for the homing fireballs coming your way, so I was never managing to hit that things until I turned it off. After this and with the experience from the fights before, I managed to beat it.
Man, in 2018 GoW I lost my shit when he picked up the blades, it was such a big scene and it was a complete surprise. Ragnarok doesn't really have THAT big of a moment, but it has MORE moments of "holy shit, this is happening" than the original.
Yeah, the whole "I must return home", then equipping the blades, conquering the past, all for your son; shit was powerful.
The Draupnir reveal was nice and Brok's death certainly had some crazy impact, but overall it truly feels a lot more "subdued". Less stuff you've "never seen before" blowing your mind and rather multiple moments of "huh, that's neat".
I think giving a spartan his spear was pretty impactful. The moment when you realize why Sindri did not want Brok to tag along with Kratos made me hesitant to go back to Sindri's house
@@Franticity7 The "Ancient" heavy runic attack for the spear reminds me of the arrows raining down at the end of 300.
Kinda bummed you didn’t touch on the massive plot piece tied to the ravens and the witch. Learning what was actually going on with Odin’s Ravens made me enjoy re-killing him on my second playthrough. We don’t really get to see the full extent of how monstrous Odin is in this game, but the Raven subquest really exposed us to just how evil he can be.
You want to know something that I loved in this game. It’s canon that they platinumed 2018. Multiple references and/or actual sightings of completed work. Both big and small.
it's crazy to see how the God of War series has grown. It even got placed the stagnation of the greek myth and smoothly went into Norse.
I knew this game would hit his gamer heart because how amazing it is. Great job dude on completing the game.
The final scene hit me like a truck “Loki will go, but Atreus… Atreus remains”
I don't know if it was intentional but I find it interesting that in 2018 and Ragnarok both times he got those weapons because Atreus was in danger (falling ill in 2018 and the threat of being killed in Asgard) and those weapons end up changing the game hugely both times.
It’s definitely intentional, the same as how every time Kratos uses Spartan Rage in a cutscene it’s because Atreus is in danger
The funeral quest absolutely wrecked me emotionally. Brilliant quest and great way to round out the story.
"A hole... it gets bigger, the more you take away." Some of the best writing from any media ever. Incredibly heartbreaking.
Love how the actual credits roll only after completing that quest. they probably knew majority of players would go do that after finishing the game
@@braxtonwise9897 If you consider a riddle that any adult in the world has heard before, the "best writing from any media ever", you REALLY should read or consume ever so slightly challenging stories.
You like the game, that's fine. But don't try to bullshit about very basic things like they're incredible feats. Makes it feel like you're 6 and you've experienced a story beyond "the hungry caterpillar ate something and wasn't hungry anymore".
@@dowfreak7 Who pissed in your coffee this morning? Dude really likes the quote and meaning behind it, so what, good for him.
@@dowfreak7 I think in my opinion; what he means… the riddle section (not the riddle itself) being a lighthearted way for brok and mimir having banter, mimir (smartest man alive) being outwitted by brok; who is by no means the smartest individual (can’t say that after the tyr debacle XD ) but the theme was carried through a good chunk of the game… where it unfortunately takes broks demise for mimir to figure it out.
I wasn't ready for the journey to be over by the time the platinum popped. This may now be my favourite game of all time. As someone who has only 100% a few games it speaks volumes that someone like me wanted to get every last bit of content, experiences, lore and character conversations that I could out of this game.
"Loki will go. Atreus remains." The feels ... :*)
Nothing like have 2 super bosses that are ridiculously hard, and incredibly satisfying to beat after banging your head against a wall for 5 hours.
I hope they are hard on its hardest difficulty. The bezerker king only took me 2 tries and the queen 4 times. Nothing like sigrun in gow 2018 who took days for me to beat
God of War Ragnarok is one of the only games that not only made me cry but also emotionally moved me. If Elden Ring hadn't won, this game most definitely deserved to win GofY.
It's truly a masterpiece.
Really liked that you pointed out the skill usage being meaningful. I found myself often checking those menus to see what things I should focus on in combat and it really made me appreciate the variety in the system they built!
Just finally bought this and finished it over the last few weeks, saw a few videos saying it wasn't a good game and those people were way wrong. It was a masterpiece, felt like I was playing a movie and Kratos' development is amazing. Only played on GMGOW and I heard the king was so tough but I beat him first try I think. Gna wasn't as tough as Sigrund by any means and I'll take the berserker over the Valkyries since the Vs kicked my ass non stop but still real fun fights. I never used one full armor set and was told you can't beat Gna without the right armor or specific tactics but after a couple dozen tries I went in with the stuff I liked and just wailed on her until she stopped moving
I like the story of Surtr in this. Instead of sacrificing both him and his wife, they both swapped hearts to always be together, so Surtr combined the heat with his wife's heart in him to become Ragnarök to keep his wife alive.
Especially the dialogue when you return to Nifilhim later:
Freya: Someone's crying.
Kratos: Sinmara.
Mimir: Ah, Surtur's true love. Perhaps we should tell her what happened.
Kratos: She knows.
@@MelodicQuest oh god I just got this today. And I teared up a bit.
He went from "I won't help you" to "I will help you" within mere minutes of the game's story. It felt rushed. Actually, the entire story of this game felt rushed.
@@iRedditShorts he saw a way to bring Ragnarok without hurting the woman he loves. It isn't surprising.
@@saniakshay12 Thor and Sif-- want revenge for the death of their sons for almost the whole game, especially Sif. At the end of the game, Sif goes full 180 and tries to change Thor's mind.
Heimdall-- built up as this powerful villain because he can see the future, dies in a short fight.
The Norns-- a huge buildup to the Norns and their importance, but they are immediately obsoleted. They have no real weight.
Odin is the only character in the game that didn't change his mind constantly or go full 180.
Freya-- Becomes Valkyrie queen and fights Kratos near Kratos' home, almost immediately forgives Kratos in what could have been an even more badass fight if they drew it out longer.
Kratos-- We must conquer Asgard! Just afterward-- we must not conquer Asgard!
I could go on and on. The whole game constantly felt like a build up to an orgasm that was either ruined or never happened.
This game has become my third favorite game of all time, and I'm comparing it to some of the greats from the 2010's. This is a true masterpiece during a time where game companies only care about putting out a vessel for their battlepass. Santa Monica Studio's did so incredibly well on this game!
I feel vindicated to hear you had a challenging time with that 3 berserker fight too. I was simultaneously livid and motivated to try it over and over again when I inevitably lost over and over again, haha.
Dude. Such a satisfying kill them and the doubles one were brutal.
oh I thought I just sucked. dude those bosses killed me four like 3 hrs. I even had the final one at literally not even visible health and I knew right then and there I was going to die. It then proceeded to dodge my next attack and hit mne before I could react. another couple hours later I finally beat it
God that fight was ass lol.
@@Saben.C-Spoon nah its not your fault. but the part that makes it hard its the darn camera angle of the game and the lock system. its ridiculous that you have 2/3 enemies out of site for most of the fight and when you turn to see wtf they doing 9/10 times the 3rd one spams you attacks
Gna was hell! Took me quite a while! Kratos tearing up after Atreus leaves was one the most tear jerking moments in gaming. Other then when Fenrir dies at the start, that got me goooood.
Loved this game so much... GOW 2018 was probably one of my favorite games of all time. This game lived up to all of the hype of 2018 in different ways, I loved the story, combat and graphics. Loved the personal moments, conversations and loved the over arching ending and message. Kratos is the true champion... One of the easiest platinum trophies to achieve because nothing feels repetitive or like a chore. Great video as always Jirard, Happy and safe Holidays to you and your loved ones!
Same
The Axe was made for Kratos wife, he wields it with mournful content, the blades of chaos were forced into Kratos hands by an unwavering master... But the Spear, the spear is a weapon fully embodied by Kratos. He even states it is the first weapon a Spartan learns to use, a weapon made for Kratos that he doesn't hurt to use.. Adding a new weapon/tool could have fallen incredibly flat (like the sword in the OG GoW 1-3), but the spear feels so utterly perfect for Kratos. I loved playing through this game SO much.
I logged 36 hours into this game and just did everything I had found across my path, but didn’t seek anything out, if I was given a side quest, I would explore it, I ended with a quest log empty, and I’m happy with that, perhaps I’ll return in the future to try out some more post game content.
But the game was absolutely amazing.
My favourite part about this game is how it subverted our expectations of who Odin really was. The 2018 game built him up to be this big, all-powerful, imposing deity... but Ragnarok reveals he's just some meek old guy who's running Asgard like a manager running a business. I thought that was both hilarious and a nice change of pace from what we've normally seen as a god in God of War games.
I really like how some armors change appearance as you level them up
I love the way Sindri and Brok's arc went. Brok finally learning him being undead and coming to terms with it. Sindri finally breaking and wallowing in guilt and pity over the 2nd loss of his brother. The riddle Brok gave Mimir had such amazing payoff too. "What gets bigger the more you take away" is such a Brok riddle since he can twist the answer "a hole" into sounding like something vulgar "A-HOLE". But it also clicks in Mimir's head because of him seeing the state of Sindri. He gave away his resources, his safe haven, his skills, his treasures, his secrets and when Brok died, he threw out his friends and companions aswell. The hole grew bigger and bigger. Killing Odin didn't fill the hole, it only made it feel emptier.
The starting armor having the best stata after beung fully upgraded reminds me of ninja gaiden, where you fully upgrade the wooden sword and turn it into the strongest weapon
I was a Nintendo fanboy as a kid but UA-camrs like Jirard introduced me to the wider world of games. I probably wouldn't have ever gave a shit about God of War if it wasn't for TheCompletionist.
"The game respects the player's time". I can't fully agree with this since some of the puzzles feel unnecessary and it is so easy to get lost in the abandoned village in Vanaheim along with there being no fast travel to the Mystic Gates. There's also the fact that Ironwood exists.
I remember the Friday few days before GoW Ragnarok released looking through the online shops and was lucky to get a PS5 bundle with the game. The feeling as it was delivered 1 day before release was amazing. It was a journey i never forget.
I knew it was something special when during launch week I would play til 2-3 in the morning cause I was so hooked into the story and didn’t wanna put the controller down lol. I hope the live action series does it justice.
In a time when game studios crap all over legacy characters to try and uplift poorly written "modern" characters, it feels really nice when a studio like Sony Santa Monica honors a Legacy character like Kratos with proper writing and an EXCELLENT character arch! It also helps that they didn't kill him off in a pathetic way, but actually kept the door open for new adventures with him AND Atreus/Loki! I'm so excited for the future of the God of War series, and who knows, maybe we'll also get a God of Mischief series as well!
Don't forget that mimir's head can be used as a weapon in the game.
I have been waiting for this video! Thanks for all your hard work Jirard and the Completionist team!
I love God of War and God of War Ragnarok. I love all the characters and how beautiful it is. I loved the conversations, especially when they were traveling to another place or just sitting down. I also admit I cried alot during scenes.
I watched 2018 GoW to see if it is still good and it really is, it actually has better set-pieces than Ragnarok although the gameplay is more limited.
Same
Been waiting for this review! Love your videos.
I have never had a piece of media bring me so close to shedding a tear
I am relatively new to being a father. And this game..... absolutely high art
DUDE! I’m a father to a 11yo son.
This game got me shook.
There is almost NO media that more accurately depicts a father/son relationship in a traditional sense - either the dads a piece of shit, or the sons a piece of shit, or one of them is an abc123.
This game is important.
I think Sigrun was harder because Kratos had way less to work with, which makes sense. This game makes you feel way stronger
I agree, Gna was a brutal challenge but no where near the struggle of Sigrun. Back in 2018 it took me over 200 tries to beat her and this was before the NG+ patch and I was a level 8 AND I was on GMGOW difficulty so that’s that but in this game I was a level 9 and on GMGOW difficulty and I beat Gna in like 5 tries. Heck the berserker king gave me way more problems than Gna, took me over 30 tries to beat him 🥵 but overall this game is a masterpiece in every sense of the word and my personal game of the year. I never played Elden Ring and don’t plan to. Bloodborne is the only from software game I played and I’m fine with that so I can’t have an opinion on Elden Ring. God of War Ragnarok is a definite gem of a game and is a must play for fans and actually a ps5 system seller even if it’s also playable on ps4.
This game truly was phenomenal. They actually made me love the side quests. I have never been so invested in side quests in a game before. Maybe mass effect is close to this. But you learn so much more from every character and just the banter from Kratos to mimir to atreus and freya is just unbelievable so deep and well written. Just a masterpiece nothing else I can say.
Can't wait for NG+. I'm assuming they will once again add extra gear in it
Even though it just came out I can already tell this is an excellent video keep up the good work
The game is just a masterpiece man. I have played and completed it about 3 times now. Love it made me cry every time.
Thank you. I agree with your sentiments. There are some slow sections, but they are important to the whole. Everything about this game was beautiful
My biggest complaint with the story is the section with Angrboda, it was just plain awful. Doing dumb meaningless tasks like gathering fruit, killing bug nests, and fighting her grandmother; man it was such a chore and a snooze getting through all that and going back to the main story.
Yeah it was, the only good thing was finding how jormungandr lived was underwhelming but still it is good finding out how it lived
That's gaming 1o1 man, it works perfectly as a initial "Here's Atreus" level. You can't just throw people into a game with a whole new playset with out starting small...it was also is amaizng storytelling with starting of snall and dumb with "Feeding animals" to going into fighting giants, that way when we get to Asgard it's more in line with GoW gameplay as Kratos
In Norse mythology Angrboda is Loki's wife. It would be weird not to explore that in the game.
I'm late as I wanted to finish watching the Jesse Cox playthrough, and I thought it was really sweet that Jirard called Jesse his best friend. :') That's so wholesome.
You didn’t mention that the real Tyr can be found in a secret prison on Niflheim after beating Odin.
I came across this video in my search for that quest specifically. Imagine me once the video ended. 🤡 👀
"I'm the biggest god of war fan ever"
...
"The veneer goddess and her son boulder"
I remember my first “oh shit wasn’t expecting this” moment is the first time Freya XP goes on the screen. From that moment I had to be so careful playing when my wife was as well cause I didn’t want ther to peak over and see that. When she got there I was so relieved
Should've known I'd see the ending b/c spoilers. Oh well, seeing it is one thing. Witnessing it while playing it, is a whole different feeling, and I can't wait to get that feeling. Hopefully by forgetting it
Kratos: boosts Brok up a ledge
Brok: Don't go tellin' anybody about that.
Me: *FUCK YEAH! NICE!!!*
I'm predicting the next GoW will take place in Egypt for three key reasons. 1 The Jotun predicted he would die and that Atreus would curse the heavens as he held his father in his arms. 2 we saw an emphasis on Egyptian artifacts in Tyrs Temple in GoW 2016. And 3 Egypt has a very strong connection to the Land of the Dead/afterlife and having Kratos there while Atreus remains in the land of the living is just too good of a dynamic to pass up.
One day I will watch this whole thing several times over either after I play it myself or see you and Jesse Cox’s playthrough to the end. Cheers to the great work you and your team did to get this video together!
Just finished watching this after completing the game for myself...witnessing these powerful moments again, even in this entirely different format, I still felt the waves of raw feelings I felt in my playthrough. Such a beautiful game with incredible direction that somehow continues to pay homage to long time fans of the franchise such as myself. Amazing.
While I like the game, two words: The Maven. Playing this game on the harder difficulties is already frustrating rather than a challenge but then you get to bosses that are just nonsensical. They literally prepare their big move while you are mid resurrection animation and it still goes off, killing you again, its THE stupidest game design(No you do not have time to shield bash as soon as you res, especially when the gap is 10 feet and the window is 2 seconds on no mercy). Sometimes you gotta question whether you're actually the God of War when even the weaklings have super armor but they can combo you to death in 5 hits. The combat only really felt satisfying and challenging during Atreus' story(probably cause they recognized he's on his own path) and when you get to a certain part and feel that rich culture be revitalized back into Kratos' story.
Then there's the obsessive chatter even during simple puzzles like flipping an obvious switch. I won't deny the writing for the story parts are masterfully done, Sindri's story is peak fiction, but there's definitely some areas where they try a bit too hard to liven up things, like how they really push crapping on Mimir despite him already trying to right his old wrongs. Its just not really good comedy with how vicious it feels. The only dialogue I feel was perfect was Kratos and Atreus then Brok and Sindri. Heck Tyr's writing is insanely good, especially on a rewatch of it all.
While it is a good game, really feels like people are trying to justify it being this incredible "perfect" sequel when its just a well made sequel. Definitely credit them with at least balancing story and combat better than most titles out there.
I actually prefer the 2018 game over Ragnarok for these reasons. I'd say that the game overall is more a 6/10 and not a 10/10 like everyone else says.
Yea, it's far froma perfect sequel, because in many aspect the previous game is still superior in quality and little detail, for example, in Ragnarok they removed unarmed execution, if you fight barehand and do a grab, Kratos get the axe out of nowhere, even if you left it miles away, and do an axe execution instead, and after that he continue to fight with the axe, that you have to get rid of again to return fighting unarmed.
I love the special intro music you made just for this review to include the theme of GOW 2018/Ragnarok. Really makes this video feel special.
Only downside is that Atreus gets nothing in the post-game, which is why I wish they did a standalone DLC (like inFamous: First Light) perhaps setting up the next step of Atreus' story.
...that and some form of confirmation on the whole mask thing. (that's got to be Athena and Thoth trolling Odin)
I really hope that Atreus gets a standalone sequel, similar to Spider-Man: Miles Morales or Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
Santa monica dont do dlc for god of war they said thays it for this so dont expect any dlc but if they do something with atreus expect it to be a full epic game lol
I feel like it’s leading to possible Atreus only sequel. As his quest in its nature holds the possibility to transverse many new worlds
@@jardex2275 same
I agree
I managed to finish Ragnarok up yesterday and had time to watch this video today and I'm happy how much love GoWR is getting. I don't use the term "perfect" too often describing things but I can't think of any other way to describe this game. I haven't cried at a game since my first time playing FFX almost a decade ago and this is the first one since. Masterpiece through and through.
It nice to finally have a balanced review on this game
An excellent video, no game has stuck with me after 100% completing it like this one. Made me not only go back and 100% it again on the hardest difficulty, but go and play through the original PS2/PS3 games for the first time.
i can only think of a handful of games that reach such hights in theyre series or genre, mario 64, final fantasy tactics, mass effect 2 among them. but i wanna say, rest in peace brok, and thor, and may sindri find peace and forgive his lost friends. in time.
I’m so glad Elden Ring and God of War came out this year!
This game is TOO Great! It made 2018 absolutely obsolete thanks to its amazing gameplay with more bosses! It’s a game about countering in different ways, be it the shield with parry and blue ring, with heavy attacks and shortcuts to reach them provided by the combos, or even countering red ring attacks with your Runic Attacks, of which you get “6 shots” by changing weapons and you get them back with time or can get them back faster by building your character.
Masterpiece/10.
The writing and acting in this game are simply amazing. I wanted to hear every little line of flavour dialogue because they added to my understanding of the world and characters in a meaningful way.
Finally can watch this video. I was so pissed off at the 3v2 battle in Alfheim, that I was like "okay, this time, I'm not going to attack at all... I'm just going to dodge attacks and break orbs this attempt, to see if it's even POSSIBLE to do this fight."
I went about 5 min without getting hit when dodging and breaking the orbs was my ONLY focus. which proved to myself this was possible.
Then I died a LOT more.
The final favor absolutely ruined me, such a morose and somber scene that culminates every terrible thing that happened during their journey to one final release. Mimir's solution of the riddle as well, just devastating. Big shoutout to Bear McReary for making one of the saddest and again somber songs ever with Raeb's Lament.
Finally finished the main story, and was able to watch this vid. Damn man, thank you for putting so much time and effort into not just playing these games to 100%, but putting such continual quality into your videos. You've encouraged me to play on NG+! Be well, my man.
As someone who just platinumed the game, this was such a fun platinum to do. The sidequests and extra areas are amazing.
Slight correction: It was Vanaheim that was made hot and humid ("Ygros") from Fimblewinter and Svartalfheim had earthquakes.
Perfect timing. I just 100%ed the game this morning 😂
There are some questions left unanswered and I'm curious, since supposedly they said they'll move on from Norse mythology after this game.
Surprised we didn't see Sindri again, nor Atreus. I wish we would've gotten more Angrboda too
Atreus + Angrboda are adorable on screen. And yeah i imagine the next game will be in another pantheon like ancient egypt
Have a feeling Norse mythology will still kinda be involed in the next game or atleast with what atreus us doing. I'm also worried how they will make a sequel with out it feeling forced as Kratos story is kinda over, I feel like atreus finding something and then needing help is the only way. As for sindri, I have a feeling he will become an antagonist, simular to Freya. That's what it seems like
I finished it today as well!
@@Quinnsula5 I doubt they'll make Sindri a villain cuz they'd just repeat the same thing as Freya. Who knows, maybe they'll make a spin off with Atreus and he'll stay there, while Kratos moves to another pantheon.
I don't think they'll want to change Kratos as the protagonist, even if it *does* seem his story is over, especially with the scene of him being praised as a god in the prophecy painting
@@KevinAccetta Yes that's why I'm worried as they kinda finished his story and it seems like unless atreus need his help or something Kratos does not want to act.
I feel like since atreus is less power full the Kratos sindr as his foe would work as they had the closest bond and also its not repeating the same thing if it's with a different character as atreus was not involed at all with the conclusion of freyas arc
watched this video for the second time while completing the game for the third time and by the end of the video I have 100% the game for the second time. this game has entraped me and it is my favorite video game of all time. even on new game plus I have upgraded all armor pieces, weapons, hilts, shields, shield ronds, all skills, relics, runic attacks, i have every enchantment, and upgraded every one of freyas accessory to tier three. I cannot and have not gotten enough of this game, it is truly insane.
This game is so much more fun if you complete it and then play it a second time. The stoty being build with parallels just make a second run much more rewrding
Since you didnt say it, i will
I gave this the completionists rating of "complete it"
"worship it"
Beat the game on my first try on Give Me God of War and man…the way you describe the trio berserker fight is exactly how I felt. I spent 6 HOURS trying to kill them. I eventually did…but at the cost of my sanity
They're on zero health, why are they not dead? And now I'm dead. Aaaaagh
I couldn’t imagine on that difficulty, I beat the first game on give me a challenge but decided to this one on the balanced difficulty and that fight was annoying as hell
Fun Fact: Broc was able to resist Odin's manipulation due to the fact that when his soul was a recovered, his brother only managed to collect 3 out of the 4 parts. The part missing was Direction which is the exact part of the soul that Odin uses to manipulate the people around him. Because he didn't have it Broc was able to see through Odin's lies in that crucial moment. RIP King
Just throwing my like on the videoand peacing out until I get a chance to play this game! Just finished GOW 2018 and I was blown away; can't wait to get to Ragnarok!
Finished the let's play and came straight to this. You're the man!
So cool to see how similarly you feel about the game as I do! It was truly a gamingcareer highlight, what a game!😄
Whenever Jesse gets around to releasing episodes of your playthrough has been the highlight of the past few weeks. Can't wait for the rest of the episodes to come out!
ironwood and lots of plotholes and unnecessary characters really hinder ragnorok, which is tragic
Where is the phrase? The “I give this game a completionist rating of, complete it”. Did I just miss it?
I respect that they give us the full game and don't do DLC but man I wish they would give us some story DLC for this one
So I don't know if Jirard already finished filming with Jesse before making this one. Since I really want to see both of their first reaction on that Playthrough.