The RPG Files: God of War Ragnarok Review

mmorpg.com:

In 2018, a brand-new take on God of War was released on PlayStation 4. Gone were the over-the-top bluster and juvenile tendencies of the previous trilogy. In their place was a more grounded tale centered around an older and wiser Kratos, who was trying desperately to distance himself from that past and focus on his present, namely his son Atreus. God of War: Ragnarok continues--and concludes--that story, and it does so in one of the most satisfying and memorable ways I could have imagined. 

NOTE: This is a spoiler-free zone. No specific story elements or plot points will be discussed.

The world of the Nine Realms will feel familiar to those who played the previous game, only now the effects of Fimbulwinter are in full force. The Lake of Nine is frozen solid, traversed via sled dogs rather than boats. Kratos and Atreus can no longer use Tyr's Temple to travel through the realms, instead they must use gateways activated with seeds from Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life. Despite these new obstacles the game's story plays out in a similar fashion: visit a realm, do things in that realm, leave when you're done exploring, on to the next realm. 

Every area of Ragnarok is brimming with beauty, though each has its own form of it. Svartalfheim's lake area will feel comfortable for those who played the previous game, its deep blue water simulating the Lake of Nine of old. Returning realms like Helheim and Muspelheim retain their ice cold and fiery personas respectively. A few other places--none that I'll mention here due to spoilers--are just as gorgeous, offering some incredible sightlines as you gaze over the horizon. 

What I can talk about without risking spoilers is the combat system, which is for the most part unchanged from