Fighting through fatherhood

GOD OF WAR: RAGNAROK
From: Sony
For: PS4, PS5
★★★★★

My late father was not into video games — and he was no god of war — but he was on my mind a lot when I played through the deep and dazzling God of War: Ragnarok.

There is plenty to say about this game, the quite remarkable sequel to the smash hit of the last PlayStation generation that is a sublime experience with virtually zero faults.

But for me, the action, the combat, the puzzles and the exploration play second fiddle to a simple father-and-son tale.

The gruff Kratos and the increasingly brash Atreus return for another series of adventures loosely based on Norse mythology, set three years after the events of the original (but eighth in the series) God of War.

Winter has come, as the Starks might say, and the freezing winds of Fimbulwinter are the stunning backdrop to the story that unfolds as Kratos and Atreus team up with a supporting cast to prevent Ragnarok, the great battle to end all battles that will leave every god and his dog just a little bereft of life, and all of the nine realms (except Asgard) in ruins.

The family dynamic was a moderately interesting feature of the original but really takes centre stage here as our heroes alternate between close allies and classic father-teenager antagonists.

Kratos, bless him, is battling with the concept of his boy being that much older and independent; Atreus, meanwhile, is moving from lad to young man and experiencing all of the issues that come with that. Because, you know, being half-giant (he is otherwise known as Loki) and one-quarter god and one-quarter mortal is not enough.

Unlike the earlier game, you now get to actually control Atreus for some sections of the game, using his powerful bow to offer some variety from the hack-and-slash action of his daddy.

It’s an absorbing, entertaining background to an epic story, and helps this become one of the great single-player experiences.

Games have been getting closer all the time to genuinely immersive experiences, and GOW: Ragnarok took me on a journey as much as it entertained me.

The quality of the writing and acting is remarkable, and the utterly first-rate production values set an incredibly high bar for other big titles to come.

We now take it for granted that big-ticket games should look amazing — but this one has to be seen to be believed. Fimbulwinter might be a miserably cold experience, but it has given the developers a chance to create worlds of stunning beauty.

But is it fun to play? Oh yes.

The combat is somehow even silkier and even smoother than the original, as you wield and deploy Kratos’ Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos in all sorts of ways against all sorts of enemies. His shield is also buffed to be deployed as an actually attacking weapon, rather than just being strictly used for defence.

There’s a variety to the action that is really most pleasing. The sequel features a wider range of baddies, and more ways with which to crush them.

Alongside that are the puzzle elements that were good in the first game, but have really expanded to become a huge highlight of the sequel. You will find yourself searching for hidden paths and ledges to climb, and thinking about how to use your weapons to cause explosions or freeze objects.

Then there are the role-playing elements and the opportunity to develop your attributes, learn new skills and improve your weapons, a constant but never-arduous element of the game.

Exploration? Just a bit. The sequel takes you to all nine realms — the original featured just six — and within is lots to see and do.

Time passes differently in this world, and while the main storyline is not particularly long, the bits and bobs around it keep you entertained for a good while.

There are some minor gripes — so perhaps a review score of 4.9 out of 5 would be better. There is a little too much conversation at times, and I still don’t find the map particularly easy to navigate.

But this is a genuinely great game, and a wonderful finish to a heck of a story.