5 plot essential: Kratos, Atreus, Freya, Balder and... Mimir?
Other 4 the dwarves and Thor's kids?
God of War Ragnarok Thread
- Thread starter BrawlMan
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Other 4 the dwarves and Thor's kids?
Maybe it’s the gameplay style too. It just seemed like even though the old games had quite a few basic boss encounters they also had a good deal more of that larger than life stuff to the world design. The combat, platforming and puzzles were tightly designed and often had a nice flow from one
I remember wailing on those Hateful bastards and a few other mini bosses, berserkers, etc. on Story difficulty for nearly as long as on GMGoW. Kratos can go through several cycles of all runic attacks and maybe knock off a quarter of their health if that. Some enemies can be brought down more easily by mixing in some melee or elementals to stun, but others are just straight up designed to be spongy.
Yeah there’s that song and dance as the game slowly plays its cards, but ultimately it did still happen (the whole thing with Surtr going primordial and subsequently laying waste to Asgard), and it was mostly used as a backdrop for a gauntlet of underwhelming end game combat. I guess I can’t be too disappointed here though as the GoW games’ endings were never its strong points. The beginning though, I was hoping for a lot more than a sleigh ride with Freya and an Elden Ring style rune bear. Thor‘s first battle had its wow moments but most of that was the cinematics themselves vs the actual fighting.
My favorite part of the game was pretty much hanging out with Thor, hoping Atreus would eventually thaw his cold heart.
Ragnarok is one of those games where people talk about it and I feel like I'm crazy. Maybe I'm a simple rube sucker but my god did I love it.
Many of the criticisms amount to people imagining a different game in their heads and complaining about the game they actually got. Which is fine if that's your hobby but it ain't my hobby. Especially criticizing plot elements- how could there be a "correct" plot in a fantasy game that uses made up characters from a made up world of a made up world transplanted into another made up world of another made up world? Typical internet/fanboy nonsense.
Complaints like that there is too much dialogue- man, they need to play games with too much dialogue lol. Lack of jump button, Ragnarok should have been a whole 'nother thing, bosses shouild be bigger- ok, y'all talking about different games now, not this game.
I fully expect the same thing to happen with Spiderman 2. It will be great, but "just" a sequel to a great game. The things that impressed people with the first GoW and Spiderman games will not be fun to talk about so the sequels get boring to critics and then generate clicks and attention but saying that the things they liked are no longer cool. Blah blah blah.
Many of the criticisms amount to people imagining a different game in their heads and complaining about the game they actually got. Which is fine if that's your hobby but it ain't my hobby. Especially criticizing plot elements- how could there be a "correct" plot in a fantasy game that uses made up characters from a made up world of a made up world transplanted into another made up world of another made up world? Typical internet/fanboy nonsense.
Complaints like that there is too much dialogue- man, they need to play games with too much dialogue lol. Lack of jump button, Ragnarok should have been a whole 'nother thing, bosses shouild be bigger- ok, y'all talking about different games now, not this game.
I fully expect the same thing to happen with Spiderman 2. It will be great, but "just" a sequel to a great game. The things that impressed people with the first GoW and Spiderman games will not be fun to talk about so the sequels get boring to critics and then generate clicks and attention but saying that the things they liked are no longer cool. Blah blah blah.
Nigh impossible goals and unrealistic expectations will do that you. This isn't just a problem with Ragnarok in certain receptions to it. This is still a problem with gaming as a whole. You have these people who either get gas lighted by marketing hype, media sites, or gas light themselves expecting the greatest game of all time, each time.
I don't know where they're coming from on this complaint. Other than your tag/companion partner, and Mimir, spoiling the puzzle solution for you too early. I think that's where people are coming from.
You're always going to have your bandwagons jumpers and people go with the it's popular now it sucks crowd. They have no real spines and can't make decisions for themselves. They just want to feel special or be in something for the shallowest of reasons.
Well, a plot needs to be consistent and well structured regardless, and character arcs need to be given the proper time and care, whether it's Fantasy or not.
When you run into the 'we'll finish this story later' cut-off multiple times during one session, there's clearly a case of the game having a bit too much to say. And the thing is that these talky moments are expressly designed to fill the empty space while canoeing around, but when the trip from dock to dock is 20 seconds yet the talking is a good 2 minutes long the solution has kinda become the issue.
AAA games (from Sony) need to learn the value of loneliness again, being just one person in a world, with only the occasional secondary character popping up to share a scene. The constant presence of a side-kick/companion, talking every other minute, sort of feels like a crutch at this point.
In principle I think you're right but in this particular game the premise is two gay dads raising their teenage son so it wouldn't be the game for the main character to go solo.
I'm not saying that's what Ragnarok should've been, but it is indicative of how modern Sony games are adament about having someone with you (talking) at all times. Kratos, Mimir, and Atreus? Ofcourse. Kratos and Freya? Yeah, okay. Atreus and Sindri? Uh, sure. Kratos and Brok? I... guess? Atreus and Thor?! Uhmmmm.
It takes away from the edge and intensity of some of these characters, and gameplay wise they just end up feeling interchangeable.
The classic GoW games have some of the best levels, and that's not just because they're well designed, it's also because it was just you and the world. In TLoU2 (yeah, I'm bringing that one up again, shut up) the best parts are the chapters where it's just Ellie alone, as it gives the world and the levels room to breath, and for you as the player to just sink your thoughts into the environment. No 'hey, look at that *L3 ping*' or 'remember when we did that thing once'.
- Ghost of Tsushima - Jin on occasion has companions, but those are mostly optional side quests. For most of the game, it's just him and his horse.
- Evil Within 2
- Armored Core 6
- RE2R & RE3R
- Elden Ring
- Lies of P
- Callisto Protocol - I don't blame you for disliking the game though.
- No More Heroes III
- Dead Space Remake
Why? There are a metric fuckton of games like that, why does Sony need to learn to be like all those?
I don't know... I just want them to.
Sony games are generally my go-to, but I feel they're leaning a bit too much on the talkative companion gimmick.
Or the protagonist’s internal narrative *insert Aloy’s pensive, breathy voice every thirty seconds*
I just find it crazy and ironic that games such as Lollipop Chainsaw, Shadows Of The Damned, No More Heroes, and later Oneechanbara games have either better companion dialogue, wittier dialogue, or are not constantly on 24/7 then most of these huge budget AAA games. Then again, like I mentioned before in a different thread, it seems like everyone's trying to get on that MCU/Deadpool dialogue money. It's either being forced or lacks any wit and creativity.
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Did you play Ragnarok or are you going off of what some are saying about it?
'Cause I played it and watched a bunch of Marvel and Deadpool and comparing the dialogue between those two like is way off. They are not the same at all.
Maybe the joke went over my head but I think I remember you were into my (joke) suggestion that the very lonely and very isolated Ico be remade into an Uncharted-esque amusement park ride where every little thing you see and do has running commentary by sassy Yoda and Ico's sassy magic stick.
I wasn't complaining about Ragnarok's dialogue. The dialogue in that game is great. My only gripe is when the companion characters or Mimir spoil puzzle solutions before you even get the chance to start it. FTR, I did play and complete Ragnarok back when I had it. Don't know how you forgot about that, but I am not going to hold it against you.
Also, I don't know why you quoted my same post twice. Must have been an accidental double click.
Once again, I wasn't referring to Ragnarok. The games I was referring to are Marvel's Avengers, Forspoken, or just any AAA (Sony) game that feels the need to chat it up every 5 seconds thinking the audience has ADD/ADHD. Or thinking their dialogue is "clever and witty", but it's usually annoying, nut funny, or just plain shit. Another set of games that either get dialogue and wit right are Devil May Cry (3-5) and Bayonetta (mainly 1 & 2). These characters can smack talk, crack jokes, but they're not constantly on 24/7. They can get serious when it counts, and know when shut up and their actions speak louder than words.
Maybe as a parody, but as something sincere? No, I don't think I would be. Can't remember exactly what I said though, maybe I was in a mood.
Thank you for posting I don’t recall ever seeing this one. So well done, and a much deserved tribute. It highlights a lot of the stuff that stood out and stuck with me most, but also some other little details that show how much thought was put into the game.