I played 4 hours of God of War Ragnarok and they were rock solid

After what felt like years full of hype and trailersthe next entry in the God of War Franchise is finally coming on November 9th. And before God of War Ragnarok‘s launch on PS4 and PS5 next month I played the game to review. And while I can’t talk about everything, I can share some early impressions of the first few hours. It’s mostly good news, huh RagnarOk Plays very similar to 2018’s Fantastic God of War. But I’m a bit concerned about the balance of narrative and action in this highly anticipated sequel.

The default setting of RagnarOk is this: About three years after Kratos and his son embarked on a wild adventure The original game from 2018, they find themselves in a deadly, horrible winter that will likely end in Raganork, also known as the end of the world. Revealed to be a half-giant in the last game, Kratos’ son Atreus is actually Loki. Atreus’ search for answers eventually causes some trouble and trust issues between Kratos and himself, resulting in the duo (and the talking head, Mimir) being forced to embark on yet another realm-hopping adventure.

First the good news! If you enjoyed the last game and its fight, you’ll be happy to hear that RagnarOk is more of it. So yes, throwing the ax and remembering it like Thor from the Marvel movies is still amazing and feels wonderful. And this time you start with the fiery and legendary Blades of Chaos, unlocked only in the late game 2018 God of War. Now, those chainswords that first appeared in the classic PS2-era God of War games are instantly just a part of your toolbox, making puzzles and combat encounters more complex faster.

For example, one puzzle required me to freeze geysers while using my blades to rip open metal doors to control the flow of water, allowing me to spin a large wheel and move forward. Another time I was attacked by enemies that had Ice Shields that blocked all damage until I burned them away with the Fire Blades. But I could still use my ax to chop up smaller enemies, making combat a dance between the two weapons.

I appreciated the way God of War Ragnarok quickly starts mixing up enemies and puzzle elements early on, forcing you to switch between your trusty ice pick and your fiery chainswords. Nothing in the early hours of the game seemed too hard for me, but I didn’t get bored either, even on standard difficulty. Likewise, the early-game boss fights are just tough enough to keep you busy, but not too tough to be a hindrance for most players. They’re also some of the coolest parts in the first few hours, with a fight between Kratos and a big bear being one of my favorites.

However, some might be annoyed with the game’s opening, which is quite slow. Outside an exciting and chaotic sled escape right at the start RagnarOkthe opening hours of the game are very cutscene and narrative-heavy. This stuff is good, and the writing and acting continue to impress just like it did in 2018. RagnarOk doesn’t pretend the last game didn’t happen, giving Kratos more moments when he can be a little gentle or caring. Meanwhile, Atreus strikes the perfect balance between a grumpy teenager and a serious young man. While all the writing and acting is great at first, it still feels like there’s a little too much talking and not enough hacking. I suspect impatient players will be wondering when they’ll be able to swing their ax again in the first few hours. Oh, and be prepared for some sad animal moments. Yes, the opening of RagnarOk is a bit of a shame.

Luckily, as soon as it starts again – after a very intense fight against a very powerful person—-RagnarOk shift into high gear and quickly place some bets on that next adventure. I’m really excited to see how things will play out after these opening hours, especially as the game is beginning to show that Atreus may no longer need his father and Kratos isn’t handling it very well. After watching them grow closer in the last game, it might frustrate some when they start drifting again, but I like it. Atreus is now a teenager, after all, so the next logical step in Kratos’ fathering journey should be dealing with the cranky teenager. Good luck Kratos.

I will have more to say in my full review God of War, but now after a few hours I’m definitely looking forward to watching and playing more. My early criticism of too many cutscenes seems to fade the deeper I dig into it RagnarOk, while the combat continues to feel wonderful and difficult. if RagnarOk survive the landing and have a satisfying ending, it could be something very special for PlayStation owners when the full game releases on November 9th on PS4 and PS5.