God of War Ragnarök | Review Thread

[Yurinka]

Some guys are probably saying gameplay being the same based in the initial 30 minutos footage that youtubers where allowed to share before launch.

PS. I do expected some twists to align with he mythology... let's see which ones will surprise me and which ones I guessed right

I won't spoil anything. I'll only say they did a great job continuing the story of the previous one with their very own adaptation of the mythology and then adding some surprises. Like some characters or events that you expected to be/act in certain way behaving in another way, but justifying it very well, doing it in a tasteful way that matches very well with this and the previous game.

The game also does a great job at keeping you wondering what will happen next because it feels that it can go in a certain way and also in the total opposite way. That it can be what it's logically hinted from the first one -from where the story went and the prophecies- or the events and characters from mithology, but at the same time the characters want to write their own story and fight the destiny, and each character pulls to bring the story on a different direction and all directions make sense.

We also see all the characters, good guys and bad guys, protagonists or secondary, more human, well written, deeper and multidimensional, and also evolve and mature. So for every specific character you can expect that will go on a certain direction and party may be right but also can go in other direction at least partly, or the evolution of the story and his personal growth can make this character change.

In the Greek games the story always revolved around Kratos, in GoW 2018 started to also focus a bit more on Atreus and other characters but this new game is more coral, they give more attention to many characters (not only Atreus) and they become way more important.

They keep very well the mistery of what will happen in the story and also with the characters because a lot of things are possible (both expected and unexpected), would make sense and would fit well.

At this point, I'm going to let you guys circle jerk each other. 2018 GoW is very similar to GoW:R in gameplay. To say they are totally different experiences is just being a fanboy and trying to make it be more special than what it is.

Playing 2018 then R there is no mistake, the combos are different, the traversal is different, the whole pace of the combat is different... Just watching videos was enough for me to see, playing the new game makes that fact even clearer.

It's way more different than going from MegaMan 1 to MegaMan 2, of Far Cry 3 to 4 or 5... or Uncharted 2 to 3.

At least in the first 8 hours the game keeps the combat+exploration/puzzles+cutscenes structure, but beyond improvements in traversal/exploration/puzzles and adding new attacks and combat mechanics to Kratos and support stuff for Atreus, after the 8 hours introduces something highly changes the gameplay during portions of the game, allowing you to do extra stuff and in exchange not allowing you do to other things you were used to, heavily changing your combat and exploration/puzzles and how do you approach them.

And from what I saw in a bit spoilery reviews they do it several times in different ways across the game. It isn't like in GoW 2018 where they did almost a genre change highly changing their narrative approach, camera or the general type of combat and adding the support character, or like in Elden Ring that they add open world on top of the Souls formula. But it's a very important change that mixed with the combat+exploration/puzzles and narrative improvements and changes make it feel very different even if at the same time keeps being the same genre and a sequel. It feels very fresh, expanded and improved but still familiar, I think the perfect spot for a sequel that isn't a full reboot.

 

[arvfab]

He compared Elden Ring gameplay as being different from let's says Dark Souls 3 while GoW:R is not different in gameplay as GoW (2018)

I'm not even sure to what to think anymore.

Yeah well that's bullshit, ER plays exactly like Demon's Souls, with the remake looking at least good.

 

[peter42O]

At this point, I'm going to let you guys circle jerk each other. 2018 GoW is very similar to GoW:R in gameplay. To say they are totally different experiences is just being a fanboy and trying to make it be more special than what it is.

Seven hours in, I can say that the combat/gameplay is extremely similar to 2018 but the counter to that is what was in 2018 was excellent for the most part so why change any of it? Granted, there could be changes later on but im not expecting anything major to be honest but again, at the same time, I don't really need any changes because the combat and gameplay loop is satisfying.

 

[Deleted member 13]

GOW 2018 was basically a reboot of GOW franchise and gave a whole new feeling to the GOW series so why is there a debate for/against on whether the sequel feels the same, it's supposed too! It's a sequel to a reboot that did things differently and there is/was no need to reinvent anything with this GOW. Developers don't reinvent the wheel every sequel, that shit would drive me mad!!! GOW Ragnarok is what it's supposed to be, a refined sequel with better pacing than the initial, more variety of enemies as opposed to the first and just better in most ways but sticking to the things that made 2018 a gem and that's exactly what I wanted.

Thank you very much for this. It seems people here are arguing for the sake of arguing. Saying it's very similar to 2018 shouldn't be responded with "how is it the same" as if the game is totally different.

 

[Deleted member 13]

I would ask you again, where did you learn this?

Yes they are similar in a way, they're in the same series, but they are significant in about as many ways as they are close.

Playing 2018 then R there is no mistake, the combos are different, the traversal is different, the whole pace of the combat is different... Just watching videos was enough for me to see, playing the new game makes that fact even clearer.

It's way more different than going from MegaMan 1 to MegaMan 2, of Far Cry 3 to 4 or 5... or Uncharted 2 to 3.

You watch too many xbox podcasts, that blurs your sense of reality.

All of you need to chill out with my impressions of the game. If you think the game is a totally different experience and it's like playing 2 separate games from 2018, good for you.

But don't troll me over my thoughts. It's getting annoying at this point.

 

[Deleted member 13]

Seven hours in, I can say that the combat/gameplay is extremely similar to 2018 but the counter to that is what was in 2018 was excellent for the most part so why change any of it? Granted, there could be changes later on but im not expecting anything major to be honest but again, at the same time, I don't really need any changes because the combat and gameplay loop is satisfying.

Since you have the game and are playing it, I'll let you waste time trying to explain to the other guys why the general gameplay mechanics are the same. For some reason me saying that makes it a negative impression of the game overall.

 

[PlacidusaX]

Yeah well that's bullshit, ER plays exactly like Demon's Souls, with the remake looking at least good.

No it doesn't.

 

[arvfab]

No it doesn't.

You are right, it's a lot easier.

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

There are changes in gameplay... very perceptible.
But I understand that in a very personal way it could feel similar or different... it will be an opinion of each person.

My only issue is to say GoW (2018) to Ragnarok gameplay is the same and say that Dark Souls to Elden Ring gameplay is different... that will just show the bias because that claim is very misleading.

As you say, the Souls games are all in the same family in a way, they are different, but you know what you are getting into when you sit down to play one of those.

 

[ethomaz]

No it doesn't.

It does.

From did minor changes in the gameplay combat in each new game/interaction... Elden Ring used the last interaction found in Dark Souls 3 that is a bit more fast than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls.... even the developer said you have very similar experience very close to Dark Souls 3.

To be fair I should say Dark Souls 3 combat is a bit faster than Elden Ring... From said the target was to make Elden Ring combat very close to Dark Souls 3 combat in speed but not exactly the same.

Again.
Saying Elden Ring has a new gameplay compared Souls is the same that say Ragnarok has a new gameplay compared to GoW.
Saying Elden Ring has very similar gameplay to Souls is the same as saying Ragnarok has a very similar gameplay to GoW.

You can choose your poison based in your personal fell.
But say that one is similar e other different is misleading.

 

[Yurinka]

Seven hours in, I can say that the combat/gameplay is extremely similar to 2018 but the counter to that is what was in 2018 was excellent for the most part so why change any of it? Granted, there could be changes later on but im not expecting anything major to be honest but again, at the same time, I don't really need any changes because the combat and gameplay loop is satisfying.

It's a mainline sequel, so the game obviously isn't now a soccer game or a driving game or something like that, and keeps the structure of a combination of combat + exploration/puzzles + cutscenes even if there are changes to improve and tweak each area.

I played slightly above 8 hours and saw a big change in the 8th hour, that makes important changes to combat and puzzle solving, on top of the many new (compared to the previous game) attacks and abilities that you unlock for Kratos as main character and Atreus as support character.

From what I saw in spoilery reviews that important change in your combat and puzzles is made in different ways across the game multiple times and there is also at least another combat specific big addition that gets unlocked later.

 

[PlacidusaX]

It does.

From did minor changes in the gameplay combat in each new game/interaction... Elden Ring used the last interaction found in Dark Souls 3 that is a bit more fast than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls.... even the developer said you have very similar experience very close to Dark Souls 3.

To be fair I should say Dark Souls 3 combat is a bit faster than Elden Ring... From said the target was to make Elden Ring combat very close to Dark Souls 3 combat in speed but not exactly the same.

Again.
Saying Elden Ring has a new gameplay compared Souls is the same that say Ragnarok has a new gameplay compared to GoW.
Saying Elden Ring has very similar gameplay to Souls is the same as saying Ragnarok has a very similar gameplay to GoW.

You can choose your poison based in your personal fell.
But say that one is similar e other different is misleading.

Gow and Gow R are much,much closer in every way.
Very disappointing.

 

[ethomaz]

Gow and Gow R are much,much closer in every way.
Very disappointing.

We will agree to disagree.... both are very close in every way except From is recycling the same gameplay since 2009 while Santa Monica since 2018.

 

[PlacidusaX]

We will agree to disagree.... both are very close in every way except From is recycling the same gameplay since 2009 while Santa Monica since 2018.

Nah Elden Ring is open world unlike any other Soulsborne game from them.
That alone changes more than the Gow to Gow R differences.

 

[ethomaz]

Nah Elden Ring is open world unlike any other Soulsborne game from them.
That alone changes more than the Gow to Gow R differences.

What exactly being Open World changes in the combat gameplay?

I mean the Dev said they used Dark Souls 3 gameplay as base.

"We’d say the sense of speed of combat is closer to Dark Souls 3,” said Kitao. “If you remember we had Dark Souls 1 and 2 released with the more steady, deliberate combat speed. Then Bloodborne came out which really kind of changed that and added a lot more speed and aggression. We saw that the fans really responded well to that, so we wanted to incorporate a bit of that speed into Dark Souls 3, and that was met quite well. So we’ve used that as a base, sort of a starting point for Elden Ring."

"You can expect stamina to work in a similar way to how it did in Dark Souls 3, [except in the overworld],” shared Kitao. “As we want to alleviate the stress of traversing the huge overworld, stamina management only comes into play during combat, and within dungeons. So, when you’re out roaming the Lands Between and you’re not in combat, you can hold down the sprint button indefinitely without consuming stamina. We wanted to give the player a stress-free experience as much as we could."

 

[Bryank75]

Gow and Gow R are much,much closer in every way.
Very disappointing.

Not if you loved GOW 2018 and wanted a lot more of that....

People play Souls games cause they love that gameplay and that approach to story etc.

Coming in to GOWR expecting something totally different when they are just after overhauling everything in the last game....is a bit unreasonable, I feel.
This game is about a grander scale, more content and variety and developing the gameplay on from what 2018 laid the groundwork for.

2018 was the foundations.

 

[PlacidusaX]

What exactly being Open World changes in the combat gameplay?

I mean the Dev said they used Dark Souls 3 gameplay as base.

I'm not going to explain what people who actually played all of the mentioned titles know.
If it's to hard for you to grasp then we know where you fall.

 

[ethomaz]

I'm not going to explain what people who actually played all of the mentioned titles know.
If it's to hard for you to grasp then we know where you fall.

I played all of them lol

I'm a Souls fans before people even know Souls games existed... I'm part of these 900k guys in US that brought Demon's Souls before no more copies was shipped by Atlus.

 

[PlacidusaX]

Not if you loved GOW 2018 and wanted a lot more of that....

People play Souls games cause they love that gameplay and that approach to story etc.

Coming in to GOWR expecting something totally different when they are just after overhauling everything in the last game....is a bit unreasonable, I feel.
This game is about a grander scale, more content and variety and developing the gameplay on from what 2018 laid the groundwork for.

2018 was the foundations.

It's not different enough in a single way and that's disappointing.
I played that style out in 2018.
I expected much more from a Sony exclusive and thus far its been a chore to play.
I won't make my full opinion until completion of course.

 

[ethomaz]

Not if you loved GOW 2018 and wanted a lot more of that....

People play Souls games cause they love that gameplay and that approach to story etc.

Coming in to GOWR expecting something totally different when they are just after overhauling everything in the last game....is a bit unreasonable, I feel.
This game is about a grander scale, more content and variety and developing the gameplay on from what 2018 laid the groundwork for.

2018 was the foundations.

I imagine how people will be when Spider-Man 2 plays similar to Spider-man
Or From Software releases a new Souls based game with the same base 2009 gameplay with the same graphic engine.