God of War Ragnarok

[Nosejam]

This is so good, it’s been a while since I’ve played a game for 6 hours straight. Playing on performance mode, did try 30 and 40fps modes for a while, but I just really struggle to adjust after the smoothness. 

[Dark Soldier]

It feels, and this is no slight, like the greatest DLC the world has ever seen.

[Benny]

I always thought after the last God of War that

 

Spoiler

The end of that game was basically set up to deliver a couple of DLC follow up episodes. Especially with the way there are realms shown on the area select and the way it talks about them but that you can't go to.

 

I guess they basically scaled up the budget and ambition and decided to make a sequel instead.

 

[CrichStand]

Very early impressions........it’s incredibly cinematic, more so than the first game. They’ve really doubled down on the whole Hollywood AAA Blockbuster feel/approach. Yet at the same time there’s stuff like clipping and pop in which becomes really glaring because of that. It’s not a big deal but something that’s certainly caught my eye, especially after playing Horizon FW recently. 
 

The image quality on Performance does seem quite soft, with a pretty big jump when switching to Favour Image Quality. Graphics are fantastic but definitely not on a par with Horizon, at least so far. Seems closer to the first game than I thought it would be, but again it’s early days and have not seen the kind of crazy set pieces it seems like it will be pulling off. Audio is great, again really atmospheric and very AAA Hollywood movie. Gameplay wise, it’s definitely more of the same which is not exactly a bad thing!

[MattyP]

Seems the PS4 holds up well too for this. DF have a comparison video out. 

[CrichStand]

Oh yeah, the God of War recap option on the main menu is absolutely fucking abysmal. I have no idea what they were thinking. Can’t tell who is talking, who is who, what the hell is happening on it and I only finished the game the other week! 😂 Definitely seems like it’s worth playing the first game before jumping into this if you haven’t done so yet.

[NecroMorrius]

The fucking useless cunts at DPD have taken my copy "to a convenient pickup location" 4 miles away on foot. Yeah, sure, I'll take a baby on an 8 mile round trip in the rain while also somehow working full time to do your fucking job for you. Cunts. Still, it's interesting to see how many of these cunts couriers will happily tell you that you didn't answer the door when you've got 24/7 CCTV and motion alerts that say otherwise. (It's all of them).

 

[amc]

Playing favour performance then dropping to the 30fps mode is quite the juxtaposition. It's fucking jarring, at least for the first few minutes, it seems to chill out and not be so harsh after a short while. Perfectly playable. Fuck that though, regardless of my eyes adjusting down it still pales compared to 60fps and above. Just been in a dark cave with some pitch black spots, looks fantastic on Oled with the lit parts of the screen really popping in HDR amidst the ink. 

 

Game is feeling like the best pair of comfortable and familiar slippers ever made. Really am glad to be back in this world.

[CrichStand]

Yeah, 60fps all the way. Still looks fantastic and better than pretty much every other game going. Finding the environments really atmospheric, to the point I’m just walking around everywhere drinking it all in. Plus I want to savour this one, make it last and 100% it.
 

Seems like there’s a problem with the 3D Audio, playing on headphones and stuff running down the Center of the soundstage is phasing like all fuck in places. Hopefully that gets sorted quickly.

[dreamylittledream]

On 08/11/2022 at 12:08, JoeK said:

Well, it's going to be an awfully long time before I'll get to play this (and I'm just assuming it'll come to PC eventually), so watching a little bit of the intro section on youtube.

 

Man it's exceptionally well done.

So torn. I still have my PS4 (vanilla) sat under the TV unloved and not turned on in a year but do I have the patience to wait for the PC release that realistically is 18 months plus away?

 

2018 is undoubtedly one of my all time favourite games but my replay this year on my laptop in full 60fps glory might tarnish playing this somewhat compromised.
 

Not to mention trying to wrestle the TV from the kids and wife and playing on a bloody DualShock 4. There was a reason I bought a high spec gaming laptop…

[CrichStand]

Playing on Hard and so far this seems to be way, way, waaaaaay easier than the previous game. Enemies go down like a sack of spuds and there are loads of health drops all over the shop too. Must be a couple of hrs in and it feels like I’m verging on being invincible. I remember even the first couple of enemies on the previous game being a challenge. 

[JoeK]

46 minutes ago, dreamylittledream said:

So torn. I still have my PS4 (vanilla) sat under the TV unloved and not turned on in a year but do I have the patience to wait for the PC release that realistically is 18 months plus away?

 

2018 is undoubtedly one of my all time favourite games but my replay this year on my laptop in full 60fps glory might tarnish playing this somewhat compromised.
 

Not to mention trying to wrestle the TV from the kids and wife and playing on a bloody DualShock 4. There was a reason I bought a high spec gaming laptop…

 

Despite having bought the PS4 game ages ago when I somehow managed to buy it for a fiver, and then picking up the PC version of the thing, I've still not got hugely far in it. I find the combat fairly tricky . Even on easy . I also get distracted by veering off the path and punching chests. 

 

It's an odd one - I had similar issues with Horizon for a long time before knuckling down and pushing through. I've now played through that game three times, so I'm hoping that it'll happen with this too.

 

Possibly just in time for the sequel arriving on PC.

[stir fry]

tbh, I think I'm not enjoying this one. Around 3 hours in I think. It reminds me of how I felt playing GoW2, the original one, how the similarity it had with GOW1 made it get boring fast (for me). It could change but indications from reviews is it's delivering a similar kind of style. It really just feels beat for beat very similar to GOW 2018. Which I did like a lot, but I had my fill with that one. As I did with GoW 2005 back in the day.

 

Dunno, guess I'm not as big a fan of new Kratos as I'd thought. Unless there's some big gameplay twist that makes it feel more of an advancement on the first one I think I'll just wait and see what people have to say about it before moving on

[Triple A]

Two hours into this now.

Loving it, but I wanted more.

Probably the best overpriced expansion ever.

[Jamie John]

I've only played for an hour or so (up to the bit with the...

Spoiler

bear)

but I'm enjoying it so far. The combat is pleasingly chunky and the haptics on the DualSense feel great. I'm looking forward to getting properly stuck in at the weekend.

[CrichStand]

4 minutes ago, stir fry said:

tbh, I think I'm not enjoying this one. Around 3 hours in I think. It reminds me of how I felt playing GoW2, the original one, how the similarity it had with GOW1 made it get boring fast (for me). It could change but indications from reviews is it's delivering a similar kind of style. It really just feels beat for beat very similar to GOW 2018. Which I did like a lot, but I had my fill with that one. As I did with GoW 2005 back in the day.

 

Dunno, guess I'm not as big a fan of new Kratos as I'd thought. Unless there's some big gameplay twist that makes it feel more of an advancement on the first one I think I'll just wait and see what people have to say about it before moving on

Can totally see where you’re coming from with that and why. There’s a definite sense of deja vu playing this. So far, it’s literally following the same template, structure, pacing, narrative as GOW 2018, almost note for note. It’s even using the same locations too, which doesn’t help. Hoping it breaks out of this template soon and mixes things up a bit.

[Thor]

The guy they got to play Odin is an inspired bit of casting. The actress playing 

Spoiler

Faye too, I thought the face looked familiar. It's Deborah Ann Woll, from Daredevil. 

 

I'm enjoying this, but I can absolutely see why some will tire of it quickly, it's very much souped up DLC. Looks absolutely astonishing in 120hz mode mind you. 

[Stanley]

1 hour ago, CrichStand said:

Playing on Hard and so far this seems to be way, way, waaaaaay easier than the previous game. Enemies go down like a sack of spuds and there are loads of health drops all over the shop too. Must be a couple of hrs in and it feels like I’m verging on being invincible. I remember even the first couple of enemies on the previous game being a challenge. 

On the other hand I’m on normal and have died quite a few times whilst I get to grips with the different weapons and various forms of attack. It throws quite a bit at you I think and it’s been a while since I played the last game. I’ve not died to any bosses yet though, they haven’t been too bad so far. 

 

I’m enjoying it, it’s a great game to play going into winter for sure with some lovely frosty locations and seasonal glowing and sparkling effects. It’s like a Norse advent calendar. 
 

The combat is absolutely superb and makes the game, which is more than can be said so far about exploration. You do feel

quite hemmed in and pushed around corridors, much the same as the last game of course, and I don’t want to compare it to BOTW or Horizon ZD because it’s doing something a bit different, but you know, they exist so it’s hard not to. It’s very much corridor, climb ledge, smallish combat arena, squeeze through gap in rock, rinse and repeat. Perhaps that will change but it’s the thing that dates it the most. 
 

Otherwise the graphics, sound, acting and  presentation in general are top tier, and it gets off to a spectacular start with the set pieces. 

[teddymeow]

This is fucking magnificent!!

 

Cup of tea, headphones on, proper good!!

[CrichStand]

22 minutes ago, Stanley said:

On the other hand I’m on normal and have died quite a few times whilst I get to grips with the different weapons and various forms of attack. It throws quite a bit at you I think and it’s been a while since I played the last game. I’ve not died to any bosses yet though, they haven’t been too bad so far. 

 

I’m enjoying it, it’s a great game to play going into winter for sure with some lovely frosty locations and seasonal glowing and sparkling effects. It’s like a Norse advent calendar. 
 

The combat is absolutely superb and makes the game, which is more than can be said so far about exploration. You do feel

quite hemmed in and pushed around corridors, much the same as the last game of course, and I don’t want to compare it to BOTW or Horizon ZD because it’s doing something a bit different, but you know, they exist so it’s hard not to. It’s very much corridor, climb ledge, smallish combat arena, squeeze through gap in rock, rinse and repeat. Perhaps that will change but it’s the thing that dates it the most. 
 

Otherwise the graphics, sound, acting and  presentation in general are top tier, and it gets off to a spectacular start with the set pieces. 

 

Think it’s definitely a lot easier than the opening of the first game. It’s more accessible and designed to ease new players in. Use the shield and you can’t get hit! I’m around 3-4hrs or so in now and finally hit a tricky section, so the challenge has ramped up a bit, which I’m happy about. It’s mixed things up a bit too and the environments don’t feel as samey.

 

Agree about the combat. It feels a lot snappier and quicker in this than the last game too, more frenetic and action packed because of it. Dodging the faster moving projectiles then laying into an enemy with a range of attacks, switching weapons for more damage, whilst using Atreus to stun folk feels seamless and pure class.

[Hitcher]

4 hours ago, Moz said:

The fucking useless cunts at DPD have taken my copy "to a convenient pickup location" 4 miles away on foot. Yeah, sure, I'll take a baby on an 8 mile round trip in the rain while also somehow working full time to do your fucking job for you. Cunts. Still, it's interesting to see how many of these cunts couriers will happily tell you that you didn't answer the door when you've got 24/7 CCTV and motion alerts that say otherwise. (It's all of them).

 

Why didn't you tell them to leave it somewhere safe?

[Hexx]

On the talk of difficulty - I assume you can change mid game?

[Chindie]

An hour in and it's exactly what I wanted. More of God of War 2018.

 

Which will inspire the idea of it being a huge expansion DLC. So far (which isn't saying much) it basically is. It even has what I think is a shot for shot callback to the end game teaser of the last game that suggested where they were going next.

 

But that's what I wanted. So this is fucking brilliant.

 

Agree the casting is great. Odin is a different take but it fits with the Odin the last game set up - an untrustworthy boss of a crime family. I'm intrigued where they'll take him. And this version of Thor... The guy they have playing him sounds like Josh Brolin as Thanos at times and it's a brilliant match for the role of mafioso right hand muscles guy.

 

I need to keep playing.

[Capwn]

4 hours ago, MattyP said:

Seems the PS4 holds up well too for this. DF have a comparison video out. 

would love to watch this but worried about spoilers. I’m about 4 hours in, wonder if it’s safe, probably not.

[joffocakes]

I've played about an hour and a half of this and it's already made my PS5 crash three times Not even back to the home screen, just suddenly powers down. Had to switch it off at the mains for a while to get it to turn back on.

 

On performance mode that full time so might try another to see if that's the issue, as well as other games but if it's just GoW causing it I'll likely just return it til there's a fix.

[Dark Soldier]

Thats weird as I've done 4 hours, all Performance and not had a single issue.

[joffocakes]

Yeah it's odd. I've found a few other folk describing the issue on Twitter but not as many as I'd expect if it's a PS5 issue.

[CrichStand]

33 minutes ago, joffocakes said:

I've played about an hour and a half of this and it's already made my PS5 crash three times Not even back to the home screen, just suddenly powers down. Had to switch it off at the mains for a while to get it to turn back on.

 

On performance mode that full time so might try another to see if that's the issue, as well as other games but if it's just GoW causing it I'll likely just return it til there's a fix.

Noticed this game seems to be heating my PS5 up a fair bit. Is your’s well ventilated and have you tried taking the panels off and cleaning the fan and vents lately? I was shocked how much dust was in mine last time I cleaned it. Might be worth a shot.

[amc]

Yeah, many hours played, a couple of hours beforehand with GT7 so the machine was nice and toasty too. Not encountered any probs with GoW2. Touch wood.

 

I've been all about PC (Steam Deck, beyond PS5 capable Desktop, even a bit of Series S with my GP Ultimate) for a good while, but hot damn am I in the Sony zone the past few days. Some absolute smashers getting played in my living room. GT7, HFW, GoW2. Love it when I get the PlayStation kick from their top tier games. No warrior BS, just love when games hit home.

[Capwn]

9.5 hours into this. Some quick thoughts;

 

- it’s a AAA PlayStation game!

- it’s great! (Last of the obvious now)

- it does feel a bit ‘greatest hits’, hitting the same notes as the original, can’t say what without spoiling it

- it’s as I expected, horizon forbidden west but God Of War

- BUT! I think Horizon was never great where as GOW was, so it’s all good 👍