God of War Ragnarok: A Disaster Disguised as a Masterpiece - Critique & Analysis
LazerzZ・134 minutes read
The creator discusses the flaws in "God of War Ragnarok," criticizing its rushed development, disjointed storytelling, and lack of narrative coherence. Despite some praised elements like visuals and soundtrack, the game's writing, character development, and exploration fall short compared to its predecessor, lacking depth and purpose.
Insights
- The game "God of War Ragnarok" is criticized for its disjointed and lackluster experience due to poor integration of well-polished elements.
- The pacing of the story in God of War Ragnarok is highlighted as a major issue, with the game feeling like two games combined into one due to its rushed development.
- The decision to merge two games' worth of content into one game leads to a disjointed narrative structure and a struggle to maintain focus and depth in storytelling.
- The exploration in Ragnarok feels disconnected and empty, leading to a sense of simply checking off tasks rather than exploring for the sake of discovery.
- The combat in Ragnarok gradually improves as the game progresses, with more brutal finisher moves and varied boss fights making Kratos feel more lethal than in 2018.
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Recent questions
What are the main criticisms of God of War Ragnarok?
The main criticisms of God of War Ragnarok revolve around its rushed storytelling, disjointed narrative structure, lack of focus and depth in storytelling, and the struggle to explore numerous plot points and character arcs effectively due to trying to fit too much content into one game. The game is also criticized for its lack of narrative cohesion, rushed pacing, sacrifices in nuanced dialogue, and a focus on grand designs over a tight narrative, affecting its overall quality.
How does the game portray the Norse pantheon?
God of War Ragnarok portrays the Norse pantheon in a modern, humorous approach, deviating from traditional expectations. Odin is depicted as the evil corporate head, Sif as the mother holding the family together, Thor as the dad in a midlife crisis, and Heimdall as the big bully character. However, characters like Boulder, Magni, and Modi do not fit into this narrative as they were conceived in a different creative plan for the gods in the game. The game trades serious themes like child abuse for a lighthearted approach, avoiding depth in character development and rushing through character arcs with unnatural dialogue.
What are the criticisms regarding the exploration in Ragnarok?
The exploration in God of War Ragnarok is criticized for lacking depth, purpose, and believability compared to the previous installment. The world design lacks clear contextualization and movement through the space, making it less engaging and immersive. The open world feels disconnected and empty, leading to a sense of simply checking off tasks rather than exploring for the sake of discovery. The exploration lacks structured and well-designed puzzle areas that made the previous game engaging and rewarding, focusing on bigger spaces but failing to understand why the previous game's exploration was successful.
How does the combat system in Ragnarok compare to its predecessor?
The combat system in God of War Ragnarok mirrors that of its predecessor, maintaining a similar combat style for Kratos. The game gradually improves combat as it progresses, with more brutal finisher moves and varied boss fights making Kratos feel more lethal than in the previous installment. However, the acquisition of gear and items feels forced and unnatural, lacking organic integration into the gameplay. The combat system lacks innovation, retreading the same path as the previous version with minor changes that don't significantly impact the gameplay experience.
What are the main themes and criticisms of the game's storytelling?
The main themes and criticisms of God of War Ragnarok's storytelling revolve around fate, prophecy, rushed pacing, sacrifices in nuanced dialogue, and a focus on grand designs over a tight narrative. The game's storytelling leaves interpretations open, leading to varied opinions on its themes, with a muddled central theme of fate and a lack of clear explanation. The writing focuses more on humor and quips than character depth, deviating from previous depictions of characters like Atreus and Freya. The game's rushed pacing and sacrifices in nuanced dialogue affect its overall quality, with a lack of coherence and depth in storytelling.
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Summary
00:00
"God of War Ragnarok: Flawed Brilliance Revealed"
- The creator initially decided against using the "broke me" title again, as it wouldn't have the same impact if used repeatedly for minor issues.
- The game discussed had flaws that led to a feeling of being broken, distinct from a previous video on Odyssey.
- The creator considered using the "broke me" title for the video but ultimately decided against it.
- The video aimed to explain how the game broke the creator, with timestamps provided for navigation.
- Initial feelings about the game were positive, but upon reflection, the creator found numerous issues that led to disliking it.
- The creator delves deep into media to analyze and critique, aiming to provide insights and perspectives rather than just ranting.
- The creator faced uncertainty about critiquing the game against mainstream opinions, but ultimately decided to stay true to their critical standards.
- The game, God of War Ragnarok, is criticized for its disjointed and lackluster experience due to poor integration of well-polished elements.
- Despite criticisms, the game's soundtrack, visuals, and certain character moments are praised for their quality and impact.
- The pacing of the story in God of War Ragnarok is highlighted as a major issue, with the game feeling like two games combined into one due to its rushed development.
13:36
"Ragnarok" Sequel: Rushed Narrative, Disjointed Storytelling
- The completion of a story spanning close to 15 years is deemed too stretched out, leading to the decision to condense it into two games instead of three.
- The game "Ragnarok" is acknowledged as needing more time due to being crammed, resulting in a rushed feel towards the end.
- The decision to merge two games into one was made for personal reasons rather than artistic integrity, impacting the overall quality of the game.
- The lack of foresight in planning for a trilogy led to rushed storytelling and disconnected elements in "Ragnarok."
- The narrative cohesion and focus in the first game, "God of War 2018," are contrasted with the disjointed and overloaded storytelling in "Ragnarok."
- The sequel struggles to explore numerous plot points and character arcs effectively due to trying to fit too much content into one game.
- The initial success of the first two hours of "Ragnarok" is attributed to establishing a clear status quo for characters and plot, setting a promising direction for the story.
- The game's narrative quality deteriorates as more plot points and characters are introduced, leading to a loss of focus and depth in storytelling.
- The attempt to incorporate elements from multiple games into one results in a lack of coherence and a sense of rushing through crucial story beats.
- The decision to merge two games' worth of content into one game leads to a disjointed narrative structure and a struggle to maintain focus and depth in storytelling.
26:01
"Ragnarok: Disjointed narrative and character development"
- The ending of Ragnarok hinges on characters being in specific positions by the start of the event.
- The opening two hours of the game are successful due to building on the events of 2018.
- The portion of the game after the first two hours until the final two hours feels disjointed.
- A successful trilogy requires a well-established opening story, character development, and a final challenge.
- The gameplay, level design, and camera work in Ragnarok mimic those of 2018 but lack narrative cohesion.
- Atreus's gameplay in Ragnarok effectively conveys narrative elements due to its unique approach.
- The game is structured with 70% focused on Kratos and 30% on Atreus, leading to a disjointed narrative.
- Atreus is portrayed as the main character in the eyes of the writing team, driving much of the story.
- Kratos's character development in Ragnarok feels stagnant and lacks the depth seen in 2018.
- The handling of prophecy in Ragnarok undermines the world-building of the previous game and impacts the narrative coherence.
38:55
"God of War: Fate vs Prophecy"
- The game rewrites laws established in 2018 to set up specific events for Kratos and Atreus to participate in.
- Prophecies are laid out early on, including events like the Sun and Moon being caught, the horn being blown, and God falling.
- A mural from 2018 shows Atreus meeting Odin, Kratos dying, and Ragnarok events unfolding.
- The game aims to establish events, have them play out, and build tension around prophecy.
- The story feels contrived as characters' actions to defy fate seem out of character and lack believability.
- The game retcons the idea of Giants' lore panels predicting events, now stating they lied and the real prophecy is inside.
- Fate and prophecy are distinguished, with the Norns being introduced as the fates of the Norse world.
- The Norns claim fate is based on predictability, leading to confusion about how prophecy works in the game.
- Faye's involvement in altering fate is questioned as her actions seem to have little impact on the events that unfold.
- Faye's communication with Kratos through dreams raises questions about the effectiveness of her actions in changing the course of events.
52:25
Ragnarok's Writing Lacks Depth and Impact
- Faye's soul is attached to Kratos, allowing him to hear her in Ragnarok.
- The Leviathan Axe contains the spirit of someone from the past, likely Faye.
- The mural in the game was changed from the original plan in 2018, removing elements like betrayal.
- The changes in the mural indicate a shift in the planned story for Ragnarok.
- The central theme of fate in the game is muddled and lacks clear explanation.
- The game's storytelling leaves interpretations open, leading to varied opinions on its themes.
- Ragnarok's writing suffers from rushed pacing and sacrifices nuanced dialogue.
- The game's focus on grand designs over a tight narrative affects its quality.
- Details in the writing, like Atreus noticing Freya at the house, lack depth and impact.
- Ragnarok's writing quality falls short compared to the meticulous approach of God of War 2018.
01:06:45
"Storytelling nuances and character connections explored"
- Speculation on a deeper connection between Manganda's past and Atreus's future
- Uncertainty whether a random soul was placed into a snake, leading to a time-travel incident
- Emphasis on the importance of details in storytelling, with all elements explored and explained
- Reference to Chekhov's gun principle in storytelling, highlighting the significance of setups
- Discussion on the Champion of the Yotna plot device and its implications on characters
- Revelation of Tyr's twist in Ragnarok, showcasing manipulation and tension between characters
- Critique on the lack of follow-up on the Champion motif, questioning its narrative importance
- Analysis of dialogue subtlety in storytelling, contrasting 2018's natural dialogue with Ragnarok's overt statements
- Explanation of subtext in dialogue and its role in engaging audiences and conveying messages
- Criticism of Freya's character development in Ragnarok, contrasting it with the nuanced portrayal in 2018
01:20:50
Kratos and Freya navigate Vanderheim's challenges.
- Freya starts telling Kratos about the market in Vanderheim, sharing details of her past visits.
- Vanderheim is described as a maze of trees and fights, where Freya and Kratos engage in dialogue.
- Kratos references his past actions, revealing personal information to Freya during their journey.
- The dialogue between Kratos and Freya feels forced, with Kratos suddenly sharing exposition to create common ground.
- The structure in Vanderheim involves fighting enemies, emotional exchanges, and solving puzzles.
- Freya's side quest in Vanderheim involves exploring her old home and confronting personal relics.
- The final relic, a sword from Odin, symbolizes Freya's trauma and her journey towards healing.
- The writing in the game is critiqued for its tone, focusing more on humor and quips than character depth.
- Characters like Atreus and Freya are portrayed in a more comedic light, deviating from their previous depictions.
- The game's portrayal of the Norse pantheon is criticized for its modern, humorous approach, deviating from expectations.
01:34:49
"Ragnarok: Exploration lacks depth and purpose"
- Odin is portrayed as the evil corporate head, Sif as the mother holding the family together, Thor as the dad in a midlife crisis, and Heimdall as the big bully character.
- Boulder, Magni, and Modi do not fit into this narrative as they were conceived in a different creative plan for the gods in the game.
- The game trades serious themes like child abuse for a lighthearted approach, avoiding depth in character development.
- The writing in the game rushes through character arcs with unnatural dialogue and attempts to fill time with jokes and fourth wall breaks.
- World exploration is a significant aspect of the game, justified by Atreus guiding Kratos and facilitating character growth and bonding.
- The exploration in the game is not justified in a believable way, lacking depth and purpose compared to the previous installment.
- The game's exploration lacks the structured and well-designed puzzle areas that made the previous game engaging and rewarding.
- Ragnarok's exploration focuses on bigger spaces but fails to understand why the previous game's exploration was successful.
- The world design in Ragnarok lacks clear contextualization and movement through the space, making it less engaging and immersive.
- The open world in Ragnarok feels disconnected and empty, leading to a sense of simply checking off tasks rather than exploring for the sake of discovery.
01:47:57
"Exploration and combat in Ragnarok compared"
- In 2018, the exploration was centered around a lake, with pathways like streams and rivers leading to points of interest, creating an immersive experience.
- Removing restrictions in exploration, like pathways, in the crater area of Vanaheim did not improve the experience, leading to tedious back-and-forth movement.
- The design of levels in Vanaheim was confusing, with unclear pathways and blockades hindering progress, making navigation a maze of confusion.
- The Sigilaro puzzles in Vanaheim were challenging and often felt unsolvable, leading to frustration and a sense of cheating to progress.
- The trials in Ragnarok were criticized for lacking meaningful context and character moments, with repetitive arena challenges that felt bland and unengaging.
- The exploration in Ragnarok, particularly in the crater area, felt shallow compared to the depth and execution of exploration in 2018, highlighting a lack of cooperation between game design and framework.
- The combat in Ragnarok gradually improves as the game progresses, with more brutal finisher moves and varied boss fights making Kratos feel more lethal than in 2018.
- The character progression in Ragnarok follows a similar path to 2018, lacking innovation and depth, with a focus on combat improvements rather than meaningful character development.
- The acquisition of gear and items in Ragnarok feels forced and unnatural, with introductions of key items like the compass and teleport stone lacking organic integration into the gameplay.
- The combat framework in Ragnarok mirrors that of 2018, with Kratos maintaining a similar combat style, while attempts to reintroduce elements from the original games, like brutal finishers and varied boss fights, enhance the gameplay experience.
02:00:17
God of War 2018: Combat vs Narrative
- The gameplay mechanics in God of War 2018 are focused on Kratos' fighting style, which contrasts with the narrative's theme of him wanting to leave his violent past behind.
- The game struggles with a disconnect between its gory, brutal gameplay and the narrative's condemnation of violence, leading to a lack of coherence.
- The game's combat glorifies violence, but the narrative attempts to convey a message against it, creating a conflicting experience for players.
- The killing of Heimdar in the game highlights the inconsistency between the gameplay's brutality and the narrative's attempt to portray Kratos in a different light.
- The game's combat and story are treated as separate entities, with the combat resembling the original trilogy while the story aligns more with the 2018 version, resulting in a shallow understanding of the God of War franchise.
- The Atreus segments in the game are well-executed, despite not being popular among players, showcasing a successful integration of narrative and gameplay.
- Atreus' gameplay is unique and inventive, evolving throughout the game with different tools and abilities, but it still feels shallow and gimmicky.
- The combat system in Ragnarok lacks innovation, retreading the same path as the 2018 version with minor changes that don't significantly impact the gameplay experience.
- The game's mob design and enemy encounters feel unbalanced, with some enemies being spongy and having gimmicks that don't align well with Kratos' combat abilities.
- The game's combat system fails to integrate effectively with other game systems, resulting in a lack of cohesion and a missed opportunity to create a more immersive and engaging experience.
02:12:41
"Speaker appreciates diverse opinions on Ragnarok"
- The speaker expresses appreciation for differing opinions on Ragnarok, mentioning an upcoming video on a topic they love, hinting at an AC1 retrospective, highlighting the extended time taken to create videos, encouraging support on Patreon for improved content quality, and giving verbal thanks to specific patrons pledging $15 or more, humorously offering tea to the audience.
