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Spoiler God of War Ragnarök Spoiler Thread

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Gerudo
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Welcome to the official Famiboards God of War Ragnarök spoiler thread! Before we continue, a few ground rules:

1. Untagged spoilers for the main story are allowed. If you have not completed the main story, turn back now!

2. Please  tag all post-game spoilers (so anything that requires you seeing the initial credits to unlock)


That's it. The reason for rule 2 is two-fold: one, I happen to have been spoiled for a post-game surprise I wish I had seen myself, and two, there's a moment I did see that I really hope everyone sees, as it's one of my favorite moments in the game. Don't worry, you're unlikely to miss it.

Speaking of that moment:
I'm talking about Brok's funeral. God, that was  devastating. The music, the lack of any kind of resolution with Sindri, and of course, that absolute gut punch of a final line revealing the answer to Brok's riddle. A hauntingly beautiful "true ending".
 
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There’s a lot to love about Ragnarok. It somehow manages to refine and balance the intimate character interactions of 2018, with a larger than life plot about fate and prophecy.

But it’s that first part - the characters, that I’d really like to highlight. The Kratos and Atreus dynamic is stellar here and wonderfully complex and well-realised.

From the moment Kratos looks on with pride as Atreus unloads a dead deer from their sled, to the way Atreus understands and responds to Kratos’ grunts, it’s clear time has passed and they’re now a strong unit after the events of the first game.

Atreus is inquisitive, he wants to learn more about his people, his role in the world and what it’s all supposed to mean. Kratos, despite softening somewhat, is struggling with his own desire to let him do that, but keep him safe and out of Odin’s sights. Stripped back, it’s a very human story about a teenager growing up, forging his own path and making mistakes. And at the other end of the scales, it’s about a parent learning to trust their child and let them go.

There’s so many brilliant moments between the pair. They are a wonderfully written duo throughout, but to pick out a few moments…

  • When, after being separated for a period of time, Kratos reunites with Atreus and opens up about falling back into his old ways without his son around to guide him. It’s a really vulnerable moment for the main hero and really drives home what we already knew - Kratos may be teaching Atreus how to survive and look after himself, but Atreus is teaching Kratos how to be a better person.

  • During the final siege on Asgard, Kratos takes Atreus to the side and tells him not to to close his heart to the suffering of others. Essentially telling Atreus that his ability to empathise with others is what makes him who he is and isn’t a weakness. It works because it was such a strong early lesson for Atreus in the first game and the line itself is used often in Ragnarok. That line may have helped Atreus become the competent warrior he is today, but he shouldn’t abandon who is or ignore the suffering of others. It’s an acknowledgement from Kratos that his son had the right of it and he finally understands him.

  • There’s a sequence after Brok’s death where Atreus wants to leave and go hunting to take his mind off it. Kratos indulges him but stops Atreus from shooting a deer, telling Atreus that this is a distraction and that they need to confront their problems head on. It shows that Atreus is still a child, but it also shows the impact he has had on his father.

  • In the final scene where Kratos finally tells Atreus he is ready - a line that immediately invokes the 2016 E3 demo and the early parts of 2018. It’s just such a good payoff and puts a cap on their entire journey. Kratos has prepared Atreus for the world and he has his son to thank for becoming a better person himself.

  • Right at the end of that final scene the two grab each other’s heads and lean into each other. Atreus tells Kratos not to forget the promise they made. This promise took place in the scene I mention above - the first bullet point. They agree that when they lose their way they’ll hear the other’s voice and take their advice. As Atreus prepares to leave, Kratos says, his arm shaking with emotion and his voice struggling to function, ‘Loki will go. Atreus… Atreus will remain.’ The pair then embrace in what has to be one of the emotional scenes I’ve seen in a game. Just wonderful stuff and an amazing conclusion.

There’s so many more moments too - not just in cutscenes, but in incidental dialogue and side stories. In one side quest Kratos helps save an animal just because he wants to spend more time with his son and doesn’t know how long he has left.

They aren’t all positive scenes either - the pair still clash and for understandable reasons.

Even Kratos only referring to him by his name, rather than boy, tells you so much (and makes it more powerful in the one scene where he does say it).

I actually think the relationship between the two is the game’s biggest accomplishment. The game is gigantic. You visit all nine realms, several of them have massive open expanses filled with side content. There’s more combat options, enemy types and bosses. The plot is more complex, often bouncing between different characters and locations. There’s also more spectacle than in 2018 - with loads of standout moments throughout.

But despite layering all this stuff on top of the 2018 formula. The character work between the main duo is just as accomplished, if not more so, than it was in the last game.

Mimir gets fleshed out a lot more via various side quests and dialogue too. Brok and Sindri are both brilliant and get a lot more to work with than 2018, as does Freya whose actress turns in a really powerful performance.

Tyr is likeable, but just aloof enough than you never feel completely comfortable around him. The friction between Thor and Odin is really effective, etc.

Returning characters are a lot more fleshed out, while I think all the new characters are great additions.

I also can’t tell you how cathartic it was to see that last painting alongside Kratos - as someone whose been with the franchise since 05, it hit me in the feels. I was right there with him.

The fact that the postgame, which has some cool stuff in it, is all framed as Kratos’ journey to becoming a god of peace and restoration, really encouraged me to do it.

As a result, I completed it 100% and bagged the platinum yesterday after 52 hours. What a game.
 
There’s a lot to love about Ragnarok. It somehow manages to refine and balance the intimate character interactions of 2018, with a larger than life plot about fate and prophecy.

But it’s that first part - the characters, that I’d really like to highlight. The Kratos and Atreus dynamic is stellar here and wonderfully complex and well-realised.

From the moment Kratos looks on with pride as Atreus unloads a dead deer from their sled, to the way Atreus understands and responds to Kratos’ grunts, it’s clear time has passed and they’re now a strong unit after the events of the first game.

Atreus is inquisitive, he wants to learn more about his people, his role in the world and what it’s all supposed to mean. Kratos, despite softening somewhat, is struggling with his own desire to let him do that, but keep him safe and out of Odin’s sights. Stripped back, it’s a very human story about a teenager growing up, forging his own path and making mistakes. And at the other end of the scales, it’s about a parent learning to trust their child and let them go.

There’s so many brilliant moments between the pair. They are a wonderfully written duo throughout, but to pick out a few moments…

  • When, after being separated for a period of time, Kratos reunites with Atreus and opens up about falling back into his old ways without his son around to guide him. It’s a really vulnerable moment for the main hero and really drives home what we already knew - Kratos may be teaching Atreus how to survive and look after himself, but Atreus is teaching Kratos how to be a better person.

  • During the final siege on Asgard, Kratos takes Atreus to the side and tells him not to to close his heart to the suffering of others. Essentially telling Atreus that his ability to empathise with others is what makes him who he is and isn’t a weakness. It works because it was such a strong early lesson for Atreus in the first game and the line itself is used often in Ragnarok. That line may have helped Atreus become the competent warrior he is today, but he shouldn’t abandon who is or ignore the suffering of others. It’s an acknowledgement from Kratos that his son had the right of it and he finally understands him.

  • There’s a sequence after Brok’s death where Atreus wants to leave and go hunting to take his mind off it. Kratos indulges him but stops Atreus from shooting a deer, telling Atreus that this is a distraction and that they need to confront their problems head on. It shows that Atreus is still a child, but it also shows the impact he has had on his father.

  • In the final scene where Kratos finally tells Atreus he is ready - a line that immediately invokes the 2016 E3 demo and the early parts of 2018. It’s just such a good payoff and puts a cap on their entire journey. Kratos has prepared Atreus for the world and he has his son to thank for becoming a better person himself.

  • Right at the end of that final scene the two grab each other’s heads and lean into each other. Atreus tells Kratos not to forget the promise they made. This promise took place in the scene I mention above - the first bullet point. They agree that when they lose their way they’ll hear the other’s voice and take their advice. As Atreus prepares to leave, Kratos says, his arm shaking with emotion and his voice struggling to function, ‘Loki will go. Atreus… Atreus will remain.’ The pair then embrace in what has to be one of the emotional scenes I’ve seen in a game. Just wonderful stuff and an amazing conclusion.

There’s so many more moments too - not just in cutscenes, but in incidental dialogue and side stories. In one side quest Kratos helps save an animal just because he wants to spend more time with his son and doesn’t know how long he has left.

They aren’t all positive scenes either - the pair still clash and for understandable reasons.

Even Kratos only referring to him by his name, rather than boy, tells you so much (and makes it more powerful in the one scene where he does say it).

I actually think the relationship between the two is the game’s biggest accomplishment. The game is gigantic. You visit all nine realms, several of them have massive open expanses filled with side content. There’s more combat options, enemy types and bosses. The plot is more complex, often bouncing between different characters and locations. There’s also more spectacle than in 2018 - with loads of standout moments throughout.

But despite layering all this stuff on top of the 2018 formula. The character work between the main duo is just as accomplished, if not more so, than it was in the last game.

Mimir gets fleshed out a lot more via various side quests and dialogue too. Brok and Sindri are both brilliant and get a lot more to work with than 2018, as does Freya whose actress turns in a really powerful performance.

Tyr is likeable, but just aloof enough than you never feel completely comfortable around him. The friction between Thor and Odin is really effective, etc.

Returning characters are a lot more fleshed out, while I think all the new characters are great additions.

I also can’t tell you how cathartic it was to see that last painting alongside Kratos - as someone whose been with the franchise since 05, it hit me in the feels. I was right there with him.

The fact that the postgame, which has some cool stuff in it, is all framed as Kratos’ journey to becoming a god of peace and restoration, really encouraged me to do it.

As a result, I completed it 100% and bagged the platinum yesterday after 52 hours. What a game.
Thanks for this really thoughtful write-up. I wanna go back and finish most of the optional stuff after I finish Pokémon
 
There’s a lot to love about Ragnarok. It somehow manages to refine and balance the intimate character interactions of 2018, with a larger than life plot about fate and prophecy.

But it’s that first part - the characters, that I’d really like to highlight. The Kratos and Atreus dynamic is stellar here and wonderfully complex and well-realised.

From the moment Kratos looks on with pride as Atreus unloads a dead deer from their sled, to the way Atreus understands and responds to Kratos’ grunts, it’s clear time has passed and they’re now a strong unit after the events of the first game.

Atreus is inquisitive, he wants to learn more about his people, his role in the world and what it’s all supposed to mean. Kratos, despite softening somewhat, is struggling with his own desire to let him do that, but keep him safe and out of Odin’s sights. Stripped back, it’s a very human story about a teenager growing up, forging his own path and making mistakes. And at the other end of the scales, it’s about a parent learning to trust their child and let them go.

There’s so many brilliant moments between the pair. They are a wonderfully written duo throughout, but to pick out a few moments…

  • When, after being separated for a period of time, Kratos reunites with Atreus and opens up about falling back into his old ways without his son around to guide him. It’s a really vulnerable moment for the main hero and really drives home what we already knew - Kratos may be teaching Atreus how to survive and look after himself, but Atreus is teaching Kratos how to be a better person.

  • During the final siege on Asgard, Kratos takes Atreus to the side and tells him not to to close his heart to the suffering of others. Essentially telling Atreus that his ability to empathise with others is what makes him who he is and isn’t a weakness. It works because it was such a strong early lesson for Atreus in the first game and the line itself is used often in Ragnarok. That line may have helped Atreus become the competent warrior he is today, but he shouldn’t abandon who is or ignore the suffering of others. It’s an acknowledgement from Kratos that his son had the right of it and he finally understands him.

  • There’s a sequence after Brok’s death where Atreus wants to leave and go hunting to take his mind off it. Kratos indulges him but stops Atreus from shooting a deer, telling Atreus that this is a distraction and that they need to confront their problems head on. It shows that Atreus is still a child, but it also shows the impact he has had on his father.

  • In the final scene where Kratos finally tells Atreus he is ready - a line that immediately invokes the 2016 E3 demo and the early parts of 2018. It’s just such a good payoff and puts a cap on their entire journey. Kratos has prepared Atreus for the world and he has his son to thank for becoming a better person himself.

  • Right at the end of that final scene the two grab each other’s heads and lean into each other. Atreus tells Kratos not to forget the promise they made. This promise took place in the scene I mention above - the first bullet point. They agree that when they lose their way they’ll hear the other’s voice and take their advice. As Atreus prepares to leave, Kratos says, his arm shaking with emotion and his voice struggling to function, ‘Loki will go. Atreus… Atreus will remain.’ The pair then embrace in what has to be one of the emotional scenes I’ve seen in a game. Just wonderful stuff and an amazing conclusion.

There’s so many more moments too - not just in cutscenes, but in incidental dialogue and side stories. In one side quest Kratos helps save an animal just because he wants to spend more time with his son and doesn’t know how long he has left.

They aren’t all positive scenes either - the pair still clash and for understandable reasons.

Even Kratos only referring to him by his name, rather than boy, tells you so much (and makes it more powerful in the one scene where he does say it).

I actually think the relationship between the two is the game’s biggest accomplishment. The game is gigantic. You visit all nine realms, several of them have massive open expanses filled with side content. There’s more combat options, enemy types and bosses. The plot is more complex, often bouncing between different characters and locations. There’s also more spectacle than in 2018 - with loads of standout moments throughout.

But despite layering all this stuff on top of the 2018 formula. The character work between the main duo is just as accomplished, if not more so, than it was in the last game.

Mimir gets fleshed out a lot more via various side quests and dialogue too. Brok and Sindri are both brilliant and get a lot more to work with than 2018, as does Freya whose actress turns in a really powerful performance.

Tyr is likeable, but just aloof enough than you never feel completely comfortable around him. The friction between Thor and Odin is really effective, etc.

Returning characters are a lot more fleshed out, while I think all the new characters are great additions.

I also can’t tell you how cathartic it was to see that last painting alongside Kratos - as someone whose been with the franchise since 05, it hit me in the feels. I was right there with him.

The fact that the postgame, which has some cool stuff in it, is all framed as Kratos’ journey to becoming a god of peace and restoration, really encouraged me to do it.

As a result, I completed it 100% and bagged the platinum yesterday after 52 hours. What a game.

This is a very well thought out post. Thank you for sharing this.

To add to it, I’d like to say the parallels between Kratos & Atreus and Odin & Thor were remarkably well done. On the one side, you have Kratos trying to be a better father to his son and not only teach him, but learn from him; and on the other, you have Thor who has some PTSD and a bad drinking problem because of how abusive Odin is to him. I like how it all culminates at one point too. There’s a scene where Thor keeps saying to himself “don’t think” and you see later on after the second fight with him, Odin appears and asks him “why are you thinking?! Just kill him!”, so you can see just how much that verbal abuse has affected Thor’s mentality.
 
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Now that I've had a few days to collect my thoughts, I want to talk about a few things that didn't work for me. This is not to say I didn't love the game, but when I first finished it the strength of the ending had me overlooking some of these flaws.
  • I think Freya's shift was a little sudden. She says "I can't forgive you but I can't kill you either" but then basically acts like she's your bestie for the rest of your game, aside from the occasional snarky remark (and usually directed towards Mimir). I think the alliance made sense and her fixation on killing Odin was understandable, but I think she still should have felt a little hostile towards Kratos (with that maybe slowing cooling over the remainder of the game).
  • Birgir's "sacrifice" felt completely hollow to me. I didn't even know him, I hadn't been in control of Kratos for several minutes at this point (including all of the dragon attack), and it was just like, oh okay I guess he's gone then. Not to mention that you are immediately able to go save him lol. I felt that moment was just unnecessary. Freyr's, on the other hand, felt earned.
  • Overall, I do think the pacing of the game wasn't great. Having thought about it, I think the main issue was the lack of central objective. Everything you did in GoW 2018 was with one specific purpose in mind: scatter Faye's ashes from the highest point in all the nine realms. All of the detours were in service of that one goal. In contrast, there isn't really a central goal in Ragnarok. Sure, Atreus wants to learn more about himself and Ragnarok, but it's just a series of objectives that you succeed/fail at, then return to Sindri's house. This isn't necessarily something the writers could have fixed, but it does explain why I felt the way I did during a lot of the game.
  • Finally, I think "Tyr" was not done so well. When I first hit ~that moment~ it made me think "oh wow, that's why he's been kinda a non-event for most of the game!" But thinking more since, I think they still could have handled his character better. His rescue is one of the earliest things you did and serves as an instigating factor in much of the rest of the game, but I just felt that I didn't care about Tyr, and not in the way that was obviously intended in retrospect. I feel like we needed more scenes with him, needed more of the supposed conflict within him of wanting to remain peaceful, etc. To be honest, I think the twist also would have hit harder if I liked Tyr more. As it was, it still hit hard, but that was more because of Brok's death, Atreus's guilt, and Sindri's anguish. I didn't really have a moment of "oh my god no!" about who we thought Tyr was.
Still, I think the ending was strong enough to overcome most of these qualms, and as @Mr.Fletcher says, the character work and themes in this game are top-notch.
 
Rolled credits last night and got the true ending shortly after. I won't talk about the true ending, only through the initial one.

It took me approximately 39 hours to get through the game. I did my collecting and side questing based off interest. I thought that was a nice, organic approach. I am not much of a trophy hunter, so there's not much left for me to do aside from
fight Gna. I am not looking forward to a Valkyrie fight but I am sure it will unearth some lore between her and Freya.
. That said, here are my thoughts, coming from a big, big fan of every God of War game released:

The game is a technical achievement at every level. Personally, I think Ratchet and Forbidden West look a bit more impressive, but this game is still a treat to look at. One of my complaints about God of War 2018 is the lack of a color palette. That game felt very blue and brown to me. This one really impressed me with colorful locales such as Vanaheim, Muspelheim, Nidavellir, and Svartalfheim
  • Speaking of the locales, I thought the level design was excellent here. I really appreciate the Sony approach to semi-open-world environments. In vast worlds, I usually feel pressured to explore every thing and, in doing so, hurt the pacing of the narrative - self-inflicted, of course. The Realms in Ragnarok give you space to breathe but do not let go of the leash entirely. Moreover, the game will open up more paths in each Realm as you progress your arsenal further
  • The characterizations are mostly fantastic here. Christopher Judge absolutely steals the show as Kratos. In 2018, Kratos is short, and rather closed off. He still is this way, to an extent, in Ragnarok, but he has started opening his heart to the world around him, as Faye requested. There is no one more he has opened his heart to than Atreus. There were several fantastic instances of Kratos being a caring father here such as: Kratos calling Atreus 'son', Kratos frequently putting his hand on Atreus' shoulder or back for support, Kratos telling Atreus a story to calm his mind, and Kratos telling Thrud that he trusts her because his son trusts her - just to name a few. I know Judge was nominated for Best Performance at The Game Awards and I think he should win. He was absolutely amazing here. Some other characters that were great - Angrboda, Sindri, Mimir, Thor, Thrud and Odin. I thought Atreus was portrayed too much as someone we should like, if that makes sense. Sure, he made mistakes - letting Garm go and contribute to Brok's death, but it always felt like Atreus was portrayed as blameless. I dunno. Kind of hard to explain. As for Freya, I think she was a fantastic character but her 180 towards Kratos felt too extreme and sudden. I think I would have been more onboard if Freya wasn't so friendly with Kratos after she joins the party
  • I enjoyed the story. It felt deep yet simple at the same time, similar to God of War 2018. I know there were several complaints about the pacing, especially when you get to The Crater and Favors pop up like crazy. I understand that complaint completely. And for me, I went to The Crater shortly after killing Heimdall, so it did kind of leave a big development suspended for a bit. I think the title of the game is borderline misleading, however, lol. Ragnarok really isn't discussed a whole lot and the even itself is a short chapter. I don't have a possible alternative for a title, but this felt more like a Coming of Age story for Atreus and Kratos. In regards to the big moment where Odin as Tyr kills Brok - unfortunately, it felt a little telegraphed to me with Brok interrogating Tyr leading up to it. I am curious as to when Odin would have revealed himself had Brok not instigated and what his ultimate plan was
  • The combat was quite good. The progression from God of War 2018 to Ragnarok felt similar to Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal. It was extremely satisfying to pull off elemental combinations with your weapons and abilities. I will say - it can be a little arduous with armor, Runics, accessories, and skill trees so there is a sense that it's very easy to not get the full experience from the combat. One thing I really, really did not like was the use of Sigil arrows to trigger elemental effects, especially when chaining the shots together. I hope that is not a thing in the next game. Lastly, it was equally enjoyable to play as Kratos and Atreus. In fact, Atreus felt surprisingly great as a fast, range based character with amazing Runic abilities.

I will say, I found the game to be comparable to God of War 2018. There were parts of Ragnarok that I liked more and others in 2018 that I preferred. That said, it's going to be tough to top this game as my GotY and thus it is another successful entry in one of my favorite video game series!
 
Lmao, I was re-reading my post and was thinking, 'holy shit, there are a ton of spoilers in this - I need to clean this up,' and then I noticed the thread title.
 
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I finished the game last night, rolled the main credits and then took the extra half hour or whatever to roll the actual credits after the "secret" ending. What a game. What. A. Game. GOTY for sure. Game of the Generation most likely. I don't see how this can be topped. Everything was either perfect or damn near perfect. I was enthralled for the 38 hours it took me to reach the end. And there's still so much to do! But I don't think I'm gonna do it. The ending was so satisfying, I don't really feel the need to keep going. I'm very happy to leave things where they are. I know Kratos goes on to help rebuild the realms and is praised for it.

I really liked how Kratos' relationship with Atreus has evolved here. That was by far the most impactful part of the story for me was their relationship, it really worked for me. It moved me to tears multiple times throughout the story.

I will say, when characters "turn", like when Freya stops trying to kill Kratos, or when Odin reveals just how evil he is, that turn happens pretty abruptly. Those moments maybe could have used more fleshing out, especially Freya's turn. But that seems like a common complaint.

Anyway I really loved the game. A lot. It is a masterpiece. 10/10
 


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