When will you buy Ragnarok?

Probably never. But I'll explain why in a way that I hope doesn't upset God of War 2018's loud and passionate fans.

After Ascension and the terrible Smash Bros clone it looked like curtains for Santa Monica Studio. But the lite-reboot didn't just exceed expectations it oversaw them, as such understand why God of War took such a drastic change, it's just not my kind of game. It's The Last of Us: Kratos Edition, arguably better than TLoU at its own concept.

No one with reason can deny that God of War (IV) looks amazing, runs extremely well, the Leviathan Axe feels good to throw no matter how often it's done. And I think the characters from a story perspective are a huge improvement for the series as a whole.

However; the camera is too zoomed-in and is very jarring/ the indicators are a cheap last second cop-out to this flaw, RP walking is never fun and GoWIV does it very-very often, mechanically the combat leaves a lot to be desired (it's simplified and basic), the reskinned enemies is too much to the point it doesn't make sense a lot of the time, bosses can barely be called bosses (the dragon anyone), climbing is a glorified loading screen, and the puzzles are for babies.

Level design is it's own can or worms, but my context has reached it's needed conclusion from the other points.

As such, I felt worn out after playing the game, it just wasn't very fun (to me), felt spoon-fed in a very condescending manner, as I don't like my games to feel as I hold the gamepad so. . . boring. Perhaps I'm just tired of this cinematic approach Sony has taken. Regardless am aware this is personal taste, to each his or her own 'lala'. And very glad GoW didn't die after Ascensions fate (that game is a piece of ****) even if it no-longer caters to my taste.

Ragnarok just looks like more of what made GoWIV what it is, both the positives and the negatives. And I can't be bothered for it again. This will be the first of probably many God of War games I say no to (up till Ragnarok I've played every entry in the GoW Franchise)

*Perhaps I'm so cold towards GoWIV because 2018 gave us Monster Hunter: World. And I found playing one game far more satisfying than the other.

Never.

Probably never.

I wasn't a big fan of GoW's original hack-n-slash game play on the PS2, and I didn't manage to stick with the reboot when they slowed it down and made it a Dad story on the PS4 either.

I really didn't give GoW 2018 a fair shake. Dark Souls Remastered was out, a third-person action game that I muuuch preferred, and the 30 fps frame rate for GoW on PS4 was just... not appealing. I didn't make it past 10 hours. I really should give the game a proper chance now that it's out on PC, but..... here we are: 4 years later and no plans to play any GoW games and not enough time to even play all the other games I want to. Womp.

On launch and I've played all the God of Wars games but the 2018 was well done IMO as I like the mature Kratos more so and him being angry really got irritating to boot. Anyhow, love 2018, I'm replaying the game on PC and huge difference on the PC version. That said, Ragnarok is the game that will finally make me go buy PS5.

I wouldn't mind playing it. Hell, I even want to go back to GoWIV and replay it just to give it a second chance as my initial views of the game was that it wasn't what people were making it out to be. The conversation surrounding it and the original GoW Saga is where I was finding much of my disagreement and outlook towards the game. I possibly would've gotten it on Launch, but if it will have some form of discount, I think I would aim to buy it then.

Never. GoW 2018 was terrible.

Couple that with me not owning a PS5 and having no plans to own a PS5. Sony is also under the impression that their games are worth more than other companies' games ($70) despite them having worse and less gameplay in them. Don't want to support that.

This is factually not true on a variety of cases.

Number one, I don't think it's fair to call the new God of War game "terrible" without standing context. We've had a chat about this in the past and I think you're taking it to extreme levels. Labelling it as something so unplayable brings in a lot to question. I'd understand not enjoying it. Heck I didn't enjoy it for many reasons, but it's a game with standing merits.

Getting the impression you may spend too much time on System-Wars, with what I imagine contains fiery zealots on all platform sides. Sony did not invent the $70 price tag, they just made it public going forward for the companies 'big' games.

Heck Xbox released $100 versions of Gears 5, and guess what it came with, a sticker sheet. . . let that sink in. Every big company in gaming wants our money and they'll do whatever they can to make higher prices the norm. Less we forget Valve's Artifact, a proper card deck in Artifact cost players $200, it angered a lot of people.

Does this let Sony off the hook for overselling games? no, but they're not the first, let alone the second. And nothing wrong with waiting for a price-drop either. I assume it was Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, 2K, and Electronic Arts that started the raised prices trend. They have editions that cost way more than even the Gears 5 example.

Finally as someone who plays on a PlayStation 5, Astrobot Playroom was/is free, and may I just point out a delightful 3D Platformer. I cannot recommend it enough! Only those who haven't bothered to try it would claim it a tech demo, it's a legit 3D Platformer with a bucket of charm and tight controls. I'm pretty excited for the next game Team ASOBI works on, and from what I've read the game they release will be a lower price-tag than the Sony premium. It'll be a quick buy for me if it's another Astro game.

Actually thought I posted in SW, forgive my harsh words. To me, GoW was a terrible game. Looks good, sounds good, etc, but very boring to play, and frustrating in its design. This is only my opinion, I'm not claiming GoW to be a factually terrible game, but personally hated the time I spent with it. Had I known this wasn't SW, I would've worded myself that way instead.

Yeah, I do spend too much time on SW. But it's sadly the place that gets the traffic on GameSpot.

Regarding the pricing, I agree about other companies having been awful in that regard too, and continuing being awful.

Regarding Astro's Playroom, it looks pretty fun and seems like a good way to show the PS5's new features. Kinda like WiiSports for Wii. I don't care if people call it a tech demo or not, as long as it's fun. I thought WiiSports felt like a tech demo, with it being very simple with its graphics and aninmations, doubling down on showing the controls, and was bundled with the console. But it was really fun and I had lots of hours with that game.

this is a really well articulated summary of gow2018. agree with everything you've said. i would argue against it being better than tlou at its own concept, but that's for another thread.

the cinematization of the series (not sure if that's a word but i'm going with it lol) was definitely too heavy handed. it would've been far less obtrusive and potentially more effective if they'd just kept it light touch. carrying the baggage that heavy handed cinematic games come with i.e. frequent gameplay interruptions and forced walking sequences, coupled with the relatively (compared to other third person combat games) simplistic and somewhat repetitive gameplay and enemies, did make the experience feel a bit condescending. i know what you mean when you say that. presentation felt like it was the priority, gameplay secondary. broader appeal and more accessible possibly, but with a cost.

overall it's very far from great in my book, but it's not without merit.

and you do get that a lot in system wars. posters trying to out hyperbole one another with the usual "played an hour. uninstalled it. worst game i ever played." and then someone one-ups them with "well i only played 30 mins and threw up all over myself it was so disgusting." a lot of captain hardcore gamers in sw. not implicating litchie here lol. it is interesting to hear him say he would phrase things differently if he wasn't posting in system wars though. but a lot of the sw crowd can't go deeper than a game is "trash" or a "masterpiece." posts like this that properly dissect a game aren't super common. i enjoy this stuff. dont give a f*ck about what system people choose to play on, ive played on everything throughout my gaming lifetime, it's the games i'm interested in. shame this place gets such little traffic these days. and that you refuse to post in sw.

on topic, i will wait for ragnarok reviews but if they're really favourable and suggest some of these issues have been addressed i'll pick this up maybe week or certainly month one. feel like i've been starved of solid aaa games for a long time, my gaming habits for too long have been almost exclusively playing older games, so i'm chomping at the bit for something aaa, even if it's just decent rather than great. i used to day one most big aaa games in the ps4 era when they were cheaper and more plentiful, but deathloop and elden ring are the only ones i've splurged on day one since buying a ps5. i'm prepared to roll the dice and have a nibble on ragnorak despite being a bit lukewarm to gow2018. hopefully it and callisto can scratch that aaa itch this christmas now atomic heart's been pushed into next year. hoping neither of them get delayed too

Think Last of Us has a stronger opening from a narration point of view, and has a multiplayer mode to give it longevity (which GoW lacks), yet the whole companion aspect I think works stronger in God of War, the pacing of the whole game for that matter I just felt is tighter. And I would not call the cover system or shooting in TLoU on par with games at the time, GoW has the advantage of no game having something similar to the Leviathan Axe, which could be a contender as one of the best weapons in all video games.

presentation felt like it was the priority, gameplay secondary. broader appeal and more accessible possibly, but with a cost.

True. Some people are just in for the popcorn flick experience. And I have absolutely nothing against people who want that kind of gaming experience. That's why it's more of a case of bowing out and knowing when I'm 'technically' not the target audience. It's tough to balance both sides and not cater more to one kind of player over the other.

and you do get that a lot in system wars. posters trying to out hyperbole one another with the usual "played an hour. uninstalled it. worst game i ever played." and then someone one-ups them with "well i only played 30 mins and threw up all over myself it was so disgusting." a lot of captain hardcore gamers in sw.

I'm sure many have fun firing up one side over another on System-Wars, flagship siding has always been popular in gaming culture; SEGA vs Nintendo/ Microsoft Vs Sony/ Quake Vs Unreal/ CastleVania Vs Metroid/ Mortal Kombat Vs Street Fighter.. etc, etc.

As noted from @Litchie seems to be what's popular on the Game Spot forums too, many want that pride and energy for taking a side. Regardless of logic. Let's a lot of people vent frustrations, and have a less rational and more twisted sense of ownership/ disregard.

One can just tell the mentality when it leaks over here, it's as oblivious as water to oil. All form of common sense is thrown out the window.

And to varying degrees I'm sure it can be fun and light-hearted, however we both know a select few take these stupid comparisons way too seriously.

"played an hour. uninstalled it. worst game i ever played." and then someone one-ups them with "well i only played 30 mins and threw up all over myself it was so disgusting." a lot of captain hardcore gamers in sw. not implicating litchie here lol. it is interesting to hear him say he would phrase things differently if he wasn't posting in system wars though. but a lot of the sw crowd can't go deeper than a game is "trash" or a "masterpiece."

Heh, that actually reads a lot like someone I instinctually knew spent a lot of time on System-Wars. Conversation went on for pages, and practically about nothing, the user just reposted the same statements, and went further managing to take up a huge chunk of a comment section in a game review from last year.

Looked it up and was correct, commonly posts on SW. Frankly I wonder if the person believes what they type. Think it was @MozellepleII2 or something similar. The name stuck because it has been sometime since I saw someone that hell-bent on loving a game, while losing all sense of self-respect. We've had them before, so I wouldn't be shocked if it was an alt account from a previous banned user. I like to think it was someone with no alt though.

Granted @WladolfPutler from very recent memory had strong SW energy too, but clearly took it further than most, that's why the user was banned, and justly so. Pretty racist and sexist individual. Shame as I don't like to see new members go too far and die an early death. We don't have enough members as it is and would gladly like more to dive in these forums.

dont give a f*ck about what system people choose to play on, ive played on everything throughout my gaming lifetime, it's the games i'm interested in. shame this place gets such little traffic these days. and that you refuse to post in sw.

Think it's because it takes too much out of me just to chat with the worst SW baggage we get over here. I would imagine jumping in the fire would be overkill, lol. Best way to compare is throwing yourself at a brick wall, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Besides, quality over quantity right? *cough* well either way I'm not against SW users as a whole, many of the users just use all the boards here. And majority are great to chat with. SW just triggers conversation that leaves a lot to be desired. Not stating I'm too mature for System-Wars, just don't care for its intention and passionate minority, going back to the brick wall analogy.

i'm prepared to roll the dice and have a nibble on ragnorak despite being a bit lukewarm to gow2018.

No one really knows how games pan out, and 2022 has been one of my worst years for me predicting a games quality. Usually am pretty confident in how a game will turn out but my luck has been awful in 2022.

Was exceedingly cautious regarding Elden Ring. If I recall both you and @litchie spoke highly of the game and it is strong suggestions like those that got me wanting to play the game myself. I was gladly wrong about Elden Ring, fully enjoyed the game.

when you said conceptually i assumed you meant cinematic, narrative driven, third person and companion based. not necessarily the whole package as such. companion-wise, for me the ellie joel dynamic was far more compelling than kratos and atreus's. the whole son coming of age thing and coming to terms with his dad's past wasn't that interesting (the cocky kid phase when he learns he's a god was particularly tough going), ellie and joel's relationship was more layered and complex. two vulnerable humans on a journey against the odds, as opposed to two gods. more relatable in that sense i guess lol. felt more gritty, more gripping, like there was far more at stake.

and the heavy cinematic style worked well in tlou. presentation was extremely high quality and back then at the tail end of the ps3 era that style was relatively less explored, so it felt fresher and more impactful. could be a degree of needed to play it at the time to feel that. as said earlier, felt that heavy cinematic style in gow was more jarring, it didn't sit as nicely with a game so heavily orientated to combat, and often just got in the way.

gameplay wise it's another story, but i didn't assume the scavenge, stealth and guns playstyle was what you referring to. always felt gameplay was tlou's achilles' heel. it's quality was was more an all-round experience kind of thing. talking about it has made me realise how long ago it is since i last played it (5+ years, easy), my memories of specifics are hazy, that's why cant comment on pacing. probably will pick up the remake when it drops to like £20 or close. currently £69.99 here in england. disappointing we don't get a discounted option for owning the ps4 remaster. i'd pay £20 to give it another spin in its shiny new ps5 clothes and polished gameplay

@Macutchi: GoW2018 is still relatively fresh in my mind while TLoU is not.

Even then don't recall liking Ellie as a character, granted I also am not the biggest fan of Atreus either. This could be because I'm not a parent or understand the concept of parenthood, as such the coming to age aspect of these characters could be exceedingly good, but for me just came across as annoying outside some key moments I generally felt bad for both of them.

Not to say kids are all annoying in video games, these two have more the side-character baggage I typically find annoying in games; the Handler in Monster Hunter: World is questionably the worst for me. And yes I put her over a Bethesda companion, & Ashley in Resident Evil 4. So I think it's less being a child and more the pointless/ witty/ sarcastic/ edgy sidekick.

Atreus from a gameplay standpoint is programmed to be better than most companion characters seen in video games, he acts more along the lines of a summon. And I think that works well over Ellie throwing herself around looking stupid, outside some aggro acts as a visual distraction, considering the A.I. forgets she even exists only makes me question why it wasn't scrapped completely.

Can understand the grounded aspect you are praising, it's the main reason I enjoy Survival Horror games. When a game is more connected to the real world, dire situations hit harder because they are relatable, and that in on itself can be terrifying. Even in Naughty Dogs other games Uncharted while had elements of fantasy they do have a way of bringing the world to life in a very organic way.

For the record I don't think The Last of Us is the worst video game ever made from a gameplay standpoint, I played and enjoyed Uncharted 2, TLoU has some impactful and downright disgusting animations for both melee and headshots, and I state that as a compliment.

As a cover shooter with lite-stealth, in a generation that had that every six months? it was just fine. Nothing great or standing out about the gameplay, was a little awkward at times, stealth is very basic, hitboxes are questionable, aiming is weird but adjustable.

When a game is being held by many critics and fans as the greatest game of all time, expectations are fairly high. So I was just taken back by how it wasn't that impressive in some areas.

As you noted however The Last of Us was more about offering a complete package. Had serviceable gameplay, stellar graphics, and Sony's biggest story to date on the PlayStation 3 hardware. For what it is, I give nothing but praise. And that's not even including Factions. The fandom for the game I think stretched what the game accomplished far beyond its scope. Suppose that happens to many highly regarded games. Even the ones I may sing and dance for.

It's still of my opinion God of War IV did what The Last of Us aimed to achieve and did it overall better. When I claim concept I look at what the game is from a developers standpoint and what was the goal_

And in my view it is a journey from A-to-B with dramatic twists, an adventure game that focuses on scope, an old character beat-down on life going along with a character who needs narration fed to them, that in turn is given to the player.

That's not to say The Last of Us is a lesser game because God of War exists. One just took the ideas of the other and made a newer game from it. No different from comparing Devil May Cry to Bayonetta, same in concept.

If you prefer axes and fantasy more however? GoW2018 is probably going to be an easier sell.

Prefer sniper rifles and abandoned work offices set in a more realistic world? The Last of Us has you covered, three different versions worth of coverage in fact. But I won't dive into that too much because I'm actually pro remasters/ remakes.

I got the original at 20% off, so I'll probably get this one either when it's also on sale or when it shows up on steam.

Probably not until next year when I actually feel the need to get a PS5. Will probably be alternating between that and Spiderman 2

I might take it eventually when it will be under twenty just like its predecessor, but having played God of War... I din't particularly fancy it. The game felt kinda boring? I don't know something was definitely missing.

I haven't even finished God of War(2018) so maybe Christmas or next year. I actually bought God of War Digital Deluxe Edition for $32 a few years ago. Might do the same for God of War Ragnarok.

day one my ps5 its ready

I’d like to revisit this thread in light of the reviews.

Despite the nines and tens, I am unmoved. I ain’t buying Ragnarok until it gets below $20. That might take a year, so be it, I’ll live.

Also some of you all really REALLY need to get off the internet and get a life. Your pedantic contrived paragraphs and miles long online bickering is a bit comical and a bit much.

Already pre-download the game on PS4 as I decided to just get it on PS4 and will pick up PS5 maybe next year and I don't mind playing it on PS4.