As a GOW enthusiast, like others I eagerly anticipated Ragnarok, and while I was far from disappointed, it was simply good given the context of the series.
Let's start where GOW shines. The game is visually compelling on the PS5. Ragnarok gets GOW back to taking in the gorgeous landscapes and meticulously crafted indoor areas that lifts you from what is otherwise a linear story. You feel like you're discovering more of an open world in this respect and are free to return to places you've abandoned to discover what you may have missed. Controls are standard and fluid and save for some instances of button-mashing, the user gets comfortable quite quickly and controls become more systemized.
Where GOW comes up a bit short is the cartoonish way its characters are set up. Kratos, his son, the elves (helpers), and most of all others are rather forgettable, get incredibly repetitive, and after awhile, you simply stop caring about their motivations - hell, after 40 hours of gameplay, I can't even remember their names. GOW throws you right into its story, and after putting the controller down for a spell I found myself going back in and saying "what the Hell are we supposed to do again? Who are we going to see? For what? Ah, who cares, let's just go fight." And then there's the fighting...Okay, certainly a challenge at times and enjoyable, but some of the "monsters" seem hokey...Giant lizards that spit green stuff, things that look like werewolves or two-legged dogs...I get it, just not compelling, it's like the game went back in time. The AI could get repetitive (enemies attack in the same ways) and much of the time the difference between an easy screen or a hard one is simply having to deal with more enemies. Puzzles were done well, and sometimes offered a legitimate challenge. Your "help" (son) comes in handy when you engage him but can often times get in the way of a good time. Flying solo in the original GOW games was definitely the way to go. Cut scenes that require you to perform certain animations could also get disorienting and seemed crowbarred in.
To me, what made the GOW series so great was the sense of discovery and the "voyage" Kratos would take. Where Ragnarok suffers is that this discovery has been replaced with "getting to where you got to go, turning a corner, and getting ambushed". GOW is a series of destinations that require you to kill or puzzle solve, bookended by annoying dialogue, the story of an impish kid, his curmudgeon father, and a talking severed head.
Let's not get it wrong...GOW is a pretty damn good game, as a standalone you're talking about a must-have to your collection, but those deeply rooted in the game will likely feel hollowed out by the game's lack of emotional depth and flat gameplay, you'll find yourself simply going through the motions on the way to the next big bossfight. Somehow, previous GOW installments did the same while you would anticipate your final destination, thanks to the story that is Kratos. In Ragnarok, Kratos is simply a cardboard character that you weild the sword with.