Lots of stuff on factory automation, but I did want to put a bit to (virtual) paper on the final entry in the God of War Norse saga. I picked it up last month when it was released on PC, having played an thoroughly enjoyed the first one.

GoW:R is, simply, more. The game is longer, it has more mechanical depth and breadth, there are more characters, there are more worlds, more puzzles, and there is just simply more to do. Your mileage may vary on if more is better.

Mechanically, the depth and breadth adds more complexity to all the battles and for the most part makes them much more engaging. The game pretty much forces you to use different tactics instead of simple brute force, which is I piece I really enjoyed. There are times, especially in the middle portions, where you are presented options that can’t truly be used (the amulet notably), and some complicated text on combat effects that are meaningless for long stretches. You can complete the entire game without much attention, but the post-game items pretty much make it a requirement (Beserkers notably).

There are new weapon types which unlock new puzzles. A special arrow can now chain effects across distances. A spear can unlock new areas. You’ll find yourself doubling back multiple times in order to fully open the game areas. I found this extremely tedious and not at all rewarding, if only because the game engine lacks precision outside of combat. The spear is a standout here, where it only provide bow-like functions for most of the game, yet is used as a metroidvania tool to explore more content.

Having more worlds to explore is fun and jaw dropping. The art and style applied to every realm is magnificient, and more often than not you’ll face some new vista that makes you take pause. Vanaheim in particular is impressive as you scale a massive wall and look out upon the realm. The travel within a realm has more options, and each has an open area (or more than one) that is filled with sidequests and things to discover.

I think the open world portions are the weakest of the bunch. They intertwine upon themselves and lack focus. You really notice it in Alfheim’s sandy areas, where’s it’s just open space and not much else. The final areas (Crater/Jungle) are comparable to a Chinese buffet. You have everything there, but all of it is mediocre because it tries to do too much. You enter the zone chasing a drake, but have to unlock an hour’s worth of stuff of side quests to inch your way closer. The great news is that 100% of the open world stuff is optional, so you can take what you like and move on.

The first game hit a home run in the story department and visceral combat, which covered over a few weaknesses. Overall I think Ragnarok is a better game than it’s predecessor when taken as a whole, even if the story isn’t as strong, and the combat not as fresh. There’s a tremendous amount of care in each system, and you can feel the crescendo of options all along. It’s amazing looking back at my childhood games and then comparing it to this. I can’t honestly fathom how games can improve on this model, there’s just too little space left to innovate. But I keep getting surprised, so who knows?