@@PWR_ADA 100% agree. I love the message and the story that Ragnarok tells, I just think it's a little bloated, and pacing can be very disjointed at times. 2018 is a lot more streamlined with its story.
I think the story was better in a built up way but ragnarok was when shit hit the fan so the momentum was already set. It's like comparing first hunger games to catching fire but how fucking good was mocking jay! Next god of war might be Egypt.
@@Freezerker 2018 was ok but rainarok was so bad...i broke it after 1.5 playing....so boring and boi is just whack...8hlurs yak riding just to nail Agabagabunga on a cloud....its giants stuff..you know it!
God of war 2018 best villan,best story,best combat..... Only graphics needs remake other wise good And baldur is main reason makes the god of war 4 interesting
I think what put 2018 over Ragnarök for me besides the story is something that greatly hurt Ragnarök…the hype, expectation, and build up during that 4 year gap. Like you explained in the video, there were a couple plot points that didn’t go where it probably should have which was likely due to the saga being 2 games. Still an amazing game but the Ragnarök event needed a bit more length and substance to it. Would’ve liked a couple more gods as well. I think Hrist and Mist should’ve been Vili and Ve, and Gna should’ve been Vidar but I get that Valkyries are really popular. Hopefully the Norse saga isn’t completely done.
@@martinc8965 True. But I wanted something other than another Valkyrie fight. Still a great boss, just at the cost of getting a god who could’ve given us something we hadn’t seen already.
@@Archimedes_Ulfur "something we haven't seen" something like Heimdall's realm shift? I don't know, it honestly reminds me a little of Kratos and Deimos' fight against Thanatos, with the whole thing about Freya interfering with some attacks she does, it's like Tyr from Valhalla, people love it even though a lot of it His attacks are a copy of attacks from common enemies, although he has his own of course, just like Gná, if that were not the case I would not have been forced to have to learn his damn attack pattern.
@@martinc8965 Thing about what I said of “something we haven’t seen” is mostly surrounded around the idea of getting variety to the categories of enemies/bosses we fight. At the end of the day, Gna was just another Valkyrie, a boss type we saw a lot of in 2018 and honestly using another god would’ve been better to explore their abilities rather than adding another variety type. What would you call Heimdall? A realm shift user? Something we didn’t see explored from bosses before he used it on us? Replacing Gna with a god like Vidar would’ve improved the story since he would be taking vengeance on Kratos for destroying Asgard. Even during the Realms at War quest, Gna had an encounter with Fenrir…you know, something Vidar should have been present for. Tyr had enough variety to his move set and flair with his arsenal to make him one of the best bosses of Ragnarök. See, it’s mostly about boss/enemy design than anything. I don’t care that the Cyclops is mostly a reskin of an Ogre because what makes it great is that we got to fight Cyclops in the new combat style these games have to offer. You could’ve given me Gna, Hrist and Mist with no changes to the boss fight, but if they changed the models to Vidar, Vili, and Ve then it would’ve improved the overall experience because there would be a greater feeling of importance on who you’re fighting…rather than just another Valkyrie. Do you understand?
To answer ur questions; Kratos is the champion of the jotunar and the prophecy thing is complicated. Odin took Kratos’s place in the mural. One of the lead writers said that Kratos telling Atreus to open his heart and deciding not to kill Thor changed his fate. The Norns told him that prophecy is based on the actions of people. Kratos was deemed predictable by them. The mural Atreus sees in ironwood is the same mural Kratos sees. All of Norse mythology is dictated by prophecy and the devs wanted to have their own interpretation of it
Kratos is the champion: According to what? The game never directly answers this. Odin took kratos's place: when? How?. The mural that both Kratos and Atreus see clearly depicts Kratos. The norns does somewhat explain why his prophecy was predicted, however when did he change enough to not become as "predictable?"
@@ABGPprophecy is a prediction. Fate is based on the choices individuals make. The champion of the jotunar was carrying a spear which Kratos has. The mural Kratos and Atreus see is what the giants wanted but Faye destroyed half that mural so Kratos and Atreus could forge their own paths. Kratos fighting for something other than vengeance changed his prophecized death
Tyr was also known for using a spear, Kratos has already been fighting for things other than vengeance since 2018 and that didn't stop the giants from predicting everything there. @@mrrobluxo2369
I base my decision not on story, visuals, combat, score or direction but on my emotional response whilst playing. Up until Ragnarok The Last of Us parts 1 and 2 collectively was my favourite game of all time with GOW 2018 running in behind along with the Uncharted saga. I have been gaming since the 1970's so have seen a lot with respect to change and evolution. Whilst playing Ragnarok just my emotional responses to certain parts in the game made me realise that this is now my all time fave. Of course when I analyse GOW 2018 and Ragnarok separately I am spell bound by the categories I cited by each at the start of this comment. But for me to fairly differentiate I base it on how I felt while playing and with that Ragnarok wins - plus the addition of Valhalla vindicated my decision. I was writing this comment before i got to your part in the video mentioning Valhalla lol Sorry for the long comment but both these games are unreal and I am so happy you made this video I would love for this franchise to continue because I am here for it 👏
The Ironwood section or most Atreus' sections are so awful. Just for those sections is that I will never try the "Give me GOW" Difficulty, I wish I could just skip them.
Ironwood and that Asgard tour was a slog, but c'mon the other missions except for ironwood were pretty sweet and short. It's a bit harsh to say that most of Atreus missions is awful.
2018 all the way, for me. It was such a better story, and more well-paced. Ragnarok was overly long and at times felt like a 40-hour therapy session for Kratos. I didn't hate it, and I recognize just how much talent went into its creation, but there were numerous times I just wished it would end already. I became annoyed by the always-talking companions, the repetition of the combat and puzzles, and the "big twist" that flopped hard for me for reasons I won't spoil here. It had fantastic moments but I would rank it lower on the list of my favorite GoW games.
@@pixelmentia You say that you became annoyed by the "repetition of the combat and puzzles" in Ragnarok, but is that not a complaint you could easily apply to 2018 as well? In fact, Ragnarok had far greater enemy variety, better and more frequent boss battles, and what most people would say is better combat in general. Nothing is as repetitive as the recycled troll bosses from 2018. So I don't see where you're coming from with that comment, to be honest. I do agree, though, that 2018 was much better from a narrative standpoint in terms of its pacing, and the always talking companions are indeed annoying.
@@undertalefan5867 I agree on the puzzles. They're neither here nor there for me. But I disagree regarding enemy variety. Lack of enemy variety was possibly my biggest complaint with 2018, and simply having a different, more interesting variety of foes to take down was a plus for me and improved the experience. As did the boss battles as I already said. These are things that Ragnarök undeniably improved on.
Man, i couldnt disagree more about the combat. There were definitely some improvements in Ragnarok, but them removing the barehanded skills makes me feel gimped and slow. Specifically the agile strike skill which i used for gap closing and faster movement. They couldve easily kept the bare-handed arsenal of skills and just added the other weapons. It ruined the entire combat system for me. I also preferred the impact and feel of 2018. Ragnarok feels more "arcadey" to me. I think 2018 is the better game. Including Valhalla in the analysis isnt something i think is necessary. Its DLC and 2018 has no counterpart to compare it to
Including Valhalla isnt necessary? It's a part of the game and is 100% worth mentioning. I agree the barehanded combat was cool and its a shame they removed it but Ragnarok improves so much more that it really doesn't change much for me.
@ABGP I mean, it's your comparison. Do what you want. I just don't think it's a fair comparison. Ragnarok already is 5 years newer, much larger, and had a way bigger budget. Its just a bigger version of the same concepts. If you include Valhalla, it's a no-brainer from feature set alone. I also understand that the bare-handed skills probably didn't make much of a difference for most people. I was just sharing what it's omission did to my personal opinion of the combat system. Otherwise, there really isn't much difference in the two combat systems.
I thought the whole explanation of Kratos' death not being fulfilled as prophesised, as they discussed at the end of Ragnarok, is because Faye turned against her kind and broke the chain, so that they could make their own prophecy, so the prophesies they find are outdated, or what was "supposed" to happen. IDK but I thought that explanation was fine...
I prefer the story of Ragnarok as it actually has a drastic change for the end. In the first game Kratos learns not to shelter Atreus and hide his past from him but apparently still does so until the beginning of Ragnarok and if that game hadn’t done that nothing changes after the end and it feels anticlimactic. In Ragnarok Kratos learns to let go and let Atreus be on his own and you actually never see him again in the game. It was so weird and I like Kratos missed Atreus. The side quests of the first game really seemed to give them more development with Kratos using them to teach Atreus to overcome his fears or not to be too trusting. Ragnarok instead uses them to reveal more about its characters like Kratos wanting to spend time with Atreus or Freya’s feelings about Odin. I love both of these but the more information about the world made me want to do more. I wasn’t too interested in some missions like collecting witch bones to teach Atreus that people lie.
I have played through Ragnarok 20-25 times now 1 Billion+ HS everything upgraded to MAX but I totally agree with ubin the story line of Ragnarok 😳 IRONWOOD! When I arrive at that part I can only do 5 minutes tops and put the controller down. I have seen some videos of people BEGGING Santa Monica to do some kind of ‘skip cinematic’ as that Angrboda is So….. annoying. One other thing why did they change the control button from L1 X to L1 0 That was so annoying difficult to remember in combat. Thanks for doing the video. I agree wholeheartedly with ur comments 👍
I like 2018 better mostly because Baldur did felt like a rival while Thor felt more like a menace at the begining but then he did nothing until the end
@@Thejonkler123 elaborate on that. Why is it a “mcu” movie to you? What about raganrok didn’t you like? I’ve done this debate a lot and I win every time. Prove to me why 2018 is better than raganrok. In all reality we both know you’re going off of nostalgia bias
I've platinumed GOW 2018 and 100% the game about 3 or 4 times. I had nothing else to do in the game and by the time they released NG+ I had already moved on. I probably clocked over 300h in the game. It's the best game of the previous gen and one of my favorites of all time. I coudn't drag myself to finish Ragnarok. The core combat is still great but, the experience is not there. AI kept solving puzzles for me 2s after I entered a room, the WB teen drama story drags the game so much, so many characters that add nothing meaninful. The overall pacing is horrible. 2018 is lean, fast and when it hits, it hits hard. Ragnarok is fat, bloated and slow. Adding more weight to a bloated game wouldn't change my mind. Nothing could match my hype after watching Kratos come out of the shadows in the reveal trailer.
If your gonna compare the two games, I think you can only really compare which story you liked better, as naturally Ragnoroks mechanics and combat system should be a polished up refined version of what we got in 2018
2018 is better as Atreus missions especially with angraboda was atrocious and than whenever he meets Odin was slow ass and when he first time ever climbs the mountain to go Asgard was boring too.
I played on Prowess and it took me 8-9 hours. I even beat Tyr on my first try on most but the first fight. I think I spent too much time prepping for his fight which included just letting myself start over if I fell to normal enemies so I could save my resurrection stones..which I didn’t even use for Tyr…
I played gow 2018 and have not yet played ragnarok. What discourages me is when i played the 2018 version, the fights with valkyrie killed me and drained me to the point that im hesitant to play ragnarok. I don’t want to play a dark souls type of game it’s just not my type. And i wish they would of made the 2018 gow like the old ones in the ps2.
I pretty much agree with you! Let's start with 2018. It was one of the best games I'd ever played up to that point. The story was perfect, combat was intense, characters were great, and side quests were fun. I didn't explore the side quests until after I finished the main story, so I had plenty to do. I got really interested in Norse mythology because of it. What 2018 did well, and so did Ragnarök, were Mimir's stories. The 2018 game was actually quite simple because it left a lot of things a mystery, like Odin and Thor, which we only heard about from Mimir. This gave Ragnarök a lot of potential and a heavy burden. Ragnarök's world was beautiful to explore, adding a lot of life. Combat was better and smoother, but weapon effects were lacking. The relationship between Kratos and Atreus was emotional. But I was disappointed with the pivotal characters, like Thor, who felt less dangerous, and Odin, who didn't feel as powerful. The real Týr didn't do much either. Fortunately, the DLC made up for that. Ragnarök itself (the giant creature) was unimpressive and the final fight didn't feel great. The story was confusing and chaotic, unlike 2018, which I could follow better. Overall, both games are amazing and beautiful, but if I had to be critical, I think 2018 has a better story, which meant a lot to me at the time.
You are exaggerating a little brother the sound effects and visual flair in 2018 are leagues better, ragnarok is more robust in terms of combat for sure and arguably better but i think that comes down to preference. Bare handed combat being done away with was rather disappointing too. Overall they are both excellent but in my book 2018 has a slight edge all aspects considered... ive spent a combined 400hrs in these games so like you i been there done just about everything.
8:12 This isn't really hard to understand but Eric Williams explained it anyway: The Norns said that there isn't something like destiny, there's just the sum of their choices and their choices are predictable. When Kratos told Atreus to open his heart instead of close it he basically made a choice that wasn't predictable so by that choice he basically changed his "fate" so instead of Kratos dying it was Odin who died in the hands of Atreus
Another guy said something similar and even this doesn't make a lot of sense to me. This whole norse arc has been about Kratos's character development, showing how he isn't who he used to be and therefore not being "predictable". Him killing Baldur was a major turning point that should have made him already "unpredictable" so this still makes no sense. Also basing an entire plot around whether or not characters are "predictable" or not is stupid to begin with.
The creators came out and explained why the prophecy of Kratos dying did not happen or was changed. They should have made it a more blatant answer in Ragnarok, though, as it was a huge cliffhanger to end the game on.
I like 2018 but i just love or resonate with that scene from ragnarok where kratos tells the story just before war in the tent...it was so emotion i like that part so much that i would only play it second time to see that
Exploration wise i hated having to backtrack in gow… i go insane and had to jot down notes on things and places i need to come back to after unlocking certain things in the game. I wished it was more straightforward
"And if this isn't the explanation then there isn't one" That my friend is where you are wrong. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I'm sure some other commenters talked about this but I will go very heavy on the details. So I hope you are patient with me and let me cook. I'm just going to focus on Kratos' fate since I think that's the most critical to the ending and this story. The game only explicitly talks about it twice. Once in Ironwood when Atreus finds out. And again in the Norns section. The Norns section is particularly important since it reveals that fate only exists because people's nature are so unchanging that they do the same mistakes whether or not they know they're going to do it. So Kratos will die because his nature will not change. So how did he not die? Did he change his nature? When? How? It was in Ragnarok when Atreus said "wars are won by those who are willing to sacrifice everything". It was at this moment that he realised that he hasn't changed, worse his son was becoming like him. The cycle continues. Fate unbroken. So he decides to change that. He immediately pulls back everyone to save their lives and the humans' lives and charges in with only him and Atreus. The old Kratos would rather sacrifice thousands of people than put his son in such needless risk. And indeed he did that at the beginning of the battle. I don't think Kratos knew how "breaking fate" in such a way would end up but the concept of Atreus becoming like him terrified him so much that he'd rather any alternative. He was willing to risk so much for a little bit of...hope. He even says something like "if we die so be it" meaning he'd rather his son die than become like him. This is all built up in the Faye dreams which may be memories or messages beyond the grave. One of her final lines is "open your heart to thier suffering" the opposite of one of the first lessons Kratos said to Atreus. Ironically if Faye literally told him this years before she died then that means that even after Kratos had met Faye he really hasn't changed much. It is also one of the first things he says to Atreus after his realisation. This is also supported by the final thing Kratos says to Thor: "for the sake of our children we must change." The prophecy never said Atreus would be hurt and over the course of the story Kratos accepts that he is more than capable on his own. So what does Atreus have to do with him having to change? It's not like he is afraid of death. A good writing advice I heard is that the protagonist should be special relative to the story's world and themes. In a world where gods and mortals alike refuse to change, Kratos is special because he is the most willing to change. That's what makes the protagonist of this story. Odin's final line even in the face of his own doom is " I can't change" and that's what makes the ultimate antagonist of this story. This is also true, but not as explicit, about Hiemdal. Of course, this is all my interpretation but considering how much evidence I have on my side and how the DLC ties into the idea of hope against hope, I think I am not far off from the writers' intentions. I am conflicted about how subtly all this is delivered since there is absolutely such a thing as being too subtle especially in a GOW story. I posted this on reddit just yesterday but then I was called an idiot because it waa so obvious that everybody must have understood it. Then today this literally the first GOW I watched since. Feel free to provide any evidence that contrdicts this.
I really like this comment and I love that you actually responded to some of the critisisms in the video. But I have a few things to say. 1. The entire story of 2018 revolved around Kratos changing and breaking the cycle of his old habits. And that didnt stop the giants from predicting his saga. In fact, in ragnarok Kratos mostly repeats the same arcs he had in 2018, only this time he grows even further in the same direction. Which in fact, makes him even more predictable. He even says at the end of 2018 right when he kills Baldur that "the cycle ends here, we must be better than this". Its the same arc here. And if thats the major turning point then sure, that makes sense. But that also makes that final mural being a large red herring. A danger that had already been averted.
2. "Wars are won by those who are willing to sacrifice everything" this statement doesnt make kratos anything more like his old self. It only states his experience with war in the past. And if were being honest, hes proven right. And I also strongly disagree with the idea that Kratos would rather let atreus die than "become like him". He never wanted atreus to go into war. He was against it from the start. And while yes he is afraid of him becoming like him, that doesnt mean he would rather let him die. Also, why even is atreus important in the discussion of the mural depicting Kratos dying? The mural at the end of 2018 showed a dead kratos, with the other side broken. Then we see it again in ragnarok, but in its fullest this time. And we see Thor standing over his dead body. So I ask you again, did the giants have foresight or not? You say the norns claim that fate is based on the will and predictability of individuals, but what about the giants. Like I said, if Baldurs death is the moment that Kratos breaks the cycle, then that should in theory be the moment he stops being predictable. But the giants still got everything right up to that point, even including his fight with Baldur. It was so obvious that 2018 set up the giants as future telling beings. This isnt subtly, this is as in your face as it gets. And yet they are wrong here, for no real reason. I know Faye destroyed the panel, but that shouldnt alter fate. It just doesnt make any sense.
@ABGP 1) it is true that 2018 sets up that Kratos wants to change but it doesn't show Kratos actually committing to that change. The norns even call him out on it: "so he kills gods but feels sad about it now" Think about like an addiction. There's a huge difference between an addict recognising they have a problem and actually making meaningful moves to change it. If 2018 is a story about Kratos recognising his problems fully, then Ragnarok is a story about actually changing that. And just like an addict Kratos fails multiple times before succeeding. The absolute lowest point in that respect was when he killed Hiemdal, he did it with such rage and hatred that Hiemdal saw the monster he hid deep down inside. 2)I don't think you understand the full scope of "those who win wars are the ones who sacrifice everything" because, at least the was Atreus interpreted it, means that it's not just about sacrificing oneself or allies but also anyone or anything that gets in your way like the innocent midgaurdians. This is of course the same exact mentality that Kratos had in the og games and indeed one that won him plenty of wars including one against the gods, but at what cost? 3) The giants being able to see the future is something that is explicitly stated multiple times. But there is no reason to suggest that their abilities are greater than those of the norns. In fact considering how relatively easily characters in the lore could get predictions from the giants and how how hard it is for them to simply meet the norns suggests that they hold the norns' predictions in higher regard. The norns themselves say that fate isn't written but people's nature are unchanging. What I'm trying to say is the giants probably work like the norns but slightly worse. 4) You are free to believe that Kratos would rather Atreus live in any way rather than die. But I think it's safe to say that most people agree with me. And I'll remind you that the first time we ever saw Kratos in the og GOW he tried kill himself because of self hatred and again tried to do it again at the end of GOW3. 5) Finally I didn't adress most of your other criticism because they were either too vague or too subjective. Such as saying Odin, Thor, and Freya weren't done well and then leaving it at that woth no further explanation. P.S. I wrote this over multiple days so I may have forgot something.
@@ABGP in gow 2018 Kratos doesn't even take into account Faye's advice that we saw in ragnarok, which chronologically happened even before the 2018 game, it is not until ragnarok, after a long time, that he only takes them into account there, like when we are going to face Garm or in Ragnarok itself with the "open your heart". There were only hints of it, like helping the ghosts, but he wasn't even doing it out of pure altruism, but rather for something in return. The topic of how the giants predict the future is something that Angrboda explains, it is something that will happen yes or yes, but not necessarily to perfection, some "DETAILS" could change, in this case, Odin took Kratos' place and Kratos took Thor's place, and not because Atreus considered Odin as a second father, but because of the simple manipulation that Odin could manifest in others, in this case taking advantage of the kindness or kindness that the boy has, but it is not real, It is a lie that is only there for your own benefit. Faye knew what would happen in Ragnarok and tried to do everything possible to change that destiny, she went against her own people to achieve that, but in the end that is something that does not depend on her, but on Kratos and Atreus. Yes, you can establish the foundations to change that destiny, but you cannot change the destiny of another person on your own, that depends on that person, it is like when you learn to ride a bicycle, it is your parents who help you by giving you support, helping you. to maintain balance and helping you with the bicycle with rear wheels, but it is up to you to be able to ride completely on your own. If Kratos in the event of Ragnarok was still the killer of gods that he proved to still be with Heimdall, then the prophecy would have been fulfilled because Kratos could not change that about him, but thanks to his son and Faye's advice that manifested itself in the dreams that Kratos has throughout the game and that in this same game he begins to consider and carry out was that he was able to avoid that ending.
2022 has worse hud, a huge drop in quality compared to 2018, worse signalization of upcoming hits (arrows signaling them are less visible around the character, they blend too much with the surroundings and the character), another example is the health bars of enemies, although the entire surround is ok, it had more character 2018 in this topic, the same for Kratos, 2018 - cool and interesting design, with the vibe of ancient Greece, it was not boring, 2022 just an ordinary indicator, only more neon, and the last thing that irritates me to no end, namely the bosses' life indicator, who redesigned it to be at the top of the screen, why, why, ehhh, half of the enemies we fight are 5 times bigger than the main character, not only does it spoil the immersion, but it also often obscures the view of the incoming attack, I wouldn't worry about it if the camera so as to avoid the attack, she didn't decide to change her blocking angle, and in addition, the zoom on the Kratos figure is definitely bigger, I preferred the 2018 version,...
I must defend Ragnarok's story. The thing with prophecy is that they have never been set in stone. It was explained in the game by Norns that prophecies are just very predictable choices. They changes with characters. The dead man in treus's arms wasn's Kratos but Odin. I tought it was cristal clear. In Ranganor almost all of the side characters have time to shine. Brok and Sindri are accualy part of the story instead of being just 2 guys appearing at random to upgrade us. Freya has much more screen time. New trio of Asgard gods is much more flashed out than in previous game (Magni and Modi were just a side abstacle). Side quests are also better and give a lot of development to some characters (Freya and Mimir especially). You did the story dirty by missing some huge points.
They should have stuck to the trilogy idea in my opinion. Imagine defeating Thor and finally turning his coat at the end of Ragnarok after spending the entire journey trying to bridge the gap between him and Kratos. The game ends with Odin unaliving him while setting up the plot of Odins desire to find the truth behind the mask. There was so much in Ragnarok which just wasn’t fleshed out enough. Odin should have a had a game for himself. You can argue Ragnarok was his game but it was also Thors… it was also the giants… it was also the masks. Too many themes which don’t melt together nicely.
Basically you complain about the lack of prominence of the antagonists, which compared to the Greek gods is much more extensive? It is still the story of Kratos and Atreus, that characters like Thor and Odin or even Freya have so much work when creating their character that they could easily be the protagonists of another game despite only being antagonists of a story that does not It focuses on them, it makes you think. Compared to Zeus or Ares, one could even say that they were given too much screen time.
2018 has a better story but to say odin and thor weren't top tier characters, what a shambolic statement. Delivered and acted so well just like baldur. The character development of thor is admirable and he is one of my favourite gods in the whole overall series from 2005 to now
Technically it’s not. I love 2018 a lot. But ragnarok literally improved upon its predecessor in every fathomable way other than pacing. 2018 is still a masterpiece but doesn’t compare to ragnarok in any way other than DEBATABLY story and DEFINITELY pacing
@@Bxrry125 depends what you mean by "Improve". To me the story element and pacing of it, is directly linked. You can see ragnarok was rushed and compacted 2 planned games into one. And i cant get over that. As for the rest... I preferred the world of 2018 🤷♂️. I see it as a reverse if what you said. 2018 as a masterpiece and ragnarok as 'just' a really game
@@Mr.BednaR I just don’t see how you’d think that considering ragnarok is literally 2018 x2. But I mean if you like lower quality games then go ahead I guess
Both games are masterpieces, I'm surprised Ragnarok didn't receive game of the year. Elden ring won instead which didn't make much sense to me because I didn't hear a lot of people talking about the game when it released or even later after it's release but gow Ragnarok on the other hand has been talked about ever sense it's release until present time.
Gowr I preferred but the hype around elden ring was bigger. People were replaying it by gowr release (like half a year later) both were crazy hype but elden ring was more
I would have liked to know why you consider the development of Freya or Thor disappointing. Personally, I quite liked that Freya "forgave" Kratos solely to use him as a tool against Odin or against any of her plans, and that Thor was left halfway to redemption, having a bitter end for the character that, to be honest, he deserved it. because he was not clean wheat either.
@@ABGP really? even when the tunnels part of the mission to create the spear tells you otherwise? or when she abandons him when she realizes that she will no longer follow the plan to kill heimdall? Or that in Valhalla Kratos said something like that?
@@ABGP Ah, yes? And to do what? Kill the rest of ODIN's army and Gna who was also a goddess who was on the side of the all father? and this is after Odin's death, but they are still a danger not only to her but to her Valkyries, to her kingdom and to her close companions like Hildisvini. and not only in the post game, several side quests are tied to Odin in some way, such as the mining rigs that were useful to Asgard. return the water to the Crater that was precisely removed by Odin's orders, or kill the dragons of that same area that come from Asgard to protect his home, to give examples, and if we go to the main story, in addition to the examples I gave, Freya herself says in the part about looking for the Norns that she helps him look for his son not only because she cares about Atreus, but also so that he can focus precisely on Odin. I don't want it to be misunderstood, Freya is a A kind-hearted goddess, who would do the things she does in the game like side quests out of sheer altruism, but she's still a person, she's not perfect, and if she has a chance to make her main goal of revenge against Odin easier, she's going to take it. you don't need to pay much attention to realize this, there are several occasions when she demonstrates THAT with Kratos precisely because he didn't want a war against Odin at first, proposing to create armies, help him so that he can focus only on her goal, propose assassinations that would affect Odin more than anyone else, (ehem, heimdall) contributing to those ideas as we saw in the creation of the Draupnir Spear, criticizing him in the middle of Ragnarok that he could let Odin escape for the change of plans, fuck. even Kratos in the part of the tunnels of Svartalheim says to him, "Is that why you proposed this alliance?" To complete your vengeance? And she never denies it.
Ragnarök’s story is sloppy doo doo water when it comes to writing. Not the worst story to exist, but compared to 2018 it’s like spot the difference with a fine wine and sewer water. P.S Not all of Ragnarök is bad. When I say this, I’m talking in a sense of the whole story over all. Moments like the quest with Brok to get the spear are very nicely done.
@@jasonfontenot6837 sloppy on what sense? It’s a beautifully written tale with emotional weight and sacrifice. Gow2018 had the “adventure” sense to its story which was cool but in terms of public opinion, raganrok has the more emotional story and represents the feelings of tragedy and despair. If you’re too stupid to understand more complex storytelling points then say it
@@Freezerker right because you’re such an expert on how the story was written. Won best narrative over Elden ring and gow2018 didn’t over rdr2. I can’t listen to your criticism if you don’t have a platinum trophy in your psn. Sorry man I know nostalgia is a thing but 2018 pales in comparison to the better sequel. This is not up for debate my man you need to move on 🙏
@@Freezerker buddy I’m gonna say it one last time. Gowr>gow2018. Public favorite gow game. You can’t argue with the majority. Sorry man but you’re in the minority on this one. Which game is better is not up for debate. Let’s go ahead and move on 🙏
@@Bxrry125na 2018 Hit different Ragnarök Had so many issues that sometimes it got tedious and Story Not comparable to 2018 the valhalla dlc though is really good
@@doodoowater8000 personally I disagree. Both games are basically the same game. Really the only thing that can be debated is the story. Everything else in Ragnarok is better like combat, lore/story consistent side quests, exploration, etc. Ragnarok as a video game is better but 2018 for the first time was definitely a better experience for most people
@@ethanreddy6551 agree to disagree. I think raganrok had way better set pieces and spectacle all around. 2018 was the better experience first time around because it revived the franchise
I think mechanically speaking, Ragnarok is a vast improvement on 2018, but I think 2018 has a better story. Both are phenomenal though
For sure
For me god of war 2018 story is more fun but Ragnaroks is deeper
@@PWR_ADA 100% agree. I love the message and the story that Ragnarok tells, I just think it's a little bloated, and pacing can be very disjointed at times. 2018 is a lot more streamlined with its story.
I think the story was better in a built up way but ragnarok was when shit hit the fan so the momentum was already set. It's like comparing first hunger games to catching fire but how fucking good was mocking jay! Next god of war might be Egypt.
I played ragnarok first and 2018 afterwards, the only thing ragnarok does better in is the combat, 2018 just hits differently in all the right ways
Just look at Thor from 2018 and Ragnarok, the camera for 2018 was more zoomed out and the soundtrack was better in 2018 imo
Eaxactly...and raknarok way to much role play armor...
You can barely fight bare-handed in Ragnarok. Combat was alot better in 2018's GoW imo.
@@Freezerker 2018 was ok but rainarok was so bad...i broke it after 1.5 playing....so boring and boi is just whack...8hlurs yak riding just to nail Agabagabunga on a cloud....its giants stuff..you know it!
@@Realkeepa On point🤣
God of war 2018 best villan,best story,best combat..... Only graphics needs remake other wise good
And baldur is main reason makes the god of war 4 interesting
I think what put 2018 over Ragnarök for me besides the story is something that greatly hurt Ragnarök…the hype, expectation, and build up during that 4 year gap. Like you explained in the video, there were a couple plot points that didn’t go where it probably should have which was likely due to the saga being 2 games. Still an amazing game but the Ragnarök event needed a bit more length and substance to it. Would’ve liked a couple more gods as well. I think Hrist and Mist should’ve been Vili and Ve, and Gna should’ve been Vidar but I get that Valkyries are really popular. Hopefully the Norse saga isn’t completely done.
Totally agree. And yeah the saga being only 2 games really hurt the narrative.
Gná is a god.
@@martinc8965 True. But I wanted something other than another Valkyrie fight. Still a great boss, just at the cost of getting a god who could’ve given us something we hadn’t seen already.
@@Archimedes_Ulfur "something we haven't seen" something like Heimdall's realm shift? I don't know, it honestly reminds me a little of Kratos and Deimos' fight against Thanatos, with the whole thing about Freya interfering with some attacks she does, it's like Tyr from Valhalla, people love it even though a lot of it His attacks are a copy of attacks from common enemies, although he has his own of course, just like Gná, if that were not the case I would not have been forced to have to learn his damn attack pattern.
@@martinc8965 Thing about what I said of “something we haven’t seen” is mostly surrounded around the idea of getting variety to the categories of enemies/bosses we fight. At the end of the day, Gna was just another Valkyrie, a boss type we saw a lot of in 2018 and honestly using another god would’ve been better to explore their abilities rather than adding another variety type. What would you call Heimdall? A realm shift user? Something we didn’t see explored from bosses before he used it on us? Replacing Gna with a god like Vidar would’ve improved the story since he would be taking vengeance on Kratos for destroying Asgard. Even during the Realms at War quest, Gna had an encounter with Fenrir…you know, something Vidar should have been present for. Tyr had enough variety to his move set and flair with his arsenal to make him one of the best bosses of Ragnarök. See, it’s mostly about boss/enemy design than anything. I don’t care that the Cyclops is mostly a reskin of an Ogre because what makes it great is that we got to fight Cyclops in the new combat style these games have to offer. You could’ve given me Gna, Hrist and Mist with no changes to the boss fight, but if they changed the models to Vidar, Vili, and Ve then it would’ve improved the overall experience because there would be a greater feeling of importance on who you’re fighting…rather than just another Valkyrie. Do you understand?
2018 is better imo. Much more replayability.
To answer ur questions; Kratos is the champion of the jotunar and the prophecy thing is complicated. Odin took Kratos’s place in the mural. One of the lead writers said that Kratos telling Atreus to open his heart and deciding not to kill Thor changed his fate. The Norns told him that prophecy is based on the actions of people. Kratos was deemed predictable by them. The mural Atreus sees in ironwood is the same mural Kratos sees. All of Norse mythology is dictated by prophecy and the devs wanted to have their own interpretation of it
Kratos is the champion: According to what? The game never directly answers this. Odin took kratos's place: when? How?. The mural that both Kratos and Atreus see clearly depicts Kratos. The norns does somewhat explain why his prophecy was predicted, however when did he change enough to not become as "predictable?"
@@ABGPprophecy is a prediction. Fate is based on the choices individuals make. The champion of the jotunar was carrying a spear which Kratos has. The mural Kratos and Atreus see is what the giants wanted but Faye destroyed half that mural so Kratos and Atreus could forge their own paths. Kratos fighting for something other than vengeance changed his prophecized death
Tyr was also known for using a spear, Kratos has already been fighting for things other than vengeance since 2018 and that didn't stop the giants from predicting everything there. @@mrrobluxo2369
@@ABGPthe Norns literally say there is no set script when it comes to fate.
I base my decision not on story, visuals, combat, score or direction but on my emotional response whilst playing.
Up until Ragnarok The Last of Us parts 1 and 2 collectively was my favourite game of all time with GOW 2018 running in behind along with the Uncharted saga. I have been gaming since the 1970's so have seen a lot with respect to change and evolution. Whilst playing Ragnarok just my emotional responses to certain parts in the game made me realise that this is now my all time fave. Of course when I analyse GOW 2018 and Ragnarok separately I am spell bound by the categories I cited by each at the start of this comment. But for me to fairly differentiate I base it on how I felt while playing and with that Ragnarok wins - plus the addition of Valhalla vindicated my decision. I was writing this comment before i got to your part in the video mentioning Valhalla lol
Sorry for the long comment but both these games are unreal and I am so happy you made this video
I would love for this franchise to continue because I am here for it 👏
The Ironwood section or most Atreus' sections are so awful. Just for those sections is that I will never try the "Give me GOW" Difficulty, I wish I could just skip them.
Ironwood and that Asgard tour was a slog, but c'mon the other missions except for ironwood were pretty sweet and short. It's a bit harsh to say that most of Atreus missions is awful.
I can live without Ragnarok. I can’t live without 2018
2018 all the way, for me. It was such a better story, and more well-paced. Ragnarok was overly long and at times felt like a 40-hour therapy session for Kratos. I didn't hate it, and I recognize just how much talent went into its creation, but there were numerous times I just wished it would end already. I became annoyed by the always-talking companions, the repetition of the combat and puzzles, and the "big twist" that flopped hard for me for reasons I won't spoil here. It had fantastic moments but I would rank it lower on the list of my favorite GoW games.
@@pixelmentia You say that you became annoyed by the "repetition of the combat and puzzles" in Ragnarok, but is that not a complaint you could easily apply to 2018 as well? In fact, Ragnarok had far greater enemy variety, better and more frequent boss battles, and what most people would say is better combat in general. Nothing is as repetitive as the recycled troll bosses from 2018. So I don't see where you're coming from with that comment, to be honest. I do agree, though, that 2018 was much better from a narrative standpoint in terms of its pacing, and the always talking companions are indeed annoying.
@Tazza19931 while the enemies were more numerous none of the enemies actually improved the gameplay experience. Neither of the puzzles as well
@@undertalefan5867 I agree on the puzzles. They're neither here nor there for me. But I disagree regarding enemy variety. Lack of enemy variety was possibly my biggest complaint with 2018, and simply having a different, more interesting variety of foes to take down was a plus for me and improved the experience. As did the boss battles as I already said. These are things that Ragnarök undeniably improved on.
Man, i couldnt disagree more about the combat. There were definitely some improvements in Ragnarok, but them removing the barehanded skills makes me feel gimped and slow. Specifically the agile strike skill which i used for gap closing and faster movement. They couldve easily kept the bare-handed arsenal of skills and just added the other weapons. It ruined the entire combat system for me. I also preferred the impact and feel of 2018. Ragnarok feels more "arcadey" to me. I think 2018 is the better game. Including Valhalla in the analysis isnt something i think is necessary. Its DLC and 2018 has no counterpart to compare it to
Including Valhalla isnt necessary? It's a part of the game and is 100% worth mentioning. I agree the barehanded combat was cool and its a shame they removed it but Ragnarok improves so much more that it really doesn't change much for me.
@ABGP I mean, it's your comparison. Do what you want. I just don't think it's a fair comparison. Ragnarok already is 5 years newer, much larger, and had a way bigger budget. Its just a bigger version of the same concepts. If you include Valhalla, it's a no-brainer from feature set alone. I also understand that the bare-handed skills probably didn't make much of a difference for most people. I was just sharing what it's omission did to my personal opinion of the combat system. Otherwise, there really isn't much difference in the two combat systems.
@@YeOldeMachineI completely agree with you, not having the bare-handed skill tree was a major step back imo. Also the movement feels off in Ragnarok.
I thought the whole explanation of Kratos' death not being fulfilled as prophesised, as they discussed at the end of Ragnarok, is because Faye turned against her kind and broke the chain, so that they could make their own prophecy, so the prophesies they find are outdated, or what was "supposed" to happen. IDK but I thought that explanation was fine...
If its outdated then why were all the other prophecies right?
Because they didn't have to be changed. so faye didn't find it necessary to try and change those @@ABGP
I prefer the story of Ragnarok as it actually has a drastic change for the end. In the first game Kratos learns not to shelter Atreus and hide his past from him but apparently still does so until the beginning of Ragnarok and if that game hadn’t done that nothing changes after the end and it feels anticlimactic. In Ragnarok Kratos learns to let go and let Atreus be on his own and you actually never see him again in the game. It was so weird and I like Kratos missed Atreus. The side quests of the first game really seemed to give them more development with Kratos using them to teach Atreus to overcome his fears or not to be too trusting. Ragnarok instead uses them to reveal more about its characters like Kratos wanting to spend time with Atreus or Freya’s feelings about Odin. I love both of these but the more information about the world made me want to do more. I wasn’t too interested in some missions like collecting witch bones to teach Atreus that people lie.
I have played through Ragnarok 20-25 times now 1 Billion+ HS everything upgraded to MAX but I totally agree with ubin the story line of Ragnarok 😳 IRONWOOD! When I arrive at that part I can only do 5 minutes tops and put the controller down. I have seen some videos of people BEGGING Santa Monica to do some kind of ‘skip cinematic’ as that Angrboda is So….. annoying. One other thing why did they change the control button from L1 X to L1 0 That was so annoying difficult to remember in combat. Thanks for doing the video. I agree wholeheartedly with ur comments 👍
I like 2018 better mostly because Baldur did felt like a rival while Thor felt more like a menace at the begining but then he did nothing until the end
2018 is way better, ragnarok could’ve been absolutely amazing but they made it into an mcu movie.
@@Thejonkler123 elaborate on that. Why is it a “mcu” movie to you? What about raganrok didn’t you like? I’ve done this debate a lot and I win every time. Prove to me why 2018 is better than raganrok. In all reality we both know you’re going off of nostalgia bias
@@Bxrry1252018 is now nostalgia? GoW(2018) is better than Marvelrok in every way.
What makes it an "MCU movie"? Because there's a bit more humour you mean?
@@Freezerker Some ways? Yes. Every way? Erm, no, not at all.
@@Freezerker wrong. Like very wrong holy miss
I've platinumed GOW 2018 and 100% the game about 3 or 4 times. I had nothing else to do in the game and by the time they released NG+ I had already moved on. I probably clocked over 300h in the game. It's the best game of the previous gen and one of my favorites of all time.
I coudn't drag myself to finish Ragnarok. The core combat is still great but, the experience is not there.
AI kept solving puzzles for me 2s after I entered a room, the WB teen drama story drags the game so much, so many characters that add nothing meaninful. The overall pacing is horrible. 2018 is lean, fast and when it hits, it hits hard. Ragnarok is fat, bloated and slow. Adding more weight to a bloated game wouldn't change my mind.
Nothing could match my hype after watching Kratos come out of the shadows in the reveal trailer.
agree with everything you said
If your gonna compare the two games, I think you can only really compare which story you liked better, as naturally Ragnoroks mechanics and combat system should be a polished up refined version of what we got in 2018
Sure but I think the improvements are really noticable and much better than people give it credit for.
only real complaints from me is no transmog in 2018 and atreus sections that could have been cutscenes in ragnarok
I would give it to Ragnarok but I didn't enjoy playing as Atreus.
2018 is better as Atreus missions especially with angraboda was atrocious and than whenever he meets Odin was slow ass and when he first time ever climbs the mountain to go Asgard was boring too.
Where are people getting that Valhalla is only 5-6 hours?!? I can’t suck that badly….
I mean I played on show me mastery and it took me about that.
I played on Prowess and it took me 8-9 hours. I even beat Tyr on my first try on most but the first fight. I think I spent too much time prepping for his fight which included just letting myself start over if I fell to normal enemies so I could save my resurrection stones..which I didn’t even use for Tyr…
In my opinion something in gow 2018 I prefer than the ragnarok especially the story I give it 7 of 10 for the story and worse place was ironwood
I played gow 2018 and have not yet played ragnarok. What discourages me is when i played the 2018 version, the fights with valkyrie killed me and drained me to the point that im hesitant to play ragnarok. I don’t want to play a dark souls type of game it’s just not my type. And i wish they would of made the 2018 gow like the old ones in the ps2.
Then don't fight the Valkyries like what
God of War Is one Of My Favorite games next to Resident Evil 7&8
I pretty much agree with you! Let's start with 2018. It was one of the best games I'd ever played up to that point. The story was perfect, combat was intense, characters were great, and side quests were fun. I didn't explore the side quests until after I finished the main story, so I had plenty to do. I got really interested in Norse mythology because of it. What 2018 did well, and so did Ragnarök, were Mimir's stories. The 2018 game was actually quite simple because it left a lot of things a mystery, like Odin and Thor, which we only heard about from Mimir. This gave Ragnarök a lot of potential and a heavy burden. Ragnarök's world was beautiful to explore, adding a lot of life. Combat was better and smoother, but weapon effects were lacking. The relationship between Kratos and Atreus was emotional. But I was disappointed with the pivotal characters, like Thor, who felt less dangerous, and Odin, who didn't feel as powerful. The real Týr didn't do much either. Fortunately, the DLC made up for that. Ragnarök itself (the giant creature) was unimpressive and the final fight didn't feel great. The story was confusing and chaotic, unlike 2018, which I could follow better. Overall, both games are amazing and beautiful, but if I had to be critical, I think 2018 has a better story, which meant a lot to me at the time.
You are exaggerating a little brother the sound effects and visual flair in 2018 are leagues better, ragnarok is more robust in terms of combat for sure and arguably better but i think that comes down to preference. Bare handed combat being done away with was rather disappointing too. Overall they are both excellent but in my book 2018 has a slight edge all aspects considered... ive spent a combined 400hrs in these games so like you i been there done just about everything.
8:12 This isn't really hard to understand but Eric Williams explained it anyway: The Norns said that there isn't something like destiny, there's just the sum of their choices and their choices are predictable. When Kratos told Atreus to open his heart instead of close it he basically made a choice that wasn't predictable so by that choice he basically changed his "fate" so instead of Kratos dying it was Odin who died in the hands of Atreus
Another guy said something similar and even this doesn't make a lot of sense to me. This whole norse arc has been about Kratos's character development, showing how he isn't who he used to be and therefore not being "predictable". Him killing Baldur was a major turning point that should have made him already "unpredictable" so this still makes no sense.
Also basing an entire plot around whether or not characters are "predictable" or not is stupid to begin with.
@@ABGP That's your opinion, but saying that the prophecy never happened and they didn't explain and stuff is just misunderstanding of the story
@@giwrgosULTRA I understand the story, it's just intentionally confusing and certain elements are not explained or not explained in a satisfying way.
The creators came out and explained why the prophecy of Kratos dying did not happen or was changed.
They should have made it a more blatant answer in Ragnarok, though, as it was a huge cliffhanger to end the game on.
8:14 i think thats atreus holding kratos not thor you can see the quiver on his back
I like 2018 but i just love or resonate with that scene from ragnarok where kratos tells the story just before war in the tent...it was so emotion i like that part so much that i would only play it second time to see that
Visuals and combat fluidity - ragnarok
Story and pacing- 2018
Exploration wise i hated having to backtrack in gow… i go insane and had to jot down notes on things and places i need to come back to after unlocking certain things in the game. I wished it was more straightforward
"And if this isn't the explanation then there isn't one"
That my friend is where you are wrong. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
I'm sure some other commenters talked about this but I will go very heavy on the details.
So I hope you are patient with me and let me cook.
I'm just going to focus on Kratos' fate since I think that's the most critical to the ending and this story.
The game only explicitly talks about it twice. Once in Ironwood when Atreus finds out. And again in the Norns section.
The Norns section is particularly important since it reveals that fate only exists because people's nature are so unchanging that they do the same mistakes whether or not they know they're going to do it.
So Kratos will die because his nature will not change. So how did he not die? Did he change his nature? When? How?
It was in Ragnarok when Atreus said "wars are won by those who are willing to sacrifice everything". It was at this moment that he realised that he hasn't changed, worse his son was becoming like him. The cycle continues. Fate unbroken.
So he decides to change that. He immediately pulls back everyone to save their lives and the humans' lives and charges in with only him and Atreus. The old Kratos would rather sacrifice thousands of people than put his son in such needless risk. And indeed he did that at the beginning of the battle.
I don't think Kratos knew how "breaking fate" in such a way would end up but the concept of Atreus becoming like him terrified him so much that he'd rather any alternative.
He was willing to risk so much for a little bit of...hope.
He even says something like "if we die so be it" meaning he'd rather his son die than become like him.
This is all built up in the Faye dreams which may be memories or messages beyond the grave.
One of her final lines is "open your heart to thier suffering" the opposite of one of the first lessons Kratos said to Atreus.
Ironically if Faye literally told him this years before she died then that means that even after Kratos had met Faye he really hasn't changed much.
It is also one of the first things he says to Atreus after his realisation.
This is also supported by the final thing Kratos says to Thor: "for the sake of our children we must change." The prophecy never said Atreus would be hurt and over the course of the story Kratos accepts that he is more than capable on his own.
So what does Atreus have to do with him having to change? It's not like he is afraid of death.
A good writing advice I heard is that the protagonist should be special relative to the story's world and themes.
In a world where gods and mortals alike refuse to change, Kratos is special because he is the most willing to change. That's what makes the protagonist of this story.
Odin's final line even in the face of his own doom is " I can't change" and that's what makes the ultimate antagonist of this story. This is also true, but not as explicit, about Hiemdal.
Of course, this is all my interpretation but considering how much evidence I have on my side and how the DLC ties into the idea of hope against hope, I think I am not far off from the writers' intentions.
I am conflicted about how subtly all this is delivered since there is absolutely such a thing as being too subtle especially in a GOW story.
I posted this on reddit just yesterday but then I was called an idiot because it waa so obvious that everybody must have understood it.
Then today this literally the first GOW I watched since.
Feel free to provide any evidence that contrdicts this.
I really like this comment and I love that you actually responded to some of the critisisms in the video. But I have a few things to say.
1. The entire story of 2018 revolved around Kratos changing and breaking the cycle of his old habits. And that didnt stop the giants from predicting his saga. In fact, in ragnarok Kratos mostly repeats the same arcs he had in 2018, only this time he grows even further in the same direction. Which in fact, makes him even more predictable.
He even says at the end of 2018 right when he kills Baldur that "the cycle ends here, we must be better than this". Its the same arc here. And if thats the major turning point then sure, that makes sense. But that also makes that final mural being a large red herring. A danger that had already been averted.
2. "Wars are won by those who are willing to sacrifice everything" this statement doesnt make kratos anything more like his old self. It only states his experience with war in the past. And if were being honest, hes proven right. And I also strongly disagree with the idea that Kratos would rather let atreus die than "become like him". He never wanted atreus to go into war. He was against it from the start. And while yes he is afraid of him becoming like him, that doesnt mean he would rather let him die.
Also, why even is atreus important in the discussion of the mural depicting Kratos dying? The mural at the end of 2018 showed a dead kratos, with the other side broken. Then we see it again in ragnarok, but in its fullest this time. And we see Thor standing over his dead body. So I ask you again, did the giants have foresight or not? You say the norns claim that fate is based on the will and predictability of individuals, but what about the giants. Like I said, if Baldurs death is the moment that Kratos breaks the cycle, then that should in theory be the moment he stops being predictable. But the giants still got everything right up to that point, even including his fight with Baldur.
It was so obvious that 2018 set up the giants as future telling beings. This isnt subtly, this is as in your face as it gets. And yet they are wrong here, for no real reason. I know Faye destroyed the panel, but that shouldnt alter fate. It just doesnt make any sense.
@ABGP 1) it is true that 2018 sets up that Kratos wants to change but it doesn't show Kratos actually committing to that change.
The norns even call him out on it: "so he kills gods but feels sad about it now"
Think about like an addiction. There's a huge difference between an addict recognising they have a problem and actually making meaningful moves to change it.
If 2018 is a story about Kratos recognising his problems fully, then Ragnarok is a story about actually changing that.
And just like an addict Kratos fails multiple times before succeeding. The absolute lowest point in that respect was when he killed Hiemdal, he did it with such rage and hatred that Hiemdal saw the monster he hid deep down inside.
2)I don't think you understand the full scope of "those who win wars are the ones who sacrifice everything" because, at least the was Atreus interpreted it, means that it's not just about sacrificing oneself or allies but also anyone or anything that gets in your way like the innocent midgaurdians.
This is of course the same exact mentality that Kratos had in the og games and indeed one that won him plenty of wars including one against the gods, but at what cost?
3) The giants being able to see the future is something that is explicitly stated multiple times. But there is no reason to suggest that their abilities are greater than those of the norns.
In fact considering how relatively easily characters in the lore could get predictions from the giants and how how hard it is for them to simply meet the norns suggests that they hold the norns' predictions in higher regard. The norns themselves say that fate isn't written but people's nature are unchanging.
What I'm trying to say is the giants probably work like the norns but slightly worse.
4) You are free to believe that Kratos would rather Atreus live in any way rather than die.
But I think it's safe to say that most people agree with me.
And I'll remind you that the first time we ever saw Kratos in the og GOW he tried kill himself because of self hatred and again tried to do it again at the end of GOW3.
5) Finally I didn't adress most of your other criticism because they were either too vague or too subjective.
Such as saying Odin, Thor, and Freya weren't done well and then leaving it at that woth no further explanation.
P.S. I wrote this over multiple days so I may have forgot something.
@@ABGP in gow 2018 Kratos doesn't even take into account Faye's advice that we saw in ragnarok, which chronologically happened even before the 2018 game, it is not until ragnarok, after a long time, that he only takes them into account there, like when we are going to face Garm or in Ragnarok itself with the "open your heart". There were only hints of it, like helping the ghosts, but he wasn't even doing it out of pure altruism, but rather for something in return.
The topic of how the giants predict the future is something that Angrboda explains, it is something that will happen yes or yes, but not necessarily to perfection, some "DETAILS" could change, in this case, Odin took Kratos' place and Kratos took Thor's place, and not because Atreus considered Odin as a second father, but because of the simple manipulation that Odin could manifest in others, in this case taking advantage of the kindness or kindness that the boy has, but it is not real, It is a lie that is only there for your own benefit. Faye knew what would happen in Ragnarok and tried to do everything possible to change that destiny, she went against her own people to achieve that, but in the end that is something that does not depend on her, but on Kratos and Atreus. Yes, you can establish the foundations to change that destiny, but you cannot change the destiny of another person on your own, that depends on that person, it is like when you learn to ride a bicycle, it is your parents who help you by giving you support, helping you. to maintain balance and helping you with the bicycle with rear wheels, but it is up to you to be able to ride completely on your own. If Kratos in the event of Ragnarok was still the killer of gods that he proved to still be with Heimdall, then the prophecy would have been fulfilled because Kratos could not change that about him, but thanks to his son and Faye's advice that manifested itself in the dreams that Kratos has throughout the game and that in this same game he begins to consider and carry out was that he was able to avoid that ending.
2022 has worse hud, a huge drop in quality compared to 2018, worse signalization of upcoming hits (arrows signaling them are less visible around the character, they blend too much with the surroundings and the character), another example is the health bars of enemies, although the entire surround is ok, it had more character 2018 in this topic, the same for Kratos, 2018 - cool and interesting design, with the vibe of ancient Greece, it was not boring, 2022 just an ordinary indicator, only more neon, and the last thing that irritates me to no end, namely the bosses' life indicator, who redesigned it to be at the top of the screen, why, why, ehhh, half of the enemies we fight are 5 times bigger than the main character, not only does it spoil the immersion, but it also often obscures the view of the incoming attack, I wouldn't worry about it if the camera so as to avoid the attack, she didn't decide to change her blocking angle, and in addition, the zoom on the Kratos figure is definitely bigger, I preferred the 2018 version,...
You is joke bro 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Wtf are you talking about?
I must defend Ragnarok's story. The thing with prophecy is that they have never been set in stone. It was explained in the game by Norns that prophecies are just very predictable choices. They changes with characters. The dead man in treus's arms wasn's Kratos but Odin. I tought it was cristal clear. In Ranganor almost all of the side characters have time to shine. Brok and Sindri are accualy part of the story instead of being just 2 guys appearing at random to upgrade us. Freya has much more screen time. New trio of Asgard gods is much more flashed out than in previous game (Magni and Modi were just a side abstacle). Side quests are also better and give a lot of development to some characters (Freya and Mimir especially). You did the story dirty by missing some huge points.
They should have stuck to the trilogy idea in my opinion. Imagine defeating Thor and finally turning his coat at the end of Ragnarok after spending the entire journey trying to bridge the gap between him and Kratos. The game ends with Odin unaliving him while setting up the plot of Odins desire to find the truth behind the mask. There was so much in Ragnarok which just wasn’t fleshed out enough. Odin should have a had a game for himself. You can argue Ragnarok was his game but it was also Thors… it was also the giants… it was also the masks. Too many themes which don’t melt together nicely.
Basically you complain about the lack of prominence of the antagonists, which compared to the Greek gods is much more extensive? It is still the story of Kratos and Atreus, that characters like Thor and Odin or even Freya have so much work when creating their character that they could easily be the protagonists of another game despite only being antagonists of a story that does not It focuses on them, it makes you think. Compared to Zeus or Ares, one could even say that they were given too much screen time.
2018 has a better story but to say odin and thor weren't top tier characters, what a shambolic statement. Delivered and acted so well just like baldur. The character development of thor is admirable and he is one of my favourite gods in the whole overall series from 2005 to now
2018 is a better game in general
Technically it’s not. I love 2018 a lot. But ragnarok literally improved upon its predecessor in every fathomable way other than pacing. 2018 is still a masterpiece but doesn’t compare to ragnarok in any way other than DEBATABLY story and DEFINITELY pacing
@@Bxrry125 depends what you mean by "Improve". To me the story element and pacing of it, is directly linked. You can see ragnarok was rushed and compacted 2 planned games into one. And i cant get over that. As for the rest... I preferred the world of 2018 🤷♂️. I see it as a reverse if what you said. 2018 as a masterpiece and ragnarok as 'just' a really game
@@Mr.BednaR I just don’t see how you’d think that considering ragnarok is literally 2018 x2. But I mean if you like lower quality games then go ahead I guess
@@Bxrry125 *sips tea ... yeah... you wouldn't get it.
@@Mr.BednaR you’re entitled to your opinion. But ragnarok is the best, most critically acclaimed, and public favorite gow game for a reason
2018 was so much better in story . Im dreading doing ng+ on ragnarok right now too many puzzles too much going on .
Both games are masterpieces, I'm surprised Ragnarok didn't receive game of the year. Elden ring won instead which didn't make much sense to me because I didn't hear a lot of people talking about the game when it released or even later after it's release but gow Ragnarok on the other hand has been talked about ever sense it's release until present time.
Elden ring really did deserve it though. It took over the world and is a much betyer game at least in my opinion.
Do you live under a rock? Elden ring was, alongside GOW Ragnarok, one of the most anticipated games of 2022
Gowr I preferred but the hype around elden ring was bigger. People were replaying it by gowr release (like half a year later) both were crazy hype but elden ring was more
Ragnarok is better but I give Story to Gow 2018
I would have liked to know why you consider the development of Freya or Thor disappointing. Personally, I quite liked that Freya "forgave" Kratos solely to use him as a tool against Odin or against any of her plans, and that Thor was left halfway to redemption, having a bitter end for the character that, to be honest, he deserved it. because he was not clean wheat either.
Freya did forgive him. And it wasn't to "use him"
@@ABGP really? even when the tunnels part of the mission to create the spear tells you otherwise? or when she abandons him when she realizes that she will no longer follow the plan to kill heimdall? Or that in Valhalla Kratos said something like that?
If she "used him" she wouldn't stick around and go on adventures with him post game.@@martinc8965
@@ABGP Ah, yes? And to do what? Kill the rest of ODIN's army and Gna who was also a goddess who was on the side of the all father? and this is after Odin's death, but they are still a danger not only to her but to her Valkyries, to her kingdom and to her close companions like Hildisvini. and not only in the post game, several side quests are tied to Odin in some way, such as the mining rigs that were useful to Asgard.
return the water to the Crater that was precisely removed by Odin's orders, or kill the dragons of that same area that come from Asgard to protect his home, to give examples, and if we go to the main story, in addition to the examples I gave, Freya herself says in the part about looking for the Norns that she helps him look for his son not only because she cares about Atreus, but also so that he can focus precisely on Odin. I don't want it to be misunderstood, Freya is a A kind-hearted goddess, who would do the things she does in the game like side quests out of sheer altruism, but she's still a person, she's not perfect, and if she has a chance to make her main goal of revenge against Odin easier, she's going to take it. you don't need to pay much attention to realize this, there are several occasions when she demonstrates THAT with Kratos precisely because he didn't want a war against Odin at first, proposing to create armies, help him so that he can focus only on her goal, propose assassinations that would affect Odin more than anyone else, (ehem, heimdall) contributing to those ideas as we saw in the creation of the Draupnir Spear, criticizing him in the middle of Ragnarok that he could let Odin escape for the change of plans, fuck. even Kratos in the part of the tunnels of Svartalheim says to him, "Is that why you proposed this alliance?" To complete your vengeance? And she never denies it.
l think the story in Gow 2018 is better
Ragnarök’s story is sloppy doo doo water when it comes to writing. Not the worst story to exist, but compared to 2018 it’s like spot the difference with a fine wine and sewer water.
P.S
Not all of Ragnarök is bad. When I say this, I’m talking in a sense of the whole story over all. Moments like the quest with Brok to get the spear are very nicely done.
A lot of the writing is great, but the pacing is awful. It should've been a trilogy.
I like 2018 better . And I played ragnarok first . The story was a little sloppy in ragnarok wich brought me out of it a little
@@jasonfontenot6837 sloppy on what sense? It’s a beautifully written tale with emotional weight and sacrifice. Gow2018 had the “adventure” sense to its story which was cool but in terms of public opinion, raganrok has the more emotional story and represents the feelings of tragedy and despair. If you’re too stupid to understand more complex storytelling points then say it
@@Bxrry125 Beautifully written for soyboys like you maybe but 2018 was more engaging than whatever Ragnarok was trying to be. Cope.
@@Freezerker right because you’re such an expert on how the story was written. Won best narrative over Elden ring and gow2018 didn’t over rdr2. I can’t listen to your criticism if you don’t have a platinum trophy in your psn. Sorry man I know nostalgia is a thing but 2018 pales in comparison to the better sequel. This is not up for debate my man you need to move on 🙏
@@Bxrry125 Nostalgia? You make no sense. Elden Ring is overrated af. Keep following the herd sheep. Lmao
@@Freezerker buddy I’m gonna say it one last time. Gowr>gow2018. Public favorite gow game. You can’t argue with the majority. Sorry man but you’re in the minority on this one. Which game is better is not up for debate. Let’s go ahead and move on 🙏
Ragnarok story is not even a mess its just down right awful.
Played 2018 and was so bad dissapointed.played raknarok and BROKE THE CD...playing 2018 now and i love it compated to RAKNAROK...ITS SOOO BAD
Valhalla put Ragnarok over the top imo.
Ragnarok was already the better game even before Valhalla. The dlc was just adding insult to injury securing ragnarok as the better experience
@@Bxrry125na 2018 Hit different Ragnarök Had so many issues that sometimes it got tedious and Story Not comparable to 2018 the valhalla dlc though is really good
@@doodoowater8000 personally I disagree. Both games are basically the same game. Really the only thing that can be debated is the story. Everything else in Ragnarok is better like combat, lore/story consistent side quests, exploration, etc. Ragnarok as a video game is better but 2018 for the first time was definitely a better experience for most people
@@Bxrry1252018 was more epic and immersive. Ragnaroks the better game but 2018s the better experience
@@ethanreddy6551 agree to disagree. I think raganrok had way better set pieces and spectacle all around. 2018 was the better experience first time around because it revived the franchise
Ragnarok better
2018 >
Ragnarok is better
2018>