Is God of War‘s Premium Pricing Justified? Let‘s Break It Down
As an ardent gamer and games journalist with over 20 years of industry expertise, I wholeheartedly believe the new God of War games deserve premium $70 pricing tags for raising the bar across virtually every aspect that matters in top-tier action-adventure games.
Below I‘ll methodically break down why 2018‘s God of War and 2022‘s Ragnarök iteration represent best-in-class exemples of polished gameplay, emotionally resonant narrative, rewarding exploration, and meaningful character progression that rival even the most critically-acclaimed AAA titles this generation.
God of War‘s Satisfying Combat Sets Industry Standards
God of War‘s shifted camera perspective fundamentally redefined its combat into a more visceral, technical affair that deserves recognition alongside genre leaders like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta.
| Combat Info | Data |
|---|---|
| Enemy Variety | Over 35 Unique Enemies |
| Combos | 50+ Combat Moves Per Weapon |
| Gear Choices | Dozens of Legendary Weapons, Armor Sets, Enchantments |
- Precision melee combat: The over-the-shoulder angle and lock-on targeting allows for more deliberate, skill-based swings compared to past games. Landing combos and parries feels incredibly tight and responsive with excellent controller haptics.
- Epic boss battles: Gods like Baldur, Dragons, Trolls, and more keep players on their toes with diverse movesets to learn and massive arenas that encourage positioning and awareness. These demanding duels test mastery of combat mechanics.
- Customizable builds: Various weapons and gear obtained through exploration or crafting support unique playstyles to tailor to player preferences. Want more Runic magic focus? Elemental effects? High damage critical attacks? All viable and encouraged!
Reviewers praised this reinvented combat loop as a technical and nuanced evolution for the series:
"The excellent combat is made even better by the inclusion of gear with perks that clearly make a difference in how you play" – IGN
Ragnarök further built on these rock-solid foundations with new abilities, weapons like the Draupnir Spear, and higher enemy variety for even more diverse combat encounters.
Storytelling That Pulls Players In
God of War‘s seamless cinematography and slower pace helped ground players in its world to connect with Kratos and Atreus‘ emotional journey in ways not seen in past games.
| Narrative Info | Data |
|---|---|
| Main Campaign Length | 20 hour+ story |
| Cinematic budget | Multi-million dollar performance capture |
| BAFTA Award | Storytelling Excellence |
- Intimate character moments: Quieter story scenes, side banter, and puzzle sections pace out combat to spotlight the father-son dynamic and characters met along their journey.
- Stunning cinematography: Flawlessly stitched one-take camera shots during gameplay and cinematics are seemingly effortless works of design that draw players into this world.
- Shocking twists: Major story revelations, deaths, resurrections, and secrets alter perspectives on characters‘ motivations and the overarching conflict brewing with Ragnarök.
Esteemed cinematic director Cory Balrog helped craft a deeply affecting narrative accentuated by AAA performance capture technology:
"There is a compelling emotional journey at God of War‘s core that is fleshed out through its Pine Tree State visuals, sound style, writing, and voice acting" – GameSpot
Atreus‘ expanded role in Ragnarök brought added weight to the story‘s intense, satisfying conclusions to long-developed character arcs.
Exploration Redefines the Series
God of War departed the linear level structure of past entries for a semi-open world design full of rewarding side content.
| Open World Activity | Includes |
|---|---|
| Side Quests | 15+ hours of additional content |
| Optional Bosses | Epic confrontations with legendary beasts |
| Gear & Upgrades | Crafting system to build RPG-style loadouts |
| NPC Dialogue | Insight into characters, worldbuilding |
- Environmental puzzles: Clever dungeon and overworld puzzles encourage paying attention to surroundings to uncover secrets, ability upgrades, and gear.
- Meaningful collectibles: Artifacts contain substantive world lore. Odin‘s ravens unlock upgrades. Resources craft powerful equipment.
- Fully-realized locales: Lavishly detailed environments like Alfheim‘s shimmering lake, Helheim‘s ominous fog, and the highest peak of Jötunheim sell the scale and magic of this mythological realm.
Reviewers praised how rewarding side content respect players‘ time with meaningful content and upgrades:
"I could have hung around hunting for secrets in God of War‘s world for another 30 hours and still been engaged" – Eurogamer
Ragnarök doubled down on this successful formula with entire new realms like Svartalfheim and Vanaheim dense with additional secrets that tempt curious players.
RPG Progression Adapted For Modern Sensibilities
While God of War handles similarly to classic entries on the gameplay surface, various new RPG systems added significant depth while avoiding repetitive grind.
| Progression System | Details |
|---|---|
| Skill Trees | 100+ options across weapons, combat, armor crafting |
| Armor Perks | Tailor Kratos to preferred playstyle |
| Enchantment Gem Slots | Elemental effects, stat boosts |
| Difficulty Settings | Cater challenges to skill level |
- Granular skill upgrades: God of War‘s skill trees allow mixing and matching a wide variety of combat special moves, ranged axe/shield throws, weapon techniques, defensive maneuvers, crafting options and more to continually evolve playstyles without boring repetitive upgrading.
- Always advancing: Whether exploring, fighting bosses, completing puzzles or side content – virtually every activity rewards artifacts, hacksilver currency, enchantment materials or experience points to benefit Kratos and Atreus‘ capabilities and custom builds. Players are constantly progressing.
- Respects player time: Higher base difficulties offer intense, demanding combat with no grinding needed for those craving a hardcore action challenge. Players less familiar with the genre appreciate how customizable difficulties and capable AI companion Atreus provide accessibility without judgment.
Reviewers praised how vitalizing upgrades make tangible impacts:
"I loved that I could come back to fights that had previously worried me and smash them after some upgrades" – VG24/7
Ragnarök meaningfully expanded progression possibilities with twice as many enchantment slots, armor sets, and ability combos.
On every front – combat, storytelling, exploration rewards, and RPG depth – God of War executes at an exceptionally high level that raises the bar for the medium‘s artistic and technical potential. Very few titles can claim such expertly crafted execution across so many disciplines.
As both a hardcore gamer myself and industry veteran that analyzes game design decisions to inform consumers, I fully believe God of War‘s 2018 revival and 2022 Ragnarök follow-up represent the pinnacle of cinematic action-adventure experiences that justify premium pricing models.
These epic single-player odysseys stand masterclass exemplars of just how fantastic video game storytelling has become over the past decade. With over 50+ hours of combined visceral gameplay, brilliant world design, emotionally resonant narratives, and player-friendly progression systems respecting fan investments – everyone deserves to experience Kratos and Atreus‘ unforgettable journey.
Verdict: Buy them at full price immediately if you haven‘t yet had the pleasure.
