God of War is a slow game. Sony Santa Monica does this deliberately, wanting to draw us into the lives of its characters and the obstacles they overcome. Every act is defined by plodding movement and melodic combat interspersed with expertly paced set pieces intended to say and do very specific things. You feel the right emotions and gain the right level of investment, which is a testament to the game’s own achievements. It remains an acquired taste though, which is perhaps why the sequel was more polarising than some expected.

Ragnarok is glacial, fitting given there is ice all over the place, with the main narrative failing to gain momentum until well into the second act. Once again, it feels like a deliberate setting of the stage, since all of the major character arcs pay off in a resounding conclusion. Yet this also means replaying games like this is harder than you might expect. The first playthrough is a storytelling whirlwind of brilliant revelations, while a second run serves to highlight how, without a story to hold its gameplay together, the flaws become all the more apparent.

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Before the follow-up arrived I decided to revisit the first game and refresh myself. It had been a few years, and my original whirlwind playthrough meant major character moments and big things I probably needed to remember had long faded from memory. The tragic opening that follows Kratos and Atreus along the river as they carry an ancient tree to construct a funeral pyre for their loved one sets a sombre tone. Minimal words between them helps to establish a strained bond, cementing the responsibility that now rests on this fallen god’s shoulders.

We learn to hunt, solve a few puzzles, and embark on a journey to a mountain that awaits on the horizon. It is a stunning introduction, but one that benefits from taking it slow in service of narrative over mechanics. When you’ve seen it all before, initial investment fades away only to be replaced by impatience. God of War blends expositional dialogue into every moment, meaning that going from place to place or struggling with a puzzle is often seen as grounds for characters to talk out current dilemmas or conveniently tell us more about the problems that ail them.

It’s how we learn about Atreus’ stubborn optimism and eagerness to follow in his father’s bloody footsteps, and exactly how Kratos came to call this pantheon home in the first place. The first time round you’re on the edge of your seat, hanging off every little word thanks to stellar writing and character development that means something. We don’t know where it’s going, and the narrative is built in a way that services the final moments more than anything else. Take this pilgrimage a second time and the impact just isn’t there anymore.

kratos and atreus shaking hands in god of war ragnarok
via Santa Monica

Remove that justification and moment-to-moment gameplay is reduced to a lumbering bore. Combat is largely uncomplicated until you earn a few new abilities and upgrades, and even then it comes down to whittling health bars away until your enemies die. Puzzles are much the same, with singular solutions meaning you’ll be hearing the same things over and over again while knowing where it’s all going. I made it to the wider open world and threw in the towel, much preferring to go into Ragnarok with a few massive questions than pull myself through a second playthrough that didn’t respect my time.

I wasn’t into it nearly enough to weather the storm, especially knowing that Ragnarok was even longer and possibly even more demanding in everything it would ask of me. I was right, and won’t be replaying that either. It is too long, too slow, and too singular in its vision to warrant that kind of revisit.

There isn’t anything wrong with a game that shines brightest the first time round. We always expect to care most about the characters and narrative when so many unknowns still remain. God of War is an unwinding thread of multiple compelling mysteries, but knowing the places they all end up makes revisiting it for purely mechanical satisfaction a lost cause. It just isn’t engaging, and both games revolve around a gameplay formula that always puts narrative first. Jump into them with any other expectations and you’ll come up short.

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