God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla Review – Kratos Confronts His Past Once More

Just when you thought it was safe to put down the DualShock controller after that epic journey through the Norse underworld and epic clash with a temperamental thunder god…Kratos is knocking urgently at your door again, demanding to jump back into the fray.

I’m talking about God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla – the surprise DLC expansion to last year’s smash hit continuation of everyone’s favorite vengeance-obsessed Spartan’s story. We may have figured all was said and done after Kratos toppled the cunning machinations of that wily one-eyed deity Odin. But this unexpectedly generous free DLC from Sony Santa Monica serves up a juicy new slice of godly smackdowns with the addition of an immersive roguelike gameplay mode.

Set after the events of Ragnarök, the story sees good ol’ Ghost of Sparta receive a cryptic invitation to Valhalla, deciding the veteran warrior needs to embark on one more posthumous quest before he’s ready to hang up the Leviathan Axe for good. You dive back into the fluid, visceral combat fans know and love – but with randomly generated encounters, weapons, and abilities spicing up the challenge. Permanent upgrades and currency systems mesh with temporary buffs you expend and earn during each run as you fight through this Cycle of Violence, confronting demons from Kratos’ dark past to find closure.

It’s a killer duality that taps into our primal power fantasies on the one hand, while unpacking thorny themes of remorse and forgiveness on the other. After everything Kratos has endured over nearly two decades now, does this reluctant god deserve a seat in the pantheon of fallen heroes? Or is he doomed to repeat past sins? Valhalla provides gripping answers. A surprisingly profound romp.

Enter The Cycle Of Violence: Godly Progression Yggdrasil Would Approve Of

Valhalla’s structure is simple yet devilishly addictive. You descend into the mythic hall of fallen heroes through a shimmering gateway between life and death, stripped back down to Kratos’ bare essential combat prowess after that epic final showdown with Odin erased most of the abilities and weapon upgrades you’d earned throughout Ragnarök up to that point.

From there, you’ve got to battle your way cross nine progressively difficult zones based on familiar realms and iconic locations from across Kratos’ sprawling journey through Midgard, using platforming, puzzle-solving smarts, and visceral melee clashes to move deeper into Valhalla and face judgement before the Divine Tribunal. Thing is, Kratos’ eclectic arsenal of magical runic attacks, weapon-specific skills, passive buffs and more are all randomly doled out by Valkyries at the end of each arena via an RNG loot drop.

So it’s strap in for improvisation city as you might suddenly find yourself with crazy ice AOE spam magic to complement the choice of speccing heavily into your badass Draupnir Spear – or experience a bonkers lightning storm Sparatan Rage-off thanks to Zeus’ Fury with bonuses for bare-fisted punching. You craft a new playstyle run after run based on the tools you’re dealt, pushing for the most synergistic builds possible to tackle those formidable boss encounters.

Even in death (or rather, banishment back to the entrance) you find motivation to jump right back into the jaw-droppingly gorgeous chaos. Earned currencies persist across runs to fuel permanent stat upgrades. Obtaining and equipping Valor Seals and Rage Essence for incremental health, strength, luck and cooldown boosts gradually turns Kratos into an undisputed Norse killing machine. While lore-rich Artifacts tailor subsequent runs via offering increased chances of unlocking higher rarity runic attacks, more starting resources, combat shrines that instantly recover you from death in return for crippling max health reductions…truly a heaven for min-maxing maniacs.

You grow exponentially stronger, but at the same time are constantly kept on edge. Valhalla’s brilliant rougelike loop challenges you to constantly assess whether to push boldly forth for a chance at greater rewards with the very real risk of losing it all to one of those maddening dark elf sorcerer-types bombarding you with homing purple orbs…or play it safe and return to the gateway to cash in with heaping stashes of upgrade currencies so that next time, you might just break through to Odin’s throne room itself.

And that’s before even getting to the clothesline-esque river of malicious mythological monsters you’re throwing down with in between. Minotaurs, giant trolls, ancient automatons from Tyr’s trials, psychotic clones of Kratos himself (oh yes, they went there) and other familiar faces from the God of War pantheon all await to test your reaction speeds across Valhalla’s dazzling array of combat encounters and environmental gauntlets. While some arenas repeat over many subsequent runs, the semi-random spawn patterns keep you improvising on the fly to make it out unscathed.

Plus, the wealth of Masteries challenges teasing exclusive brutal kill animations, cosmetics and more rewards inspire you to fire up underused weapons, combo off specific attacks and generally ramp up the spectacle factor. Whether you stick doggedly to one approach or live out those wild blue-orange Portal beam fantasies, Valhalla’s frenetic skirmishes constantly thrill. And having bested Thor himself during Ragnarök’s grand finale, you eventually come to relish rather than fear the return to square one upon each death. The journey, not the destination, right?

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The Past Catches Up, But The Future Beckons

After that whirlwind father-son road trip cum apocalypse-averting crusade across the realms, you’d think Kratos might wanna kick back those sandals for a bit before gearing up to dethrone yet another pantheon of peeved deities. Yet when a mysterious invitation to the legendary warriors’ feasting hall signed only “A Friend” arrives, the God of War deduces this is likely tied to that lingering unrest about his bloody legacy.

Ever the cold pragmatist, Kratos figures he might as well confront the issue head-on. And braces for one more helping of divine judgement from beings even more self-righteous than himself (he’s come a long way from the original trilogy, but still)…this interloping Greek stripping a seat from some noble slain Norse quester more deserving of the honor.

As it happens, Valhalla becomes less a indictment, more an intervention. Yes it’s true that stuck on repeat, charging from arena to arena to overcome longtime foes like the colossal Titan Cronos, conniving trickster god Hermes, and even dark reflections of his former self across familiar locations from Greece’s sun-bleached temples to dank Nordic catacombs…initially feels like being trapped on the Sisyphean causeway once more. Never quite making amends.

But with introspection comes revelation. Assisted by ever-faithful head companion Mimir, dispensing his trademark folksy wisdom from Kratos’ hip holster, our weathered antihero comes to realize this cyclical gauntlet is no curse but an opportunity. A soul-searching ‘Meet Your Ghost Of Wars Past’ meant to strengthen his resolve and sense of purpose moving forward into unknown territory as an agent of the Norse pantheon, rather than cling to former stories of destruction and domination.

There are deep narrative synergies in marrying Valhalla’s roguelike framework to reflective themes of regret and redemption central to God of War’s emotional core. As Kratos repeats his journey into the light at Ragnarok’s world-spanning tale’s conclusion, players mimic that vaulting struggle towards catharsis and closure through the interplay of risk and reward. It’s not just our axe-swinging avatar but us learning to let go of past frustrations, miscues involving an unfortunately timed area transition leading to cheap deaths, failed daring grabs at overstacked resources equating meta progression…and move on with heads held high.

Moments of specific narrative poignancy hit wonderfully, like Kratos returning to a warped vision of his mortal family’s house from God of War III and movingly laying old nightmares to rest. The story even culminates in an unexpected epilogue to events of the original PlayStation trilogy, with an emotionally resonant cameo I dare not spoil providing welcome narrative bookends.

By the journey’s end, collectively we tap into that deep reservoir of hard-earned maturity and self-actualization Kratos has filled over the Norse saga, ready to embrace whatever grand destiny awaits. Once certain no fable scribe will ever chronicle how his son’s dear old dad met his doom via toxic purple fart cloud…hey, they can’t all be glorious last stands!

A Familiar Yet Fresh Mythic Grandeur

It’s clear from the moment you descend into Valhalla that Sony Santa Monica aims to overwhelm the senses as Kratos fights for his soul amongst the storied halls of Odin’s fallen champions. This add-on expansion leverages next-gen PS5 power to showcase the studio operating at the peak of its world-building prowess, fusing iconic locations and vistas from 2018’s Nordic soft reboot and the original trilogy into one killer VR tourism package (fingers crossed PSVR2 support comes down the line!)

Most arenas riff on memorable environments like the imposing Thunder Summit where you duelled pantheon head honcho Zeus way back when, or Ironwood Grove with its ominous crimson hues contrasting clouds pierced by streaks of lightning, albeit now rendered with finer textures and ray traced visual pizzaz. It’s a respectful remastering touch bringing fond PS2-era memories flooding back.

Yet the art direction equally impresses with its own identity thanks to small environmental details like emergence of parasitic corruptive magic transforming parts of Valhalla itself, reflecting Kratos’ uneasy presence. Haunting Valkyrie shanties echoing down cavernous halls, growls of newly spawned draugr ready to swarm, and metallic clangs of automated sentries patrolling forlorn treasure vaults make your surround sound system sing too.

Some chaotic clashes can undoubtedly tax even mighty PS5 guts when you’ve got multiple elemental effects, particle debris galore and the promised 4K checkerboard 60 FPS target struggling just a tad. But frankly, considering we’re talking up to around fifty on-screen foes at once in certain gargantuan melees…a few forgivable frame rate hitches are no biggie. This remains a visually and sonically arresting showpiece demonstrating PlayStation at its AAA best.

Room For Improvement Amongst The Heroics

It feels almost blasphemous to critique this overflowing Cornucopia of Kratos handed to us for free…but no one’s perfect. After hours pummelling mythological monsters into fine red mist, even the most devout fan might feel a tinge of arena fatigue start to creep in. The limited pool of combat rooms and backdrops recycled from the main Ragnarök campaign definitely becomes apparent over lengthy Valhalla sessions.

Sure, enemy wave compositions and surprise mini-boss spawns help retain an element of unpredictability. Yet you’ll doubtless grow tired running up what feels like the 50th reskin of those sweeping staircases leading to God of Thunder manbaby Thor’s incredibly punchable face. Some wholly new environments tailored specifically around Valhalla’s themes could have added some fresh visual spice.

The user interface also flirts with obscurity in places thanks to an abundance of special currency types, upgrade paths and gameplay-altering Sigils whose meanings feel vague initially until pieced together. Taking time to pore over tutorials is advised, though a gradual rather than overwhelming unfold of mechanics might ease the learning curve for roguelike newcomers.

Nevertheless, it says much that these prove the only notable blemishes for a small expansion created in under a year. Indeed they barely register given the mountain of mythic goodness Spider-Man devs Insomniac packed into Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales for a similar budget. Plus that dizzying height of clearing fifty consecutive rooms without breaking a sweat, only to be bamboozled by one of those devious realm shift portals…swiftly dulls any notions of repetitiveness!

Valhalla Beckons You To Rise Glorious Once More

Considering Sony Santa Monica already delivered a mammoth 30+ hour narrative with God of War Ragnarök that could have easily stood as a complete saga, this generous gift of a fully-featured roguelike expansion feels almost too good to be true. Yet they once again knocked it out of Midgard; a satisfying, stand-alone side adventure with hooks aplenty for fans while also moving Kratos’ story forward in poignant fashion. Honestly, if this was released as premium DLC it would still feel essential.

Factor in that they charge absolutely nothing save the price of admission that is console ownership…and it’s clear the team’s reverence for this iconic character shines as bright as the Bifröst bridge to Asgard itself. God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla encapsulates everything that makes Kratos such a compelling, evolving antihero still after nearly twenty years of god killing. Put the kids to bed, wrap yourself in furs Nordic style and let the rhythmic pulse of combat transport you back to the glory days.

The Cycle of Violence never felt so cathartic. This is AAA game development operating at the peak of its powers, masterfully expanding upon previous work rather than merely replicating that winning formula. A must-play experience that meaningfully enriches the franchise. Destiny awaits.

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