God of War Ragnarök Guide#

Game Information#

Game Overview#

God of War Ragnarök is the sequel to 2018’s God of War, continuing the adventures of Kratos and his son Atreus through the world of Norse mythology. Picking up in the grip of Fimbulwinter, the story builds toward the prophesied end of days: Kratos must come to terms with fate as he and Atreus journey across the Nine Realms to face Odin, the Allfather of Asgard, and his son Thor. With sweeping upgrades to combat, exploration, and narrative depth, Ragnarök stands as a landmark title of the PS4/PS5 era.

Key Features#

Story Background#

Set three years after the events of the previous game, the story finds Fimbulwinter settling over Midgard as a herald of Ragnarök. Kratos tries to shield Atreus from the weight of prophecy, but as the journey unfolds Atreus gradually discovers his true identity as Loki. Father and son must find a balance between trust and destiny, gathering allies — the dwarf brothers Brok and Sindri, the witch Freya, the fallen god of war Týr — to stand against Odin’s tyranny. The game wrestles with fate, family, and redemption, and its ending is genuinely moving.

Critical Reception#

God of War Ragnarök received widespread acclaim, holding a 94 on Metacritic and ranking among the highest-rated games of 2022. IGN awarded it a perfect 10/10, calling it a series peak in narrative, combat, and world design; GameSpot gave it 9/10, praising its character work and emotional depth. It took home multiple awards at The Game Awards 2022, including Best Narrative and Best Action/Adventure Game, and by the end of 2023 it had sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.

What This Guide Covers#

This guide walks you through everything the Ragnarök saga has to offer:

1. Beginner basics — opening tips, difficulty selection, resource management
2. Combat system — weapon breakdowns, shield mechanics, runic attacks
3. Exploring the Nine Realms — regional guides, fast travel, collectibles
4. Boss strategies — main-story bosses, Berserkers, the Valkyrie Queen
5. Gear and items — armor sets, weapon upgrades, enchantment system
6. Skills — skill tree breakdowns and recommended unlock priorities
7. Quest guide — main chapters, side quests, missable content
8. Story and lore — Norse mythology adaptation, character analysis, world-building
9. Endgame — New Game+, trials, and the road to 100%

Features in Depth#

Ragnarök evolves its predecessor in nearly every direction. These are the systems most worth your attention:

Dynamic combat — Three weapons, combined with shields, Spartan Rage, and runic attacks, give the combat real depth. Each weapon offers more than 20 unique skills, and swapping weapons mid-fight never breaks your combo rhythm. Elemental interplay — freezing with ice, then detonating with fire — gives advanced players plenty of tactical room.

Dual-protagonist narrative — For the first time in the series, entire segments put players in control of Atreus, with his own combat style and narrative perspective. His gameplay leans on the bow and runic summons: a ranged, support-oriented contrast to Kratos.

Accessibility — Santa Monica Studio delivered one of the industry’s leading accessibility suites, including high-contrast mode, adjustable subtitle size and backgrounds, auto-pickup, navigation assist, and combat assists (auto-parry, auto-dodge) — more than 60 settings in all, so players of every ability can enjoy the game.

Photo mode — A full-featured photo mode lets you pause mid-combat and freely adjust the camera, filters, and character expressions. The realms’ sweeping vistas look stunning through the lens.

PS4 vs PS5#

Ragnarök launched on both PS4 and PS5. The two versions contain identical content, and PS4 owners could upgrade to the PS5 version for free (per policy as of the end of 2023).

Developer Notes#

Santa Monica Studio spent more than five years developing Ragnarök with a team of over 300. A few highlights from behind the scenes:

• Eric Williams’ directorial debut — This was Eric Williams’ first game as director (the 2018 title was directed by Cory Barlog). He brought a faster combat tempo and richer character interactions to the series.
• Recorded remotely — Christopher Judge (Kratos) and Sunny Suljic (Atreus) completed all voice recording remotely during the pandemic. Judge gave his famously long acceptance speech at the 2022 Game Awards.
• Birth of the Draupnir Spear — Wanting a fresh fighting style for Kratos, the team drew inspiration from the Norse ring Draupnir to create a spear that can be duplicated and detonated endlessly.
• The score — Bear McCreary returned as composer, wielding Nordic folk instruments such as the nyckelharpa and tagelharpa to forge a distinctly Norse sound.

Best Experience Tips#

1. Play on PS5 if you can — 60fps and DualSense haptics add a lot of immersion, especially the adaptive triggers when drawing a bow or throwing the axe.
2. Turn on subtitles and navigation assist — the dialogue is rich with historical context, and both features help you follow the story.
3. Don’t rush the main story — Ragnarök’s side quests are exceptional, with narrative depth that rivals the campaign. Pausing the main path to clear a few is well worth it.
4. Use headphones — 3D audio greatly enhances the atmosphere of the Nine Realms, and combat sound cues are precise.
5. Tidy your inventory regularly — dismantling or selling unused gear piles up upgrade materials fast.

Version Notes#

This guide is based on game version 5.00 (including the New Game+ update). All information may change with later patches, so check the official patch notes periodically.

Quick Reference#

Core Gameplay Loop#

Ragnarök’s core loop runs on three tracks: exploration, combat, and progression. The game uses a third-person over-the-shoulder camera, with Kratos and Atreus advancing the story together. The map is divided into large semi-open regions: main quests unlock new areas, and you can freely backtrack through older ones for collectibles and side content. Progression spans four dimensions — weapon mastery, skill points, armor crafting, and runic enchantments — with resources coming from combat drops, chests, and shop exchanges.

Exploration and puzzles — Every region is dotted with Nornir chests, legendary chests, and Odin’s ravens. Some chests require solving runic locks, hurling the axe at marked targets, or detonating mechanisms with the spear. Beyond silver and crafting materials, these puzzles also raise your maximum health and rage.

Combat and feedback — Battles combine melee combos with elemental reactions. The Leviathan Axe freezes enemies with ice and opens combo windows; the Blades of Chaos clear crowds with fire damage; the Draupnir Spear detonates at range and breaks shields. Perfect dodges trigger slow motion, well-timed parries stagger attackers, and Spartan Rage can turn a desperate fight around.

Main Story Walkthrough#

The campaign runs eight chapters, from a hunt in the depths of Fimbulwinter to the final battle for Asgard:

Difficulty ramps steadily throughout, with a clear spike in Vanaheim mid-game and Asgard late-game. Clearing side quests between chapters keeps your level and gear ahead of the curve.

Collectibles#

Collectibles fall into six categories and are the key to 100% completion and the platinum trophy:

Prioritize the Apples of Iðunn and Horns of Blood Mead — they directly determine your survivability in late-game challenges. Odin’s ravens are the trickiest to find, often perched in camera blind spots or behind specific puzzles, so rely on audio cues and sweep each area carefully. Yggdrasil dew drops reset on death, so treat them as sprint-challenge pickups rather than a must-complete checklist.

Combat System in Depth#

Weapons — Three weapons form the complete offensive system. The Leviathan Axe can be thrown and recalled, freezing enemies with ice to open combo windows; the Blades of Chaos excel at crowd control and grabs, with fire damage effective against most foes; the Draupnir Spear is the late-game workhorse — throw it and detonate at range, break shields, and launch enemies into the air.

Shields — Shields provide three core actions: block, parry, and shield dash. A successful parry staggers enemies heavily and punishes them hard, and each shield differs in parry window, damage reduction, and perks — swap shields to match the enemy in front of you.

Spartan Rage — Once the rage meter fills, activate it to enter a berserk state with a major attack boost and super armor: a double-purpose tool for clearing rooms and surviving desperate moments. Horns of Blood Mead raise the rage cap and significantly extend the berserk window.

Runic attacks — Each weapon equips two runic skills, split into light and heavy slots. Runic attacks have independent cooldowns, so pairing them thoughtfully sustains your damage rotation. Keep at least one area-of-effect runic for mobs, plus one high single-target runic for elites.

Elemental interplay — Ice, fire, poison, and lightning all stack. A frozen enemy struck by fire triggers a melt reaction for extra damage, while the spear’s lightning briefly paralyzes targets. High-level players can chain multiple elemental reactions by swapping weapons on the fly.

FAQ#

When was God of War Ragnarök released?#

It launched on November 9, 2022, for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

What platforms is it available on?#

PS4 and PS5. Both versions contain identical content, and PS4 owners could upgrade to the PS5 version for free (per policy as of the end of 2023).

How long does it take to beat?#

The main story runs about 25-30 hours, while platinum takes roughly 40-55 hours.

How was it received by critics?#

It holds a 94/100 on Metacritic, making it one of the highest-rated games of 2022. IGN gave it a 10/10 and GameSpot a 9/10, and it won multiple awards at The Game Awards 2022, including Best Narrative and Best Action/Adventure Game.

Do I need to play the 2018 game first?#

Ragnarök is set three years after the 2018 God of War and continues its story directly, so playing that game first is the best way in.

How many weapons are there?#

Three — the Leviathan Axe, the Blades of Chaos, and the Draupnir Spear — each with its own skill tree and combat style.

How many boss encounters are there?#

More than 50, spanning main-story bosses, Berserkers, and the Valkyries, including Thor, Odin, and Heimdall.

Is there a New Game+ mode?#

Yes. This guide reflects version 5.00, which includes the New Game+ update.

Related Rankings#

Best RPGs · Hardest Bosses · Best Open World Games

Full Guides#

In-depth sub-guides — walkthrough, combat system, Nine Realms exploration, boss strategies, gear and items, skills, quests, lore, endgame content, and more — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s God of War Ragnarök section.