In 2022, Santa Monica Studio and PlayStation launchedGod of War Ragnarokfor PS4 and PS5. A monumental achievement,God of War Ragnarokblew players away with its gripping story, jaw-dropping visuals, and visceral combat that successfully built on the groundbreaking 2018God of Wargame. Two years later, PC gamers have the chance to see what all the fuss is about withGod of War Ragnarok, and I’m happy to report that the PC port lives up to expectations.
There have been a couple of misfires, but for the most part, PlayStation’s PC ports have successfully brought the company’s best games to the platform.God of War Ragnarokis another of PlayStation’s high-quality PC ports, and as long as one has a powerful-enough rig, they can get an experience on par or even better than what was achieved on PS5. The game is polished to a sheen, with near-perfect performance and the same incredible graphics as its PlayStation counterpart. Of course, the best graphics in the world don’t mean much if the gameplay doesn’t back it up, butGod of War Ragnarokdelivers in that arena as well.
God of War Ragnarokfeatures similar hard-hitting action as the 2018 game, with an over-the-shoulder camera and up-close-and-personal hack and slash action.Ragnarokexpands Kratos' arsenalas the game goes on, with the titular God of War eventually able to wield an infinitely-respawning spear that shakes things up considerably. Kratos primarily uses his weapons to dispatch the many different enemies he encounters on his journey, but they are also used for puzzle-solving purposes, like when players have to freeze something using the Leviathan Axe, for example.
God of War Ragnarok’s PC port introduces an awesome quality-of-life featurewhen it comes to puzzle-solving. Whereas the original PlayStation version of the game had Atreus and other characters quickly chiming in with puzzle solutions before players could really even take a crack at them,Ragnarokgives players the option of turning off their help, which is a nice touch that really lets players tailor the experience to suit their own tastes.
God of War Ragnarok is Best Played With a DualSense Controller
Otherwise,God of War Ragnarokon PC is basically the same experience as the PlayStation version.God of War Ragnarokhas some PC-exclusive features, of course, like ultrawide support and the option of playing with a mouse and keyboard, but nothing that would necessarily make it worth double-dipping for those that already own the game on console. For that matter, I highly recommend PC gamers forget the idea of playing with a mouse and keyboard, and instead get their hands on a PS5 DualSense controller. WhileGod of War Ragnarokis certainly playable with a mouse and keyboard set-up as well as a variety of other PC-compatible controllers (I mainly tested the game on PC using an Xbox controller), nothing beats playing the game with a DualSense. Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers add an extra layer of immersion to the game’s fights, and it’s simply the best way to playGod of War Ragnarok.
Those that have never playedGod of War Ragnarokare in for an incredible ride with the PC version.Ragnaroksees Kratos and Atreus at odds withNorse gods Odin and Thorafter the events of the 2018 game. What follows is a heart-pounding adventure that sees Kratos, Atreus, and their companions explore the Nine Realms in an effort to stop the prophesized apocalypse.Ragnarok’s story is truly engrossing and easily one of the best that the series has delivered to date. It’s full of brilliant character interactions and shocking twists that will ensure players are completely enthralled from start to finish, minus some pacing issues here and there.
I thinkGod of War Ragnarokis a near-perfect game until a certain Atreus section. I don’t want to get into spoilers for those that haven’t playedRagnarokbefore, but just know that the game loses a lot of momentum at a certain point where Atreus becomes the main playable character. This section of the game is dull and can make the runtime feel a little bloated, though I will say it concludes with one of the most memorable boss fights in the entireGod of Warseries. It also introduces an interesting new character, so it’s a shame that the gameplay for this section is rather boring compared to the rest of the game.
I tested God of War Ragnarok using a PC powered by Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 3.70 GHz AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-Core Processor, and 32.0 GB RAM.
That aside, it’s hard to find fault withGod of War Ragnarok. It’s an amazing, lengthy journey full of wonderful sights to see, memorable fights to partake in, and plenty of secrets to find. The puzzles are great and are even better in the PC version withoutKratos' companionsruining the solutions, the worlds are fun to explore, and the story is one of the best in gaming history. However, there is one flaw with the PC version ofGod of War Ragnarokthat fans should be aware of.
God of War Ragnarok’s PSN Requirement is Disappointing
Unfortunately,God of War Ragnarokrequires a PlayStation Network accounton PC.God of War Ragnarokis a strictly single-player game, and so it’s unclear why it’s necessary for Steam users to have a PSN account. It’s true that it doesn’t take too long to make an account or link an existing one, but it’s still an inconvenience that seems like it could have been easily avoided, considering the previous PlayStation games that landed on Steam without such a requirement. One benefit to it is that it lets gamers play with a PlayStation overlay that unlocks trophies at the same time as Steam achievements, though.
PC gamers that can look pastGod of War Ragnarok’s PSN account requirement will have a tremendous time with the game. But there’s even more to play once the main story is done.God of War Ragnarok’s PC port includes theValhalla modeat launch, meaning PC gamers can get the full experience out of the gate. Valhalla, for the uninitiated, is a special game mode that blendsGod of War Ragnarokcombat with roguelike elements to tell a unique story set after the events of the base game. Valhalla was a free update for the PlayStation version of the game, so it’s not like it adds extra monetary value toRagnarok’s PC port, but it’s still nice to get the entire package at once.
God of War Ragnarokwill give PC gamers their money’s worth and then some. It’s a lengthy adventure andone of Kratos' greatest outings to date. Still, there are some pacing issues and the PSN account requirement is a disappointment. It’s unlikely that Sony is going to let-up on the latter, so PC gamers that want to enjoy the company’s games without buying a PS5 should keep that in mind.
WHERE TO PLAY
God of War Ragnarokis available now for PC, PS4, and PS5. Game Rant was provided with a PC code for this review.
