The more news I saw about God of War—especially with its 20th-anniversary celebrations—the more disappointed I became with how Sony Santa Monica handled Ragnarok’s story. The game’s most important moments felt rushed, and with more time to refine them, it could have been an even greater success.
While many players enjoyed Ragnarok’s narrative direction, I was left underwhelmed by the choices made by the time I rolled through the credits. Something felt off—something was missing that I couldn’t quite pinpoint.
In this piece, I’ll go over my glaring issues in God of War Ragnarok’s story.
The Norse Realm Had So Much Potential
While it’s still unclear if Sony Santa Monica will fully move away from the Norse setting, there was far too much unexplored lore in Ragnarok’s story. One aspect that nagged at me was how underdeveloped Atreus and Angrboda’s story felt. Their adventure seemed like a one-off side quest with no real payoff—until I learned it was likely setting up a future game centered around Atreus.
It was even confirmed by the developers that they had to cut a portion of Atreus’ story involving the primordial being Sinmara before launch. That missing content could have offered a compelling character arc—one we may never get to see.
With Ragnarok unfolding, I also felt that Freyr’s character was missing something. His relationship with Freya was severely underutilized, making his sacrifice feel unearned. It was clear Sony Santa Monica had bigger plans for his band of Vanaheim freedom fighters, but now that the series is shifting focus—potentially to Egypt—it’s too late to ask for more.
The Valhalla DLC Helped Fix Some Issues
For me, the best part of Ragnarok didn’t arrive until Sony released the free Valhalla expansion. This roguelike mode focused on Kratos’ redemption arc, transforming him from a warmongering god into a more benevolent figure. If this was his farewell, it was a well-earned one. The DLC provided the kind of closure I needed for his character, showing just how far he had come since his earliest days.
Another highlight was the presence of the real Tyr. His absence from the base game’s story made it feel incomplete, but Valhalla finally gave him the screen time he deserved. Seeing two battle-hardened warriors like Kratos and Tyr engage in combat—while incorporating a roguelike twist—was a brilliant touch. Watching Tyr wield multiple weapons from different mythologies? Absolute fan service, and I loved every second of it.
The Lack of the Nine Realms Hurt the Story
I understand that game development takes time and resources, and that the pandemic likely had a significant impact on Ragnarok’s development. However, the lack of focus on the Nine Realms really weakened the game’s third act. Everything felt too rushed.
I was expecting something akin to Mass Effect 2, where I would need to rally the different factions Kratos and Atreus helped throughout their journey for the final battle. Instead, much of that was resolved off-screen. While the core message remained clear, it lacked the weight it deserved.
I also would have loved to explore Asgard more—particularly Odin’s slow descent into madness. Instead, he came off as more of a manipulative crime boss than a truly menacing god. At least his performance was excellent.
The Future of God of War
With the credits teasing Atreus and Angrboda’s journey into the far realms, there’s still hope that some of these missing elements could be explored in future games. However, with Sony Santa Monica’s increasing focus on new projects, it’s uncertain whether we’ll return to this world anytime soon.
I understand why they left the story open-ended, but Ragnarok’s narrative would have benefited greatly from being a trilogy. Unfortunately, that possibility seems unlikely—for now.