Over a year after its initial release, God of War Ragnarok has returned with free DLC, Valhalla. Taking players to Santa Monica Studio’s imagining of the iconic Norse afterlife reserved for those slain in battle, Valhalla presents a roguelite epilogue to Ragnarok‘s story. While an unexpected expansion to the latest God of War game is a welcome surprise in itself, the additional quests offer some rewards that are likely to pique the interest of fans who have been following Kratos’ journey since the original Greek saga.
God of War is one of PlayStation’s most storied game series, beginning in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. The soft reboot in 2018, which brought an older, more reflective Kratos from Greek to Norse mythology, is a continuation of the original six games, but is still quite far removed in terms of narrative. Ragnarok continued Kratos’ new chapter, iterating on the 2018 game’s reworked combat, but now Valhalla has arrived free of charge to bring the series full-circle. Kratos’ journey through Valhalla is deeply personal, and this results in the return of a key item and a bonus appearance from God of War‘s earlier days.
God of War: Ragnarök Review – A Fantastic Reimagined Saga
God of War: Ragnarök sets out to improve every criticism of its predecessor, all while delivering a compelling story set in a highly reimagined saga.
God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla Brings Back The Blade Of Olympus
Not long into God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, Kratos is reunited with the Blade of Olympus, a legendary weapon forged by Zeus. Kratos wields the blade in multiple God of War games, but it’s instrumental in God of War 3, where Kratos uses it to kill both Zeus and Gaia in the game’s climax, before thrusting it through his own abdomen in order to release Athena’s hope to humanity. The Blade of Olympus in Valhalla returns in basically the same form from God of War 3 – players can’t equip it as a primary weapon, but Kratos pulls it out when entering Spartan Rage.
Beating The Valhalla DLC Unlocks A Classic Kratos Skin
The reward for completing Kratos’ journey through Valhalla is a new (or old, depending on perspective) appearance for the god of war, which gives him the goatee he sported in the earlier games, as well as a younger face, brighter ash skin, and more vibrant red tattoos. Valhalla‘s roguelite gameplay doesn’t end alongside the story, however, and visiting the Appearance Pedestal (where cosmetics can be swapped out in the DLC game mode) will let players choose this look while they go for additional upgrades.
Kratos’ classic look is one of the few parts of Valhalla that transfers over to the base game, making a nice addition to the game for players cleaning up any leftover side quests or embarking on a New Game Plus run. Aside from vague references to Kratos’ past, 2018’s God of War and Ragnarok rarely address the series’ Greek saga direclty. Valhalla makes a point of facing the protagonist’s past directly, and these two additions – the Blade of Olympus and Kratos’ classic appearance – are nice touches to honor the long-running series. God of War Ragnarok‘s Valhalla DLC caps off the base game’s story nicely, but also includes some much-appreciated nods to the original games.
God of War Ragnarok
Ragnarok has arrived in God of War Ragnarok, the sequel to the 2018 game of the year released on PlayStation 4. Three years have passed since Kratos and his son, Atreus, completed their quest across the realms while facing a small handful of Norse gods. However, their actions come with consequences. The Allfather, Odin, is ready for vengeance, and his son, Thor, leads the charge. Atreus, looking to find more answers about his lineage on his mother’s side, embarks on another quest with his father to discover the truth while contending with the wrath of Odin’s realm in this conclusion to the Norse God of War Saga.
- Franchise
- God of War
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5
- Released
- November 9, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Adventure , Action
- ESRB
- M
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- Prequel
- God of War
