Becoming Better - A God of War: Ragnarök Analysis

Dad of War has ended and I have so many feelings - enjoy this analysis of the story, character and themes.
Call your Dads!
Follow me at:
www.Patreon.com/thats4thebirds
www.Twitch.tv/thats4thebirds
kzbin.info
Instagram: @thats4thebirds
Twitter: @thats4thebirds
Fair Use:
I believe this video is sufficiently transformative and all content used falls under the remits of Fair Use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

[@larsnyman2455]

Shoutout to Christopher Judge, his performance defines the Dad of War saga

[@thats4thebirds]

Absolutely. He really brought some insane gravitas to the role. His chemistry with Sunny is also really obvious. They did a great job together.

[@rottensquid]

DAD OF WAR! I won't be calling it anything else from now on.

[@Trone2]

That drifting at the end was awesome. Atreus: "Dad, i'm getting dizzy" Kratos: "I'm having fun Atreus"

[@thats4thebirds]

Yeah boy is just along for the ride at that point! Haha I love doin it

[@noblebarbarian3739]

This duology was so phenominal at every layer.

[@sssydneyfree]

Omg so good. Loved all the hugging and the Thor storyline is just so tragic.

[@thats4thebirds]

Definitely. I said it and I meant it. This game just needs a hug button haha

[@mybestofriendo]

This intro goes so hard wtf

[@thats4thebirds]

Thanks todo! Haha

[@aaronchef82]

Ah, brethren. We have gathered for a tale. A tale of revenge, murder, honor, and growth. A struggle of evolution in a world that changes constantly. Let us be better, as we age.

[@shawnbag9326]

Wow I’m only halfway through this vid and it’s honestly top tier. Love the way you describe things and pay attention to the details that I’ve noticed a lot of other KZbinrs seem to miss. Good stuff dude

[@thats4thebirds]

Much appreciated! I had a lot of fun making this one.

[@mchannelles]

great writing and editing !!

[@thats4thebirds]

Thank you so much!

[@d4niel711]

Super interested in more GOW videos

[@ss3vegito999]

I don't know how I stumbled along it but this is a great video deserves way more views

[@thats4thebirds]

Kind words! I appreciate that. It is what it is. More people watch and share and more people will show up. I’m just glad it’s resonating with people who do get to watch. Thanks again!

[@coggdawg]

I feel so empty now that it has been 100%’d.

[@thats4thebirds]

Big same, but at least we have become better for it 🫡

[@kostageorgiou3741]

this is dope keep up the good work man

[@thats4thebirds]

Much appreciated!

[@michaelplaczek9385]

My left ear enjoyed this video

[@thats4thebirds]

😔

[@BooceyDoo]

It’s actually disgusting how underrated you are. Much love and hope your channel sees the growth it deserves❤

[@thats4thebirds]

Oh man kind words! Thank you! YT seems to be suggesting more than 1 of my videos at this point which is nice, I just need to keep doing my thing and be thankful for folks like you who appreciate the effort.

[@BooceyDoo]

@@thats4thebirds Of course man no problem! It’s sad how many great content creators like you get swept under the rug because of the algorithm.

[@XodiaqKey]

I wish so badly that they'd make a series of ancient war documentaries voiced by Christopher Judge

[@thats4thebirds]

Oh 100%

[@layers5255]

My right ear is very lonely

[@thats4thebirds]

😔

[@Vailah]

idk if its just me but everytime i click this video i only hear from my left ear and no other video does this

[@thats4thebirds]

Nah it’s not you. Haha I fucked it up but oh well. Learned from it.

[@Mrrandom1976-k2j]

Excellent video 📹 👏

[@thats4thebirds]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@coggdawg]

BONKERS

[@thats4thebirds]

Haha truly tho. What a next level upgrade in enemy variety. Except those frog boys 😤

[@savannahgarcia16]

Goated vid

[@thats4thebirds]

🙌🏼

[@MykhaelK]

Good video

[@thats4thebirds]

Much appreciated! I really loved making it.

[@timechanger6679]

Great video, love the analysis, but why is your audio only in one ear 😭

[@thats4thebirds]

Yeah it’s tragic. I only learned at a few thousand views and I don’t qualify for editing it here. I was still learning with a new program and it rendered in mono for my voice. I’m making sure it doesn’t happen again! Gotta… be better.

[@spouwnerring]

Why am I only hearing you out of my left ear?

[@thats4thebirds]

Yeah… sadly I was not as comfortable editing them as I am now and the audio file for my voice track exported this way. Shouldn’t happen again lol

[@zengerhub]

@@thats4thebirdsthis has to do with your audio setting: it’s currently mono, change it to stereo to get both ears

[@MrLimo217]

This video embodies everything I loved about Ragnarok (that it enriches the characters and especially the 2018 and original games) which was more or less a an overall disappointing game as a long time fan of the franchise.

[@ALMOSTNKKD]

Birgir doesn't actually die. There's a side quest to save him if y'all didn't know

[@thats4thebirds]

Yep! (Didn’t wanna spoil it for anyone if I didn’t have to haha) that fight is tight.

[@mosisusasu9205]

Just a heads up dude that there's a bit of an audio issue in the vid. Your voiceover has been put on only the left side of the stereo so for headphone users it's a bit jarring and quiet in the balance. The audio from the other bits is good though!

[@thats4thebirds]

Oh man that is insanely frustrating to hear. I am surprised it took this long to find out. Thanks for the heads up!

[@Youconix]

TC Carson may have forged the character, but Christopher Judge perfected him.

[@thats4thebirds]

100% We don’t get here without TC, but judge elevated it for sure.

[@fredwood6107]

here from r/gamingcirclejerk not going to watch this because i have not played god of war still i wish you well on your youtube path

[@thats4thebirds]

Appreciate you!

[@fredwood6107]

@@thats4thebirds No problem, my guy.

[@rottensquid]

I actually found the puzzles in this game a bit annoying in general. I guess I'm more used to games like RDR2, where the game play is seamlessly integrated into the reality of the world. While GOW feels very "gamey," especially the puzzles. You're exploring a ruin, and you find, for no reason, a gigantic rubik's cube, and you can't go further unless you solve it. And it just so happens that a blade on a chain, or an axe that can get really really cold, is exactly the tool needed. I guess that's the nature of the game's design in general. It's more like Mario World than RDR2, a game designed to challenge first and immerse you in another world as a distant second. In general, I'm more of a world-immersion game kinda guy. But the game's story and characters are undeniable. It was just weird to be thrust into this epic, deeply moving story with rich, nuanced characters one minute, and the next minute, have the heartbroken fertility goddess and queen of Valkyries say something like "If you spin the wheel three times clockwise and once counterclockwise, and then pull the levers in order of color coding, and then hit the doohickey with your axe, the door will open." It kinda takes me out of the fantasy.

[@thats4thebirds]

You’re not wrong! It’s definitely not going for that same level of immersion. It’s interesting as this feeling is pretty standard in terms of the entire series, but only in recent iterations has it become overly explained away in gameplay.

[@rottensquid]

@@thats4thebirds The criticism that the side characters explain the puzzles too fast is pretty universal. My understanding is they added explanations to puzzles that playtesters had too much trouble with. But the fact that it seems to be there for most puzzles, and comes that quickly, tells me there was actually a problem with the puzzles. It's a tricky thing to balance frustration with the "aha" moment, especially with puzzles you can't easily scale the difficulty on. But it seems to me there's an overall issue there, if playtesters got frustrated with almost all puzzles. I let my nephew play Ragnarok, as he loved the last one with a burning passion, but he got so hung up on an early-game puzzle, he gave up. That's not what you want in a game, players stalling out within the first few hours. As to Mario World style game design vs RDR2, that's purely a matter of taste, as much as I could rant forever about why world-immersion is so important. I don't think the gamey style of GOW is hurting most people's experience.

[@Enaz924]

I found myself never wanting to play as artreus lmao

[@thats4thebirds]

Ah shame! Hope they build off his presence for whatever they do next. Make him a bit more varied and I think he can Deff carry one!

[@rottensquid]

I had a great time with Atreus. Mostly, I was just kind of sick of Kratos and his grumbling. Dude needed to lighten up. My only complaint about Atreus was that his bow kinda made a lackluster hand-to-hand weapon. I hope if and when they do an Atreus spin-off, they give him a proper sword or something.

[@phantomsidious2934]

The Atreus gameplay was great? 😂😂😂😂 What are you talking about? 😂😂😂😂it was BORING beyond belief and the Iron wood section was the worst of the franchise!!! Come on....very good game but that stuff was awful

[@thats4thebirds]

What a shocker, games are subjective lol I appreciate how fast his gameplay felt and juggling people off the ground and zipping around. And I really love the narrative work happening there. I think it’s pretty special. Anyway thanks for watching!

[@MasterEggroll]

God this game is so boring though. I miss the old ones. Way better story, action, characters, set pieces, and bosses. Oh and you only play as Kratos!!!!!

[@thats4thebirds]

Ha! If you say so. Thanks for watching!

[@paristeta5483]

Have to disagree a little, WokeAboda Section was so bad, like the beginning of a complete new game, taking out all the pacing it never ever ends. It´s sadly a big negative on a good game. Another big negative is, that the combat hasn´t advanced far either, new weapon is top but, eh not much real improvments. Expansion of GoW 2018 with a Narrative for a Full Game. Nice Review otherwise, enjoyed it. Maybe add a Petting Counter in the game (Like Civvies Sewer Level counter, if that means anything to you).

[@thats4thebirds]

I appreciate you jumping on to comment but “wokeboda”? Please elaborate. What’s “woke” about this character.

[@paristeta5483]

@@thats4thebirds Evidence Nr. Uno: Lack of other Black Character in Nordic Myth, yet she is there, and appears in a time, where these things happeings all the time because they are "modern" see Ariel for another Prime example. Evidence Two: She is liked by ALL Main Characters she interacts with, Freya, Mimir, Kratos and Atreus in hope, we, the audience players, like her too. We also get saved by her and good boy doggo! Who´s a good boy? Beweis Nummer Drei: We spend a lot time with her what basically is a side character. If she wouldn´t be a woke character forced, there would be no Jallaing around, collecting fruti, then collecting paint pigments and then liberating Grandma from her Drug habits. Evidence 4 (running out of languages): She is better then a half god giant. Where the problem does not lie in the narrative sense (it´s her home, enviroment she live in), but the placement and frequence showing of it, and the only thing you can keep up with is throwing rocks, where you have to use the "force" and her guidance (forcing connection) to do it right. This combines with the "we spend a lot of time with her". Unnecassary time. Wokaboda. Though she isn´t alone, but Thrud is way better intergrated and has the luxury not to be an isolated character, but many thing fit her as well, she is just not as disruptiv. Since i writing this now in notifaction i do not dare to google, if santa monica studio made any statement about the ESG (Enviromental / Social / Governance) but other things also seem to point to it "free the whales". But again, this fits better in the game, then she does.

[@thats4thebirds]

@@paristeta5483 this is a painfully bad series of takes. This game isn’t historically or mythologically accurate well before angrboda. It never has been. And even if it were (which again. It isn’t. ) She is a giant. It’s a game. I’d urge and encourage you to examine your biases and try to widen your perspective because this kind of thinking isn’t welcome here None of this illustrates “woke”. What it shows is you equate people of other colors or women of proficient skill as “woke” and as a negative.

[@Cronisdollars]

@@thats4thebirds Paris is right, you're just wrong and full of hate for others' opinions even when correct.

[@paristeta5483]

@@thats4thebirds "This game isn’t historically or mythologically accurate well before angrboda. It never has been. And even if it were (which again. It isn’t. ) She is a giant. It’s a game." Using that logic, ´boda could be Smurfette. Giants come in all sizes, so why not all colours! Blue Girls are my favourite! Wish Chiss Women real, you know,, Blue Skin, Red Eyes, Black Hair. "I’d urge and encourage you to examine your biases and try to widen your perspective because this kind of thinking isn’t welcome here." So making an argument and connecting evidance to it is not welcome here. You can of course refute my argument/evidance, please do, that´s what discussion is about, but you haven´t yet. "None of this illustrates “woke”." Can you give me one/two examples please, what would illustrate woke? "What it shows is you equate people of other colors or women of proficient skill as “woke” and as a negative." Yuna isn´t woke, so is Lady Masako. And both are women of "others colors" too. Everyone in Ghost of Tsushima is of "others colors", and it´s a pretty damn good game, because the game knows what it is, and loves itself for it. Basically, due outside pressure (politcally) they needed a certain shape, so they pressed the corrosponding "mold" into the game, which is to big and disruptive, and a blemish on the game and it would be a lot better without that.