God of War Ragnarok Review (NO SPOILERS) - Game of the Year?

[@Fextralife]

Written Review: fextralife.com/god-of-war-ragnarok-review-game-of-the-year/ Guides fextralife.com/god-of-war-ragnarok-map-guide-checklist/ Live on Twitch: twitch.tv/fextralife 💖 Become a Fextralife VIP fextralife.com/Be-a-vip/

[@LaimonasRimkus]

Which game for you was better Elden Ring or God of War Ragnarok? Just curious.

[@rajanbhankhodia6899]

thanks for honest review !

[@jasonash6002]

No

[@JamesGowan]

Is Elden Ring still your GOTY?

[@PigDaddy2020]

Love how you suppose a question in the title, but don't care to answer that question, or even elaborate on what people really want to know here; and I get it - this is clearly not intended to be a comparison vid, or take away from another games shine. However, as you can see by what the other commenters have already posited, what many people REALLY wanted to know was: is GoW > Elden Ring? As someone who has become fairly proficient at reading between the lines, I can say with a fair amount of confidence your answer is NO, but I imagine you will be inundated with a flurry of comments that would prefer a simpler, more direct answer. If comparison was not the "name of your game" with this vid, I daresay you probably shouldn't have asked the question of "Is it GOTY" in your title, since you've already established previously that E.R. was holding that position! Awesome review tho, nonetheless!

[@zain2645]

A lot of respect and appreciation for an honest and no nonsense review, especially from someone who has the context of the whole franchise and not just the 2018 game

[@honkyjesuseternal]

115 likes no replies? Seems legit.

[@primecalibur]

Can we just appreciate this man, gets a platinum for his early review - absolutely based

[@Azriel884]

@IONIZE Nobody knows, but its provocative, it gets the people going!

[@notch7751]

@@Azriel884 lol smh

[@warawana]

@IONIZE opposite to "cringy"

[@bruh-qr7lv]

@IONIZE means to be unapologetic to what you say and don’t care what others think

[@niv5620]

Bro just wanted to play game

[@zwhsantwnopoylos5972]

There is something almost euphoric in following fextraife for all these years and get to experience great games alongside their reviews and guides. Let's have some fun !

[@deformedwolf1764]

THANK YOU for the spoiler free review!IGN had no spoiler stories but they showed off big fight scenes. Couldn’t be more hyped 🔥🔥🔥

[@switch-_-out6571]

Ik bro I tried so hard not to see or hearing any spoilers and that vid just up ruined it for me😭

[@Fextralife]

Sorry you guys had that I specifically avoided any fights and only used trailer and basic gameplay footage to try and save people from that

[@g1llifer]

I know there were also some other big plot points that are kinda obvious now after seeing the IGN review.

[@efc2097]

20 secs of ign i dipped, fuck that!

[@rkillalea6706]

Yeah IGN showed Odin, the Thor fight and pretty much how the fight started!!

[@falkarios2944]

Forced humor in modern games/movies is turning into such an annoyance for me. It's fine if it fits the mood or tone, but breaking the serious tension with uneeded jokes is so irritating. Total immersion killer.

[@xtrwq]

It's also weirder for games I'd say, a lot of those movies are for going to the cinema with the family, so they're trying to make it agreeable/fun for everyone (family friendly and all that), but this kind of game is different, it's not multiplayer or made for streaming dudebros where this is more common.

[@gporr7004]

I agree. It's annoying and sickening why they have tp force cringy jokes into serious toned movies or games

[@deepak-ui5li]

@falkarios 100% agree. If the plot doesn’t take itself seriously then why should I?

[@gb1838]

i found the humor in god of war ragnarok very good actually and its not that frecuent

[@theworld6710]

I’m happy to hear a more critical review. Not that I want to tear down a game, but nothing is perfect, and knowing the flaws of a title is important. Still can’t wait to play it! Great review!

[@chefboiardeeznutz9881]

Yeah, there will be aspects that someone wishes were better, but I think overall we will love this game for what it is and has to offer.

[@mkmc94]

Of course he's more critical he's a Elden Ring fan he doesn't want GoW to win the GOTY

[@Fextralife]

I don't care who wins GOTY. I review games based on how I like them. I also have my own GOTY awards where I can give GOTY to whatever game I want so the idea I need to artificially duck points from a review is silly. God of War Ragnarok is a good game, but it's not perfect, and people claiming it is are simply overhyping.

[@chefboiardeeznutz9881]

@@Fextralife shit looks perfect for what it is, especially to me. Fair enough tho

[@ethrez]

@@mkmc94 Elden ring (and also witcher 3) fans simply got to experience what is actually possible in gaming, and sadly titles like GoW given the hype, budget etc pale in comparison. Nobody cares about goty.

[@CrimsonSun88]

I completely understand the remarks about the vocalizing of the dialogue and the Netflix comparison with the jabs and jokes. Very Marvel like, which I'm quite tired of, but overall still looking forward to the whole package.

[@FullMetalB]

"Very marvel like" is not only not true but also just such an incredibly idiotic thing to say.

[@Lord_ofcinder]

@@FullMetalB haven’t played the game but I definitely know what very marvel like statement means. And I seriously hope it’s not “very marvel like”. Look say what you want about dc and marvel. Dc is known for this balls to the wall action set pieces and slow mo shots and marvel is known for their humor at wrong time scenes.

[@FullMetalB]

@@Lord_ofcinder that's an extremely skewed and biased way of looking at DC vs marvel. That's just what YOU think of them. DC is also known for making colossal failures that force them to scrap everything they had planned last minute and scramble for something new. But sure, they have action and balls and all that. LOL.

[@bertalach]

I’m a little sick of every single NPC in a game sounding like either a Hipster or a Valley girl. I couldn’t finish the second Pathfinder game because every single NPC irritated me too much! So I’m hoping it’s not like that!

[@IWantToStayAtYourHouse]

The final chapter reminded me of avengers endgame lol. I was questioning some of the character motives like sif suddenly switching sides bc "odin bad"

[@gaminginhdmax3854]

The amount of work that went into making this game on this scale and detail with this much polish is just phenomenal. It's a truly crazy game that I think everyone will have a good time and forget the world. Considering this is the game I wish I had as a kid can't understand how spoilt we are now to not fully appreciate just how nuts it is that a game like this exists. It's a must buy and doesn't matter what score anyone gives it its worth your time, money and appreciation and you will never regret it

[@afungai1649]

Shut the hell up. Just enjoy your god of war 1.2 and leave.

[@gaminginhdmax3854]

@@afungai1649 Someones a bitter squirrel hahah xD

[@ethrez]

I was expecting greatness, but got a game that holds your hand way too much, and has a very limited exploration and world. This is a very save, very accessible, albeit very nice to look at game for dummies (similar to the likes of uncharted etc. For this budget and the fact it was based on a very similar predecessor I expected an upgrade, something closer to an open world experience. Something reaching witcher 3 or elden ring levels of greatness. This is a polished 8/10 game.

[@duran4689]

Indeed. The game truly is unlike MOST games or movie mediums… truly a experience worth jumping into for very few games can offer such a beautiful experience. Breathtaking and stoic is what I can say. In my honest opinion it is a 9.7 but Shit a 10/10 I can get behind.

[@Blue2000q]

​@@ethrez not every game needs to be an open world or revolutionize an industry

[@Silentfeety]

This channel is so professional it's great. Loved every single video of yours!

[@__Weasel__]

I feel like this is probably the most honest review I've come across.

[@mordakie3805]

Everyone else is lying ?

[@mordakie3805]

Everyone else is lying ?

[@ShuToshio]

Wait for Matthewmatosis and Soleporpoise

[@TheLite0003]

@@mordakie3805 on games that receive universally high praise, reviewers that try to offer slightly lesser praise are viewed as the most “honest reviewers”

[@bdelsouza]

@@TheLite0003 because they are

[@yogendramisra9137]

SPOILERS AHEAD] Am I the only one who thought Ragarok, while still a good game, falters heavily? The most anticipated boss fights were underwhelming compared to Baldur. While performances were good, the use of modern dialogue was jarring and felt out of place. The Fenrir plot went nowhere. You'd think he'd be instrumental in defeating Odin. The Jormingandur plot went nowhere. You'd think he'd be instrumental in defeating Thor. The Sutr plot went nowhere. His selflessness and ultimate transformation was pursued so that they might break through the walls of Asgard. They did that without him. The destruction of asgard meant nothing, as the main antagonists were dead already and the other Aesir had joined the good guys. The mask plot went nowhere. It was merely a mccguffin with no pay off. Broks death, while sad, changed nothing. It's not like they wouldnt have gone to war, were he still alive. Nor was it as though Sindri wouldnt have helped with the destruction of the siege weapon. I still give the game a solid 8. However, my GOTY choice goes to Elden Ring.

[@joelaguilarfuentes8758]

Agree, I have not played it, but watching the videos I find pretty annoying the Dialogue Writing, like Odin saying "fucking", "my ex", or other characters "the all-fucker". It does not fit into the world building.

[@theclawyaww3740]

Dmc V did the comeback thing way better because it kept the hack and slash gameplay and elevated it to new heights

[@mrwhocares3931]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 sure it did dmc ain't got shit on the GOD

[@morepower6800]

@@mrwhocares3931 another typical NPC

[@gracecalis5421]

I appreciate when games remake themselves though. It's boring to get the same thing over and over, no matter what refinement it may have.

[@drewr1843]

@@morepower6800 Says the mindless NPC 😂.

[@waifuhunter9709]

Blind gow fanboys are wild. They got childish as gow got matured lmao. I love both games but i 100% agree with op comment. I love dmc even more. But there is no reason to insult other franchise in order to praise GOW, is it? It speaks volume When you have to drag down other ip in order to convince others that your team is better 🤷‍♂️ Spoiler alert. Both of them are great but people can have one fav over other 🤷‍♂️

[@unchartedrocks1]

I agree with the cursing. The old god of war games never used modern swear words so it really strange hearing f bombs in god of war but then again it’s Kratos himself in a world that is foreign to him.

[@ckmishn3664]

"Game of the Year?" You ask that as if there's any doubt that Fextralife's "GOTY" could be anything other than Elden Ring.

[@iraford5788]

Yep these guys are obviously bias for elden ring.

[@nocommas6915]

@@iraford5788 do u even know the meaning of bias? do u think the guy is a fromsoftware employee or something?

[@victor_2216]

@@nocommas6915 Do you know the meaning of biased? Does he NEED to be a FS employee to be biased?

[@pizza_con_pinha]

An honest review, this is what I like, what I appreciate. Definitely going to play it. Thanks for the review Cas.

[@honkyjesuseternal]

He kind of says not to play the game if you like the original real GOW games.

[@thriftypsgr]

Just started playing today and the game looks gorgeous. I already teared up in the first 2 hours. Beautiful storytelling. The combat seems to be improved. Such a great game. Thank you for the wonderful review. Always given in a very “matter of fact” kind of way. Love that

[@Tom-ov6ul]

teared up lol go back to reddit

[@endlessvoid2215]

Nope, he's right, the the first hour is going to hit ya hard. Especially a certain scene, when you first get back home. Don't wanna spoil it but if ya know then ya know and most can relate to what happened and how Atreus felt in that moment. That scene got me tearing up good.

[@acroyear6777]

@@endlessvoid2215 bro are you fr

[@endlessvoid2215]

@@acroyear6777 my dog passed in my arms kinda same way. hard not to have that hit me in the feels and reflect on that moment.

[@acroyear6777]

@@endlessvoid2215 damn I feel you. Sorry for your loss

[@tonydeluna8095]

For sure I’m getting my hands on this! Thank you 🙏 fextra for uploading this

[@Hard2hit94]

Your slippery little gamer weeb hands

[@victorprati7908]

@@Hard2hit94 lmao wth?

[@redronin1619]

After having finished the game. I do believe there could've been more story from Thor and Odins side. I was hoping there would've been at least 1 or 2 extra fights against Thor as well. Would've felt a bigger impact.

[@sully408]

This was my issue. The entire "ragnarok" sequence was so god damn underwhelming. These devs promised us an epic finale and that was not epic. Especially the fight with odin, like come on.

[@redronin1619]

@@sully408 yeah having beat Odin in the first go was pretty disappointing. I think I had more difficulty with Bezerkers. Also it felt rushed. The whole battle having already started on Asgard at the time of arrival wasn't a great move. I know Corey Barlog had told them to finish the Norse mythology by this game but it probably would've helped more had it been an entire trilogy.

[@The_Ostrich]

No this game is perfect

[@terencebc]

@@The_Ostrich not perfect. Pretty sure the nordic saga was planned to be a trilogy and it showed. But tbf this is basically the best game they could have made if they wanted to wrap the entire saga up in one game. Regardless, definitely would have been worthy of goty imo

[@rohitrastogi5354]

Love the review! Honest, insightful and fair, as always. Thanks for the amazing video Cas and Fex!

[@Fextralife]

Thanks Rusty!

[@ap4702]

Really nice review and structure. I was hoping they'd up it a couple of notches however it looks like they did their best with last gen hardware.

[@SubiKinubi]

I listened to several reviews and it seems others have the blinkers on, so far yours in the only honest review I’ve seen

[@JC-Alan]

Wow, reading Kratos's journey entry on Odin makes me realize he is much more wise than he lets on vocally.

[@Fextralife]

Indeed one my issues with the storytelling is that if you don’t go out of your way to read the journal the game does a poor job of giving you all this good character context they created, and their actions thus seem strange

[@aaronaguilar977]

Finally found a reviewer that platinum games on review code pre day one patch. IMO a very fair review.

[@bryceb8331]

Loved god of war 2018. One of my favorite games of all time. But though I haven’t played this yet I don’t need to watch this video to know there is no way this will be goty. You see Elden Ring was released in February. This looks like a great follow up to 2018. But unless it’s massively better there’s just no way it competes with ER.

[@korysnider6804]

Playing through 2018 God of War rn but wanted to know how Ragnarok was being received. Thank you for warning about spoilers for the 2018 game ending early in the video. I’ll have to return to this later.

[@Evaquiel]

whats up with the dislikes? just because he was honest and wasn't a suck up?

[@kaiderhai86]

Since a am considering myself a casual player with very limited time to play, it will surely take a month or more to complete 50+ hours of this. Can't wait to play it 👍🏻 In Elden ring it took me almost 4 month to finish. Finding almost everything etc.

[@trevorasthetank3000]

thanks for advertising the 'no spoilers' in the title!

[@mrgauth]

Have to say this tempered my excitement somewhat. Still thrilled to play another GoW, but I am no longer expecting this to replace Elden as my GOTY.

[@HazardGoat]

Excellent, non-hype review. Thanks for including the PS4 information. I fell away from your channel for a while because I don't play Elden Ring, but this brought me back.

[@Fextralife]

Thank you for watching!

[@seanfroelich4528]

I prefer classic God of War, much better replay value and more engaging combat. I tried to replay GoW 2018 and found it hard to slog through the story a 2nd time. I feel like the balance between gameplay and story is off

[@mikebeckett2164]

Never expected an Elden Ring enthusiast channel to give this game greatness reviews. I’m an Elden Ring fan too but of the 30 reviews I’ve listened to this was the most tepid. Great work as always.

[@andyvulhop]

Fextralife isn't just an Elden Ring channel, it's just that Elden Ring was such a massive game this year that they dedicated a ton to it. They have news about other RPGs and their wiki has been the primary go-to for pretty much all the Souls games.

[@honkyjesuseternal]

Like Fextralife says, probably stay away from this game if you like "gameplay" games.

[@xtrwq]

Modern American/Netflix style of talking sure sounds immersion breaking. I bet I won't be able to play it now without thinking about this.

[@atlantic_love]

Lol, Fextra. You're an absolute pro at Elden Ring. You know that game is going to be GOTY.

[@smarch3912]

As you as you said you played all previous games and platinumed the game I knew it was going to be a good review, not just mindless praising like the other journalist that probably just choose the easy mode to breeze through it.

[@TheKro16]

Knowing this game is flawed is honestly a relief to me. I'm able to temper expectations and enjoy the game. I think Elden Ring is gonna be GOTY for me.

[@SoupNazi322]

Appreciate the thorough review, I would expect no less from this channel. You guys are always putting for quality content. You seem to be a pretty tough critic on writing in video games. I am curious of what titles you feel really nailed it on that front?

[@Fextralife]

Thank you for watching! I am indeed a tough critic on writing, mainly because I do a lot of reading, and a lot of High Fantasy reading (From Tolkien / Wheel of Time to more modern Way of Kings, etc, but I also read a lot of classic sci-fi and general thriller fiction) and its one of the things I am looking for in video games as well. It's hard to compare apples to apples when commenting on the story of other games, as the storytelling is a big part of it and it can vary wildly from something like Heavy Rain to Uncharted. The scriptwriting is also crucial to the mood and ultimate delivery of the plot. Generally speaking, recent titles I enjoyed include the approach they took with Returnal, Ghost of Tsuhima's storytelling, and I very much enjoyed Pathfinder: WotR's branching reactive storylines. In terms of older games, Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins also did video game stories very well so that I remember those storylines so many years after the games launched.

[@SoupNazi322]

@@Fextralife Honestly we enjoy all the same things. Ive read all of Tolkein and Wheel of time (Those middle books are rough but the beginning and the end are outstanding. I am a huge Sanderson fan as I would guess you are as well ). Returnal and Pathfinder are on my list to play but I totally agree on the rest. Appreciate the response! Cheers!

[@thegamewin100]

I’ve played this game 3 times already it’s very replayable your armor set changes the entire game since most of them have crazy good effects loved it way more than the first game it’s my GOTY so much fun

[@IMZ44]

Santa Monica never misses and this review was helpful.

[@Esteban45696]

Bit dussapointed that combats not improved too much as it caused me to drop the 2018 game and just KZbin the rest.

[@Nobody_Nowhere_Never]

This is what I was expecting. Like any Borderlands game after 2. Excellent, but not quite a goat. Still I wish there was a way to further financially encourage more quality games like this.

[@Darkbelisar]

Thank you for sensitivity in regards to spoilers, beyond just story! Other outlets were not so thorough and considerate.

[@zeal514]

I love your video style! Been watching for years, and you have come to be 1 of my go to content creators to hear what you have to say. Its always so clear, concise, it feels like you are literally reading bullet points, and i absolutely love it. Additionally, your opinions are generally really good, or atleast something I tend to agree with. Thanks for doing the videos.

[@TheAnandWay]

Just started playing last night and I’m already 15 hours in. If you thought previous game was good, this is much better. No game has manage to hook me up the way it has.

[@M__a_R_a]

Elden Ring deserves GOTY❤ Miyazaki and the whole crew from FromSoftware for the win.🎉

[@efc2097]

We’ll see.

[@naseemwaja8735]

Failden Ring

[@chives8980]

@@naseemwaja8735 Cry

[@naseemwaja8735]

@@chives8980 cry for what From Software is not getting my money on this cash grab

[@ni9274]

@@naseemwaja8735 bro they already sold more than 16 million units. More money than your entire lineage could ever make.

[@IDHE007]

that chaos blade wall hopping looks so damn fun dude. Im glad you added that. Very very excited. 1st video ive seen of yours too & you seem fair so thanks for that too. Im getting this matter what but yeah thumbs up lol

[@jas6853]

Man the story in this one is so so so good, absolutely love it

[@4z-L_Gaming]

I have nothing against Americans, but I don't find their traditional humour funny. A lot of media is influenced by this however, what I expect from this game is something you have addressed. The older god of wars was divine because of their language. That's why Sekiro as an example had an immersive story. It was serious without the cliche dialogue. I'm not sad to hear Ragnarok has this cliche dialogue because I expected it, but I'm disappointed. I have bought this game just to know more about Kratos. His character is interesting enough to find out a little more about him, even if I have to endure an American moaning teenager. Most games are being padded with collectibles and repetitiveness. As to be expected. Hopefully, the story of Kratos specifically doesn't disappoint as that's what I'm more interested in. The character is stylish because he is essentially an antihero. Thank you for the review FL.

[@hELLLcs]

I appreciate the fact that you are not just praising mindlessly the game. You provided tons of points which seem totally fair. This game looks very good but also more of the same which is ok but do not warrant masterpiece adjective like so many others were fast to give.

[@e.777.r2]

If Elden Ring is seen as masterpiece, then this game should as well, its superior to Elden Ring in every single way.

[@hELLLcs]

@@e.777.r2 where did I mention Elden Ring? Also, saying Ragnarok is superior in every way is like saying God of War 2018 is superior as well, do you really believe that? Have you played god of war 2018 recently? Is it really that good that it surpasses Elden Ring?

[@michaeltovah4]

@@hELLLcs Elden Ring is just another Souls Game but open world.

[@typicalgoodguyclub4games]

@@e.777.r2 You must be trippin bruhhh, fans both of the game but saying everything is superior to ER is so damn corny lmao, both have their strengths and weaknesses Why cant we appreciate both of this awesome game without spouting bullshit lol

[@e.777.r2]

@@typicalgoodguyclub4games Because even GOW (2018) is better than Elden Ring, Elden Ring has an empty open world, poor performance and the enemy has input reading which becomes intolerable when youre fighting against bosses who can kill you in 2-3 hits. Pretty much all NPC quests are easy to miss and you gotta look up tutorials to do them, and not just me that has that issue, those tutorials have around 100k views atleast. And lets not even get into the graphics, if Elden Ring was a PS exclusive it would have been a game released early on the PS4's life.

[@OTG1776]

I really appreciate this review as it is one of the few that actually gave valid criticisms of the game but if the gameplay is an 8.5 then what is better? The gameplay was the best thing for me and from Assassins Creed to Elden Ring I’ve yet to play a game with better gameplay.🧐

[@XavierMacX]

Yeah, there's a lot weird inconsistencies and biases coming from some big reviewers. Still great review though.

[@OTG1776]

@@XavierMacX Agreed! I feel like a lot of them want to take shots at the game so they can go against the grain but they simultaneously are forgetting God of War is the standard. Absolutely no game has better combat then this one here(my opinion obviously for you bots).

[@Fextralife]

The gameplay includes exploration, combat, tinkering etc. Some aspects are better than others. Some were improved, others are a carbon copy of 2018. The industry has moved things forward and innovated in the past 4 years, so what would have been a nine or more before is dropping when compared to what other similar games are doing. Ragnarok doesn’t do enough to push up its gameplay

[@OTG1776]

@@Fextralife appreciate the reply!💪 I can definitely see how there were issues with exploration in the first as it was very repetitive at times and I can’t attest to how it is in the second so that’s fair. However if there is a game with better combat I’m definitely there for it. Also like the video (when I first watched it) so I don’t want to come across like I’m just being overly negative.

[@Fextralife]

No problem! I read the comments to clarify as the review was getting too long and had to trim down some explanations lol. I think the combat is decent but it’s not fluid like you would want. You take a long time to unlock moves, and you don’t have much poise so you get taken out of combos or have to roll away. The lock on is poor and the enemy flow has you running from side to side of the screen or chasing bosses that can teleport constantly and do giant aoes. Coupled with limited customization options, it’s simply not providing enough ummmph. I’m obviously not expecting them to pull off Devil May cry combat, but even assassins creed has more variety from the multiple weapons, etc

[@MrBoBoBo]

No way this beats Elden Ring

[@netwatch7261]

The first one beat rdr2 smh

[@netwatch7261]

The gotya are trash.

[@rajashiyam1386]

Ys ragnarok going to be goty

[@efc2097]

😁

[@ni9274]

@@rajashiyam1386 no, that’s the same game has gow and gow already won a Goty.

[@redwitchlizzy]

I found God of War 2018 to be horribly slow compared to old school god of war. This game having the same slow combat sounds like a pass from me. If this game gets game of the year instead of elden ring it will be almost purely because of name recognition.

[@vigil7223]

Yes because your opinion decides which game wins GOTY.

[@Aureilius2112]

Ehhh. I do feel the first section was extremely nitpicky. Seems like a lot of these complaints are personal preference.

[@Fextralife]

All reviews are personal preference - they are written by people. That said, it's really hard to explain how things "don't add up" without showing what doesn't add up which is a spoiler. So, play the game on launch and see for yourself.

[@mitchyslickbro]

Thanks a lot for this in-depth review. Your really setting the standard with this channel!!

[@ziadbaha1699]

The music part is INSANLY surprising, from the two tracks that were released it seemed like it was going to be a 10/10, especially since the composer did an amazing job last time has some really good albums in other mediums

[@Fextralife]

It may be a great listen on its own, but during the boss fights etc I just didn't notice it, and it was not memorable enough to give me "chills" or "vibes" except a few narrow spots. It's all subjective as it's just my opinion, of course, you may like it better

[@ziadbaha1699]

@@Fextralife thx for the reply! Just on more question please, did you like GoW 2018's music or not?

[@Fextralife]

Probably a little bit better than the sequel, but generally it’s not on my top music scores ever.

[@Norightnowrong1]

@@Fextralife seriously? Cause the music hit me so hard in this game at all moments. And comparing to what you said about Elden ring, I don’t understand at all, cause Elden ring music on most bosses was basically the same and nothing special. I think you’re being a little unfair at this point, despite what you said on the others.

[@thegamewin100]

@@Fextralife the soundtrack here was great had way better I snag than the 2018 game only baldurs theme comes close to soem of the new ones I went and listen to Elden rings whole soundtrack and the godskin main theme and radagob theme were the only ones I liked I think I got spoiled by dark souls 3 and bloodborne not even sekiro had a memorable soundtrack for me it’s fine though hopefully that dlc brings a crazy fun boss because I found the main bosses to be boring

[@cmking492]

"Extra addition of the third weapon, dw guys I wont spoil it" bruh

[@apollyonn2447]

Goty for me will be Elden Ring regardless of what else comes by the end.

[@baaLsecundus]

why?

[@victorprati7908]

Yeah I mean what's left to be released this year? Callisto protocol?

[@rajanbhankhodia6899]

@@baaLsecundus Varity of weapons , more freedom , centre character dont like the left sided kratos ! , PvP and many more

[@WhySoSeriousSenpai]

elden ring the empty open world game filled with brain dead ai and forgettable bosses its the same shit combat from demon soult but you can jump now real amazing and graphics jesus it look great on my ps3

[@MTart96]

@@WhySoSeriousSenpai or God of War, the forced walk and chat with dozens of cutscenes and no replayability. It’s easy to boil any game down to negatives. Elden Ring literally had the entire gaming community in its palm. God of War won’t do that. And that’s fine

[@glowinTHX]

For some reason, of all channels I'm trusting this guy before watching the review.

[@jamessherman6598]

I'm sure Elden Ring will take GOTY.

[@uddaloknag1751]

There is a very good chance that it won't. God of War Ragnarok will tick all the right boxes for many people out there. That being said, the allure of awards is ephemeral at best, and Elden Ring has been one of the best gaming experience I have ever had, doesn't matter if it wins GOTY or not. Really looking forward to playing Ragnarok too.

[@soutrikpal3466]

@@uddaloknag1751 GOW is the same game as the 2018 game .... And its quite repeated over again like the last one ... Hype train not gonna rig the awards like in 2018

[@uddaloknag1751]

@@soutrikpal3466 can't say for sure until one plays it. And carrying over strong aspects from previous games is nothing wrong in my opinion. Don't fix what ain't broke. One could also say the combat in Elden Ring is too similar to Dark Souls (though the way they implemented the posture break system, and rehauled the weapon arts system is worthy of huge praise).

[@uddaloknag1751]

Though I won't be playing GoW anytime soon. Can't afford a PS5 at the moment.

[@mohammadsaleem5990]

@@soutrikpal3466 bruh you can't say god of war that while not acknowledging that elden ring does the exact same thing.

[@arif8967]

Not everything has to be Elden Ring. They focus on pure gameplay, where this game focuses on all things. If every game is a souls game, the people who think they are the best will be the 1st ones to stop playing them.

[@ladyhawk7408]

well that is the problem with modern drama and horror writing. Nothing can just be serious or scary. Writers always feel the need to break the tension with a stupid joke. which ruins the tone" hey wouldn't it be funny if Kratos was the stoic old man yelling get off my lawn while every one else just wants to have fun, because that would be ssssoooo relatable to under 30's genz" ....*gags*

[@gporr7004]

I agree. It's pathetic. Don't wanna annoy certain people who can't handle too much frama without a joke mixed in

[@deepak-ui5li]

100% agree. If the plot doesn’t take itself seriously then why should I?

[@SlowLearner-z3h]

The best dramas always have some comedy in them and after playing the game i don´t think it´s overdone. This isn´t Thor Love and Thunder.

[@matiasdextre9080]

I didn’t liked Ragnarok, and didn’t understand why every single review I saw was praising it to no end. This channel has earned my respect by doing a truly critical review, not fearing being outside the common opinion.

[@Nazylexx]

I finished GoW Ragnarok yesterday and by far one of best games I played but this year I would say that Elden Ring is better game deserving Goty. Ragnarok is great but ER for me personally Is much better

[@johnsparrow8288]

It hurt when he said a highly polished experience that's not common in gaming. It's just unfortunate that all games can't live up to a standard of being complete and polished on release.

[@Lord_ofcinder]

It’s a Sony title. Sony titles are always highly polished quality stuff (except that one time with days gone). And this is coming from an Xbox user.

[@MrSevrix]

a very well constructed review. this is probably one of my favourite god of war games personally and it was great to hear someone's opinion on it !! stay awesome and keep it up ^^

[@VonDutchNL]

Have you played it?

[@dasninjastix]

Something about the older games, GoW3 especially, that the 2018 game just couldn't give me. I never got bored of the combat in those games but I felt done with the 2018 game half way in. Also I don't know that scaling down the story and telling something more intimate and personal works for Kratos. I get that it was a different take on what had already been established but I don't know.. I feel like Hades was a better God of War game than these actual God of War games. Based on the review, I'll pass.

[@Fextralife]

The new combat doesn't come close to the old one. This one is better than the 2018, but it still doesn't make it since it's no longer a pure action hack n slash.

[@emeka490]

@@Fextralife not being hack N slash is actually the thing I like about the reboot happy it stays that way didn't like the combat of the old games much

[@soutrikpal3466]

No bossfights... Just cut-scens over and over again... Felt like movie rather than a game

[@juerfe]

I wouldn't give this goty bc it's the same as the last one. ELDEN Ring brought something new to the table

[@outsidergamer1435]

let's goo! another great review

[@mkv2718]

About the story…. Thank You! 🙏 I’m closing in on the end of the story and after all the endless gushing and praise I was starting to think I was the only one who was getting annoyed about the aimlessness of it all. But more importantly the just ENDLESS banging me over the head about how Odin was the the most evil man that ever did evil in aaaaall of evildom. Oh, and don’t forget that he’s a Liar. And did Mimir tell you that he’s a Liar? Cuz he certainly told me about 3000 f***ing times 🙄. Seriously, it was like listening to someone’s Twitter rant about [insert your hated politician here] and it just got exhausting to the point that I completely agree that it really took away from the overall story. Cuz when the story is just focusing on Kratos’ and Atreus’ relationship it does work (tho again, in agreement that it’s not working as well as the last game) but the endless complaining about Odin as well as making the Aesir generally come off like these unenlightened rubes who just want to take for themselves so they can be more powerful while all the people of the other realms, while they have their problems, are all still truly good people deep down just felt kinda… hamfisted? Minor spoiler: they were *kinda* starting to humanize Thor and his family, but then kinda just wiped that away in an instant - but I’m not done yet so that might change so I could be wrong yet. I dunno, it just felt like the made the Aesir caricature-like straw men specifically so we wouldn’t feel bad about having to fight them instead of making them real people with flaws, which is how Baldr felt. Heck even Magni and Modi to a lesser extent, tho they were only there for like a minute. Anyhow, It just felt kinda rushed and cheap. Baldr was insane, but he had his reasons for being that way and you felt bad for him. On some level you even rooted for him to have some kind of happy ending (tho if you know your myths you know that wasn’t gonna happen), but Heimdall is just written for you hate him, end of story. He’s just a cocky jerk. Why? Because they need a way for you to get his horn (that I’m not going to attempt to spell) that’s it. But yeah, like you said, it just kinda feels like you’re being dragged around by Atreus with no real direction until… stuff just happens. This is deus ex machina, the game. Almost literally (does anyone ever come out of a machine at any point 🤔😂). The plot moves forward cuz random stuff happens. Random stuff that we already know will happen because we are given the prophecies. Otherwise the gameplay is good.. for the most part. Some minor complaints about the harder challenges were they just throw too much stuff on the screen at one time (I can only imagine how a base ps4 would handle it) and often in a fairly small space at that so it can be kind of hard to tell what the heck is going on. That and the shield shard with the onslaught shield will often run right by the enemy you’re trying to bash (you know, the ones with the blue circle that you’re SUPPOSED to bash) and go after some moon behind them. Why ? 🤨. Little weird things like that, but otherwise it’s fine. Spoiler again: the new weapon is nice and enjoy it quite a bit. Also, the Lunda armor is kinda broken (in a good way) either steal poison from enemies with said new weapon, or just punch ‘em to death. The later is the best strategy for the big chompy dragons locked up that you can fight 3 of. Knocks ‘em out in less than a minute. Anyhow I’d personally only give this like 3.8 to 4 out of 5, where as the last game was definitely a 4.5 outta 5 for me. The aimless and frankly nagging story just didn’t hit like the close emotional story of the last game. Side note rating game out of 10 is pointless. Why? Because everything lower than 5 is crap, and what’s the real difference between a 5 and 1 anyway? You’re not B playing either game for fun that’s for sure, so just rate out of 5, or some equivalent like A B C D and F. Rant over

[@AegisKHAOS]

Appreciate the review. More or less what I expected, namely a continuation of GOW 2018 with its world expanded and additions to its existing gameplay. I wasn't blown away by GOW 2018 unlike many fans, but I also didn't hate it, so I personally see Ragnarok as a possible purchase down the road.

[@dylanburkardt1113]

So this confirms Elden Ring deserves GOTY for me

[@vitus6302]

It might have been if it wasn’t for Elden Ring.

[@forward8204]

This is the first game ever that I've pre-ordered. Edit : I have sony since 2014

[@jaggerdupont1139]

Great spoiler free review, I really appreciate it!

[@jlee479]

Bruh CAS does some of the best and thorough reviews on youtube.

[@shooshooshooshooshooter]

Thanks for not shilling. Love the series and have huge hopes for Ragnarok but it's still nice to find a fairly impartial review out there. EDIT: Finally gone through the game and have to say I appreciate this review even more now. The stuff you mentioned about story, the contemporary vocalisation etc are all so spot on. Completely ruined the experience for me. So many examples of that dialogue will haunt me for a long time. They completely ruined what 2018 setup in that world. Think we'll back on this review in a few years and appreciate that at least one org out there spoke factully without fear of retribution from Sony.

[@arkaraung4756]

Thanks for the awesome review Fex and Cas.

[@gk4204]

Thank you for the honest and thorough review.

[@reveredrogue9725]

Played and completed it and yet deapite my love for God of War Ragnarok, Elden Ring to me is still Game of the Year. I feel like Ragnarok just lacks something and the lack of replayability really makes it a one playthrough game. Its better than the previous God of War but its not that memorable. Will their be a dlc or sequel? DLC maybe but i highly doubt it and if there is a sequel, it wont be set in norse mythology as ragnarok is considered the last game set in this mythology.

[@chall-us6de]

Good honest review. Hope the game doesn't feel like an MCU film.

[@MJeffSantos]

To me, GOW 2018 is the best game of all time and it's not even close. From all the reviews I've seen so far, Ragnarok is either as good or slightly better, so I'm good with it.

[@kenshin391]

I’m one of the biggest GOW fans, but I’m still sticking with Elden Ring truly deserves GOTY. I know I haven’t played Ragnarok yet, but I know what to expect from GOW it’s a narrative driven story. Elden Ring truly broke the mold of I can’t believe what I’m seeing and the secret’s to uncover.

[@a.g.m8790]

That’s objectively not true. Elden Ring did nothing new. Yall are weird

[@bukojoetheslapsoils8273]

"Elden Ring truly broke the mold..." What mold?

[@kenshin391]

@@bukojoetheslapsoils8273 Of how you do an open World and massive content to keep the player engaged for days. 👀

[@kenshin391]

@@a.g.m8790 Your just SHILL! that’s worse than being weird 👀👀

[@a.g.m8790]

@@kenshin391 is that why Elden Ring lost more than 90% of it’s players a month after it released? That was a player drop so steep and unprecedented that it literally made gaming news lol. Assassins Creed Valhalla retained more of it’s players after a year than Elden Ring did after 2 months. So no it looks like it was Ubisoft who “broke that mold” 😆

[@filmexpressreviews]

I played the 2018 on PC this week in preparation, and enjoyed THAT game more than ELDEN RING so if Ragnarok is even 1% better than 2018 God of War, it'll be game of year

[@ni9274]

How ok so you’re the one who decide the Goty winner ?

[@filmexpressreviews]

@@ni9274 obviously

[@ProfessionalRacist007]

Great game? Hell yeah probably better than GOW 2018 Game of the year? That's Elden Ring

[@Yvensky1]

Your actually the only reviewer that mentioned a 3rd weapon…even tho you didn’t tell us what the weapon is the fact you even mentioned it, now ima be anticipating the moment until I get it 😅

[@raymondcaswell5622]

Your review is about what I was expecting from this. Will play it to get me away from Elden Ring for a bit. Thank you. ;)

[@TmoneyOGGamer]

I struggled to finish this game, it was like watching a movie and playing on training wheels.

[@thecheezwhiz5840]

Would you say that this game is longer than the first or shorter? And is there something like valkyries in this game, cause I loved fighting the, I’m the last

[@Fextralife]

It took me 48 hours to platinum the previous game and 50 hours on this one, they feel about the same length. There is challenging post game content, yes.

[@thecheezwhiz5840]

@@Fextralife another question, how many new weapons are there, cause I could imagine at least a few potential ones, and the combat has always been the highlight of the games for me

[@michaelwilliams8565]

Did he really say that Loki has an inexplicable obsession with Thor? Seriously dude. C'mon now

[@Fextralife]

Nope

[@tinjutkin]

so close to the release! let's gooooo!

[@henriqueacabral]

my biggest issue with some of these games like Last of Us and God of War is this very narrow corridor level type of gaming, with just the illusion of an open world. I didnt get too far into 2018's God of War, but will give it another go one day

[@Just_B0red]

Open world is repetitive chore 90% of the time, give me semi-open world with some corridors and optional dungeons/bosses like FF7R over Open world games any day.

[@henriqueacabral]

@@Just_B0red you just described raganarok

[@bahmannasirifar7145]

can't wait for Elden Boy to win the GOTY. Sony should invest more on the Japanese developers. The best game of PS4 for me was Last Guardian not God of War. The best GOW is the first original one which is still smoother than the new ones.

[@jcradunz]

OMG, please no ... keep those filthy Souls away from Santa Monica and Naughty Dog !!!

[@soutrikpal3466]

@@jcradunz causal gamers need "press start to play the game". Tutorial

[@jcradunz]

@@soutrikpal3466 Hur dur ... git gud

[@Guillimann]

Yeah, this is not only game of the year, but the best game I ever played in this life. Thank you so much for delivering us this Santa Monica!

[@watchonjar]

no this was an absolute step down in narrative

[@lov.2.g]

it might be amazing but it wont come close to elden ring legendary reviews...beyond expectation is way to hard to beat

[@stevewallace1387]

I'm glad you reviewed ps4 as everyone else seems to only be reviewing ps5 which most of us still can't get hold of so like most people I'm more interested in the ps4 performance

[@capcomfan82]

Its gonna be hard to beat Elden Ring for goty

[@WhySoSeriousSenpai]

the ps3 game it’s literally just darkssouls 3 its the same thing

[@capcomfan82]

@@WhySoSeriousSenpai eh no, not at all really. Sounds like your not all that familiar with the franchise to say that. Is it similar? in alot of ways yes but elden ring being open world changes everything.

[@WhySoSeriousSenpai]

yes it is and you are delusional if you dont think so its darkssouls 3.5 in a big empty open world with a bunch of reskin bosses from previous games you’re telling me erdtree avatar isnt asylum demon?

[@godlikecrazy6482]

@@WhySoSeriousSenpai And GoW is the same as older ones except it's Norse? Dumbf**k

[@capcomfan82]

@@WhySoSeriousSenpai they recycled every enemy from every game they made, it makes no difference in the gameplay which is a total masterpiece of a game. You cant shit on the game no matter what you say its a modern day masterpiece game. And the world isnt empty at all. Breath of the wild was a empty world and thats another masterpiece game. If its not for you its not for you and thats fine.

[@SilverbackViolence]

“Maybe I’ll be better than you one day.” “If you are not I have failed”

[@Mr.Duck64]

GoTY between God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring, who’s winning fellas?

[@Fextralife]

Elden Ring by far :p

[@utisti4976]

Elden Ring.

[@xNarthex]

@@Fextralife this review is so biased lmao

[@Omega77232]

lol you asked his opinion and now you dont agree he is biased? this guy is a clown

[@Gh0stsszzzz]

@@xNarthex bros never played elden ring🤡

[@laurenevans-white3868]

I disagree on the playability factor. It’s totally replay-able. Bought it in December and have been playing it everyday ever since. I think that I enjoyed this game even more than the last one because I didn’t focus so much on the profecerial aspect of it and just enjoyed the much richer storyline and the character’s stories, both individual and when the stories connected to each other. I think the side content, while not necessary to enjoy the main story, was a welcome sight to see because it enriched the main story even further by giving more background to the main characters.