Breaking Down the Dumbest God of War Ragnarok Takes Online - MattTGM

[@RandomPersonProbably]

So this kid is in middle school right? There’s no way a grown man included “Kratos has some action with Norse beauties” in a post about how he would make a game.

[@MattTGM]

@@RandomPersonProbably if his tweets are to be believed, he's at least 35

[@RandomPersonProbably]

@@MattTGMSo a 35 year old dude is posting on Twitter about how he wants to have more attractive women in video games so he can play more sex scenes? Jeez I don’t know if that’s sad or disturbing.

[@spiridonrobert16]

Average reditor😭​@@RandomPersonProbably

[@matthewmccoyd2578]

@@MattTGM That means he's old enough to have played the original trilogy, so it kinda makes sense. Why he never grew up from that age is another question entirely.

[@zenspeed404]

@@MattTGM So it's like he never grew up. Here's the crazy thing: if he's old enough to have played the OG trilogy back in 2005, then that means he should have matured alongside Kratos. Ten years is enough time to get married, have a kid, and raise a kid (not necessarily in that order): at 35, you should be worried about raising your kid right and entering what should be the introspective period of your life. At 35, that $59.99 I'm paying for the game that's going to last me a while because I no longer have time to finish a new game every month had better damned well be worth my money. That could have been gas and grocery money: I'm not spending $59.99 to watch a virtual character get some when I could have gone out and done that myself. That this dude is 35 and is still pining after the stereotypical teenage fantasy says more about his arrested development than it does Kratos being 'woke.'

[@jpfan4life812]

Reason why the Norse games didn't have s3x scenes: 1) In terms of story, the s3x scenes in the Greek games were just Kratos trying to vent his anger. Which wouldn't really fit with the Norse games' theme of self-control. 2) Viking culture is far less sexualized than Ancient Greece. 3) He has a kid with him. Stopping in the middle of their journey for some rage-fueled s3x wouldn't have been a good lesson to teach Atreus.

[@MattTGM]

@@jpfan4life812 yep, 100%

[@raybob8668]

That’s why Mimir had to teach Atreus how to woo

[@frank8917]

​​​@@raybob8668 speaking of that, whats a juicy n-

[@aaronthomson3639]

What's kind of sad though is I want there to be an Aphrodite-like scene with Freya because I'm now shipping Kratos and Freya and think they can be a good couple after they resolved what happened with Baldur.

[@frank8917]

@aaronthomson3639 also, Freya wants another son. And the only avaiable candidate is.... well, take a guess, take a friggin guess

[@AZRAEL24x]

Thors design wasn’t woke, it was literally just historically accurate and, in my opinion, the best design of Thor ever

[@ribclicker]

Totally agree, Since he looks strong fat (kinda like some bodybuilders nowadays.) it makes him looks are more big and intimidating copaired to if he was just big and buff.

[@blakechradini7235]

💯! There is literally a Norse mythology expert who did a video on how accurate Thor was in this game and in fact criticized other Thor interpretations.

[@yaboye3791]

He looked like a shitbrick house that could snap Hemsworth in half. Way more badass than a blondie on steroids imo.

[@mrman-yj3bn]

I take it you are unaware of the people they hired to "help" design some characters? Also I take it you are unaware that the creator gave hypocritical statements regarding character desighn? He said that Thor looks like that because "it's historically accurate" Then said she is black because "it's my story and that's what I want to do"

[@yaboye3791]

@@mrman-yj3bn My man, there were black people in Scandinavia. They took slaves, wives and concubines from essentially the whole Mediterrenian, and beyond. And it's not like Angrboda is a human in the story anyway- she's a yotun. Whatever happened to "just make your own games"?

[@tanimation4806]

I am always amazed at the amount of people that think Old Kratos is lame for acting like an Adult

[@kilbert666]

You can act mature without also being a crybaby.

[@TheStorm_ThatIsApproaching]

​@@kilbert666how is he a crybaby tho?

[@FadliCraft308]

Because they can't act mature?

[@RevulsiveLooper]

​@@kilbert666 Kratos' whole arc in the OG trilogy is him regretting being a murderous crybaby and throwing several rage fueled tantrums😂

[@Looptroop98]

@@RevulsiveLooperexactly every motive he has is for revenge the man went on a 6 game crybaby spree 😂😂

[@WhitedibbaR]

Literally, if you think Odin is just a weak old man, Odin already won. The whole point of the character is to be a a manipulative liar

[@Iamasimplecreature]

Also this dude literally 1v2’d both Kratos and Atreus at the same time

[@gothpotato]

@@Iamasimplecreature and Freya

[@devlar4962]

fair but they really could have done his old man scream better

[@devlar4962]

@@gothpotato thats not a 1v2 anymore for 1 for another point he lost the 1v3

[@furyberserk]

The issue for me is every character besides the Valkyries felt like a subversion. I felt disappointed. That's not just going to blow over.

[@Leonkennedy19992]

My mother told me this lesson when i became a father. But ill rephrase it for the purpose of this video" Any parent can teach their kids to obey by violence. Lashing out like a toddler with anger and hitting them. But a true man gets his children to obey by the respect and authority the children see in him" Same logic on why kratos is more calm and disciplined in the norse games.

[@ghostlyerlkonig]

People who fixate on Odin being a war only deity forget that hes also connected to poetry, skalds, speechcraft, and Trickery. His mythological presence is as a king first and kings have to be able to communicate. Odin abuses the laws of hospitality in Ragnarok (and in the myths) in very clever ways which do make him more of a threat than any other. He is known to use trickery before war, see literally every time he attempts to subvert Ragnarok in the eddas. An old king is far more frightening to me than a young one, an old king's fears bring about the end of the world, a young king can only bring a new world. He is a general, not a war lord. There is a difference.

[@Trapper1836]

EXACTLY he’s not like Zeus a muscular god who uses power and force, he wasn’t like Ra shining and magnificent, he was a trickster god, a seeker of knowledge, a traveler an old man who wandered the world to find out all he could, he was rarely a warrior, he had people for that, and yes he was capable in combat (mf fought at the end times) so having him be super strong while not looking it still works!!!!

[@Trapper1836]

(Trickster god comes from the one time he disguised himself as a boatman and exchanged insults with Thor before not ferrying him across the river.)

[@justarandomperson979]

He literally is not even “supporting” tradition about thor he literally is just believing on what Hollywood and the movies depict thor labeling it as factual.

[@AlastorAltruistGaming]

Precisely! And the fact he does NOT do any research on Norse mythology tells me he would rather be interested in movies; this insect would rather believe Mjölnir’s handle is longer than it is in mythology, that Brok & Sindri pretty much do not exist & that Heimdall’s black! 1.) Mjölnir’s handle was shortened after Loki turned into a fly & interfered multiple times in the weapon’s creation. 2.) Brok & Sindri/Brokkr & Eitri never had any involvement in the Marvel movies, at all. 3.) Heimdall is the whitest of all the Asgardians & it means that Disney blackwashed to appeal to a new crowd.

[@maybemablemaples2144]

​@AlastorAltruistGaming of Idris Elba is cool? Have are we missing that?

[@IneptPotato]

Yeah cause if I remember correctly in actual Norse mythology Thor is described as being chubby or fat. So wanting him to be ripped isn't even being true to tradition 😂

[@impa2787]

I hate people that criticize how Odin was portrayed. Why need another imposing and powerful warrior when you already have Kratos, Thor, Tyr, Surtr, the Valkyries, Hrólf Kraki, and even Heimdall if you exclude the imposing part. Hell! Odin is more often showcased as an trickster in the MYTHOLOGY.

[@QuestionableLifeChoices]

Guaranteed that if Odin had been a standard looking hulking badass type of a boss, he would’ve been criticized for being bland and unoriginal. This was absolutely the best way to depict Odin. For one thing, it’s fresh, and for another, it’s absolutely in line with what we do know of him! In the little material we have, he’s known for being obsessed with knowledge and is ruthless in obtaining it.

[@impa2787]

@ exactly!

[@TheSSBBfan666]

@@QuestionableLifeChoices Mr. Wednsday from American Gods is another great portrayal of the All-Father.

[@rdr.erased]

Yeah I see him like a mafia boss lol

[@maxm.m.7219]

Besides, we all love Anthony Hopkins' Odin, and he was just an old man with a strong voice.

[@Zetheseus]

“Worst Final boss in the history of gaming” *Ahem* Brainiac from suicide squad kills the justice league Zhaitan from GW2

[@Lex_Nocturna]

Still checks out , we don't recognize that as a game

[@geekymetalhead5112]

​@@Lex_Nocturna Wait, rocksteady made a new game? I thought the last game they did was Arkham Knight

[@roxxdude1]

I would have liked Odin to be harder, and I think the fight could have been more mechanically interesting. But WORST? My guy is smoking the good shit if Odin is all he can remember for worst

[@yaboye3791]

@@roxxdude1 It's obvious that dude never played a game with awful final boss (like Shadow of Mordor).

[@Darigosh]

​@@yaboye3791 na that was just mid

[@ninakrishnamurthy6674]

Can we just take a minute to appreciate how LAZY Yorch is with his criticisms? Like, every “how to fix video games” post has the exact same 4 points: 1) remove this character I hate (the phrase “this step is mandatory” appears CONSTANTLY), 2) 12-year-old’s idea of masculinity, 3) add hotties, 4) heteronormative crusading. Occasionally 5) actually engaging gameplay. THAT’S IT! He has NO other criticisms of games

[@MattTGM]

Exactly, that's the main reason I wanted to make this video. Not only about Yorch, but the lazy criticism his circle puts forward

[@GgAcewick88]

Thats conservative media analysis for you. Vapid and dull. They want to dumb the game down, very telling if you ask me.

[@renardroux_arts]

I hate people’s reasons for not liking Thrud’s design. Like do they not like a female character having realistic proportions?! Plus she’s a child and minor!!! She shouldn’t have to look “sexy”. Not only that I’d assume gods go through puberty which she would be in the middle of so her body is still developing, like Mimir says everyone has an awkward phase growing up. In my opinion for a 15-16 year old she is a beautiful young woman and properly designed to show that. Her design shows both her mother’s beauty and her father’s strength while also showing her hard work from training with the Valkyries. Her design shows every aspect about her and I wouldn’t change anything, she’s one of my favourites in the game. Though her swords seem to glitch a bit while she’s walking which is the only thing that bothers me.

[@MattTGM]

very well said

[@sbcs2809]

It just all seems so weird "THEY DIDNT MAKE A MINOR SEXY!!??😡😡"

[@DionPanday]

Why do you care that Angrboda is black it’s just a videogame! Nooo you can’t have attractative characters in your game. That’s unrealistic! Pick one, you can’t pick both.

[@Auvas_Damask]

​​@@DionPandayIsn't Freya a Beauty (without the washed-out makeup), isn't Lady Sith beautiful? Firstly, Thrud has a beautiful face, it's mainly her hair and secondly, it's unrealistic that every woman looks like a model

[@TheTom20]

​@@DionPanday Not only exposed big boobs and butt make woman beautiful, you realise that?

[@invictyr8232]

As someone who hasn’t played the games but cares about Norse mythology your description of Odin sounds to me like how Odin was written in myth. Odin was seen as a wise king skilled with runes and the knowledge of the future, his gungnir carved with runes of accuracy to make up for his missing eye and lack of depth perception. He definitely could fight, but he wasn’t the best his runes, knowledge and schemes upon schemes were his power using his knowledge of the future. He never killed his threats in duels to the death he chained them up sacrificing the arm of his own (sometimes) son while not caring. These schemes would eventually lead to the future he foresaw as Fenrir filled with hatred and angered Loki for the treatment of Loki’s children and the hypocrisy surrounding the treatment of fenrir and baldr where one future was seen as bound to happen and the other preventable and Odin only tried with baldr because he cared about his son and not his blood brothers son. In this way the Odin you described sounds exactly like Odin even down to appearing as an old man the guy is said to have looked like Gandalf not a young spry warrior but a schemer manipulator using knowledge and magic to get his way.

[@DeshawnBrown-ss8zh]

Odin sounded and acted like a mob boss to me.

[@oyamampendu9467]

​@@DeshawnBrown-ss8zhboth can be true his family isn't really that there more a means to an end if do good you get good if don't you're not regardless he has the most power

[@LastOptionPils]

There's two things I feel the need to point out that annoyed the shit out of me regarding Yorch's comments. First Angrboda isn't actually Scandinavian, she's a Jotnar and given that Asatru doesn't have a strict canon any and all depictions of her are valid it's a religion that passed down verbally and is being reconstructed. The Second point I want to make is that for all of his whining about "Embracing tradition" he chose a blonde haired Thor and one of the things that is consistent through Thor's traditional telling he's a fiery red head. So for all his complaints about palette swapping he sure as shit isn't going with actual tradition, this may seem minor but it goes to show just how little he actually cares about the subject.

[@CryoJnik]

Guy took MCU depictions as historical fact. Research is a redpill's worst nemesis

[@lefishe6611]

I just find it funny how these people act like Angerboda was a super important mythological character for the Norse. When Snorri spent less time than it takes to piss on fleshing her out as a character.

[@thezenyattamain4244]

Norse is a fairly white thingy this quite literally can’t be possible I think it’s a little immersion breaking but overall not that important and I prefer mythology accuracy and the Thor was fairly accurate but the girl is not

[@lefishe6611]

@thezenyattamain4244 Angerboda is not Norse. She is a Jotnar witch, a 'mother of monsters' figure. Jotun has been depicted with anything from white skin to blue skin to soot skin. There is no pre-Christian nor post-Christian source for Norse mythology that describes all Jotun as being fair skinned. Because of this, creative liberties can be taken in earnest. There is no swap taking place because there is no original

[@irisbaggins]

@@thezenyattamain4244You're wrong, though. Norse isn't fairly white, no matter what y'all anglo folks twisted our history to be. We were a trades people, where being a Viking was literally just a profession you had. There are documented instances of different cultures being integrated into a Norse population, where people of colour worked as Vikings as well as traders. Yes, a majority of the population was white, sure, but that doesn't mean it was ONLY white. It also ignores the Sami people, who have been documented to have been present in the Nordics since (at the very least) the 500s. Also, as the original poster said, Angerboda was a Jotunn. And frankly, GoW is one of the few pieces of English media that actually portrays a Jotunn as human-like, and not as an "ice giant" (looking at you MCU). 'Cos, let me tell you, I always grew up with Jotunn being described as Big Human-like People, not "Skin Blue" giants :/

[@70thalternativeaccount63]

"His utter obsession with anti woke messaging" Has Bioshock in his channel banner.

[@j.i.nthenobody54]

The disconnect is fucking widk

[@kilbert666]

What's woke about Bioshock, or are you so brain dead you think criticizing Objectvisim is somehow owned by woke people?

[@dustyoldrowe]

And recommend Fallout New Vegas and RDR2, like, dude?

[@j.i.nthenobody54]

@@dustyoldrowe those two kings are top contenders for the wokest shit ever and he recommended them? This mf has no literacy

[@avatarwan5824]

Wha zero media literacy does to an mf.

[@AnyBug]

that brok funeral scene is one of the most emotional scenes in gaming imo

[@MattTGM]

@@AnyBug agreed

[@Deaddogs2020]

It's a good scene but I wouldn't say one of the most emotional. Personally, I didn't really feel much during the scene but that's just my opinion and yours can be different.

[@Slavic_Snake]

yeah if you've played a total of 3 games in your life

[@MattTGM]

@Slavic_Snake everyone has their own reactions to things. It's a very well done scene

[@Slavic_Snake]

​@@MattTGMnot saying it's bad, it's pretty good. But "most emotional scene in gaming" yeah idk about that one

[@koldfire_kf]

Kratos not getting some 'action' with females anymore is actually part of the game. HE'S GOT A SON FOR ****'S SAKE!!!! He HAS to supress his primal rage and NOT become the controlling psychotic father like Odin. That's what i like when Kratos leaves upto Atreus whether he wants Atreus to use the mask in the climax. And personally, i would rather have stroy relevant female characters like Athena, Colliope, Persephone, Thrud and Sif or NONE at all, than females who are just there as eye candy.

[@MichaelChristol]

I love how Yorch says "Reject Modernity" with the GOWR Thor, when that version of Thor is one of the most accurate ever depicted

[@punctualkarma1557]

For the "nerfed" kratos argument. Many fans' impression of kratos is based solely on how ruthless he is, although the plot tells you many times that rage comes with discipline is a more efficient weapon than just rage, anger can be harnessed without expressing it. Which is the whole lesson of norse. Same with people calling the jotuns weak, just because they are docile. It's honestly a lazy argument.

[@rayhayes7701]

Is this person a child or something? He had no solution at all and just wanted to be a cry baby. Not the mention we know where his priorities are with female characters. That Yosch guy needs to just stop talking all together because his valid points are immediately dismissed and passed off if mind is just out in the clouds and nobody’s coming home ever again.

[@MattTGM]

@@rayhayes7701 he's allegedly 35 years old at least

[@rayhayes7701]

@MattTGM oh my gosh he’s my grandma’s first husband who only cares about sleeping with any woman he sees because. He is a 35 year old man in appearance but in reality he’s a 17 high school boy with raging hormones and has been watching way too much Spike Tv, is watching High School DxD on repeat, has been watching Waveya twerking videos way too much and has probably offended every woman in existence including 2D girls.

[@GeekyTurboMax7]

​@@MattTGMhe's 68 year old bro he just said to me💀

[@Smandle679]

Ong he needs to find a girl friend instead of fantasising games 💀

[@FrankByDaylight]

You're first mistake was taking anything Yorch Torch says seriously. He isnt someone that actually CARES about what they are saying. They simply want engagement and to create a circle of toxicity to one day start leeching money off of twitter and Twitch. And the worst part. He is succeeded because people like him will always find others like him and create an even bigger leech and circle. Good video tho btw! Really excited for whats next for the series.

[@MattTGM]

@@FrankByDaylight oh yeah, a lot of this is just ragebait. But hey, it can be entertaining/productive to address these points regardless as some people do think them seriously And thank you. I don't make commentary too often, nor do I plan to, but it makes me happy that they're well received

[@FrankByDaylight]

@@MattTGM hey, you are absolutely right about stuff like that as a community we should be fighting against EA micro transactions. Games should be a form of art and not a form of agenda. The internet is far too right or left sided nowadays. Not being able to see a bigger picture. Tunnel vision becoming the norm. I really hope one day this trend of "Woke game bad" and "Gooners are annoying" can go away. Cuz this ain't the gaming community I remember as a kid. It's like the internet has taken early 2000's Xbox COD lobby's and made it, it's personality. It's a shame. I just wanna be able to enjoy a videogame without being told my opinion is wrong, again. 😅

[@MattTGM]

@FrankByDaylight me and you both man. My speech may have been a bit preachy/dramatic, and I acknowledge that, but I'm glad the message came across

[@Kirbedev]

​@@FrankByDaylightFinally, a calm and reasonable person! But anyway, I think MGS2 does a surprisingly good job explaining why the internet behaves this way nowadays, and that game is over 20 years old already. To put it simply, people tend to spin these "convenient half-truths" to pull people into their echo chambers, and in these echo chambers, everybody is right but nobody is wrong. As a result they become delusional and follow their "opinions" like a cult and attack everyone on the outside. It's tragic, but it's the kind of world we live in. Even as a right-winger myself, this guy's posts shown in the video are downright unhinged and cringe AF. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk

[@PixelHeroViish]

Having seen some of Yorch's takes, he's either that careless/stupid about the topics he seems to talk about or he's trolling to show how easy it is to jump onto the grift by just spouting crap

[@Seidr-Bane]

People calling Kratos "weak and soft" must've skipped all the cutscenes in the greek games and only focused on the gameplay. The final moments in 3 shows that Kratos is already done with rampaging and vengeance

[@saninpain]

Kratos should be dead man, thats my criticism. And I don't like how the entirety of Norse myth is rewritten to revolve around Kratos, I don't like that.

[@Seidr-Bane]

@saninpain to each their own

[@saninpain]

@@Seidr-Bane You don't think the story would've been better if Kratos was an ally to Loki rather than his father? Where Kratos can learn to respect and trust people again not through his son but through genuine human (godly lol) connection? Writing Kratos into the Ragnarok saga, making his son Loki means that its wholly a Kratos story and always has been, nothing would progress if Kratos wasn't there and that doesn't feel like a fleshed out world to me.

[@Seidr-Bane]

@saninpain nothing wrong with wanting another story but I'm happy with the one we got

[@piyo744]

​@@saninpain...I don't see why that makes it solely Kratos's story. It's still Atreus's: they have different arcs, but so does literally everybody else. Freya is forced to live with and confront the cycle of abuse she went through and put Baldur through, Atreus is forced to mature and learn how to love his father, Kratos learns how to become a true fatherly figure to his son and reconcile with his past, Thor deals with his alcoholism and failing family life before turning on Odin... these are all different stories making up the larger whole, and they all entertwine. Kratos is the main character, yes, but it's solely his story in the same way ATLA is solely Aang's story or Berserk is solely Guts's story. I.E. it's not.

[@gt5bonelesshuman421]

As a gamer and story writer, I want fun gameplay and a good story the hits the emotions. Stab and sex simulators would get boring quickly

[@MattTGM]

@gt5bonelesshuman421 I know right? I'm in the same boat

[@gt5bonelesshuman421]

@ Like don’t get me wrong, I like dumb fun and being powerful in games but the game actually has to have value or something of interest. If a game is just “MUSCLE MAN KILLS SHIT AND FUCKS WOMEN” then that’s a turn off . Not saying games can’t have it but if it’s over done or over used it gets stale. I like storytelling that has you hooked on to the characters and their motivations and actions. Gameplay that’s fun and engaging. Even just a fucking around game. It’s still has to have charm to attract people. Gaming is for fun

[@IranianShrek]

Okay I get your point but calling the og trilogy a stab and sex simulator is so WRONG

[@MattTGM]

@@IranianShrek I don't think he did? And I certainly didn't That's what Yorch sees it as

[@gt5bonelesshuman421]

@ I never said that about the original god of war games. I was mostly referring to the guy that the video was about

[@alejandrojimenez144]

No but seriously. Criticizing Sindri's grief is one of the dumbest arguments i've ever seen. He not only saw his brother die in front of him, he will never see him again, ever, not even in Valhalla or Hel. Brok got literally erased from existence and is in part Sindri's fault. He's experiencing pain like no other, hopeless pain. Not even vengance made him feel better

[@AlastorAltruistGaming]

This argument tells ME no one has watched their friends or family die in front of them. Or they have & they would rather hide the pain to try & make themselves feel better.

[@acuyra]

It’s not even part Sindri’s fault. It's totally his fault. Broke dying might be on Odin and the others for not stopping him, but the fate of his soul was always going to be what it was, and Sindri has no one to blame for that but himself.

[@backtoklondike]

Besides, that's exactly how the whole God of war series started. Sindri basically speedran Kratos's arc during the Greek saga, including the death a family that's partly his fault.

[@mistertwister2000]

“Woke” is an immediate red flag to a bad faith criticism. People who are honest with themselves don’t use woke as a criticism, because people who are honest with themselves know that it’s a stupid meaningless word that is used to describe anything you don’t like. It’s an empty complaint.

[@tiolloyd9555]

Exactly. That why I like The Act Man, because despite he very clearly not liking how the industry is heading towards, he doesn't use woke and DEI as an excuse, he criticizes mechanics, graphics, management, etc. And not how diverse the cast is. He is an example of how to be a right wing videogame reviewer

[@bandawin18]

Anything that uses DEI or employs SBI activists is usually doomed for failure. You can use whatever excuses you want to cope but shit like Concord and Forspoken fits the description of a woke game and neither one was successful in the slightest. Woke isn't what makes them failures but it's silly to act like it's not a big contributor

[@AlastorAltruistGaming]

I honestly hate that argument so much, and the worst part, is try to say that “woke” is an empty complaint & they won’t listen or ever admit that they’re wrong. The “men” who refuse to admit they’re wrong are fucking *boys* who haven’t grown a mustache by contract.

[@thegreatrobin2329]

Yeah but wokeness is still a problem because game companies like Santa Monica seem to prioritize wokeness before perfecting game mechanics or smoothing the story. IMO while Ragnarok was a solid conclusion it felt like there were obvious parts of the plot they rushed but seemed to have made plenty time to include characters we don’t have much connection with (side quests with Freyr’s group for the most part). Going woke still hinders games like God of War.

[@dinglebloopynoop5053]

@@thegreatrobin2329 Proving the original commenter’s point.

[@michawielguszewski9802]

Seeing "Cyberpunk 2077" as an example of a rushed release is painfull. Deserved, but painfull.

[@primisimperator2189]

Same thing with No More Room in Hell 2.

[@TikTak-sg7td]

You can only blame cd projekt red. Same way i still blame no man's sky for their rushed release. No matter how much they patch their game their reputation is something that they will not wash away

[@soupgirl1871]

​@@TikTak-sg7tdto be completely fair to CDPR, they didn't want to release the game, they was forced to before they felt it was finished

[@berndb3141]

True. To CDPR's credit, they cleaned up. Game runs pretty good now

[@davidmacko6309]

Anyone who calls Karlach ugly should not have their point taken seriously

[@MattTGM]

well said

[@justingabriel1765]

For real she’s gorgeous

[@iagoantonelli1151]

I think the "nerfed kratos" argument refers a little more to how it feels to control him, when you compare the Greek and Norse sagas. Greek kratos was more mobile, could double jump at practically any time, wield his weapons while airborne to juggle enemies, he could move freely and even fight while climbing on walls and hanging from ceilings, he had access to weapons and magic with a wider variety of effects, and also the player didn't need to "aim" him with the camera when you wanted to attack enemies that were trying to get behind you.

[@MattTGM]

@iagoantonelli1151 that's a decent way to look at it actually. I never got that feeling (the added weight of the strikes and runic attacks compensated for the lower mobility for me), but its a valid perspective. Thank you

[@thechosenone5421]

@@MattTGM I like to headcanon that he is slower than Young Kratos, but much stronger

[@curfew3177]

My one complaint about the game is that thor should have had a last stand against odin and should have died in a fight against odin rather than killed off so suddenly. The stab could have happened the way it did after the fight

[@MattTGM]

@@curfew3177 that could've been pretty cool, letting Thor and Kratos fight together for phase 1

[@JetstreamSamRocks]

True, but however, when Kratos changes himself, the prophecy has changed. According to the prophecy, it was said that kratos would die and Thor would live. When Kratos changed himself, Kratos lived and Thor died. When prophecy was changed, the places of Thor and Kratos changed.

[@turbosnail413]

The way Thor died was more real than if he turned and fought. Odin is an abusive father. Thor knows this, like all abuse victims know this. Even with all the pain and suffering caused by Odin, Thor still holds hope in his heart that his father want him to be happy. Thor would NEVER believe that Odin would kill him, even for refusing an order. And that is why it is so important that they don't fight. It's not what Thor wants to do anymore, much like Kratos. After all, how many times are we told "Odin said no more asir blood spilled"? Odin's betrayal to his own son shows he is beyond redemption.

[@ChipCheerio]

Nah… I think you’re off base with that one. Thor’s death is perfectly executed and just because it could theoretically be cool to fight alongside Thor, the way he died is truly the culmination of his abusive relationship with his father.

[@levievil9220]

Why not mix the ideas we keep the original death but for one fight thor shows up to see what the ghost of Sparta can do when teamed up with a god of thunder

[@r4vensh4rk]

As a women playing video games, most men scares me. Life wdym the only purpose of a female character is to be hot af and just please the main man character ??? And then when we play games, they treat us just the same.

[@AlastorAltruistGaming]

I’m a man & I don’t claim them. These same men are either trolling or truly have not let go of their misogyny & pride. Don’t get me wrong, I have a thing for gamer girls/nerdy females, they’re just so adorkable, *but* the lengths that boys like Yorch go to put people down, even the opposite gender, is appalling; all it does it push any potential *good* partnership away because of patriarchal crap!

[@MattTGM]

it's a very backwards and disgusting mentality that these guys have

[@pluralfuture9362]

You know he's not someone to listen to when he calls Karlach of all people ugly. Do you know how many people realized they want to be stepped on by a strong woman when they met her? Yes, even straight white cis men.

[@MattTGM]

@@pluralfuture9362 haha, beautifully said

[@mr_jyggalag]

Yeah. I will always chose to romance Shadowheart in BG3, but I can't say that Karlach or Lae'Zel are "ugly"

[@emperorfrost3183]

@@mr_jyggalag the problem I have is that I refuse to believe isn't a human being who's familiar with the forgotten realms and thinks Githyanki shouldn't look the way they do, they've been around since 1e and they weren't meant to be pretty back then either. I originally avoided gith because of how they looked back when it was pen and paper but i like em now after reading more on them and playing as em in Bg3.

[@DionPanday]

What does being stepped on mean? Is this one of your weird fetishes?

[@justaghostinthesea]

​@@DionPanday Yes, actually. Some people are into that

[@jdp3578]

As far as characters, I always believe in there being room for interpretation when it comes to mythological characters. Kratos' "nerf" isnt what people think it is, the whole point is he's going from trying to repress his anger, to controlling it, so his strength can manifest differently at points, like against thor he got pissed, hit thor with a glimpse of his true strength, knocked his tooth out, then thor left....his anger is tied to his strength. Ironwood......was boring as hell.....

[@real_szop4692]

I have never seen a good point that included the word "woke" in it. The word itself is just stupid

[@callmejacob3234]

My only complaint is that Kratos didn't say "It's Kratos time".

[@invisibleven2643]

Valid complaint, I agree

[@callmejacob3234]

@@invisibleven2643 It would've been such a powerful moment if he said it when he met Thor and Odin.

[@Shellshock39]

The thing about Odin is that his portrayal in the game is pretty accurate to mythology. Odin is a seeker of knowledge, and he's not a bombastic king like Zeus or how Marvel typically portrays him. His power is incredible but his intelligence is his biggest strength.

[@lizrengaming5133]

Whats even more dumb is that even Odin in Nurse Myth is a literal mob boss kinda guy, so a manipulator 100%.

[@cherrypopscile3385]

"The Lonely Widows" is single handedly the funniest thing i have ever heard someone on Twitter propose. We desperately need Joel/Ellie/whoever he thinks should be the main character to stop his goal of bearly scraping by and talk to a legion of hot single milfs in his area. That is... Absurd.

[@jayzard2319]

It's a game that takes place in a post apocalyptic world, beauty is the last thing people would worry about. This story is about grief and the cycle of vengeance, not a game with s3x in it. Not all rated M games need it

[@YSL8704]

Fun Fact: Angrboda's skin tone was never mentioned ever in Norse Mythology to my knowledge, though I have heard people say that she's white with red hair in Norse Myths, don't know if that's true, but doesn't matter, they didn't xhoose her race from the beginning, they only made her black because her actor was, the only character who's skin color I think was actually planned out, AND THAT'S BECAUSE HIS FAMILY'S AHSES WERE ALL OVER HIS BODY, also probably Faye, since it'd be weird to have a white kid be the son of an Olive man and Black girl.

[@maybemablemaples2144]

I mean, not really. Mixed race kids exist. Genetics are weird and unpredictable.

[@Iamasimplecreature]

“Ah you see Kratos. I have depicted you as the soyjack and myself as the chad.”

[@vidmanandrew09]

This child can’t actually be thinking BG3 is worse than Veilguard, right? Like…?! What!?

[@MattTGM]

he doesn't view things as games. he views things as vehicles for ideology

[@vidmanandrew09]

@@MattTGM Clearly! The fact others take him seriously is what concerns me.

[@Marley7919]

So, the beautiful idea of staying masculine while accepting family and friendship and "not being sorry but being better" = nerfed character because... because someone on the Internet would rather see the always mad and yelling warlord as something more masculine? Okay then.

[@LordMogatron]

2:50 Actually, she's a fictional character since she's in a game, and she's a fictional character in the real world.

[@MattTGM]

that's the response I would go with. but Yorch and his ilk don't respond well to that criticism. so I wanted to look at it from their 'perspective'

[@TikTak-sg7td]

​@@MattTGMif that is the case if you have a charcter that is set in an African region let's say the yoruba mythology of Nigeria and they make a one of the deities or their associates any other race besides black do you think the excess of a fictional character works here?

[@your_hero0]

@@TikTak-sg7td Your argument is dumb because Angerboda isn’t a god or a deity. She’s a giant and incredibly unimportant to Norse mythology as a whole.

[@thegreatestdane8978]

​@your_hero0 ...so further reason to argue that creative interpretation is fair game, right? If they wanted to add a POC to their game (for brownie points or out of a genuine desire to have their character feel consistent with their environment (ironwood is far more fair tempered than the frozen northlands)), she's honestly the best place to have it come up since EVERY OTHER CHARACTER is either alot more important/developed in Norse mythology or an already established character/is related to an established character making certain things suchas skintone kinda hard to change.

[@TikTak-sg7td]

@@your_hero0 my point is when you take a character from a certain mythology whether it is an important character or not don't you think they should stay faithful in this case? I made an example taking any character from an African mythology and race swap it whether it was an important part of it or not people would expect it to be related to said region and mythology unless it was stated that the charcter had a different skin color. Could you imagine the uproar that would cause if they did this.

[@steelbear2063]

My favorite dumb/hypocritical take is about Angrboda being black and how it doesn't fit the Scandinavian myths. Oh sure, a member of the species that can change how they look being black is inaccurate, but a former Greek god of war killing Norse gods is no problem at all

[@gerstein03]

A former Greek God of War who's not even from the mythology at that

[@bmprimer7809]

i don't agree with giants having shapeshifting to that degree (not in god of war anyway), i think it's more a case of giants being a different species from humans and having literal magic, which nullifies any problems of a black person somehow being in scandinavia, because 1, it's not a person it's a giant, and 2, they have magic so it doesn't matter how far away africa is or the demographic of the game's location because giants could have come from anywhere hell maybe there are giants in africa that angrboda descended from. acting like it's a problem for magical non-human characters to be of certain ethnicities is turbo gay

[@BraydenClark-g3d]

Agreed. The only reason I would have an issue with Angrboda is because I am so used to activists race swapping everything, that I subconsciously assume that’s what happened. It’s great though, having a female character who isn’t some impossibly strong smug dickhead.

[@rydu547]

​Kratos is actually a titan in greek mythology. ​Cratos was the representation of strength. Not disagreeing tho@@gerstein03

[@crumblyairship]

plus, in the myths, some Jotnar are blue. some are horrific monstrous creatures like trolls or giant tree people. god forbid one is BROWN, how woke

[@wrantheim6777]

"Angrboda was Skandinavian" Not really. She's a Jötunn. She's a mythical creature from a mythical world, whose looks (other than Heimdalls for example) were never specified in the myths. That's not a race swap, you can give her any color you want. And consdering that she's an earth giant, brown skin would actually fit her design better than beige skin.

[@MattTGM]

@wrantheim6777 yes, 100%. I was trying to address the argument from their point of view which is why I didn't go that angle, but looking back I should have just used the obvious answer

[@wolfylegend5982]

As a huge fan of the original god of war trilogy, when the norse games released, I thought they were amazing. But when I looked online, people having issues that "Kratos has feelings now", "Why is Angrboda black", "Why is Thor fat", "Why is Odin lame", it shocked me, It is clear these people haven't actually played these games, or if they did, they missed the point entirely. Angrboda being black has nothing to do with wokeness. I am not the designer, so I don't know the reason behind her being black, but I know that her appearance fits when it comes to the setting of Ironwood. Thor is fat, not to promote "fat acceptance" or whatever, he's fat because it's supposed to show a broken god, who has become addicted to drinking, because of Odin. You can even see statues of him being the typical Thor you see in movies, the "gigachad Thor". It shows how he went downhill because of Odin, could be after Magni and Modi died, could be before. Odin is not lame, he is not a warrior, but a manipulator. His motive is finding answers as to what happens if he dies, what happens after ragnarok. He's very written, not every god has to be perceived as perfection. Kratos has feelings is a weird one, because these people seem to believe that the original trilogy was about Kratos fighting gods while being completely emotionless, this isn't the case, Kratos always had feelings, he was angry, furious, and now, we seem his character development, he's calm, collected, smart. His story arc is from God of War (of Pain, of Suffering) to a God of Hope.

[@MattTGM]

@wolfylegend5982 exactly right, brilliantly said

[@oddbunchyeet28]

"They swing too far to the other side of the pendulum" EXACTLY. THANK YOU.

[@jessicaburns7605]

The fight with Angrboda’s grandmother falls in line with themes in god of war and ragnarok of feuding family members. Beginning of god of war Brok and Sindri aren’t on speaking terms, Baldur trying to kill his mother, and so many other examples throughout the two games

[@DirkSchlemmer-tw8kp]

You know 10 years ago nobody would have thought anything about Angrebodr, but because how the entire western entertainment industry has develepot over the last 4 to 5 years is it no wonder that this is a talking point.

[@aaronthomson3639]

Honestly all the people saying how much Kratos is "nerfed" basically boils down to "I miss it when he was a toxic masculine sociopath who didn't care about anyone else but himself and blamed everybody for his problems except his own. To the point he's perfectly content with destroying Greece and only talking about his family to excuse his awful actions." Admittedly this is coming from someone who HATED Kratos for many years and it isn't until God Of War 2018 came about where I ended up liking his character and evolving into someone I can actually root for. And this change was so good I ended up looking back at the older games and realizing not everything was Kratos thought and honestly he didn't want to kill all the gods, he just wanted Zeus dead. I even ended up using DnD's character alignment to determine Kratos' character throughout the games. God of War 1: Chaotic Neutral God Of War 2: Lawful Neutral God Of War 3: Neutral Evil God Of War 2018: True Neutral God Of War Ragnarok: Neutral Good

[@IranianShrek]

IMO the game is a 9/10 for me. since I LOVE replaying ng+ it kinda hurts to go through ironwood. would be a 10/10 with it being shorter. I dont get the fact that people call the story trash, like the story is GENUINLY good, I think the problem comes from the direction, yk some sections of the story too short some too fast. and ragnorak is more replayable then 2018. and recently ive discovered you can speed games up with cheat engine so Ive been putting it to 4 times speed for ironwood. so for me gowr been the goat

[@DionPanday]

“The game is a masterpiece when you play it less”, topkek

[@IranianShrek]

@@DionPanday huh cant relate myself. it only got more fun after 2 ng+

[@bagredecartola1289]

​@@DionPanday"games have annoying sections that annoy the player but overall don't ruin the rest of the game for most players" There Fixed it for you, m8

[@DionPanday]

@@bagredecartola1289 thank you for proving my point

[@bagredecartola1289]

@@DionPanday yeah, i'll let you in on a secret Literally every game has a section like this because no game is perfect my man, have you ever heard of the term "sunshine part" that refers to annoying parts you'd rather skip in games that you like?

[@denisowiczak3499]

People complain about Odin's design when in Norse myth he's just an old man with an eyepatch. That's it.

[@lennysummers6672]

You’re a good example of how to address an idiot with respect in a way where you don’t stoop to their level. You mentioned his retro and indie game appreciation in an objective way, described his following as passionate when another would’ve said “cultish”, and when you got to the main point you condemned his views in a respectable way. That was a really nice show of class. I bet if that dude knew your channel existed, he would not have been nearly as high-brow as you were.

[@MattTGM]

@lennysummers6672 thank you. I try make that an effort of my commentary, to give credit where credit is due and approach things in a "classy" way, with critique and counterpoints instead of just insults (with a few jokes of course) And yeah, he'd just call me a woke soy boy beta male or something :0

[@lennysummers6672]

@@MattTGMit was a benchmark for how I want to deal with idiots in the future

[@pyrrhusofepirus8491]

My criticisms of God Of War Ragnarok amount to that it feels like they desperately wanted a trilogy of games, and were forced into a single game. That Freya wasn’t punished enough for selfishly destroying her son. That it didn’t have nearly the amount of epic moments that the originals had, and the only fights that really felt like it were Garm and the first Thor fight. Personally, I also would’ve had Kratos become far more violent when he discovered his son was in dire danger. Like, straight up violently threatening the Norns and getting the information out of them that way. He doesn’t play their games. It would’ve felt far more that Kratos was on the verge of falling into his old self. I also would’ve had him be far, far more cagey and reluctant to reveal the fates of his first family. That whole scene where he’s telling Freya in bird-form about his family is, imo, the worst scene in the entire game, especially as we can’t see Freya’s facial expression and she has to go ‘I can’t imagine’. These are not criticisms he’s providing, this guy simply wants a violent murder-hobo, he clearly never played or literally closed his ears and eyes when action wasn’t happening.

[@ethandunn7026]

It’s hilarious to me that people like that look at Odin and say he’s a “beta male” when he’s exactly what they aspire to be a la Andrew Tate.

[@MattTGM]

not gonna lie, I did write that into the script. but I figured I didn't want to be *that* inflammatory but you're very correct

[@Five_filling_feasts]

​@MattTGM Odin is actually very scary. If you are in mental pain, Odin will take advantage. He is a manipulator. He knows how to bend emotions, thoughts, and actions. No one is more powerful then a person who can break another's thoughts. All can be manipulated, it all depends on circumstance

[@LordKang]

Finally someone who actually gives a damn about the franchise and not give blind praise over the original trilogy like it was better but in actuality there literally the same games and just takes place a few years after the first trilogy

[@cesaraugustoalbrechtnoguei8141]

The Old Kratos is not stronger than the current one, the current Kratos has more control over his strength. A similar example is when Superman becomes evil

[@admiral3075]

6:16 this is the realist Odin we've had for a long time, a manipulative patriarch hell bent on preventing his fate at the cost of everyone around him that he only sees as tools for such.

[@lord_egg]

I played this game for the first time earlier this year and I still can’t get over the fact that Brok is just gone. I absolutely loved his couldn’t care less attitude since the first moment he appeared. When he died I knew I could go back and see him in a replay or the previous game but it still felt like a huge loss. How can that be called a bad thing?

[@MattTGM]

"because emotional deaths are for soy beta males" - Yorch probably

[@jakester_05]

Odin’s character as a whole is perfect to me because it has to be seen through the lens of a video game: you have the focus on ONE aspect of the character and enhance it TO THE MAX. You DO NOT have time to explain Odin from Norse myth in whole in a video game. They made him a manipulator, like you said, and they did it perfectly.

[@Deathvalley1980]

Literally none of the points he made made any sense.(Yorch) It's just easy to create drama and talk against Woke and get tons of views. I have issues with Ragnarok too but none of them are Woke related. I hated playing as Atreius. Iroonwood was so bad I almost quit the game. The game had pacing issues. We can criticize the game based on actual facts and not engage in culture wars

[@MattTGM]

@@Deathvalley1980 exactly. We should be discussing the actually relevant flaws I liked playing as Atreus, but Ironwood is one of the main reasons I haven't done a second playthrough

[@Deathvalley1980]

@@MattTGM I agree. During Atreus parts, game slowed down a lot for me. I usually turned down the difficulty to the lowest setting to get through them faster. But during Ironwood I didn't feel like the game slowed down. I felt like it stopped completely. I know that the story bits in them were crucial to the story but I just couldn't wait to go back and play as Kratos. This is why when fans theorize that the next game will be based on Atreus and I'm already not interested XD

[@jackie6367]

I had no idea some people were angry about Angrboda and Thrud, I actually didnt even notice Angrboda was race swapped lol

[@themaseofspades6857]

My biggest pet peeve is people wishing for Kratos and Freya to “get together” if you pay even a second of attention to the story you’d realize it makes no sense whatsoever. Kratos doesn’t really accept the loss of his wife til the end of Ragnarok, and freya has her reluctance as well. People ship them because they’re essentially “the last 2 people on earth” but that doesn’t make them compatible whatsoever. Or theyre uncomfortable with a man and woman having a platonic relationship, whatever it is it’s a garbage take.

[@shriksemorlumi3229]

I like the dynamic they have rn anyway with Freya being an aunt-figure for Atreus

[@asura-astrian9760]

I just want to say I love how nuance your takes are, a problem I hate with a lot of youtubers is that they sometimes they lean way to heavly on to one side (both Anti-Woke and Overly-Woke) where they will shame other side to the point where they alienate people in the middle, I just found your channel recently and watched some of your past vids and I'm already a fan!. extra points for a fellow fairy tail enjoyer too.

[@MattTGM]

@asura-astrian9760 thank you, I appreciate that. I try maintain a mostly unbiased point of view and be fair with my critiques And yes, fairy tail is great

[@ilikestamps2978]

Trying to make a fictional game "accurate" when Kratos isn't "accurate" also made me laugh

[@HectoR-Da-Milk-Man]

Smooth brain take here: the main issue with GOW Ragnarök is that Sony is very selfish and won't let my dumb Xbox having ass play it (and also bloodborne). If they put those bangers out in every platform i'd be sure to buy them

[@eg_manifest510]

Mythology Odin literally tricked a field of farmers into accidentally murdering each other just so he could set up a convoluted plan to steal a Dwarf's magic blood mead. GOW Odin is WAYYYY closer to that original concept than anything like MCU Odin or the other badass interpretations I've seen have gotten. If he cares so much about Angrboda being inaccurate and Thor being supposedly inaccurate then he should theoretically LOVE GOW Odin because it's the most accurate and true to original interpretation I know of

[@SpartanGuyOfficial-7274]

GOW Thor beats MCU Thor imo Also, as someone who's only played the third GOW game in the Greek saga (I grew up on Xbox playing Halo instead), Ragnarok is my favourite game personally. Hopefully I'll get the chance to play the other Greek games one day.

[@train123z]

mcu thor is the only reason thor is a relevant character at all lol

[@SpartanGuyOfficial-7274]

@train123z Love And Thunder made Thor into a joke.

[@train123z]

@@SpartanGuyOfficial-7274 doesn't dismiss my original statement.

[@Chaffee738]

The Norse figure Farbauti is the protagonist of this game and he's Greek. The head on his hip who probably has the most lines in the Norse games combined is Mimir and he's Scandinavian. And suddenly a black Jotnar is a problem. Oh why could that be.

[@MattTGM]

Mimir isn't even Scandinavian, he's like Celtic :0 But yes you're right. I don't want to make assumptions but they're probably just racist to some degree

[@Chaffee738]

​@@MattTGM Oh wait why did I say Scandinavian 🫤 Yes he's Puck, Goodfellow. Like whether or not this comes from racism, the fact that they're complaining about Angrboda when the literal protagonist doesn't belong in Norse mythology is just silly.

[@CyberController-]

The vikings were quite a diverse people, travelling all around the known world and probably bringing people back with them. It's a common misconception that immigration is somehow a new thing.

[@leospeedleo]

In short: that guy is a tasteless virgin crying on twitter Ah what a classic.

[@LonikQ]

I appreciate this quite a lot. Giving the guy flack for his stupid takes while also acknowledging that he has had a few valid points in the past is unbiased and fair. Both sides of the culture war have their “extremists” and while I myself lean towards one side rather than the other, at the end of the day it’s important to just find a middle ground and make good video games at the end of the day. Great vid!

[@MattTGM]

@@LonikQ thank you. I always try to give credit where credit is due on these matters, no matter how slight

[@LonikQ]

@ That is good to hear! :)

[@joshuac537jc]

Honestly if you felt nothing during Brok’s death scene just chalk it down to dwarfs crying and seething then you weren’t even playing the game at that point or actively ignoring character interactions and passing off the story since the beginning because Brok and Sindri are vital characters from the very start of the Norse saga being deeper than just item shop npcs they literally have their own unique backstory and motivations and that flew over your head as was just summed up as just soap opera drama then you just don’t like good story telling.

[@Maximum4power]

On an unrelated note, I feel like the next God Of War should be in Egypt

[@narukamishirou284]

Gotta say my only gripe with this game is how anticlimactic the final battle is especially after the bone chilling Gallarhorn scene. Even Freyr’s death is just unnecessarily stupid. Thor’s death feels pointless. Odin boss fight is not as thrilling as Baldur or literally most of the Greek Bosses. The general stake of “Kratos’s death” never happened because they switched it with Odin without any reason even though Kratos and Atreus have come to terms with it “whatever happens happens” and only leaves us with that Faye already foresaw another prophecy where they both survive. And sin of not having Surtur upgrades or evolves the Blades of Chaos or perhaps even expand their lores more than just “Blades crafted in the depths of underworld”

[@MattTGM]

@@narukamishirou284 I disagree with some of these points, but I can definitely understand where you're coming from

[@TheLeftEyewhy]

As kratos said "death can have me when it earns me." The death plotline was more of a conflict, not a spoiler for how the game ended. Besides wouldn't the Main charicter dying becuase prophacy said so be kind of a wierd ending. I mean hes defied prophacy before.

[@narukamishirou284]

@@TheLeftEyewhy yet the whole greek trilogy he’s not breaking any prophecy and all 3 games he died especially 3 before it was revealed he survived his last suicide. Like wouldn’t it be more interesting having Kratos died in the main story for real like say when Fake Tyr exposed, went through the whole Valhalla storyline, met some of the deceased Greek Gods like Athena and Zeus and with the guidance of real Tÿr (who later would tell Kratos on how to save his real person post-Ragnarök) and then there would be a contrast of God of War 3 death (where he chose to die) moment but he chose instead to live for his living son and with the help of Sigrun (who would not be turned by Freya into Shield Maidens and instead she had been cooperating with Tÿr to help fix Odin’s influence to Valhalla) returned with the whole Valhalla and Valkyries of his own against Odin which ultimately affected his unlimited source of einherjar. I mean wouldn’t that be a more poetic scene? Kratos leading the army of Titans to raid mount Olympus and then leading the army of Valhalla to raid Asgard. And then at the ending, Atreus would be more at ease leaving Kratos knowing despite the prophecy cannot be averted there’s still a chance that it’s not the end of that person

[@alisalia340]

The reason Kratos had sex in the greek saga was just because he tried to forget the memories of his wife, yeah I know its a weird way ut that's hat he tried it even says that in the story. He didn't do that just for the fun of it.

[@bronco5591]

I wish the man-o-sphere crowd actually paid attention to Kratos' story. His rage and anger is manipulated by others into doing thier deeds and at the expense of ruining his life. His growth involved building personal connections with others and both mythologies involve him becoming an embodiment of hope. Also theyre bashing the best example of a AAA game with free dlc so good they probably should have charged for it.

[@SonnyFRST]

The point I was convinced this guy might have played, but either skipped all the cutscenes or never finished, the Greek Era games was around 10:30 cause of his dismissal of the cause of Kratos' conflicts.

[@MattTGM]

the greek games had plenty of depth. but he only wants action and sex scenes

[@noone-wn1se]

2:54 Thank you, I like your views on this.

[@connie4334]

You know what's more annoying than woke shit? Calling everything woke.

[@MattTGM]

@@connie4334 hard agree

[@CyberController-]

Anything can be defined as "woke" if you try hard enough.

[@DiZtheJedi]

Now I'm reminded of EFAP's coverage of Synthetic Man's take of this game. That was an insane eleven hours.

[@SnagTheRabbit]

His TLOU2 takes and calling Abby an "abomination," like just say you feel inferior looking at muscular women 🙄

[@MattTGM]

like I'm not a fan of abby, but "abomination"? Yorch is a strange strange man

[@SnagTheRabbit]

@@MattTGM I mean, she's not the most well written, but I don't think his complaint was aimed at her writing. Dude just seems like a misogynistic/racist troll.

[@mythiclx5496]

This video came across my fyp and Im gald i saw it! I really don't understand how he thinks Kratos is a "weak and bad character", clearly Yorch does not know what character development is. His thoughts on Angrboda and Thrud are weird. Seems to me he just wants "certain aspects" if you catch my meaning. Pretty strange, plus they are minors. I think that statement makes it clear. Anyways, awesome video and I can't wait for more to come!

[@MattTGM]

@mythiclx5496 thank you, I'm very glad you enjoyed!

[@kingconrad4577]

People who Call new kratos weak and sad and Whatever have never heard of character development

[@InciteFire]

takes like these make me think, "man, maybe men DO deserve to be alone" - thanks for deconstructing these juvenile opinions. I really feel like the new GOW games are the Santa Monica team's desire to make up for the poorly constructed plot of the original greek saga. I've been replaying them after beating valhalla (currently half way through GOW2), and I feel like they really didn't write Kratos with much emotional complexity and the greek saga does a lot of retconning to frame up a compelling Kratos (Which I 10000% is the right thing to do). It really makes sense though that someone who doesn't have any emotional intelligence like Yorch would desire a game that is emotionally unintelligent.

[@iamthestormthatisapproachi916]

"I can't pay rent" You heard it folks, if you are poor, you are woke!

[@MattTGM]

yep. it's because you're woke, not because of our fucked economy on another note, nice username

[@greekpestnyc3145]

Don’t let that tweet distract us from Ragnarok’s true flaw, those GOD. DAMN. RAVENS.

[@johnnguyen9136]

On top of this, what does Angerboda's skin changing color change to the story???? You know what??? I think I know, NOTHING!!! So sure, Angerboda being black is strange, but why does it matter and what does changing her skin color change to the story???

[@MattTGM]

my thoughts exactly. it's not a plot point, it's a character design choice.

[@MisterNegative_]

@@MattTGM I had always thought she was just super tan due to being outside in Ironwood soooo much

[@MattTGM]

@@MisterNegative_ that's another point. she lives in a realm that seems to be perpetually sunny. her grandmother shares the same complexion

[@F1lthy_Frank]

I can admit that Angrboda being black does not affect the story in any way whatsoever, but you are lying to yourself if you do not think that they didn’t make her black for the reasons of inclusion and diversity Again, I’m not saying I hate her because she’s black. I’m just saying that Santa Monica’s reasoning behind it is a little stupid.

[@jellyjohn7881]

​@F1lthy_Frank yeah but in this case there is no tangible downside to diversity

[@jeremypilario8911]

I will die on this hill. Iron wood was a great section for story telling! It gives Atreus time to relax and connect with someone his own age, and he goes through his own character development.

[@MattTGM]

yep, it is a great section for storytelling. but gameplay wise it grows rather tedious on repeat playthroughs

[@jeremypilario8911]

@ agreed. Speed runners will hate the section lol but for my own taste, a good story beats game play. Everyone is entitled to their opinions… doesn’t mean I won’t defend mine lol

[@irisbaggins]

Just a quick correction about the "race-swap" as a Norwegian (aka, an actual descendant of Vikings): Vikings were not just white! It's a misconception, and it's often used to justify really racist rhetoric. Vikings (and trade merchants) often engaged with other cultures as they travelled, and sometimes that meant people joined them (voluntary or not). A lot of these people were not white, meaning, there ended up being VIKINGS who were people of colour. It's not revisionism; it's reality. But, it doesn't even matter in the end. God of War is a FICTIONAL story based on fictionalised mythology. What they choose to design a character as doesn't matter, because none of this is even close to reality. Like, the guy you're responding to isn't even making any noise about Atreus being a retcon/reinvention, meaning that he doesn't really care about historical accuracy. He just doesn't like people of colour in his games. Also, his gripe with Odin? Actually hilariously pathetic. GoW portrays Odin as a conniving, selfish, egotistical bastard, but most importantly, he's a MANIPULATOR. His design embodies this perfectly; he looks like a frail old man /so that you'll underestimate him and not think of him as a threat/. It's such a good design, and the same could be said about Thor. Excellent design that really showcases the traits of the character. And, ya wanna know the fun part for me? I'm a huge Norse mythology nerd, always have been. I named myself after Loke, for crying out loud. I say all of this as a Norwegian who loves the Norse tales, and I love the new GoW games to pieces. Edit: Changed some wording in the first paragraph, because I felt like I worded that wrong. Changed it so that I am saying that the RHETORIC around white Vikings is used to be racist, because that was what I originally meant but I worded it horribly.

[@MattTGM]

Thank you for the comment. And that's a completely correct point. I apologise for perpetuating the stereotype, I never thought about it like that And the rest of your points are completely correct. His criticism is shallow and in bad faith

[@irisbaggins]

@MattTGM Hey no worries! It's a really common one, especially as a lot of the Anglo-sphere perpetuates it constantly. It's not exactly wide-spread information, especially since it tends to get suppressed/ignored in media for a variety of reasons. It's even the norm in Norway too, mostly due to the ways in which our history was purposefully rewritten after the Unification of Norway (and the erasure and oppression of Norse belief - which makes Yorch's whole "Christianity" schtick kinda ironic, as THAT is what tainted Norse mythos). So, no need to apologise! I just wanted to comment on it, since I just kinda find it a little silly that people like Yorch showcase how little they know of actual Nordic history by claiming that people of colour didn't exist at all - yet he knows nothing of our actual history. Also, I did make my comment before finishing the video, so I had to chuckle a little when you made the same point about Odin being a manipulator. It showcases how Santa Monica really nailed the characterisation, and I love that. Edit: I just wanted to add on that whilst it's still debated how far south Vikings really travelled, it doesn't really change the fact that Vikings intermingled with other cultures. It's just a question of "who" was a Viking, something that's kinda difficult to know in hindsight, especially with the active suppression of Norse history post-Christianity. It also doesn't really matter when it comes to media, since Norse mythos are already so incredibly bastardised. I just think it's kinda pointless to be upset about any "race-swap" when it comes to Vikings, when said Vikings are - in current culture - romanticised and idolised in a way that really changes what they actually were. Honestly, GoW was an actual breath of fresh air as it actually attempted to portray a wider area of Norse mythology and culture, something which other franchises (cough MCU) do not. The architecture alone was gorgeous, and was really cool to see.

[@irisbaggins]

@@MattTGM I also wanted to say I was aiming my comment about the view of "Norse as White" and its inherent racism at Yorch, not you or anyone else. I realised I may have worded it wrong, so sorry about that! I intended for that to be a rebuttal against Yorch (and the others being angry about Angrboda just for her race), but I think I may be a little too sleep-deprived for words to make full sense at the moment. So I apologise for that! I also just wanted to say I really enjoyed your video! Your points were well-argued, and your editing is really neat! :D

[@MattTGM]

@@irisbaggins it's algoods. I just still wanted to admit my accidental wrongdoing :0 and thank you. I try my best to make consistent quality videos

[@irisbaggins]

@@MattTGM That's good to hear :D I just wanted to clarify just in case anyway :D And from what I've seen, your videos are really good! :D

[@koy4i]

As a Swede, when I saw the "Reject modernity, embrace tradition" I audibly laughed because I instantly remembered the story of how Thor crossdressed, the story of how Thor drank so much he almost depleted the oceans, all the times people in myths call him a fat drunk etc. Dude googled "Thor historical art" and picked the first option, which ironically was painted in 1872, less than 200 years ago. People need to understand that the religion was almost fully verbal traditions and stories, the historical texts we have (The prose and poetic Edda) were written by christian monks who sought to record the pagan faith before it became lost to time. We have no way of knowing how much was edited from the verbal stories, since even writing about other gods could potentially get the monks prosecuted by the church. There's also the problem of having different versions of the faith depending on where you lived, since again, it was all verbal stories and traditions. The version of Thor they had in Denmark likely wasn't the same in Sweden, the way they celebrated Jól (Yule) differed, the stories of the valkyries differed etc. In reality, we have no "real" or "historical" version of the faith, we have a few versions written by people who didn't practice it (Not in a negative way, just pointing it out. It's great that we have the Eddas to provide *some* kind of historical retelling), Thor being fat is valid and one of the versions I got to read about in school, Odin being a cunning old man is very on brand, Frigg and Freya being the same person isn't the norm but also not uncommon

[@MattTGM]

@@koy4i beautifully written. Thank you for the input

[@thatsaweirdone]

Man. The title of the video made me think that there'd be things I disagreed about, things I would like to debate about, etc. But the 5 points from YorchTorch are so laughably silly.... I am really amazed

[@MattTGM]

I wouldn't use a title that hyperbolic if there were serious critiques. I enjoy productive discussion, but Yorch is... yeah

[@DrasticSkuba]

I honestly never even thought about the fact that Angrboda was dark-skinned. I noticed obviously, but I never even considered that it would be an issue. It's never brought up in-game and they're from a completely different realm to Midgard. I don't know what their demographic is nor did I care at the time

[@DaveMiller6042]

Something tells me that Thrud is ugly in his eyes because she has muscles.

[@Jesuswasajuncky]

I once read a take that literally said "you cannot even jump" LMAO

[@purish215]

Its so funny that yorch puts a lets learn game design to make better games than whats being put out but his ideas wouldn't have been good even back in the 2000s the era he claims was the golden age

[@JP_Loco_93]

I recently watched a video that explains the whole 'Kratos got nerfed' situation, and some great points were made. One such point dates back to God of War 2018, much like how Atreus is unintentionally repressing his status as a God, Kratos however is doing the exact same thing but with purpose, because he fears what he may do as a result of 'not holding back', and we know he is holding back, Thor himself even says as much. Kratos is holding back because he does not want his rage to consume like it did when he killed his first wife and daughter. That doesn't make Kratos nerfed, that shows great strength, maturity and restraint on his part, Kratos has evolved beyond the revege-fuelled monster that he once was, another thing to note is that if he reverts back to who he once was, it would be the same as being under the rule of Athena, in Kratos's mind... he would be 'her monster' once more.

[@tlx4122]

"Kratos is nerfed" Yeah, it happens at the start of every game. "But he's too weak" Forfeit your gamer god status and play in very easy, and if you still feel weak there, maybe git gud.

[@Kingmatt438]

They designed Thor to look like a real power lifter, which is canonically accurate to The Poetic Edda as the strongest Norse God.

[@criticalplat1num80]

This may come off as insulting to him and people similar to him, but I've always felt this weird vibe of "arrested development" from players like him. The constant want for the old games' well-done ultraviolence even if there's not a justifiable reason, the strange view of masculinity, and the incessant horniness are a factor. This guy and people with his same mindset view old Kratos in the same way that a 12-year-old boy views a "real man". They think being masculine is based on how psychotically violent you are and how many women you bang because they're mentally still in middle school, and that's not even an insult, it's just the mentality. Feel how you want about the new God of War games, but to say they're bad "because woke and less masculine" is such a 7th grade take ngl. (Side note: I have zero idea why these guys want Thrud to be "attractive" when she's like 15 to 17-ish. Not tryna imply anything, but it's a pretty weird take.)

[@MattTGM]

I agree wholeheartedly. Very well written

[@DionPanday]

If you think attractive only means sexual then you have a lot of growing up to do, a flower or a painting can be attractive, that doesnt mean someone wants to sleep with a flower/painting

[@criticalplat1num80]

@@DionPanday sadly, in the context of media grifters, it usually does lmao. It's still really weird to want a teenager to want to be "attractive" ngl.

[@bagredecartola1289]

I'd argue that current kratos is way more masculine as a responsible, stern but loving father who is also capable of interacting with others in a meaningful manner

[@jacobscott7261]

@@DionPandayconsidering that Yorch keeps mentioning wanting more sex scenes, it kinda does mean that he does. Anyway, you kinda nitpicked at the original comment and chose the one part commenter wasn’t 100% on lol. The main point was that Yorch and people like him seem to think that masculinity is measured in how many people you brutally murder and how many women you fuck

[@your_doom]

What i find interesting is, the game yorch wants to make? The one with the one-sided murder and blond women in bikini armor? It exists. The concept is so common in fact, that nobody wants to play those games anymore. They still get made, they just dont make waves, because they are bland, uninspired, and inventive. Why isnt yorch playing them? My theory, is that he would rather complain about the newer games in the vain hope that this style of game will take front stage again.