While God of War Ragnarok largely improves upon the combat system of its 2018 predecessor, one important change sadly makes combat far less engaging. The action RPG expands Kratos' suite of powers and moves, letting the Ghost of Sparta grapple around the battlefield and enhance his weapons with elemental energy. Every enemy encounter in God of War Ragnarok is fun and engaging, but the sequel is missing a key feature from the last game.
[Warning: the following article contains spoilers for God of War Ragnarok.]
2018's God of War established a brand-new gameplay system to suit the series' new Norse setting, and God of War Ragnarok combat upgrades take this system to new heights. Kratos is far more mobile in the sequel, letting players grapple onto ledges with the Blades of Chaos and leap down upon enemies for a devastating falling attack. New skills make the Blades and the Leviathan Axe alike even deadlier to wield, and the late-game introduction of the Draupnir Spear rounds out the Ghost of Sparta's unstoppable arsenal. God of War Ragnarok also brings back the Guardian Shield and barehanded combat moves, but this tactic sadly receives a massive downgrade.
God Of War Ragnarök Removes The Barehanded Skill Tree
Unlike its 2018 prequel, God of War Ragnarok unfortunately lacks a dedicated progression system to improve the Guardian Shield and barehanded attacks. The series' previous entry gave Kratos a robust skill tree to upgrade his shield and fists, which could enhance the God of War Guardian Shield parry and unlock robust new combos for use without a weapon. Unarmed attacks in the new God of War games deal much more stun damage than any weapon, making barehanded moves perfectly viable and very satisfying to use. Kratos can still fight with his fists in God of War Ragnarok, but a lack of upgrades removes depth from this once-exciting fighting style.
God Of War Ragnarök's Different Shields Aren't A Skill Tree
God of War Ragnarok's lack of a skill tree for shield and barehanded attacks is made even more noticeable by the sequel's emphasis on shield strikes. The sequel introduces certain enemy attacks, denoted by a series of blue circles, which can only be avoided by interrupting them with a quick shield bash. While different shield choices in God of War Ragnarok can change the weapon's defensive and offensive abilities, a full-blown skill tree would make using Kratos' fists and shield even more engaging. Instead, God of War Ragnarok makes the confusing decision to remove the Guardian Shield's skill tree while also making the weapon much more important in moment-to-moment combat.
God of War Ragnarok makes every battle exciting by including a wide range of weapons, abilities and gear, but the removal of the Guardian Shield's skill tree is a disappointing step backwards for the mythological action series. 2018's God of War let players improve their parry abilities and barehanded attacks over time, but the sequel forces players to stick with a base arsenal of fisticuff maneuvers. God of War Ragnarok's Guardian Shield is now customizable, but this RPG system fails to make up for a lack of interesting barehanded abilities. By taking away a skill tree, God of War Ragnarok takes combat two steps forward but one step back.
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