Summary

• God of War Ragnarok's free DLC, Valhalla, takes players to the Norse afterlife and offers a roguelite epilogue to the main story.
• Valhalla brings back the iconic Blade of Olympus, a key weapon from previous God of War games.
• The DLC also adds a classic Kratos appearance to Ragnarok, making the Ghost of Sparta look like he did in the original Greek saga.

Over a year after its initial release, God of War Ragnarok has returned with free DLC, Valhalla. Taking players to Santa Monica Studio's imagining of the iconic Norse afterlife reserved for those slain in battle, Valhalla presents a roguelite epilogue to Ragnarok's story. While an unexpected expansion to the latest God of War game is a welcome surprise in itself, the additional quests offer some rewards that are likely to pique the interest of fans who have been following Kratos' journey since the original Greek saga.

God of War is one of PlayStation's most storied game series, beginning in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. The soft reboot in 2018, which brought an older, more reflective Valhalla has arrived free of charge to bring the series full-circle. Kratos' journey through Valhalla is deeply personal, and this results in the return of a key item and a bonus appearance from God of War's earlier days.

God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla Brings Back The Blade Of Olympus

Not long into God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, Kratos is reunited with the Blade of Olympus, a legendary weapon forged by Zeus. Kratos wields the blade in multiple God of War games, but it's instrumental in God of War 3, where Kratos uses it to kill both Zeus and Gaia in the game's climax, before thrusting it through his own abdomen in order to release Athena's hope to humanity. The Blade of Olympus in Valhalla returns in basically the same form from God of War 3 – players can't equip it as a primary weapon, but Kratos pulls it out when entering Spartan Rage.

The Blade of Olympus can be equipped after it's acquired by selecting the Spartan Rage called Legacy in God of War Ragnarok's Weapons menu. Spartan Rage is used by pressing R3 and L3 at the same time.

Beating The Valhalla DLC Unlocks A Classic Kratos Skin

The reward for completing Kratos' journey through Valhalla is a new (or old, depending on perspective) appearance for the god of war, which gives him the goatee he sported in the earlier games, as well as a younger face, brighter ash skin, and more vibrant red tattoos. Valhalla's roguelite gameplay doesn't end alongside the story, however, and visiting the Appearance Pedestal (where cosmetics can be swapped out in the DLC game mode) will let players choose this look while they go for additional upgrades.

Unlocking Kratos' classic appearance in Valhalla makes it available for the base game as well. It can be toggled on and off by pressing R3 in the inventory menu.

Kratos' classic look is one of the few parts of Valhalla that transfers over to the base game, making a nice addition to the game for players cleaning up any leftover side quests or embarking on a New Game Plus run. Aside from vague references to Kratos' past, 2018's God of War and Ragnarok rarely address the series' Greek saga direclty. Valhalla makes a point of facing the protagonist's past directly, and these two additions – the Blade of Olympus and Kratos' classic appearance – are nice touches to honor the long-running series. God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC caps off the base game's story nicely, but also includes some much-appreciated nods to the original games.