Everybody but us is having a great time in God of War: Ragnarök

God of War: Ragnarök is going to come to PC eventually. It has to, right? Probably way before Bloodborne ever will. That still doesn't help the sting right now, in this exciting launch moment, when we on PC can't play it.

It's been a minute since I've had FOMO for a big, triple-A console release, but I spent the early pandemic waiting in line at Micro Center and chasing down deals for an RTX 3070, not a PS5. Currently sitting at a 94 average on OpenCritic, here's what some of our friends and rivals are saying about Ragnarök.

IGN: 10/10

Simon Cardy at IGN gave Ragnarök a perfect score, writing: "It doesn't merely offer up surface-level readings of these themes; instead, each character and their motives are given the respect they deserve by delving in deep." Simon continued, "It's a truly special and fittingly grand conclusion of Kratos' Norse saga, as well as providing resolution to some of his more troubled Greek memories."

GamesRadar+: 4.5/5

Our colleague Leon Hurley at GamesRadar found that Ragnarök started a bit weak, but then picked up steam as it goes along. "It's not quite as good as the last game, but it's damn close, and a God of War running at 90% is still better than most things out there."

Game Informer:  9.5/10

GI's Kyle Hilliard by contrast found the opening hours to be "stellar," and praised the way the ensemble cast gels together: "Ragnarök is, surprisingly, the funniest God of War to date. Kratos is the most stoic, straight man in all the nine realms and he surrounds himself with vulgar dwarves, a wisecracking decapitated head, a sometimes over-confident teenager, and more."

Gamespot: 9/10

Tamoor Hussain writing for Gamespot similarly appreciated the humor Ragnarök's ensemble cast finds around grumpy straight man Kratos: "That's something I definitely didn't expect. God of War Ragnarök is a funny game--there are more than a few laugh-out-loud moments that endeared me to this new family unit that developed over the last game and flourishes in its sequel."

PCMag: 4.5/5

PCMag's Clay Halton, in an unforgivable betrayal of our mutually preferred box for running games, awarded Ragnarök an editor's choice designation, writing: "Everything we loved about the previous title returns in Ragnarök, including expertly tuned combat, satisfying puzzles, and a highly cinematic story. Developer Santa Monica Studio builds upon that excellent foundation with a new Kratos Norse adventure that's a truly epic journey, and an action-adventure game that ranks as one of the PlayStation 5's best releases."

Digital Foundry

John Linneman at Digital Foundry argues that God of War doesn't reinvent the wheel graphically, instead capitalizing on its cross-generation status to maximize performance on the PS5. "More than just about any game I've played this year, Ragnarök feels unbelievably polished, even in its pre-release state. There are effectively no stutters, hitches, or any other weirdness in the game. I've encountered zero bugs or visual glitches, and everything just feels polished to perfection."

Washington Post (Launcher)

Gene Park at the Washington Post had special praise for Ragnarök's sidequests, comparing them favorably to The Witcher 3's smorgasbord of memorable side content: "While the main story is a triumph, the side quests that lay off the beaten path are home to the game’s biggest battles, its most awe-inspiring sights and its biggest play areas. In my preview I noted that the start of the game felt narrow and linear, but that does not hold true for areas later in the game. This is easily the biggest God of War game to date."

Polygon

Alexis Ong, who has also made contributions to PC Gamer (like our Norco review) wrote a far more measured, less enthusiastic take for Polygon, though she also reserved special praise for its side quests. "There is nothing life-changing about the way Ragnarök wraps up, but it delivers the same pleasant satisfaction that I get from finishing a Marvel movie that lets me run on autopilot. Even where the game can be frustrating, rote, and uneven, it's also safe and comforting, like a rerun of Cheers where everyone knows your name and you know that you'll never get thrown out of the bar."