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Really? How else are you supposed to play a dlc of something if you don't own the platform and game, you entitled nutjob? Some people have the most ridiculous arguments 🤦♂️
@@ratchetryda don't forget the price of the food and water giving us calories that necessary in fueling us through our game session as we play this non-free game.
Fun fact: Santa Monica studios challenged themselves to make this DLC in a year, but they've managed to make it in 9 months instead. That is pretty incredible, it takes great execution in every department and careful planning to pull something like this off in such a short amount of time so hats off to them!
@@ChosenOne-il4bm Some locations repeat yes, I have no idea if u were even paying attention at all but theres alot of encouragement for builds and experimentation that can be super fun and rewarding, I died 5 times my entire playthrough, its not that hard this DLC has alot to offer lol. If u don't like it that's fine too :>)
@@eigmatic8166 tbh His point might be valid, I have a personal vendetta against the harpies in this game, for the life of of me i will not understand of all greek enemies why they brought THOSE back. 😭
Wonder if they actually made more off of new sales than they would've off the DLC. Personally I only bought the game because of all the pre release hype around the Valhalla DLC and I'm currently working my way through the game so I can finally get to play it. I bought the game for about 40USD, so my purchase was worth 2 DLC sales if they had put it up $20 for example
i think the biggest thing this DLC made me realize is that the best DLC for a game happens when it tries to be different. Almost all DLC just adds more of the stuff you already know to a game. Like Horizon did with Forbidden Shores. It's nice, but you're going through motions you are very familiar with. This DLC pulls you out of what you've come to known for the past 2 god of war games, and tries something new for the series. I wish more games would do stuff like this.
It takes God of War budget though. They're millionaires and richer than most so they get to be more ambitious amd take risks. Zero Dawn did what was possible and even then there were a ton of glitches and limitations. Ironically, Burning Shores DID take risks but with the story. Tackling romance is hard. They did it perfectly. They gave players a choice, and told an incredible story.
I dont think a DLC has to be completely different from the main game to work though. There are instances where you can do something different but they dont always work. HFW burning shores did plenty different while having the core of the main game and it was great
My favorite is when Mimir says "you'd better start picking heavy things up and puttin' em back down" when Atreus asks when he'll have a physique like Kratos
Absolutely agree with it forcing you to use the skills. I learned more about the combat system in 6 hours than I did playing 100+ hours in 2018 and Ragnarok. Had such a great time I rebooted the main game, upped the difficulty and had a blast playing through the story again.
Gow is one of the few games i play on hardest dificulty. The combat sandbox is so much more rewarding and you are forced to play with multiple styles to overcome it
This is the main reason why I always play these type of games on the hardest difficulty. It forces you to use and learn everything. You can't beat the berserkers on give me god of war just spamming R1.
Truly outdid yourself with the writing of that intro. As a person with a past you sold me on not just Valhalla and therefore Ragnarok, but also to look for the documentary itself. Keep it up!
7:53 I think you switched the definitions of rogue likes and rogue lites there. Rogue likes are the unforgiving ones, since they are closer to the original rogue formula without any meta progression etc. The different definitions of what makes a rogue like or lite seem to change a bit over time, but generally rogue likes are pretty much always the less forgiving ones.
Santa Monica have not only produced a fantastic take on this franchise by GoW (2018), but, by Ragnarok and NOW THIS, have proven that it wasn’t just a fluke or a miraculous coincidence. What a great way to give some resolution and, more importantly, reassurance to all consumers- and overall just a great way to build rapport between the customer base and their every action from here on out. I feel genuinely privileged to be living during this period of high quality development that we get from this studio. Bungie should take notes.
Played Ragnarok & Vahalla DLC. Resonate strongly with me to my core. "who you was not always who you have to be" is something i still struggle with. As sad & emotional the game make me, i able to finish them without shedding a tear. Until this video opening monolog. I'm a mess. It was cathartic. Thank you Ralph
That journey is the toughest you will take, and it can feel unrewarding and isolating as you uncover your own secrets and begin to understand the world around you better, for better and for worse. But I maintain that, regardless of difficulty, there is no more fascinating or rewarding a journey, than the one that can be taken within
Uh slight confusion at around 7:55 where you mix up roguelites and roguelikes. Roguelites are the easier ones with meta progression where roguelikes usually lack that boost between run power. Seeing Hades there for rougelike might be from its marketing but it is a roguelite. @SkillUp. Edit:Spelling
im so glad someone else noticed that. Its even implied it the name: lite vs like. Likes try to be more like Rogue, lites kind of try to be like it. Hilariously enough, even though Ive played plenty of both, Ive never played Rogue.
THIS. I mean, I'd argue that neither genre is any indication of the difficulty per-say. But the meta-progression in Rogue-lites can indeed often give a way to build your way up to overcome challenges that you may be lacking the skill to beat. And yeah, as you say, for some reason games often get mislabelled as Rogue-likes when they're very clearly Rogue-lites, or labelled as both. I wonder if it's to do with marketing departments not liking the word "lite" in the name, maybe they think it implies that it's not a full game or something... Or maybe they just honestly don't know any better. That said, the official PlayStation website's page for this game does very clearly say: "[...] replayable adventure that blends the beloved combat from God of War Ragnarök with brand new elements inspired by the **roguelite** genre." so... maybe it was just a simple mixup when writing the script.
@@zapspeed yeah I am fairly certain it was a script mixup. My theory is he checked out Hades again and got confused by the trailer calling it a godlike roguelike. But yeah could also just be a simple typo/mixup while scripting. Though on the other point I do somewhat disagree. Part of the meta progression elements basically guarantee eventual success (given a high enough ceiling) while I have played roguelikes that I suspect I will never beat without copious amounts of luck or practise. Sure you can have roguelites that can be harder than roguelikes but the meta progression elements I think will almost always eventually make the roguelite easier.
@@ClipperFanWi had written this comment about half way through, after i had finished the intro which i felt to be well written and expressive, moreso than his normal videos, but go off i guess ? be miserable?
@@kidnamedfinger2625Actually no, he loved the game, but he doesn’t know how to talk about it. So many people have already done reviews so he doesn’t want to repeat the same thing. After multiple rewrites he’s not happy with his script, so he might just leave it be. He loves the game, that’s for certain.
Not only the develolers are SO detailed throughout everything including the quest titles, you're also amazing for discovering them&conveying it to let us know!!
I never comment on videos, but that was so beautifully said. I'll for sure be checking this out before the end of the year. Thanks Ralph & team for all of your hard work always.
You deserve every subscriber you get including myself. Stellar work for everyone at skillup. Might be one of the best intros ive ever seen to a review.
Yeah idk what this dude is talking about, this is literally a *defining* feature of what makes a game a rogueLITE vs. a roguelike (skillup got it backwards lol)@@ModestPavement
@@ModestPavement i was being vague intentionally to avoid spoilers. But the fact theres rewards specifically tied to this DLC, that you unlock on completion to go back to the core game with is nice. im not talking about the basic roguelike mechanics
@@Evanz111 the point wasnt talking about how rogues work, it was me being vague to avoid spoiling rewards that you unlock going back to NG+ of the core game. But you got me!
7:53 rogue-lite is what this is. It's more forgiving, mainly due to having meta progression. Think Hades, Rogue Legacy, or EtG. Rogue-like is more similar to the original game "Rogue", which generally means no meta progression. These are generally more brutal as you are entirely reliant on personal knowledge and skill to win. Some traditionalists also include turn based, grid based gameplay, but that's rare.
Where would you put something like Binding of Isaac, where you don't get stronger but do unlock more items (that are often strong)? Ignore other characters who might be/are better for a second.
Eh, it gets harder and harder to assign genres. It ultimately doesn't matter much, since most people will call this a rough-like instead. I blame how similar "like" and "lite" are. There had to have been a better name than one that sounds nearly identical.
This review sounds more like Ralph not being able to play on hard mode or be a completionist in the base game because he's a reviewer and learning how deep the combat actually was.
I always thought "rogue-lites" where the forgiving ones, allowing for meta progression, and "rogue-likes" are the brutal ones, do to them being like their namesake, Rogue. Have I been wrong this whole time?!
nope you are correct, rogue lites retain elements that make each run a bit easier than the last, rogue likes usually throw you in the mix with the same starting point every run, or at the very least no possible upgrades
I remember before its release, one of my very few hangups with the 2018 reboot of GOW was the recasting of Kratos. I liked TC’s performance and wondered why they didn’t bring him back. Well it became evident the moment the opening sequence played out. No disrespect to TC of course. I think he was perfect for the younger, louder, outwardly angry Kratos. Chris Judge was the PERFECT casting for Kratos as an older man, equally burdened by the consequences of his past and the weight of responsibility for raising his son to never repeat his mistakes. A man already carrying the loss of one child, and trying desperately not to experience that loss yet again. The subtle deconstruction of masculinity that SMS created might be one of the greatest storytelling achievements in all of AAA gaming.
What happens when you have a team of creatives who have been involved with character since the beginning. It is incredible. 10 years agon Kratos was the butt of jokes for being an angry man, now he is one of gamings most focused and well written characters.
It's one of the best experiences I've had this year, ridiculous that this was free and that borefest dlc for horizon was 25quid. Great job Santa Monica
Ralph you purveyor of sweet serenader of game reviewers. You almost lost me with the jail reference at the beginning, but DAMN at the end your review struck gold in my heart my friend!! You're a bloody genius, please don't ever change. 🙂
I was worried when Ragnarok ended the Norse sage but playing this reminded me of just how great that studio can be with what they create and I know I’ll be along for the ride.
This is incredible journalism, beyond the typical gaming journalism. Skillup made that connection between the documentary and the game and described them beautifully
I find it absolutely hilarious that we have AC Valhalla with Ragnarok DLC. And now we have GoW Ragnarok with Valhalla DLC. Its like they planned it. Two of my favorite games too lol.
I absolutely love your video making /essay writing style - that introduction and the way you linked that to your points about the game was truly a stroke of writing genius. 10/10 video ✨
that final monologue man... Chris Judge delivering the year's best performance and it's in a free DLC at the end of December 🤌 also love how they keep hinting at stuff between Kratos and Freya, I'd love to see the next game feature them as King and Queen, maybe intervening in a war between multiple other pantheons as a peacemaker power couple.
Damn Ralph you lied. This isn’t a review. This is a deeply analytical and beautiful video essay on this great dlc. You never miss. Inspiring me to make content like this someday.
how am i getting chills watching a review for a DLC of a game that i've never played? awesome work on this, Ralph; you might have just sold me a playstation.
This was a fantastic review! I am a pure PC player and I very rarely feel like I am missing something that really matters because I do not have a console. Your review of this DLC was so good that I truly feel like I am missing something special.
@@DoomiePookie It's all a matter of perspective. There are only 2 games in the HISTORY of the switch that I would have had much interest in (I bet you can guess which 2 games) and for the PS4/5 era there are I think 3. That is not worth the investment for me as I already have a huge backlog 😀
We all have our preferences but playing 1st party sony games is one of the best gaming experiences i ever had, bloodborne, ghost of tsushima, god of war, returnal, spiderman and a lot more and playing 3rd party games here are always optimized, hopefully you will take interest someday
Modern western author 1: "Let's make a viking themed product. But what do we name it?" Modern western author 2: "Well, it can either be Ragnarok or Valhalla, there is literally no third option that I am aware of." Modern western author 1: "How about "Ragnarok: Valhalla"?" Modern western author 2: "You are a genius! Jackpot!"
@@Q-nt-Tf He didn't review the gameplay or that its free or that its graphics or performance. He analyzed the story, and why this is an important and unmissable DLC for the game and what makes it a great addition to the story.
What a well-made, thoughtful review. Appreciate the depth! New subscriber sent from MrMattyPlays, but loving the content and the community. Keep up the great work! 🔥
its honestly insane this dlc was free i would have been fine paying 40 bucks for this. Its basically a sequel thats replayable and really shows why GoW combat is so good.
The intro you made with "The Work" is the reason I watch your reviews. I know a lot of people make fun of your boat analogies back then, but they really set the tone and theme for the rest of the review. I know the shorter form content will be the main stay of the channel and I think that'll be for the best, but a video like this where the analogy permiates from beginning to end is masterclass.
God of War has always about (specifically) men accepting their actions, their trauma, their emotions. I'm glad the last two games have really lent into that and thank you Skill Up for pointing it out because a lot of people don't see it because they get so focused on the (freaking epic and satisfying) combat systems.
Sony Santa Monica knows how to honor this character and his story. I have deep respect for the way they treat their characters. I LOVE this series and DLCs.
I thought the writing for this DLC's main narrative (the shieldmaiden's side narratives were corny honestly) was better than all of Ragnarok. Reminiscient of 2018's quality. Maybe it was the result of having fewer cooks in the kitchen.
These are the best written game reviews on RU-vid, hell some of the best written reviews in general. Actually mind-boggling you can make a grown man cry in a review for free DLC from a year old game. You're a creative inspiration and a hell of an artist Ralphie. Thank you big time, wasn't going to bother going back and just watch a lets player go through it but here I am installing it right after.
Never did I think my favourite video game reviewer would reference something as powerful and important as The Work. What an excellent analogy! Thank you so much for bringing to light such an awesome example of men doing such important work. Young men especially desperately need to be made aware of the value and accessibility of this kind of thing. We all have to do the work. Hopefully merely your mention of the documentary will encourage young men to watch it for themselves. Thanks again :)
just started yesterday, exactly what I'm in the mood for. 100% gameplay, dont want to wander around a big world, dont want to craft, just want straight up action I can pick up and put down whenever. The only reason why I have over 2k hrs of Elden Ring and only 80 in GoW is replayability. Can't skip lines in GoW due to all the climbing. I'll likely binge this DLC for a long time.
Only 3 minutes into this video and I already want to replay the new GoW games AGAIN. Thanks, ShillUp; all I need to do now is figure out how to add more days to the weekends XD
[SPOILERS] The Valhalla ending got me bad, 3am and i was crying seeing Kratos arguing with his younger self, that message was so powerful, truly peak single player experience right there
A spin off prequel/ origin story GoW game would be really cool! - with young human Kratos - rising through the Spartan army ranks, ruthless, fighting barbarians & meeting his wife etc ⚔️
The gow saga, as a whole, has been phenomenal. Always solid gameplay for the tech at the time, always a thoughtful and well-told story. The Valhalla dlc continues the trend, plus it’s free! Wisely, they waited for the BG3 tunnel vision to end, before releasing this lol
Holly shit no one does better videos than this shill right here Amazing editing, writing, narration, and directing. Compared to the rest of gaming coverage, you really are a step up, skill up
I comment on yt vids about once a year and this one gets the honor for 2023. I always enjoy your technical breakdowns, but you went pretty deep with this one on the story, which is my personal reason to choose games at this stage of my life (I'm 60). I'm never playing Elden Ring, because the gameplay frustrations would outweigh any weird and obscured story elements therein. And I often don't play even free DLC because I know there are so many new stories out there to play. But this review was so thoughtful and well crafted that I will have to move GoW:R-V to the top of the backlog. Thanks, and have a great 2024.
This is one of the best DLCs I have ever played, and it's free! It makes me want them to remake the originals even more than I already did. I think Ragnarok and Valhalla was a fitting end for Kratos's story, and they should go back to the originals and make them with the modern style. It would be soooo epic!
Such an incredible DLC and I totally wasn't expecting its release or formatting but it was perfect. The story fit perfectly with the recurring journeys of Valhalla, covering more and more of Kratos' past and figures from it with each.
Oh skill up You will definitely make Cory cry with this therapeutic review You made a life long fan with your review of gow 2018 And you know he’ll love your analysis here