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Game of the Year 2022: God of War Ragnarok

by Adam Cook on December 31, 2022

After 12+ hours of Game of the Year 2022 podcasts deliberations, not only did we all stay friends, but we decided on the best game of the year, and it’s God of War Ragnarok.

Here’s what the team said about God of War Ragnarok, the GodisaGeek Game of the Year 2022. It even got picked a few times in our Community Choice award, too! It dominated our day four awards when it came to best story and best moment, but also got shouts in best visuals, best audio, and was generally received well by everyone on staff.

Mick Fraser: Ragnarok is an exceptional video game. Of that there is no doubt. This is a game that positively thrums with emotion, and reflects quality in every facet of its design, from the tremendous combat to the groundbreaking cinematic direction. I cannot fault it, nor would I wish to. What Sony Santa Monica achieved with Kratos in particular here is nothing short of staggering. The characterisation is a new benchmark in terms of how to steer an arc, and it will be a long, long time before anyone tops it.

Chris Hyde: Frankly, God of War: Ragnarok is nothing short of a masterpiece. The addictive, well-executed gameplay lands on just the right side of accessible, with the light-touch puzzles and checklist of collectibles successfully dragging you into every area, tantalising you with everything it has to offer. The combat is initially simple and intuitive but the skill trees and upgrade systems give you so many versatile options to suit your preferences, or indeed, your curiosity. Traversal is efficient, satisfying, and respectful of your time, further encouraging you onto your next endeavour.

And then we move from the well-executed to the frankly astonishing. The benchmark-setting factors of God of War: Ragnarok. Visually this game is outstanding. The attention to detail in the character models, their facial animations, and the way they move, all sets the standard for others to follow in the future. The voice acting is also superb, particularly from the returning characters, and the writing gives it all meaning. These all come together to weave a heartfelt, believable story comprised of woven interactions between Kratos and Atreus that at times made me genuinely weep. You’re immersed, you’re fighting, and you are Kratos and Atreus. I wondered how Santa Monica would top 2018’s God of War. What they’ve produced in Ragnarok is another leap forward and everything you could want in the sequel.

Game of the Year 2022 GOTY 2022

Chris White: God of War Ragnarok is the most ambitious video game I’ve ever played, and more than deserves to be in my list for Game of the Year 2022. It’s story blew my mind, and the emotional depth it carries is unlike anything I’ve seen before. Kratos and Atreus’ relationship, the death of popular characters, the staggering scope of its battles, and the visually incredible worlds I explored. Honestly, it never skipped a beat, from its storytelling to its level design. Not only did it look great and featured some of the best writing to date, it succeeded in being such a fun game to play. The combat was layered and ever-evolving, the traversal was enjoyable, and throughout every step of my 30-hour playthrough, I was left in awe at the work Santa Monica has put in.

Adam Cook: After everything I said about it in 2018, the only shock to me is how good this ended up being. With emotive moments that left me borderline broken, Ragnarok did was the previous title did: for a while it left me unable to get back into anything else. I tried to just “keep playing it” but I wanted more and more. The story is one of the best I’ve seen in a game, with a redemption ark unlike anything that’s come before it, with moment after moment of well told, brilliant story beats.

But it’s the character development. The relationship between father and son: the moment a small child becomes someone you trust to have your back. Everything about God of War Ragnarok made me feel like the developer knew exactly what it was doing. This is another masterpiece of production, direction, writing, world building, design… I could lament the brilliance for a long time. It’s number one with a bullet.