In the wake of last year’s release of the rolling credits (and platinum-ring) God of War Ragnarök , I’ve been paying more attention to developer Santa Monica Studio’s Norse mythology. I was satisfied with how the story wrapped up, though admittedly, I would have loved another vs. finale worthy of the “Ragnarök” name, so I’m not necessarily looking for new story content just yet. I was fine with waiting for a sequel years down the road, perhaps with Kratos and Atreus going through a new line of mythical lands and gods. But I wanted a reason to return to its beautiful world, adrenaline-pumping combat, and high-level characters.
When PlayStation revealed Ragnarök’s Valhalla DLC, I was immediately excited. A free DLC dropping less than a week after its reveal that includes a new roguelite structure on top of the game’s already fantastic combat? Add me to it! Going off of this trailer alone, I fully expected Valhalla to be exactly that – a roguelite mod that takes part in the battle of Ragnarök. However, after three hours with the DLC, I’m blown away. Not only is it a full-featured Roguelite mode starring Kratos and trusty sidekick Mimir, with great arenas and tantalizing upgrades and strategic decision-making, but it’s a story I didn’t know existed. that i want
Spoilers below for the first few hours of Ragnarök’s Valhalla DLC
Valhalla begins immediately – there is no bridge between the end of Ragnarök and this DLC. It’s just Kratos and Mumir on a small boat heading to Valhalla. Unlike other depictions of this mystical realm, such as in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the Santa Monica studio doesn’t paint it with sunlight, rainbows, gold, ales-a-palette, and celebration. Instead, it’s a spooky land, bathed in mist and mystery. And, as you find out once you enter its doors, it changes based on who enters it. In this instance, it becomes what I can only imagine is a nightmare for Kratos. All nine Norse realms come together to create battlefield after battlefield, pockets of exploration for Kratos to travel against his mind.
This is where the purpose of Valhalla becomes clear. It’s not a new DLC to give players a chance to experience the game’s combat in roguelite fashion (although it certainly does that); It’s a chance to provide a glimpse into the mind of Kratos, after all he’s been through Ragnarök, 2018’s God of War, and even the Greek entries before them. In the modern games, we see Kratos come to terms with his new life, his son, and his role in this Norse world. Those adventures only touch on his history, mainly to compare how far he’s come, but in Valhalla, Kratos must come face-to-face with his past choices.
He encounters the sun god, Helios, who Kratos infamously beheaded shortly after seeking help from the god in 2010’s Battle III.
He’s tormented Kratos all these years, we learn, and Valhalla is stressing him about that decision, Helios, and how he might deal with that kind of conflict today. Along with the introduction of Helios, Valhalla also brings Kratos to the Greek realms for battle, where he battles new enemies (at least for the Norse entries in the series) such as legionnaires, minotaurs, sirens, and very much.
What’s most interesting to me, as someone who hasn’t played any of the Greek God of War games yet, is that I’m getting a glimpse of how these stories shaped Kratos. What happened to After loving God of War and Ragnarök, I was content with the parts of Kratos’ history they touched on and didn’t feel like I needed more. But now, after a few hours in Valhalla, I’m thoroughly enjoying the touchstones to his past I’m receiving, and it’s painting Kratos in a new light.
That I’m getting all this extra story material, which in itself is a great article on the events of Ragnarök that I haven’t covered here, as well as a good look at one of my favorite combat systems of the generation. Crafted Rogolite spin, free is almost surprising. Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad it’s free and providing so much “newness” to a game I already love – but PlayStation could have easily charged for it.
If anything, it colors the publisher’s decision to charge $49.99 (or $9.99 to upgrade if you already have it on PlayStation 4) for the upcoming remaster of The Last of Us Part II. , which includes the roguelite No Return mode, is a bit more painful. As someone interested in the remaster primarily for the new Roguelite mod, having already beaten the campaign twice, I’m questioning whether the $9.99 upgrade fee will be worth it when Valhalla is the same rig. I provide so much for free.
But that’s a discussion for another day.
What’s not debatable is that Ragnarök’s Valhalla is much more than just roguelite DLC. This is essential content for the God of War series and Kratos’ journey thus far.
Are you playing God of War Ragnarok’s Valhalla DLC? Let us know what you think about it in the comments below!