God of War Ragnarok, the long-awaited sequel to God of War, comes out November 9th and is the fourth numbered installment in the saga.
I’ve already scrolled through the story and am removing side missions and quests since the game is huge, but In this review of God of War Ragnarok, I won’t tell you about the story or gameplay elements.because that’s what the fantastic analysis of God of War Ragnarok by my colleagues at HobbyConsolas is for.
I’m going to focus on the visual part because yes, we have a game of generations, but it has moments where you throw your saddlebags on the ground.
Similar changes to Horizon Forbidden West.
Something curious that we have a very bad memory for graphics. We always think that the old because of this nostalgia factor looks much better than it really is.
This is something that happens to me too, and in fact it happened to me with The Last of Us Part 1 remake and also to me with Horizon Forbidden West.
The first Horizon looked luxurious, but the second part, even being intergenerational, greatly improved both in terms of characters and textures of the world. We also saw impressive changes in animation and other elements such as shadows, particles or visual effects.
The same thing happens in God of War Ragnarok. If you played God of War 2018 at launch, you were under the impression that yes, this Ragnarok looks great, but the original already looked like this. And no.
The main characters (not just Atreus and Kratos, but all of them) have much better textures. which, for example, makes Kratos not as “plastic” as in the first part.
There is much more detail in the world, we can see the reflections of the characters in the puddles, there are areas with a huge amount of particles and the textures of the world also have more clarity.
Nonetheless, I think the biggest changes are in animation and lighting.. The first one was controversial because a lot of people were left with the idea that this Ragnarok was an expansion, or there was no work behind it, just for a reworked animation like boarding a boat.
Okay, the animation is the same, but now it seems more polished, and if it was good in 2018, why not in 2022? Otherwise, all characters have more polished animations, both in everyday movements (such as walking, climbing walls, where we see the tips of the boots bend or go through narrow places in a very realistic way), as well as in the interactions between them and in combat.
In combat, movement in any of the visual modes looks very fluid.which also helps us to match combos better, but in cutscenes and facial expressions, the changes are most noticeable.
And well, if you put one version next to another, I mean the PS4 Pro version next to the PS5 version, then the changes in the detail of both the characters and the rest of the scenario are visible to the naked eye, much richer than Ragnarok than in God of War 2018.
All characters are more human than beforehair (of course for those with hair), beard or clothes move realistically, and that it continues to be a sequence plane game continues to amaze me.
The first one was already virguería in that sense, but there are several scenes and changes here where the direction and planning effort involved in making the game in sequence is appreciated better than ever.
Some doors have cloaked breakpoints like the first one, but this only happens when it’s time to load new worlds.. That’s okay, because in the end, the console’s memory gives what it gives.
And for that matter, the load time is about 4-5 seconds every time you die. It’s not an instant world tour, which I think it could be if we were looking at a next generation exclusive, but I’ll get to that later.
By the way, and I put this in the technical section, the game is dubbed into spanish with an impressive level. In fact, it’s so careful that when we’re indoors the voices sound dry with no reverb, but in the caves we have the classic echo that’s kept in this dubbed version.
In addition, the game of actors and actresses is at the level that Sony has accustomed us to.
Messy graphics modes on PS5 and PS4
I want to point out the different visual modes that the title has on both PS5 and PS4 because it can be a bit confusing.
On PS5 we have performance mode and resolution mode.. In performance mode we have a dynamic resolution between 1440p
Nonetheless, if we have a TV compatible with HFR (high frame rate) or VRR (variable refresh rate) we have the option to activate 1440p mode with frame rate unlocked starting at 60 fps.
In resolution mode, we have a native resolution of 2160p or 4K and 30fps. However, if we have a TV with HFR, we can activate a mode that allows us to play at 40fps with variable resolution from 1800p to 2160p.
If, in addition, we have a TV compatible with VRR, we have a resolution of 1800p 2160p, but with 40 fps unlocked, which can help in some points.
In the configuration menu, we have the option to switch between performance mode and resolution mode, but if we have a modern TV, it becomes possible to increase the speed.
I played in resolution mode with HFR and VRR. And to be honest, if you put this mode next to one that supports native 4K resolution, you might notice a loss in resolution in favor of performance, but I think it makes up for those extra frames per second.
And, if you’re worried that the graphics will drop excessively between performance mode and resolution mode, I have to tell you that yes, in resolution mode it’s a bit more washed out and we have slightly different lighting, but if you’re one of those who prefer 60 fps, I believe you’re not missing much along the way.
I think the main changes are that the metal parts of the suits have more detail in resolution mode, as well as some close-up textures and elements that are lit in the foreground.
It’s much easier on PS4:
- On PS4 Pro, we have a performance mode that unlocks 30fps at 1080p to 1656p.
- The resolution mode is 1440p to 1656p with a fixed frame rate of 30fps. None of the modes in this game are native 4K.
And to launch PS4 or on Slimwe have a resolution of 1080p 30fps.
How about God of War on PS4?
One benefit of this cross-generation release is that PS4 Pro owners will be able to benefit from Ragnarok, in which Santa Monica has polished many aspects. visual effects.
Basically, aside from loading times and obvious things like resolution, some reflections, some lighting effects, and a few areas where particles change, anyone playing on a PS4 Pro will enjoy a game that’s visually very similar to PS5 performance. mode (though without these frame rate improvements).
Everything changes on a standard PS4since here, while key elements such as animation are unchanged, in everything else we notice a more serious cut than what we already appreciate in the PS4 Pro.
It’s still an 8 year old console and that’s completely fine. In fact, God of War 2018 was already a great fit for the base PS4.
It’s time to unleash the spartan fury at full Fimbulwind
In the end, God of War Ragnarok is a visually superior game.. I don’t want to go into a deep assessment, because in order to do this, I remind you that my colleagues at HobbyConsolas did a great analysis talking about all this, but if you liked the 2018 version, you will love this one. one.
I think the story is better handled, the character evolution is very interesting, and at a game level it has certain customization mechanics that give the combat variety and depth.
Visually, you’ve already seen that it’s an addictive game that pushes the boundaries of intergenerational development as much as possible, and where we find scenarios that, yes, may be more normal, more “PS4” as they say, but others that you drool over.
The brightest ones, not yet devastated by the winter before the end of the world, are spectacular and have completely photorealistic moments.
Would I like this God of War to be a PS5 exclusive? Yes, of course, we would certainly have improvements in reflections thanks to the use of ray tracing techniques and maybe some more virguería, but with the console stock situation as it is, I understand that it has remained as a PS4 game. .
In fact, I think the console that sees the changes best between God of War 2018 and 2022 is the PS4 Pro, as we appreciate that Santa Monica has learned a lot from its engine and system since Reboot 4 launched. years ago, polishing many elements to make them look luxurious.
Wherever you play, this God of War Ragnarok will not leave you indifferent.
Source: Computer Hoy
