Verdict № 04 · Action
God of War Ragnarök review
Sony's Norse epic is the best-looking, best-acted and most accessible game here. It costs £20 less on PC than on PS5.
Kratos and Atreus crossing a frozen landscape with a wolf sled. Official image: Sony Interactive Entertainment.
God of War Ragnarök continues the story of Kratos and his son Atreus as the Norse end of the world approaches, travelling across all nine realms. It is a cinematic action adventure with heavyweight combat, and it collected six awards at The Game Awards 2022, including one for innovation in accessibility, and BAFTA's Game of the Year. It scores 94 on Metacritic on PS5.
It sells nothing inside the game, and its Valhalla epilogue, a replayable roguelite chapter, was a free addition in December 2023. The price depends on platform: £69.99 on PS5, £49.99 on Steam, where a PlayStation account became optional in January 2025. It is also in PlayStation Plus Extra. It is rated PEGI 18.
A towering action epic, cheapest on PC and best value through PlayStation Plus Extra.The verdict in one line
The review, milestone by milestone
- mark 9.0
Hours 1 to 5
Fimbulwinter
The opening sets the tone with a large set piece and a tense relationship between father and son.
Combat builds on the 2018 game, with both the Leviathan Axe and the Blades of Chaos available early, so it feels powerful from the start.
- mark 9.5
The middle stretch
Nine realms
The story moves across all nine realms and alternates between Kratos and Atreus, and large optional regions such as Vanaheim reward exploring off the main path.
The performances, above all Christopher Judge's Kratos, carry a long story without a slack moment.
- mark 8.5
The long tail
Valhalla and optional bosses
After the credits come realm tears, optional bosses including the Berserkers, New Game Plus (added free after launch) and Valhalla, a roguelite epilogue of six to ten hours.
Main story plus extras is about 41 hours; with Valhalla, about 49.
- mark 9.8
Craft and access
A benchmark for accessibility
It is one of the best-looking games on PS5 and PC, with PS5 Pro enhancements since November 2024.
More than 70 accessibility options, from difficulty and subtitles to playing without timed inputs, earned it The Game Awards' honour for innovation in accessibility.
The bill: what it really costs in the UK
There is nothing to buy inside the game, and its one expansion was free. The only choices are platform and edition.
The bill · God of War Ragnarök
We could not confirm cross-save between the PC and PlayStation versions.
Where to buy it and how you can pay
Ragnarök is sold on the PlayStation Store, Steam and Epic. PS5 owners should check PlayStation Plus Extra before buying, because the game is in its catalogue.
PlayStation Store
PS4 £59.99; Digital Deluxe £79.99.
- Card
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- paysafecard
- Mobile billing
- PS gift cards
Before you pay: a month of PlayStation Plus Extra (£11.99) is enough for the main story if you play steadily, which makes it far cheaper than buying on PS5 at £69.99. PlayStation refunds stop once the download starts; Steam gives 14 days and two hours.
How the scores add up
| How it plays | Weight | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| First hours | 15% | 9.0 |
| The middle stretch | 30% | 9.5 |
| The long tail | 20% | 8.5 |
| Craft | 20% | 9.5 |
| Access | 15% | 10.0 |
| What it costs | Weight | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Price against play | 35% | 8.0 |
| Honest pricing | 25% | 9.5 |
| Ways to pay | 20% | 7.0 |
| Protection | 20% | 7.0 |
What we rate
- Outstanding performances and set pieces
- More than 70 accessibility options
- Free Valhalla epilogue and New Game Plus
- No in-game purchases
What costs it
- £20 more on PS5 than on PC
- PEGI 18: violent and not for younger players
- Not on Xbox or Nintendo
- PlayStation refunds end at download
Buy it if
you own a PS5 with PlayStation Plus Extra, or a capable PC; it is the finest action adventure in our twelve.
Think twice if
you would be paying £69.99 on PS5 without a subscription; the PC price or the catalogue is a much better deal.
Final verdict
Ragnarök is the most polished game here and one of the most accessible ever made. Its Value score is good rather than great only because of where you pay: £69.99 on PS5 is steep for a 27-to-41-hour game, while £49.99 on Steam or a month of PlayStation Plus Extra is not.
Choose one of those two routes.
Weigh it against
Sources
This review is an editorial analysis of published evidence; see how we judge. Prices checked 25 September 2026.