'Ragnarok's' opening hours point to a safe God of War sequel

Kratos retains his chains and ax, adding to the sense of continuity. While the kill animations of 2018 felt a bit repetitive, "Ragnarok" does a better job making each fight feel beautifully choreographed. Shield deflections are now supported with follow-up shield attacks. Even if it's similar to 2018′s game, Santa Monica Studio's fight mechanics remain unique among action games thanks to the ability to throw and summon back the ax. Kratos can throw the ax at a group of enemies, charge into them with flying fists, recall the ax to hit an enemy from behind and punctuate it all with a glorious finishing kill animation.