Summary
2022’sGod of War Ragnarokis the latest cornerstone in PlayStation’s top-tier single-player exclusives, and many fans feel it is the most polished entry in the series to date. Alongside its epic and emotional story, it features a host of excellently designed foes for Kratos and Atreus to engage with across the landscapes of Norse mythology. Santa Monica Sony is currently rumored to be working on aGod of War Ragnarokhalf-sequelthat will ostensibly provide further scenarios for players to test their mettle in.
While there is a range of exciting enemy types for the father and son duo to tackle, there are also some that, due to their design, can feel more like a chore to battle against rather than a fair or fun challenge. With that in mind, there are a few in particular that arumoredGod of Warhalf-sequelshould take care to avoid to streamline and improve its combat experience.
Although details of the half-sequel are scarce at this point, some speculation points to Atreus possibly being the main playable character, which would heavily inform enemy design if true.
Nightmare Parasites
Nightmares inRagnarokare already some of the most annoying types, and the Parasite variant is possibly the worst of the bunch. They are like a harsher version ofCastlevania’s infamous medusa heads, but instead of harassing players directly, they fly around and possess other adversaries, buffing their abilities and making them invincible for the duration. The possessed enemy must first be fully stunned to force the Parasite out. Even after this, though, if players aren’t quick enough, the Parasite will eventually find another host, and the process will have to be repeated.
Dark Elf Summoners
Any enemy that can call more to the battlefield is always going to cause problems, especially when it hides behind the lines as it does so. WhileGod of War Ragnarok’s Dark Elf Summoner isn’t particularly powerful or tricky one-on-one, when it is able to continuously generate fresh foes before players get a chance to take one out, it can quickly feel unfair and overwhelming.Ragnarokoften sends groups of enemies against players in general, and having to deal with constant additional mobs becomes grating.
Wights
Another floating enemy, Wights shoot balls of elemental magic, and must be brought down before they can be hurt. Their attacks have quite a large range and hit for solid damage, while only strong ranged attacks can knock them out of the air, rendering a number of other abilities and options moot. Finally, they will split into smaller wisps that have to be dealt with. Encounters with Wights are fairly rare, but when they appear, it can be a slog of a fight.
Revenants
With a higher-than-average health bar, and capable of unleashing a ranged attack that travels along the ground, Revenants are one of the most frustrating foes. Their wave blast must be blocked before closing in to retaliate. What makes fighting them more aggravating is that Revenants can teleport away, making accurate targeting laborious. Clashing with them feels at odds with thecore combat philosophy ofRagnarok, and often results in an unbalanced fight.
Valkyries/Berserkers
These two constitute some of thetoughest boss fights inGod of WarandRagnarok. Though technically optional, many players seek them out as a point of pride to overcome, as well as for the powerful items they reward. Valkyries and Berserkers are basically two sides of the same coin in both games. While they do capture the feel and style ofGod of War’s epic encounters with their devastating and unique movesets, reusing a version of them a third time would feel stale and uninspired.
