God of War: Ragnarök casts Odin as a mob boss in a deft blend of The Last of Us and Skyrim

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God of War: Ragnarök brings Kratos’ norse mythology era to a close, but not before spending a good 40-50 hours being one of the best Sony third-person action games to date: something that moves the genre forward in terms of artistry and tech wizardry, but also in how its characters are portrayed.

As a drama, it runs the entire tonal gamut from prestige HBO drama to Wrestlemania, being stuffed with some of the best action spectacle that the series has ever offered (which is something of an achievement, given that the entire series kicks off with Kratos leaping across a shipwrecked fleet to kill a hydra), but also plenty of quiet, reflective moments which allow the pacing to breathe.

It also provides a wonderfully unique take on the gods themselves. In this portrayal, Odin comes across like the head of a crime family, something akin to Tony Soprano or Vito Corleone: powerful, yet afraid. Jealously guarding his status, willing to make huge sacrifices to protect his wealth, but ultimately ill-equipped to resist the changing times. It stands in stark contrast to the heroic, benevolent alien version of the character we have seen in things like Marvel’s MCU. But, dare I say it, it’s probably much closer to the source material: the old gods were hard to please.

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