Since this is still God of War – a franchise that has been among my favourites for as long as it has existed – I did obviously jump into Valhalla as soon as it became available, but I did so with fairly low expectations, and assuming that I would bounce off pretty quickly. It didn’t take me too long, however, to realize that this free roguelite mode that Sony Santa Monica had released for a game over a year on from its launch actually had much, much more going on than had been suggested.

"The most surprising thing about Valhalla is how narrative-driven it is."

The most surprising thing about Valhalla is how narrative-driven it is. That’s not something that you usually associate with roguelites and roguelikes, though taking more than a few learnings from the lessons of Supergiant Games’ incredible Hades, God of War Ragnarok’s roguelite DLC makes its story an integral part of the experience, and integrates it into its structure in spectacular fashion. New narrative tidbits and story progression are just as important as rewards for making progress within and across runs as mechanical, gameplay-oriented upgrades are, which makes it a surprisingly attracting part of the game even to those who usually favour story over mechanics- as I imagine many God of War fans in this day and age would.

Valhalla serves as an epilogue to God of War Ragnarok. In the aftermath of Odin’s defeat, with the realms working together on recovering and regrouping, Freya has asked Kratos to be the new God of War of the new Norse era, but that, of course, is a title that Kratos has a very bloody and destructive history with, which automatically makes him more than a little reluctant to take on that mantle again. Against this backdrop, he has also received a mysterious invitation to Valhalla, a place that can help him master himself, not just as a combatant, but also by helping him come to terms with his past, if he is so willing.

That serves as Valhalla’s narrative foundation, and allows the DLC to craft a narrative much more zoomed in and intimate than anything the series has done before. God of War has, of course, grown increasingly character-driven with time, but even in the last two games, that character-driven storytelling has been intrinsically linked to the more epic and bombastic elements of the overarching narrative. Valhalla, one the other hand, is purely and exclusively about introspection and self-reflection, a deep dive into Kratos’ psyche, a long and repeatable therapy session where he plunges into himself and tries to figure out if he trusts himself enough to become a God of War again.

"For longtime God of War fans, especially those who have been asking for stronger connections to the series’ past, Valhalla is unmissable."

Given how effectively it does all that, Valhalla’s storytelling would have been worth experiencing as it is, but that premise also leads to another of the DLC’s biggest strengths- which is just how strongly it links back to the older, Greek era God of War games. The Norse saga has obviously been built upon the series’ older games and the stories they told, but though it hasn’t completely broken itself away from that era, it’s still been pretty divorced from it. Thanks to its premise of self-reflection, however, Valhalla frequently interfaces with the Greek era God of War games in significantly more tangible and overt fashion.

A lot of that is obviously best left unspoiled, but from locations to conversations between characters to even some surprising appearances, the roguelite DLC makes Kratos’ Greek past a significantly more vital part of its fabric that God of War (2018) or God of War Ragnarok did. Beyond those narrative beats, it does so in other ways as well, with music pulled from the older games, Greek era enemies to take on in combat, puzzles and gameplay sections directly calling back to the older instalments, and more. For longtime God of War fans, especially those who have been asking for stronger connections to the series’ past, Valhalla is unmissable.

But of course, it’s not all about story. This is a roguelite mode, at the end of the day, which means the actual moment-to-moment gameplay and overarching loop are crucial to the experience. It’s a good thing, then, that the mechanical bones of God of War Ragnarok are as excellent as they are, because Valhalla is an absolute blast to play through. The combat is as punchy, aggressive, and brutal as ever, if not even more so, thanks to how heavily Valhalla emphasizes and encourages experimentation. Each run randomly assigns specific weapons and shields that will yield additional bonuses and rewards, while random elements like Relics, Glyphs, and more also switch up the combat in small but noticeable ways from run to run.

There’s a solid balance here between permanent and temporary upgrades – which is why Valhalla is way more roguelite than roguelike – which, combined with the option to choose between five difficulty levels, makes it a much more accessible and approachable experience than most roguelites and roguelikes tend to be. If you’re someone who is drawn to Valhalla first and foremost for the story, the DLC lets you experience it that way- but once you’re in, you quickly realize how consistently fun and addictive the core loop is.

"If you’re someone who is drawn to Valhalla first and foremost for the story, the DLC lets you experience it that way- but once you’re in, you quickly realize how consistently fun and addictive the core loop is."

If there’s one area where I think Valhalla falters a little bit, it’s how quickly its environments can get repetitive. The pool of assets and areas from which the DLC pulls at random from run to run seems fairly limited, which means the frequency at which you see new things and areas lowers exponentially as you play more. Thankfully, narrative discoveries and gameplay rewards do offset some of those issues somewhat, but the environmental repetition is still a bit of a disappointment. Then again, Valhalla is an addendum to an existing AAA behemoth rather than a standalone, dedicated roguelite game, which means it was probably never going to have the level of variation that’s needed to sustain dozens upon dozens of hours of gameplay.

In the end, I’ve been hugely surprised by God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla. It’s a much meatier piece of content than I had expected, and in more ways than one. Not only is it a smartly balanced and cleverly mode roguelite experience that’s consistently fun to play, it’s also way more focused on story and storytelling than you would expect, and it combines those two elements in spectacular fashion. And for veteran God of War fans in particular, it’s an absolute treat. Oh, and it’s free. I still can’t get my head around how something this good and this meaty was released for free.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

That’s as per a tease recently dropped on Twitter by Orion Walker, senior writer at SIE Santa Monica Studio, who has suggested that there’s still more story to be told after credits are rolled on the recently-released free DLC.

“You really think the credits are the end of the story?” Walker wrote. “C’mon. C’mon now.”

Given the fact that God of War Ragnarok was confirmed to be the final instalment in the series’ Norse mythology saga, it’s certainly surprising to see Santa Monica Studio continuing to tell stories in that setting- though the game itself did, of course, leave plenty of unresolved threads that suggested that that would be the case.

What exactly Walker is referring to is, however, still unclear. Earlier this year, leaks claimed that a God of War Ragnarok expansion (or a standalone spinoff similar to Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales) was in the works, and though some have speculated that Valhalla was the DLC in question, it’s worth pointing out that the leak mentioned said DLC wouldn’t be releasing in 2023.

Either way, it’s clear that God of War Ragnarok isn’t the conclusive final act of the Norse saga that some had thought it would be. Exactly what it will lead to for the franchise remains to be seen.

God of War Ragnarok is available on PS5 and PS4. It has sold over 15 million units worldwide. Read our review of the game through here.

You really think the *credits* are the end of the story? C'mon. C'mon now. #GodOfWarRagnarokValhalla

— Orion Walker (@theorionwalker) December 12, 2023

If you install Valhalla before Ragnarok and try to launch it, you’ll face an infinite loading screen. Once the base game and DLC have been installed, you can access the new mode via the main menu. Patch 5.01 is also available and fixes issues in Ragnarok, like the banner of Draupnir Spear not looking upgraded in transmog and the Flawless Berserker waist armor not having a glow effect.

Check out the patch notes below for more details. You can also head here for more information on God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, or check out the latest gameplay. Those keen on maddening fights should also note that Valhalla has an end-game challenge that even the development team couldn’t beat on its highest difficulty. It also adds new Trophies separate from the base game.

Patch Notes [v. 05.01] – God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla

New in Patch [05.01]

• God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla DLC

Bug Fixes

Equipment

• Fixed an issue that caused the banner of the Draupnir Spear to no longer look upgraded when used in transmog.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Flawless Berserker waist armor to not have a glowing effect.

Localization

• [Arabic Only] Fixed an alignment issue that caused an icon to overlap with the controller diagram.

Known Issue

• If a user installs God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla before installing God of War Ragnarök, then tries to launch the DLC before the base game has finished downloading they will get an infinite loading screen.
• WORKAROUND: Finish downloading God of War Ragnarök before attempting to access the DLC.

Valhalla serves as an epilogue to Ragnarok, and though it’s accessible at any time, you may want to finish the story before jumping in. It sees Kratos and Mimir venturing to the mythical location and delving into its depths to face off against familiar enemies in a rogue-lite fashion. Kratos has his weapons and Skills unlocked, but Runic Attacks and Perks are chosen randomly in each run.

There are also Glyphs which provide stat boosts and five difficulty settings, with an end-game challenge that’s so difficult on “Give Me Mastery” that even the development team can’t clear. God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla reportedly goes live at 9 AM PST today and weighs about 7.6 GB. Head here for more details on what to expect, and check out some new gameplay here.

Yes. They are separate from #GodOfWarRagnarok base game however so they will not affect your platinum there.

— Mihir Sheth (@youtheremehere) December 11, 2023

According to @PlaystationSize on Twitter, who regularly checks the PlayStation Network backend, it reportedly requires a 7.667 GB download. The DLC goes live at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM GMT. Update 05.001.000 should also be available for the base game (since the DLC version is the same). There are likely changes and bug fixes, so stay tuned for more details when the patch notes go live.

God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is free for owners of the base game on PS4 and PS5. Head here for the latest gameplay video from co-directors Mihir Sheth and Bruno Valesquez, discussing its various elements. Sheth touted an end-game challenge that no one on the development team could clear on the more challenging difficulty, “Show Me Mastery.”

https://twitter.com/PlaystationSize/status/1734470453723349226

DLC Version it's 05.001.000

Update 05.001.000 Should Be Coming To Base Game tonight

— PlayStation Game Size (@PlaystationSize) December 12, 2023

One of these seems to be an overwhelming endgame challenge which even the development team has yet to complete on the highest difficulty, “Show Me Mastery”, per co-director Mihir Sheth on Twitter. “I am so, so curious to see how quickly players will humble us…as they often do… but maybe this time we’ve beaten them?”

Valhalla offers five difficulty options, which increase the rewards gained from battles. However, you can change between runs, rather than being locked into a single difficulty throughout, like the base game. The question now is what the challenge could be. Perhaps fighting the two toughest endgame bosses from Ragnarok at the same time? We’ll have to wait and find out.

Stay tuned for more details on God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla and check out our feature to learn more about it.

https://twitter.com/youtheremehere/status/1734446530793501005

While Valhalla features the same combat that fans know and love, the gameplay loop is vastly different. Kratos starts with all weapons and Skills unlocked but must focus on a specific weapon, Shield and Spartan Rage upgrade. From there, players must make choices regarding Glyphs, Runic Attacks, and much more to venture deeper into Valhalla’s depths.

There will be new combinations of enemies and even a “few surprises”, but remember: Every death puts you back at the beginning. God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla launches on December 12th. Stay tuned for more details when it goes live, and check out our feature.

WHAT EVEN IS IT?

God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla isn’t the story-focused expansion that some were expecting. It is, indeed, a roguelite mode that will see players stepping into the shoes of Kratos once again. Developer Sony Santa Monica says Valhalla will “celebrate the combat you know and love from” the base game and inject it with new and experimental roguelite elements. Players will face “new combinations of enemies”, along with some “surprises”, as the developer puts it, all of which will challenge you to fully master Kratos’ arsenal.

STORY DETAILS

Though Valhalla isn’t a new narrative chapter, it will still have some important story elements. In fact, Sony Santa Monica has also confirmed that Valhalla will serve as an epilogue to the base game’s events, being set after the titular Ragnarok at the end of the base game. As per the developer, the DLC will be a “a deeply personal and reflective journey” for Kratos, who is mysteriously brought to the shores of Valhalla with Mimir in his company. Not only will Kratos be facing plenty of combat challenges, he will also cross paths with, as Santa Monica Studio puts it, “echoes of his past”. Speaking of which…

GREEK ERA CONNECTIONS

God of War’s Norse era games have generally kept themselves pretty separate from the series’ original Greek era, though it seems the two will intersect in much more prevalent fashion in the upcoming roguelite DLC. Towards the end of its announcement trailer, not only do we see a cyclops – a distinctly Greek mythological creature that Kratos has had plenty of run ins with in his distant past – we also hear the very recognizable and iconic main motif of the original God of War games. That, combined with the promise of Kratos facing “echoes of his past”, certainly seems to suggest we’ll be seeing a lot of God of War’s Greek DNA in the Norse adventure.

PERMANENT PROGRESSION

God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is, as mentioned earlier, supposed to be a roguelite experience, and while that obviously means that progression from run to run will be temporary, there will also be an overarching system that will include permanent upgrades. Each time you die, you will wake up again outside the doors of Valhalla, but as per Sony Santa Monica, with each run you’ll also gain more knowledge and resources, using which you can unlock permanent upgrades that will make it progressively easier for Kratos to progress further and, ultimately, make it to the heart of the mysteries within Valhalla’s halls.

TEMPORARY PROGRESSION

And what about the temporary progression mechanics in the roguelite mode? All of your weapons and unlocked skills will fall under the permanent category, but at the beginning of each run, you’ll be asked to pick a shield as well as a Spartan Rage path, and you’ll have to stick to both of those choices until the run ends, whether that’s in success or failure. Meanwhile, during the course of every run, you will also unlock temporary Glyphs to upgrade your stats, while the Perks and Runic Attacks you equip (among other things) Kratos will also be run-specific choices rather than overarching, permanent ones.

COSMETICS

How you want to build your Kratos and what gear, attacks, and upgrades you want to equip him with will obviously be crucial to making decent progress in God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, but there will also be cosmetic options on offer. Curiously, all armor in the roguelite mode will be purely cosmetic and won’t effect your stats or build in any way, which means you can mix and match and wear whatever you want without having to worry about what it will do to your build. And yes, Photo Mode will be available in Valhalla as well, which means you can snap as many pictures of Kratos wearing all sorts of armour and armour combinations as you want.

DIFFICULTY OPTIONS

God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla will also have multiple difficulty levels on offer for players to choose between. In total, there will be five options (same as the base game), with the highest one being Give Me Mastery (which is not what the base game’s hardest difficulty is called, interestingly). Between runs, players will be able to swap between the difficulty levels without restrictions, and the higher difficulty you play the mode at, the better rewards you will receive. Sony Santa Monic has also confirmed that God of War Ragnarok’s array of accessibility options will also be present in Valhalla. Whether all of those options will be available or only a selection of them remains to be seen, with the developer having said that the DLC will “continue God of War Ragnarok’s standard for accessibility settings.”

SEPARATE FROM THE BASE GAME

So how much of God of War Ragnarok will you need to have played to be able to play Valhalla? Well, none of it. It’s been confirmed by Santa Monica Studio that the roguelite mode is entirely separate from the base game, and requires no equipment or gear unlocks or story progress in Ragnarok itself. But though you can play Valhalla anytime you want, the developer does recommend that you hold of on playing it until you’ve finished the base game – if you care about spoilers, that is – which makes sense. It is, after all, an epilogue.

“If you are concerned about narrative or gameplay spoilers, we do recommend that you finish God of War Ragnarok first as God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla serves as an epilogue to the story of the base game,” Sony Santa Monica wrote in a PlayStation Blog post.

LAUNCH DETAILS

And when exactly will God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla launch? It’s closer than you would think. Sony has confirmed that the roguelite DLC will launch for PS5 and PS4 midway through next week, on December 13. On top of that, it’s also been confirmed that it will be a free upate for everyone who already owns the base game.