God of War Ragnarok Valhalla DLC officially launched this week, and while it has been marketed as a new roguelite experience built for Kratos’ second foray into Norse mythology, don’t let that turn you away, as the DLC is filled with just as much narrative as you’d expect from series, that you’ll have a hard time believing this is free. 

Setting the Bar for DLC

I just got done with “beating” the God of War Ragnarok Valhalla DLC, and I am absolutely blown away by what Santa Monica has created here. While I initially thought this would be endless runs, much like what Naughty Dog has detailed for their No Return roguelite experience for The Last of Us 2, to my surprise, Santa Monica has crafted a rather elaborate story with this DLC. There will be no spoilers outside of me saying that for those wanting to see the tale of Ragnarok continue, you’re getting your wish with the Valhalla DLC. 

Trust me when I say this: it is worth playing, and it’s shocking this isn’t some paid DLC because it has the meat you’d expect from an expansion. I’d go as far as to say that this sets a whole new bar for free DLC. When I say that, I mean that there is a story, as it features full-length cutscenes, character interactions, and even an ending. Weren’t it for the repeating nature of things, you’d think this was part of the main campaign. The production value is above and beyond what you’d expect from a free DLC.

It’s also rather clever that its whole roguelite aspect makes sense lore-wise. It’s a never-ending battle, where every time you die or complete a run, the world refreshes again for you to rinse and repeat—a cycle, just as described in Norse Mythology. Each cycle has new story content, almost ripping a page out of Supergiant Games’ Hades. 

The Non-Stop Battle Banter/Assist Is Back, But Even Better

Again, I’m not going to spoil the story of the game, but one thing I did want to talk about is the battle chatter a ton of people criticized during the initial release of God of War Ragnarok. It never bothered me personally, as not once did I mention it in my God of War Ragnarok review, but I could understand the perspective of those who complained about it. 

I will mention it’s back but with a pretty genius twist. You’ll understand once you’ve reached a point in the DLC story which isn’t that far in. It’ll probably put a smile (among other things) on you, though don’t be surprised if some still complain. It was Santa Monica listening to the feedback, and “doubling” down on it with what will probably make you laugh. 

God of War Blends Perfectly Into the Roguelite Genre

Beyond the story, though, I can talk about the roguelite side of Valhalla. Much like any roguelite game out there, God of War Ragnarok Valhalla follows the same idea where you initially start with nothing, then slowly work your way up, earning new gear each run. Some of that gear ends up resetting, while others are permanent, like upgrades and some abilities. 

But the runs themselves are interesting, as they follow a specific order but are also randomized in the areas you go to and the types of enemies you face. Some of those enemies have unique buffs and abilities, such as siphoning your rage meter. 

The gameplay is very much God of War Ragnarok, and yet it fits so well in this format.

You don’t start overpowered, which is understandable. Still, it has that roguelite satisfaction of building up to it each run and managing challenges and the different bosses the game throws at it. It’s the perfect mode to showcase just how insane God of War combat can get. 

There’s so much fun, and runs don’t overstay their welcome. They’ve even added a mechanic you can come across that lets you save and quit without worrying about losing your run. 

What I love, though, is how other God of War gameplay mechanics get blended in. Nornir chests are back and give you a bit of a puzzle element to the experience. Elsewhere, The Challenge of Hades-like challenges show up, with timers to kill a certain amount of enemies, with different tier rewards tied to it. 

There are even interactive story moments that you can expect. 

There’s a lot to experience with this DLC, and after seeing the credits roll, I’m still sitting here in disbelief that this was free. Not only that, but it’s fantastic. If this were a review, I’d probably rate it in the high 9s. It’s that good! Do yourself a favor; if you haven’t already, redownload God of War Ragnarok and the Valhalla DLC, it’s worth the revisit and playthrough.