The end of the world may also mean the end of an iconic PlayStation character.

WARNING Spoilers Ahead!!

The Ghost of Sparta returns as Ragnarök approaches.

It was four years ago when gamers were treated to the return of Kratos. The killer of the Greek pantheon had settled himself into life in the Norse regions with a new wife and young son.

The greatly received 2018 soft reboot, God of War, was as much an exploration of the bond between the god and his boy Atreus as it was about traveling through the realms dodging the scorn of Baldur.

By games end, much had been revealed, friendships had been made and new enemies had risen.

On Nov. 9, the sequel to that game, God of War Ragnarök, was released to fanfare and no mixed reactions.

Picking up three years after the end of the last game, Ragnarök, sees the father and son team surviving Filbulwinter – the immediate prelude to Ragnarök – it is commonly seen as a harsh winter that puts end to all life.

The game, like its predecessor, does not make you wait long for action as Thor and Odin come calling, pitting Kratos against someone who can only be described as the toughest god he has ever faced.

If you’re not acquainted with Norse mythology – instead getting your understanding of Thor from pitifully made Marvel movies – you may see this version of the god and think something is up.

This is a much truer version of the god than anything you’re going to see in those movies. The redhead with a beard is the first of many things the movies decided to forego in their quest to build a franchise.

Once your first run-in with the god of thunder is complete, the adventure truly starts.

Atreus, having grown much in the time since we last saw him, has become far more independent. He has spent much of his time looking for answers into the history of the giants, averting the coming apocalypse and finding out who he is supposed to be as Loki.

Yes, for those who have never played the game, or have simply forgotten, the young son of the god of war is Loki.

Whichever name you choose to remember him by, “boy” as he was often referenced in the first game, shows Kratos and Mimir – the talking severed head is back on the belt – a theory that Tyr, the Norse god of war is alive.

This begins the quest to find the one who Atreus believes can lead them into Ragnarök.

Once you “find Tyr” the game sends you out across the remaining seven realms in your efforts to prepare for what’s to come.

Kratos, who has come a long way since the day he killed his father, knows exactly what war does to people. He is wholly against running into the end of the world like his son seems to be.

He saw the prophecy at the end of the previous game which showed that he would die during the coming battle and wants to simply spend time with his son – while preparing him for what comes next. It is only his love for his son and the need to protect him from the dangers of the other gods, that sends Kratos out into this adventure.

The teenage pushback from Atreus puts a strain on their newfound trust that has built up over the not seen plot points between the games, often splitting the two characters apart for lengthy missions and saddling them with new partners.

These points in the game add new twists, discussions and builds on – or repairs – relationships between characters.

Gameplay mechanics remain, for the most part, unchanged. You have all the same weapons as before, with the addition of some newer ones later in the game.

The only downfall to an essentially perfect game would be the skill tree. This is back from the previous game with some skills you essentially unlocked before needing to be relearned/repurchased this time around.

For a god, Kratos is either hitting that forgetful stage in life, or developers at Santa Monica Studio just want to make things a little more difficult.

While Ragnarök is meant to neatly tie the Norse events up in a bow, the ending sets us up for two potential new directions.

After the end of Ragnarök our heroes are taking divergent paths and splitting apart. Kratos, having defied his fated death, stays behind in Asgard to help rebuild after the end of the war.

Atreus, on the other hand, heads out on his own to try and unravel a mystery that was dropped into his lap.

It’s too bad it was decided to end the game after just two entries. The rebooted series seemed to not only hit its stride early, but then take off at full speed, surpassing everything else in its wake.

There is much talk about giving Atreus his own spinoff series, there have also been rumours that the pair will be heading to a new region to handle the gods there.

Whatever is decided, if it is done with as much care and dedication as Ragnarök, gamers need only wait for another incredible God of War entry.