How To Head Off God Of War Ragnarok's Backseat-Gaming Companions
By all accounts, "God of War Ragnarok" is an excellent video game. Whether it be the visuals, combat, story, pretty much everything about the latest entry into the famed "God of War" series has been critically acclaimed and well received. But even the greatest games aren't without their own individual issues and hiccups. For "God of War Ragnarok," a lot of these issues seem to stem from the puzzles players will be tasked with completing throughout the latest chapter of Kratos' story.
When we say there are issues pertaining to these puzzles, it isn't that they're functionally broken or too hard for most players to grasp. Even if the latter was proving to be an issue, "God of War Ragnarok" does boast several accessibility options, which include settings that make completing puzzles much easier and less time-consuming. Instead, the issue seems to be linked to the chatter you hear from Kratos' companions — his son Atreus, and Mimir — when completing them. More specifically, the fun of solving the puzzles on one's own seems to be ruined by companions essentially giving you all the necessary information to complete them just seconds into engaging with them. This raises the question: is there a way to completely silence them so you can use utilize your own cunning and problem solving skills?
There is no option to deactivate companions giving you hints
Obviously, completing a puzzle on your own without any outside help — be it a guide or AI-recommended methods — is a very fulfilling experience. Unfortunately for "God of War Ragnarok" players, they might just have to deal with the in-game AI bossing them around until further notice. In a statement made via email to Polygon, Sony Santa Monica lead UX designer Mila Pavlin had the unfortunate job of informing gamers that in-game chatter is baked into the core experience of "God of War Ragnarok" and is unable to be changed at this time, even if players enable options such as Puzzle Timing.
This polarizing feature drew some unfavorable comparisons to another critically lauded game, "Horizon Forbidden West," in which the main character Aloy often talks to herself as the player navigates her through puzzle sections. These momentary instances of Aloy's chattiness often result in her relaying all but the answer to each puzzle, which resulted in some players being frustrated with the game's puzzle system.
Hopefully, a future update can rectify this issue. But for now, it will remain a small blemish on a game that is so good it is currently nominated for 10 accolades at the 2022 Game Awards.