Should you play God of War Ragnarok Valhalla before completing the main story?

God of War Ragnarok is finally making its way to PC, after roughly two whole years of PlayStation exclusivity. Much like its predecessor, God of War (2018), the PC release of Ragnarok will come with all the post-launch content bundled in a single package, including the New Game+ mode, new cosmetic armor sets for Kratos and his companions, as well as the Valhalla DLC.

In fact, the Valhalla DLC, released last year to critical acclaim, is accessible right from the get-go. You can jump into the DLC even before heading to the main story if you so desire. Given that it's a rogue-like mode with limited progression, starting the DLC before the main story might not seem like a bad idea.

However, is it a wise choice to head into God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC before you complete the main story? Well, it's not. Let me explain.

Note: This article is subjective and solely relies on the writer's opinion.

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God of War Ragnarok Valhalla DLC is meant to be played as an epilogue to the base game, both in terms of the narrative as well as the gameplay

God of War Ragnarok Valhalla DLC isn't like The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered's No Return mode, despite both being rogue-likes with roughly similar progression. The No Return mode was completely separate from the main story of The Last of Us Part 2, driven solely by its gameplay systems. However, God of War Ragnarok's rogue-like mode is completely different.

New enemies await you in God of War Ragnarok Valhalla (Image via Santa Monica Studios)

Instead of simply being a tacked-on rogue-like mode, it also serves as an epilogue to the base game, continuing Kratos' story and giving a worthy conclusion to his inner turmoil of trying to fit into the new role of a Norse god. Despite some minute complexities in stealth and weapon progression, the gameplay in No Return is quite straightforward.

However, jumping into Valhalla, the game essentially takes into account that you already know the basics and a few advanced facets of Ragnarok's gameplay. Additionally, not only does Valhalla spoil a ton of things from the story, but it also gives you access to Kratos' entire arsenal, which, well, is also a major spoiler.

Suffice it to say that, if the PC version is the first time you're playing God of War Ragnarok, you should stay far away from the Valhalla DLC until you at least finish the main story. Since Valhalla is a completely separate mode with its own progression system and mechanics, there's no need to rush through the story to reach the rogue-like expansion.

Once you complete the main story, and feel comfortable with the controls and combat system, hop into Valhalla to experience a breathtaking epilogue. As for players like me, who have already played Ragnarok on PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 4, there's no reason to not hop into Valhalla DLC, as you go through the main story campaign.

You can unlock the Classic Greek-era Kratos cosmetics upon completing the Valhalla DLC (Image via Santa Monica Studios)

As for me, who has sunk in more than 200 hours playing the base game as well as the DLC I will be playing through the entirety of Valhalla DLC first, to unlock the Classic Greek-era outfits for Kratos, and then jump into the base game on PC. However, if it's your first time playing God of War Ragnarok, I highly recommend playing the base game first, before the DLC.