God of War Ragnarök’s Review Bombing: A Sony Misstep and One Simple Fix That Would Forever Declare Them As The Winners Of Console Wars

SUMMARY

• God of War Ragnarök was initially celebrated upon its PC release but has since been review-bombed due to the requirement of a PSN account.
• The ongoing PSN account mandate reflects broader issues with Sony’s approach to cross-platform gaming.
• A proposed solution is to allow a single copy of the game to be purchased for both PS5 and PC, making full use of a PSN account.

The much-anticipated God of War Ragnarök was recently released on the PC platform with overwhelmingly positive reviews. However, the players’ positivity didn’t last very long as they are now review-bombing the game on the official Steam page. The reason behind this backlash is that the game requires a PlayStation Network (PSN) account to play.

The game launched with positive reviews but players soon realized they needed a PSN account to play. | Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

As Sony aims to expand its gaming ecosystem to a wider audience, this simple misstep is creating a significant disconnect with the community, raising questions about the company’s strategy moving forward. However, there’s a very straightforward fix that would not only rectify this situation but also position Sony as the clear leader in the ongoing console wars.

Fans’ Frustration Behind God of War Ragnarök‘s PSN Requirement

Players are review-bombing the game due to the mandatory PSN account requirement. | Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

Review bombing isn’t new for the gaming community and it usually happens in response to a specific issue rather than the game’s quality itself. In the case of the newly launched God of War Ragnarök, the mandatory requirement for a PSN account has become the main point of frustration. Players who expected a seamless experience on PC were met with a barrier that seemed unnecessary.

The community would have ignored this misstep if this was the only time Sony had done this. Ever since they started releasing games on PC, the PSN account has been the plague haunting PC users (Helldivers 2 being another recent example). By continuing this trend of needing a PSN account, Sony is making players feel alienated even after purchasing the game.

Such a requirement not only disrupts the gaming experience but also creates a divide within the community, leading to a negative feedback loop that affects not only the sales but also the reputation of the game. Since Sony wants every player to sign up for its PSN account, it should make a small change to its tactics and implement a straightforward fix.

The fix would be to allow players to purchase a single copy of the game that works on both PS5 and PC. This fix would not only significantly enhance user satisfaction and loyalty but also make creating a PSN account a feature, not a necessity to play games on PC. By enabling this cross-platform ownership, Sony can become a leading player in the gaming market, appealing to both console and PC gamers.

A Path Forward for Sony and Gamers

Sony can implement a small change of cross-platform purchase. | Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

Sony has long been a titan in the gaming industry, but the recent review bombing of God of War Ragnarök serves as a reminder that even giants can stumble if not careful with their steps. The PSN account requirement for the PC release has opened the door to criticism and dissatisfaction among players The game’s review on Steam has also dropped from positive to mixed within a day, getting worse as time passes.

God of War Ragnarök is getting review bombed on PC pic.twitter.com/qZMDXzljW6

Some players are frustrated and think the review-bombing was necessary.

Deserved. I can't buy the game because it's not available in my country due to the PSN requirement.

While others think this is a very lame move by the company.

I have to make a PSN account to play? That's pretty lame.

However, by adopting a more inclusive cross-platform purchasing strategy (allowing a single purchase of the game for both PC and PS5), Sony could not only remedy this specific review-bombing issue but also emerge as a leading company that wants to promote player-focused practices in the gaming landscape.

In the gaming industry where player experience is most important, taking a step that allows players to only buy a single copy of the game that works on both PS5 and PC, could very well declare them the undisputed winners of the console wars.

In the end, as gamers across the platform continue to demand flexibility and accessibility from the companies, it is important for Sony to see the community’s frustrations and implement this simple fix to showcase that it is always listening and ready to embrace change and innovation.

Do you think this fix would make the PSN account a must? Or will it still be a nuisance for many? Tell us in the comment section below.

Written by Shubham Chaurasia

Articles Published: 372

Shubham is a tryhard gamer who loves to play and write about games/news. At first, writing was just a hobby but now its his profession. If he is not online lurking in Valorant or trying his luck in gacha games, you can find him binging on some anime series.