One of PlayStation's best games gets a surprise free expansion

It has been a good week for single-player gamers. Not only did Cyberpunk 2077 receive a brand new surprise update that introduced a handful of new features, but now one of the best games on PS5, God of War: Ragnarok is getting a significant free add-on. 

Revealed at The Game Awards, Kratos' 2022 adventure is set to continue with a brand new Valhalla expansion. Amazingly, the rogue-lite-inspired mode launches next week on December 12th. Let's be honest, nothing screams Christmas like caving a few heads in. 

For the uninitiated, a rogue-lite means that the game is designed not to be completed in the first run. Incremental progression across several runs is the name of the game here, think something like Edge of Tomorrow (i.e. Live, Die, repeat). As a result, Santa Monica recommends that players have completed the original game first.

Those who think they've mastered Kratos' combat skills will be pushed to the limit with five different difficulties to choose from. But your skill trees will persist from the base gym, even if you can't swap shield or Spartan Rage type on the sly. This creates the incredible sensation of progress on a journey as you get one step further each time.

Considering the age of Ragnarok, it was widely believed that the game was done, perhaps this latest addition is to generate excitement for a sequel, But still, what we do know is that one of our favourite games is getting even better. I can't help but be reminded of Hades, a brilliant rogue-lite also centred on ancient mythology. 

The Game Awards also saw a brand new game launch. Competitive shooter The Finals is now out, while we were also given early looks at some of the biggest games of 2024. It looks to be very exciting indeed with the likes of Marvel's Blade and a new title from Life is Strange creators Don't Nod that looks very unique.