Yes, 100% Completing God of War Ragnarok is Worth the Time and Effort

As an avid God of War fan who has 100% completed the previous 2018 entry, I can confidently say that maxing out Ragnarok is absolutely worth the long journey for devoted players. While not essential, pursuing every last piece of content provides tremendous gameplay value and fully realizes the game‘s craftsmanship. For those with the time and dedication, Ragnarok‘s 100% completion rewards will far exceed the heavy time investment required.

Completing the critical path in God of War Ragnarok takes around 30-40 hours. But exploring every corner of the Nine Realms, defeating all Valkyries and optional bosses, finding all collectibles, and maxing out Kratos‘s gear takes the total playtime to over 50 hours according to HowLongToBeat. This journey to true 100% completion is arduous, demanding intense focus across many gaming sessions.

However, based on my experience fully completing the last game and sampling Ragnarok‘s robust post-game content, I believe this mammoth undertaking is absolutely worthwhile for devoted fans seeking the ultimate God of War experience. Here‘s why:

Phenomenal Rewards That Maximize Build Crafting

While not revolutionary, the rewards for 100% completion enable players to craft truly ultimate late-game builds. The full list includes:

• Steinbjorn Armor – My favorite set in the game for its ridiculous health regen perk. Full set requires completing every single realm.
• Secret Ending – A beautiful alternate ending scene focused on Brok‘s funeral.
• Pommels of the Nine Realms – Special pommels that require fully upgrading all of Kratos‘s gear.
• Bonus Dialogue – New conversations open up with NPCs like Sindri about your accomplishments.
• Maximum Power – Fully upgraded weapons, runic attacks, and skills let you demolish even the toughest optional bosses.
• All Trophies/Achievements – Ranging from collecting all Ravens to completing realm challenges.

These rewards might seem minor on their own. But together, they empower players to craft God of War‘s most formidable late-game builds. Players who don‘t complete everything will leave power and gear upgrades on the table.

For context, maxing out the Leviathan Axe alone requires finding 56 Lost Pages of Norse Myth scattered across the realms. This is a monumental scavenger hunt, but it allows you to unleash the Axe‘s full potential against the likes of Gna. 100% completion pays off in gameplay dividends.

Satisfaction From Mastering Combat

Pursuing 100% completion forces you to thoroughly master God of War Ragnarok‘s phenomenal combat system. Throughout the 50+ hour journey, you‘ll defeat every single boss and optional challenge the game has to offer.

The optional Valkyrie fights put your skills to the test. Towards the end of my playthrough, I finally toppled the infamous Valkyrie Queen Gna after multiple grueling attempts. The satisfaction of overcoming these intense challenges through combat mastery is incredibly rewarding.

Maxing character upgrades like sprinting speed also allows you to achieve a level of tactical flexibility and reaction time during fights that more casual players won‘t experience. If you really want to become a God of War combat expert, it takes the full 100% completion grind.

Complete Immersion in the Nine Realms

Spending dozens of extra hours exploring ever inch of the beautifully realized Nine Realms fully immerses you in their splendor. I took my time wandering through the intricate tunnels of Svartalfheim and traversing the imposing vistas of Vanaheim.

The sense of place and connection to the world is so much stronger when you‘ve uncovered all of its hidden corners. I felt like these mythical realms truly became a second home after my 100% journey. Casual players will miss out on this deeper relationship with the settings.

Worthy Challenge for Devoted Fans

To be clear, 100% completion requires serious devotion and patience even for seasoned God of War fans. It could take upwards of 60 hours for some. But for those like myself who can‘t get enough of the superb combat and world-building, it‘s a worthy challenge.

I love taking my time to analyze and dissect every bit of content the developers crafted. The long hours of effort make finally acquiring that last raven or treasure feel like a hard-earned victory.

Everything in God of War Ragnarok is made with such artistry that more gameplay time simply allows you to appreciate it more. If you‘re obsessed with every facet of this franchise like me, why wouldn‘t you want to spend extra time in its world? The full 100% completion journey is long but immensely rewarding.

So in summary, while 100% completion is by no means essential, I firmly believe that devoted God of War fans owe it to themselves to take on the challenge and reap all the rewards. Expect a lengthy and sometimes arduous journey requiring iron will and patience. But the unprecedented power, combat mastery, world immersion, and satisfaction from toppling every last challenge make it incredibly worthwhile.