God of War Ragnarok Mixed Ratings on Steam Amid PSN Outcry

God of War Ragnarok's recent PC release on Steam has sparked a firestorm of controversy, resulting in a "Mixed" user review rating. The root cause? Sony's controversial requirement for a PlayStation Network (PSN) account to play the single-player title.

Steam Reviews Reflect PSN Backlash

The game's 6/10 user score on Steam is largely attributed to a wave of negative reviews, a phenomenon known as "review-bombing." Many fans are expressing their frustration with the PSN requirement, viewing it as an unnecessary intrusion on a single-player experience.

While some players report successfully playing the game without linking a PSN account, others describe technical issues and negative experiences. One user commented, "The PSN requirement is frustrating. It shouldn't be necessary for a single-player game. Ironically, I played fine without logging in. This is hurting an amazing game's reputation." Another review stated, "The PSN requirement completely ruined the launch. I logged in, but it crashed to a black screen. It even registered 1 hour 40 minutes of playtime, which is absurd."

Positive Reviews Highlight Game Quality

Despite the negative sentiment, positive reviews praise the game's story and PC performance. One player wrote, "The story is excellent, as expected. However, the negative reviews are overwhelmingly focused on the PSN issue. Sony needs to address this; otherwise, the game is fantastic on PC."

This isn't Sony's first encounter with such backlash. Helldivers 2 faced similar criticism and ultimately saw Sony remove the PSN requirement after significant player outcry. Whether Sony will respond similarly to the God of War Ragnarok situation remains to be seen.