God of War Ragnarok is almost here. The sequel to 2018's Game of the Year Fortress of Solitude promises to be one of the biggest games of 2022.
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God of War Ragnarok is one of the most anticipated new games of 2022, so much so that fans are waiting for any new information, dying to know the latest updates. The game will be a direct sequel to the previous installment in the God of War franchise, 2018's God of War.
Thanks to everything that's been shared, we know quite a bit about the upcoming game, such as the layout of the Nine Realms map (thanks to the special edition which came with a map with the steelbook presentation case) , some bits of combat gameplay, the cinematic release trailer, and the story trailer.
Now, with a week and a half until the release of one of the best games of 2022, let's dive into everything you need to know about God of War Ragnarok.
1. God of War Ragnarok Release Date
Although the release date has seen some delays, it has been officially set for November 9, 2022. PlayStation tweeted on its official Twitter account: “God of God of War Ragnarok releases on PS4 & PS5 on November 9, 2022. More information from Santa Monica Studio” – PlayStation (@PlayStation) July 6, 2022.
While it's wonderful that PlayStation gave us an official tweet, we all learned about the release date when Sony Santa Monica Studio surprised its waiting fans with a ‘Father and Son' cinematic trailer at the event PlayStation Showcase in 2021.
2. Release trailer
Even before the release trailer, we were treated to a brief and cryptic teaser during the PS5 Showcase in 2021 that showed us Norse symbols confirming that “Ragnarök is coming.” As the previous game was set against the backdrop of the Norse Realms, this didn't come as a shock to fans until they realized that this is the whole premise of the next game. Kratos can be heard in the background- shot, warning his son Atreus as well as unsuspecting spectators that we must “prepare” ourselves for what we now know is the coming apocalypse.
The God of War Ragnarok release trailer shared the expected release date and showed fans a little of what they can expect from the game. Picking up where 2018's God of War left off. We can see Kratos and Atreus battling a wide variety of enemy creatures in the icy landscapes of the Norse gods' realm they find themselves in, before looking up to see the massive wolf staring at them in the distance.
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3. God of War Ragnarok Story Trailer
The God of War Ragnarok story trailer debuted during the September 2022 State of Play showcase and gave us a good look at what happens after the events of the first game. The Heart of the Trailer is the change in dynamics of the father-son relationship that attracted fans in 2018's God of War. In the story trailer, we get the impression that there is a growing tension between the father and the son and that it could come from Atreus' struggle with whoever destiny wants him to be.
The story trailer begins with Atreus touching a tree, much like how God of War (2018) began. As he grew up, Atreus grew older and seemed to have different ideas about what they should do, expressing a desire to be the protector now, instead of being treated like a young boy.
The God of War Ragnarok story trailer, and presumably the game itself, focuses a lot on the idea of fate and how we can get caught up in it if we don't try to direct our direction. destiny. This is particularly relevant because everyone seems to have an idea of who Atreus is (revealed at the end of God of War (2018)). Everyone wants to know if they're going to live up to the name of who they find out to be, or if they're going to make their destiny the way Kratos did and said it would.
In the trailer, we also see very large wolves that appear to have a connection to Atreus (probably due to his half-norse nature), as he shoots arrows that appear to cut the sky dramatically, passing from day to night with a wolf following the arrow. This might have something to do with the large Fenrir-like wolf turning towards the pair to see the cinematic sequence in the release date trailer, but only time will tell.
At the end of the trailer, Kratos can be seen exchanging a few blows with Thor, a taste of the epic battles to come.
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4. History
Years have passed since the events of the 2018 predecessor, as indicated by a now older and more confident Atreus. We can even see his giant genes starting to show. Becoming a rebel against his father, Kratos must fight against this tendency towards rebellion, as well as the knowledge they both gained at the end of the previous game about Atreus' true identity.
Kratos and Atreus must once again face an epic adventure together, this time the impending Ragnarök, the legendary Nordic version of the apocalypse. The duo must travel through all nine realms, but unlike the last game where we only saw six of the nine realms, more realms are available to us, adding the final three: Vanaheim, Svartalfheim and, of course, Asgard .
Kratos has made enemies, which Atreus must now fight too. In God of War Ragnarok, we know that the father-son duo will have to face old enemies like Freya, as well as new ones who might hold the same grudge, like Thor or the All-Father Odin himself. Luckily, they won't be completely alone, as they'll find allies along the way. The game features Angrboda, “one of the last giants” and the mother of Loki’s children according to Norse mythology. We also find an unlikely ally in Tyr, the Norse god of war, who incidentally is the son of Odin and the half-brother of Thor and Baldur (this name should be familiar to God of War players). Imprisoned by his father, Tyr more than likely has some daddy issues that we're going to take advantage of.
According to the details that appear in the description of the PlayStation store listing:
“Fimbulwinter is on the move. Kratos and Atreus must travel to each of the nine realms in search of answers as hostile Asgardian forces prepare for a prophetic battle that will end the world. Along the way, they will explore stunning mythical landscapes and face fearsome enemies in the form of Norse gods and monsters. The threat of Ragnarök is getting closer and closer. Kratos and Atreus must choose between their own safety and the safety of the realms.”
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5. Gameplay
In the God of War Ragnarok trailer, we got a quick glimpse of the combat and gameplay we'll be able to enjoy in the upcoming title. To begin with, Kratos wields an arsenal of various weapons against his enemies. He can be seen using his iconic Blades of Chaos to carve up enemies on the battlefield, but he now also wields the massive and legendary Leviathan Axe, which he can throw and summon back to him like in the first game.
The Guardian's Shield is also back to strike at his foes as he wields a host of new abilities. Join Kratos and Atreus as they must fight several colossal creatures, which they will not fail to take down with the different weapons of war. Kratos never fights alone, as Atreus joins him with his bow and arrows, as he did in the previous title.
6. The combat is more aerial
Kratos has always been a blast of steel when fighting, throughout the original trilogy and the mythic journey of God of War (2018). The combat in the first Nordic title was very methodical compared to the original trilogy, but Kratos still had his feet firmly planted on the ground. While we don't think Kratos will get his beloved late jump button back, it seems the developers have done their best to add some dynamics to the combat with the ability to catapult across platforms using a grappling hook type chain, jumping on enemies to deliver a heavy blow from above.
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7. End of God of War (2018)
If you are sensitive to spoilers or have not yet played God of War (2018) in its entirety, please skip this section as it contains spoilers for the ending of the previous title.
It is not until the end of the game that Kratos and Atreus discover the true identity of Atreus' mother, Kratos' late wife. They knew her as Faye, but she was the giantess Laufey, making Atreus half-god and half-giant. Because of his parentage, Atreus has another name: Loki. Yes, THE Loki, the one from Norse mythology who is often depicted as a prankster god, sometimes having the ability to transform into other creatures. It is also after the great revelation of the identities of the mother and son that we are told of Fimbulwinter, the three-year “great winter” which announces the end of time and Ragnarök, the Nordic apocalypse.
The game itself ended with the sighting of an ominous mural in Jotunheim, depicting the death of Kratos. Is it possible that Ragnarök can only be diverted with his sacrifice? Kratos is known for forging his own destiny. Of course, we are treated to a post-credits scene that shows the duo returning to their home where Thor appears to Kratos several years after they completed their heartfelt journey to lay Atreus' mother's ashes. Kratos asks the Norse god what he wants. What he wants can be one of two things. He might ask Kratos to help him prevent the end of the world, or (more likely) he might want revenge after Kratos killed his sons Magni and Modi, as well as his brother Baldur.
8. Cast
We have a few returning cast members, and a few new ones, namely characters that were and weren't in the previous title. In God of War Ragnarok we have Adam Harrington as Sindri, Alistair Duncan as Mimir, Ben Prendergast as Tyr, Christopher Judge reprising his role as Kratos, Danielle Bisutti as Freya, Laya Hayes as Angrboda, Richard Schiff as Odin, Robert Craighead as Brok, Ryan Hurst as Thor, Sunny Suljic as Atreus and Usman Ally as Durlin.
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9. Director
This might be disappointing news for some gamers, but Cory Barlog, the director who became famous online for his role as director of 2018's God of War, will unfortunately not be directing the next chapter. In his place, Eric Williams will take the director's chair, a place of choice for him who has had his hands on the God of War franchise since 2004.
Eric Williams spoke with the folks at GamesRadar+ about what his new position means for the future of the video game series.
“Staying true to what we did last time, it’s about evolving the father-son relationship. She doesn’t just stop, like, ‘oh, we finished this for mom, we’re good’. No, like, there’s a lot more going on in life, and it’s still moving forward.”
“Last time it was a kid with a lot of adults talking,” Williams continued. “There, it’s like, well, there are different perspectives. We're going to see it from the perspective of a child in the world, figuring out things that they thought were black and white, or maybe a lot grayer, and a lot more family dynamics.”
10. End of an Era
Unfortunately, Barlog and Williams have confirmed that this God of War sequel will mark the end of the franchise's Norse era. The Norse Era was only meant to be a duology, mainly to completely differentiate it from the Greek trilogy. We have no doubt that we will have the conclusion to this era that we deserve.
But what does this mean for God of War as a franchise? After the Greek Era ended (with all the prequels and PSP versions included), I'm sure some people despaired at the idea of the franchise ending, only to be shocked by the exploration of a pantheon different deities. It seems unlikely that the franchise will stop there, especially after announcing the existence of other kingdoms and pantheons such as Egyptian, Japanese, and Celtic gods in Kratos' world.
So while we may despair about the end of an era in God of War Ragnarok, there's no need to fear the end of the franchise (from what we can tell).
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11. Accessibility Features
Sony Santa Monica Studio has focused on the many accessibility features included in God of War Ragnarok. The official PlayStation blog published an article in May 2022 on the added features, as well as those that build on already added accessibility features.
“We are committed to improving accessibility and personalization for everyone. We look forward to sharing details on our other categories of accessibility features, like Combat/Aiming Assists, Puzzle/Game Assists, HUD Adjustments, Camera Adjustment, Auto Pickup , And much more. We are very grateful to our accessibility consultants and the entire accessibility community for their support in making God of War Ragnarok the most accessible God of War possible. We look forward to telling you more as we get closer to launch.”
12. Will God of War Ragnarok be a PS5 exclusive?
The short answer to this question is no. In the official tweet, PlayStation announced that the title will be released on both PS4 and PS5. However, it will be a PlayStation exclusive. Head of PlayStation Studios Herman Hulst has confirmed that the next God of War game will be released across generations.
“Where it makes sense to develop a title for both PS4 and PS5 – for Horizon Forbidden West, the next God of War, GT7, we will continue to look at that. And if PS4 owners want to play this game, then they can. If they want to go ahead and play the PS5 version, this game will be there for them.”
Like many of their previous titles, this doesn't mean the game won't eventually be remastered for PC, in the same way that Horizon Zero Dawn and many of Sony's Spider-Man games have been. However, this is unlikely to happen for God of War Ragnarok for a good two years.
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