God Of War Ragnarök

''God of War Ragnarök'' is an action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, marking the first cross-gen release in the ''God of War'' series. It is the ninth installment in the series, the ninth chronologically, and the sequel to 2018's ''God of War''. Loosely based on Norse mythology, the game is set in ancient Scandinavia and features series protagonist Kratos and his teenage son Atreus. Concluding the Norse era of the series, the game covers Ragnarök, the eschatological event which is central to Norse mythology and was foretold to happen in the previous game after Kratos killed the Aesir god Baldur.

The gameplay is similar to the previous 2018 installment. It features combo-based combat, as well as puzzle and role-playing elements. The gameplay has been revamped from the previous game: in addition to Kratos' main weapons, a magical battle axe and his double-chained blades, he also acquires a magical spear and his shield has become more versatile, with different types of shields that have differing offensive and defensive abilities. His son Atreus, as well as some other characters, provide assistance in combat and can be passively controlled. Additionally, and for the first time in the series, there are some story missions where the player takes full control of Atreus; his gameplay is similar to Kratos, but he uses his magical bow as his weapon. There are also more enemy types and mini-bosses than in the previous game. Originally slated for a 2021 release, the game was delayed in part due to Kratos actor Christopher Judge's health problems in August 2019, and later, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on development.

''Ragnarök'' garnered universal acclaim from critics and was praised for its storytelling, characters, visuals, level design, and overall improvements to the gameplay over its predecessor. It won Game of the Year at the Titanium Awards and was a nominee for the same award at The Game Awards 2022, where it won Best Narrative, Best Action/Adventure, and Innovation in Accessibility, among other awards and nominations. The game was a commercial success, selling 5.1 million units in its first week, becoming the fastest-selling first-party game in PlayStation history.

Gameplay

''God of War Ragnarök'' is a third-person action-adventure game. It features an over-the-shoulder free camera, while cinematographically, the game is presented in a continuous shot, with no camera cuts or loading screens. The gameplay is similar to the previous installment, ''God of War'' (2018), and like that game, it is single-player-only. Throughout the game, players battle Norse mythological foes, with more enemy types than in the previous game. In addition to enemies found in the previous game, some newer enemy types include einherjar, wyverns, stalkers (centaur-like creatures with antlers), phantoms, human raiders, and nokkens, among many others. The developers also added more mini-bosses to give the game more variety.

The player primarily controls the character Kratos in combo-based combat and puzzle game elements. Kratos' main weapons are a magical battle axe called the Leviathan Axe, and his signature double-chained blades, the Blades of Chaos. He also has a shield, the original version of which is called the Guardian Shield. Kratos also utilizes hand-to-hand combat. The Leviathan Axe is infused with ice elemental magic. It can be thrown at enemies and magically summoned back to his hand, similar to Thor's hammer Mjölnir. The weapon can be thrown at environmental objects to trigger a damaging explosion, and freeze objects and some enemies in place for puzzle-solving until resummoned. The Blades of Chaos, infused with fire elemental magic, are a pair of blades attached to chains that can be swung around in various maneuvers. A new mechanic for ''Ragnarök'' is that the blades can be used like a grappling hook to traverse over chasms, and pick up objects to hurl at enemies. Kratos also obtains a new weapon called the Draupnir Spear, a close- and long-range attack spear that is infused with wind elemental magic and can make copies of itself; Kratos can throw multiple spears at an enemy, then have them all explode at once. The spear is also used to traverse or unblock certain pathways. Each weapon has standard light and heavy attacks. They can be upgraded with runes to allow for magical runic attacks, with slots for a light and heavy magical attack, providing players with a variety of options for their own play style. The triangle button on the controller was also changed for ''Ragnarök''. In the previous game the button was only used to summon Kratos' axe back to his hand but if he already had the axe, nothing happened. Now, the button additionally allows the player to use "Weapon Signature Moves" to unleash a powerful magical attack depending on the weapon equipped. If on a higher ledge, the player can leap down to perform a powerful weapon attack on enemies below.

In the previous game, the shield was only used for blocking and could perform a minor parry attack, and while multiple shields could be obtained, they were only cosmetic, changing the color of the Guardian Shield. For ''Ragnarök'', the shield was revamped for versatility; different shields can be obtained and used offensively or defensively depending on which is equipped. Smaller shields are more for parrying while larger ones are more defensive. For example, the Dauntless Shield has a parry attack that when triggered correctly, Kratos smashes the shield into a foe that tosses and stuns enemies. Conversely, guarding with the Stonewall Shield raises its kinetic energy and once it is fully charged, the player can slam the shield into the ground, emitting a large wave of energy that knocks back enemies. When not in use, the shield folds up and appears like a vambrace on Kratos' left forearm. Kratos' Spartan Rage ability was also updated to three variants: Fury, Valor, and Wrath. Fury is the standard mode for Spartan Rage and is identical to the previous game in which Kratos uses bare handed attacks to greatly damage enemies. Valor consumes rage energy to restore health and can also be used as a parry if activated at the right time, while Wrath unleashes a powerful weapon attack depending on what weapon is equipped.

Like the previous game, while the player plays as Kratos, his son Atreus provides assistance through artificial intelligence, helping in combat, traversal, exploration, and puzzle-solving. The player can passively control Atreus by dictating where he fires his arrows with his bow, either in combat or for puzzle-solving, as well as what magical spectral animals he can summon to further assist with combat. Additionally, Atreus' combat was updated to reflect his character's growth. In the previous game, Atreus was watching Kratos and learning how to fight, while in this game, Atreus has matured. He has longer chained combos, may initiate a fight before Kratos, and his magical abilities were expanded. There are also points in the game where another character will accompany Kratos instead of Atreus and they too can be passively controlled. For the first time in the series, the player can play entirely as a character other than Kratos (not including '' Ascension''s multiplayer). This only occurs during some story missions when Atreus goes off on his own without Kratos and the player takes full control of Atreus. His gameplay is similar to Kratos in that he has close range combat by hitting enemies with his bow, and he has long range attacks by using his bow to shoot arrows. Additionally, he has special magical arrows, can create a shield from magic, and can summon magical spectral animals to assist in combat. Atreus also has his own rage ability in which he transforms into a wolf (and later, a bear) to deal greater damage. During these missions, Atreus typically has another character accompanying him and the player can passively control this character just as they do with Atreus when playing as Kratos. For some missions, Atreus has a magical floating sword called Ingrid that replaces the accompanying character.

The game retains the role-playing video game (RPG) elements of the 2018 installment. This includes the crafting system with many of the same resources to create new armor or upgrade existing armor and weapons with better perks. There are also many side quests found outside the game's core narrative. ''Ragnarök'' also adds armor transmogrification, which allows the player to change the appearance of their equipped armor to any other acquired armor without losing any of the equipped armor's stats. To transmog, however, the equipped piece of armor has to be fully upgraded.

''Ragnarök'' has over 70 accessibility options. The game's user interface (UI) system was redesigned "to allow for more flexibility and readability", and more customization options for combat and interaction systems were also added. All accessibility features from the 2018 installment were retained but also expanded upon to allow players to adjust the gameplay to suit their own play style and needs.

Synopsis

Setting

Like the 2018 installment, ''Ragnarök'' is set in the world of Norse mythology, taking place three years after the previous game. While only six of the nine realms of Norse mythology could be explored in the 2018 game, ''Ragnarök'' sees the player exploring each of the nine realms, and unlike the previous installment, all nine realms are visited as part of the story; the fiery realm Muspelheim and the fog realm Niflheim, now covered with ice and snow, were previously just optional realms to explore. The other returning realms include Alfheim, the home of the dark and light Elves, Helheim, the land of the dead, and Jötunheim, the land of the Giants. Midgard, the primary realm of the 2018 installment, has become a frigid wasteland, dramatically changed by Fimbulwinter, a three-year long winter that began upon the conclusion of the previous game. The Lake of the Nine, previously navigable by means of a boat in the previous game, is now frozen over. Previously inaccessible realms include Svartalfheim, the industrial abode of the Dwarves; Vanaheim, the lush home of the Vanir gods as well as the giant wolves Sköll and Hati; and Asgard, the humble home of the Æsir gods that is only visited as part of the story and cannot be accessed after its conclusion.

Characters

The main protagonists are Kratos (played by Christopher Judge) and his teenage son Atreus (Sunny Suljic). Kratos is the former Greek God of War while his son Atreus is half Giant, one-quarter god, and one-quarter mortal and is also referred to by his Giant name, Loki. Since the conclusion of the previous game, Kratos and Atreus have been in hiding at their home in Scandinavia in the realm of Midgard, training for the inevitable battle ahead of them. Other major characters include Mímir ( Alastair Duncan), the smartest man alive and the pair's loyal companion, providing knowledge and counsel; Freya ( Danielle Bisutti), a Vanir goddess, former Queen of the Valkyries, and Odin's ex-wife, also known as Frigg, who seeks revenge against Kratos and Atreus for the death of her son Baldur; the Huldra Brothers, Brok (Robert Craighead) and Sindri ( Adam Harrington), a pair of dwarven blacksmiths who assist Kratos and Atreus by forging new gear and also found a way to travel to other realms without using the realm travel table in Týr's Temple; and Angrboda (Laya De Leon Hayes), one of the last remaining Giants who had been in hiding in Jötunheim in a secluded forest called the Ironwood and protecting its animals.

The game's primary antagonist is the Aesir god Odin ( Richard Schiff), the king of Asgard and Allfather of the Nine Realms. An unseen character in the previous game, he is a pathological liar and manipulator obsessed with preventing his death at Ragnarök and will take any means to stop it. He lost an eye while looking into a rift between worlds in hopes of finding answers to prevent the catastrophic event. His ravens, including Huginn and Muninn, allow him and the Aesir to travel freely to any realm, and they are his watchful eyes over the realms. Thor (Ryan Hurst), the Aesir God of Thunder and eldest son of Odin, serves as a secondary antagonist; he is the half-brother of Baldur and father of Modi and Magni, all of whom Kratos and Atreus killed in the previous game. He wields the hammer Mjölnir, with which he slays Giants, despite being part-Giant himself, and does the bidding of his father despite being constantly belittled by him. Another antagonist is the Aesir god Heimdall (Scott Porter), another son of Odin and half-brother to Thor who has a superiority complex and believes himself to be untouchable due to his foresight ability. Known as the "Herald of Ragnarök", he watches over Asgard for threats, rides atop the horse Gulltoppr, and possesses the magical horn Gjallarhorn that signals the start of Ragnarök and opens simultaneous realm travel to Asgard. A minor antagonist is Grýla ( Debra Wilson), Angrboda's estranged grandmother in Jötunheim who steals animal souls to experience their memories.

Other characters include Freyr (Brett Dalton), Freya's Vanir twin brother who has been leading a resistance against Odin and the Aesir in Vanaheim; Týr (Ben Prendergast), the Norse God of War but a peaceful one who was thought to have been killed by Odin prior to the events of the previous game; Sif (Emily Rose), Thor's golden-haired Aesir wife who wants Thor to stand up to Odin; Thrúd (Mina Sundwall), the daughter of Thor and Sif who dreams of becoming a Valkyrie and is unaware of Odin's true nature; the three Norns, who are the Fates of Norse mythology— Urð ( Kate Miller), the Norn associated with the past, Verðandi ( Emily O'Brien), the Norn associated with the present, and Skuld (Shelby Young), the Norn associated with the future; Surtr (Chris Browning), a fire Giant who lives in Muspelheim; and Kratos' second wife—Atreus' mother—Laufey ( Deborah Ann Woll), a Giantess who goes by Faye for short and had died shortly before the start of the previous game—in ''Ragnarök'', she appears in flashbacks to Kratos, preparing him for her death and her final wish, which was the basis of the previous game.

Plot

The game begins as Fimbulwinter nears its end. Kratos and Atreus return home from a hunting trip—fending off an ambush from a vengeful Freya—only to find their wolf Fenrir in his final moments. After Fenrir dies, Atreus' grief transforms him into a bear through his still-uncontrolled Giant magic, briefly battling his father before coming back to his senses. Shortly after, Thor arrives at their home—fulfilling a vision Atreus had at the end of the previous game—and is joined by Odin, who proposes to leave Kratos' family alone if Atreus abandons his secret search for Týr. Kratos refuses and duels Thor to a stalemate, but Odin tells Atreus he will leave Kratos alone if the former comes to Asgard. With the aid of the Huldra Brothers, Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir take refuge in Sindri's home on the branches of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, in the realm between realms.

Atreus admits that he and Sindri have been secretly reexamining the Giant shrines scattered throughout Midgard, searching for clues about Týr's whereabouts. Determining Týr is alive and imprisoned in Svartalfheim, Kratos reluctantly agrees to help Atreus, if only to prevent Ragnarök, and they travel to the Dwarven realm where they rescue the traumatized Týr. The group then head to Alfheim, visiting Gróa's shrine to better understand the prophecy concerning Ragnarök. Fighting against both the Elves and Týr's newfound pacifism, they learn that Gróa lied about the prophecy of of Ragnarök; instead of all the realms being destroyed, only Asgard is fated to end but all other realms survive under a new champion, implied to be Atreus using his alternative Giant name of Loki.

Returning home, Kratos and Atreus have a falling out over the latter's supposed destiny. That night, Atreus awakens in Jötunheim with the Giantess Angrboda, who shows him a mural that seemingly foretells Kratos' death in Ragnarök and Atreus joining Odin. Atreus also learns that the Giants transferred their souls into spiritual stones to evade Odin's wrath. After helping stop Angrboda's grandmother Grýla from stealing animal souls, Atreus is entrusted with the remaining spirit stones—using one to put a Giant's soul into the body of a snake. Atreus returns to Midgard, where Kratos angrily informs him he has been missing for two days, but they are again attacked by Freya with her Valkyrie powers restored. However, Freya relents when Kratos shields her from Atreus in his bear form and agrees to spare Kratos if he helps her break the curse binding her to Midgard. Taking the form of a falcon to circumvent Odin's spell, Freya travels with Kratos and Mímir to Vanaheim, where her estranged brother Freyr leads a resistance against Odin. As they travel, Kratos opens up to Freya about the deaths of his first family in Greece and the emptiness of revenge. After killing Níðhögg and breaking the curse, Freya admits that she can neither forgive Kratos for killing her son nor kill him in return, and the two make amends.

Back at the Huldra refuge, Kratos and Atreus have another argument regarding his recent deceitful behavior, ending in Atreus fleeing to Asgard to find a way to prevent his father's death. Atreus has a hostile encounter with Heimdall but is saved by Thor and Odin, the latter requesting his help in preventing Ragnarök by reassembling an ancient mask that can supposedly look into the rift between worlds and grant infinite knowledge. Meanwhile, seeking to reclaim Atreus, Kratos has Freya and Mímir lead him to the Norns, who say that Heimdall is destined to kill Atreus. In response, Kratos and Brok forge the Draupnir ring into the powerful Draupnir Spear, which is capable of bypassing Heimdall's foresight and harming him.

While searching for mask pieces in Helheim with Thor's daughter Thrúd, Atreus accidentally releases the giant wolf Garm, who begins tearing holes in the realms, allowing Hel-Walkers to wreak havoc. Atreus reunites with Kratos as both attempt to stop Garm; during the fight, Atreus realizes he accidentally bound Fenrir's soul into his knife when the wolf died and resurrects Fenrir by infusing his soul into Garm. Now reconciled, Kratos and Atreus return to the refuge, where Atreus shares his knowledge of Odin's mask with the rest of the group, but the discussion is tabled when they learn that Freyr was captured by the Aesir. Kratos, Atreus, Mímir, and Freya return to Vanaheim to rescue Freyr, during which Kratos is forced to kill Heimdall and claims Gjallarhorn, inevitably setting Ragnarök in motion.

While Freyr recovers, Kratos reluctantly allows Atreus to infiltrate Asgard and finish reassembling the mask in order to steal it from Odin; though Thor nearly kills him, Atreus is successful and escapes back to the refuge. Atreus gives the mask to Týr, who unexpectedly agrees to fight and reveals he knows of a secret way to Asgard. Brok, suspicious of Týr's abrupt change of heart, suddenly realizes Týr is calling Atreus "Loki" when only the Asgardians know him by that name. Týr fatally stabs Brok, revealing that he had been Odin in disguise the whole time. The group manages to drive Odin away and retrieve the mask, but a grief-stricken Sindri blames Atreus for Brok's death and abandons the group to mourn. Atreus and Kratos commit to Ragnarök, entering Muspelheim to help Surtr achieve a destined primordial form that will destroy Asgard.

Under Kratos' leadership, the united forces of the other realms gather at Týr's Temple in Midgard; Kratos sounds the Gjallarhorn to begin the siege of Asgard. Initially, the battle does not go well; the other realms are quickly cut off, the Elves and Vanir struggle with Asgard's defenses, Sindri comes alone so that no more dwarves will die, and the army is forced to rescue innocent Midgardian refugees from the uncontrollable Surtr. However, the tide turns when Angrboda arrives with Fenrir and the snake Atreus previously saved, now fully grown into Jörmungandr, the World Serpent, who distracts Thor while Sindri destroys Asgard's war machines and protective wall; Thrúd and her mother Sif then defect after discovering Odin used refugees as living shields. Thor knocks Jörmungandr back in time with Mjölnir and engages Kratos in battle once again, but he is convinced to stand down to help his family, only to be killed by Odin for disobeying. Odin then engages Kratos, Atreus, Freya, and Mímir, and the group overpower and defeat him; Atreus shatters the mask and traps the unrepentant Odin's soul in a spiritual stone, but a vengeful Sindri smashes it to kill the Allfather for good. As Surtr destroys Asgard, Freyr sacrifices himself to ensure everyone escapes through a rift made by Angrboda and Fenrir.

After the siege, Atreus reunites with Angrboda in Midgard, who shows him and Kratos a mural his mother Faye had deliberately destroyed so that they could determine their own fate. Atreus resolves to find the other surviving Giants, and he bids a heartfelt farewell to his father. Looking further into the shrine, Kratos discovers a mural depicting him as a beloved, peaceful god revered by all. Finally hopeful about his future, Kratos recruits Freya and Mímir to help rebuild and restore peace. Asgard's Einherjar are cleared out and Freya kills the vengeful Valkyrie Queen Gná to reclaim her title, the Aesir relocate to Vanaheim and finally achieve peace with the Vanir, Thrúd begins wielding Mjölnir in honor of her father, and the real Týr is discovered and freed in Niflheim. In the game's secret ending, Kratos, Freya, Mímir, and an unforgiving Sindri attend a funeral for Brok in Svartalfheim.

Development

A sequel to 2018's ''God of War'' was teased at the end of that game; it ended with Ragnarök looming, as well as a secret ending that showed a vision of Thor confronting Kratos and Atreus at the end of Fimbulwinter. Although he did not officially announce a new game at the time, that game's director, Cory Barlog, confirmed that the 2018 installment would not be Kratos' last game, and it was later revealed that future games would continue to be set in the Norse environment and include Atreus. In April 2019, a teaser came in the form of a PlayStation 4 (PS4) dynamic background theme; the side of Kratos and Atreus' boat had runes that translated to "Ragnarök is coming". At the same time, in order to celebrate the first anniversary of the previous game's release, Barlog posted a thread of tweets on Twitter with pictures and a statement concerning the development process; some fans noticed that the first letter of each tweet spelled out "Ragnarök is coming". During the 2020 PlayStation 5 (PS5) Showcase event on September 16, a new ''God of War'' was officially announced for a 2021 release on the newer console. The short trailer, which had a voice over by Kratos actor Christopher Judge, did not officially reveal the name of the sequel, but just like the previous teasers, the trailer stated that "Ragnarök is coming". This led some sources to believe the title of the game to be ''God of War: Ragnarök'', but at the time, this was not confirmed by Sony. The tagline implied that this would be the start of Ragnarök in the ''God of War'' universe, which in Norse mythology is a series of events that bring about the end of days and the deaths of the Norse gods.

When the game was first announced in September 2020, it was only announced as a PS5 title. However, after Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed their plans to support their previous console until at least 2022, speculation began on whether the new ''God of War'' would see a cross-gen release on the PS4, as some other titles that were originally thought to be PS5 exclusives were also announced to release on PS4 (e.g., ''Horizon Forbidden West''). In June 2021, it was confirmed that the game would release on both the PS4 and PS5, in turn marking the first cross-gen release in the series. After the 2018 installment was ported to Windows (PC) in January 2022, Barlog was questioned on if ''Ragnarök'' would see a PC release, but he was unsure, stating it was Sony's decision, but did say they learned a few things about porting to PC if they were to do it again.

By February 2021, neither Sony nor the game's developer, Santa Monica Studio, had given any updates regarding the game's release, prompting Barlog to tweet that the game would be out "when it's done". In June 2021, head of PlayStation Studios, Hermen Hulst, stated that Sony had decided to delay the game until 2022 to ensure that Santa Monica could deliver on their desired gaming experience for players. Santa Monica Studio issued a statement regarding the game's delay, which said that while they were focused on delivering a top-quality game, they also wanted to maintain the safety of those involved with the development. The game's music composer, Bear McCreary, who also composed the music for the previous game, responded to the news of the delay, saying that it would be worth the wait.

Development was partly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as Hulst stated that there were issues getting access to performance capture and talent. The delay also brought a unique issue with Atreus actor Sunny Suljic, who was going through puberty during the time of production. His voice had changed a lot, especially during the delay, according to supervising dialogue designer Jodie Kupsco, who said "We had to go in and even out that performance so hat in the gameit sounds like it took place over a short period of time". Senior producer Ariel Angelotti said there were no changes to cinematics as a result of the delay, they just had to get creative in how they made the content. In following pandemic guidelines, Angelotti said that they had actors "stand in" for other characters in some scenes. For example, an actor for a main character would stand in as a background character "to be able to avoid a situation where too many people were on-set". In a series of tweets posted by Judge in late September, he said that he was the reason that the game was delayed due to surgery he needed in August 2019. Judge said that Santa Monica allowed him time to recover and waited for him to rehabilitate before continuing production. He also revealed that he had briefly quit the game after finding out that Eric Williams would be directing the sequel. Judge was uncertain about Williams; however, Barlog, who served as a producer and creative director on ''Ragnarök'', was able to convince Judge that Williams was fully capable of directing the game, which Judge affirmed after working with him.

During Sony's May 2021 investment filing, they included a title treatment for the game which stated the title as ''God of War: Ragnarök'', although the investment filing was later changed to state only "God of War". A report found that the logo used in the filing was unofficial and fan-made. Following this, various media outlets were uncertain of the legitimacy of the title of the game. In a statement to ''IGN'', a representative from Sony stated that the game's logo and title were not yet finalized or official, and that the inclusion of the false logo in the investment filing was an error. However, the game's title was in fact confirmed to be ''God of War Ragnarök'' (without a colon) during the 2021 PlayStation Showcase event on September 9.

It was also during this event that Eric Williams, who worked on every previous installment, was confirmed as the game's director, continuing the previous era's tradition of having a different director for each game. Also during the event, it was confirmed that ''Ragnarök'' would conclude the Norse era of the series. The main reason Santa Monica decided to end the Norse era with ''Ragnarök'' was due to the game's size and scale. The 2018 installment and ''Ragnarök'' each respectively took five years to develop, and they did not want to take another five years, totaling 15 years, to tell one story. Barlog also compared it to watching the extended editions of ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, stating that being able to condense the story to two games was similar to the feeling of watching that trilogy of films, as the consumer would feel they were told a complete story with a definitive beginning and end. Lead writer Rich Gaubery said there were pros and cons to doing a trilogy or ending the Norse era at two games. The developers debated on this and said that ''Ragnarök'' could have been split into two games, as it was much larger in scope than they had originally planned. They also worried if ''Ragnarök'' would do the apocalyptic concept justice in just one game. This caused some of the team to have concern if the game would be good as they thought ''Ragnarök'' would be two games because they were originally in the mindset that the Norse era was going to be a trilogy. The decision to end the Norse era with ''Ragnarök'' was ultimately left to Barlog. Both Williams and Barlog had to convince the team that they would be doing ''Ragnarök'' as one game, and Williams said that although they had to make adjustments for pacing, the story was not scaled back. Barlog told Williams that with the second game concluding the Norse saga, the three important plot aspects of the story that had to be retained were that Ragnarök would happen, Atreus would depart from Kratos in the game's conclusion, and Brok would be killed off, which was a decision Barlog had made back during the development of the 2018 installment, as Brok was described as the "family dog". Thematically, the game explores what kind of man Kratos would be without his son, and what kind of god would Atreus be without his father. Williams also said that there would likely not be a story-based expansion pack post-launch.

On July 6, 2022, a new cinematic trailer was unveiled, which confirmed a worldwide release date of November 9, 2022. During Sony's 2022 State of Play event on September 13, a new story trailer was shown, featuring new gameplay and cinematics. Brief glimpses of Odin and a battle with Thor were shown, as well as the giant wolves Sköll and Hati, among other returning characters. Just like the 2018 installment, ''Ragnarök'' was done in one shot. Additionally, the game will support options for players to run the game in either higher resolution or better performance, including 4K resolution at 30 frames per second (fps), 1080p resolution at 60fps, a high frame resolution mode in 4K at 40fps, and a high frame performance mode that syncs to 120 hertz. The latter two high frame options are only available for the PS5 version of the game and require monitors with HDMI 2.1. Animation director Bruno Velazquez stated that Santa Monica wanted to ensure that ''Ragnarök'' was the best it could possibly be on the PS4, and as such, it does not fully utilize the capabilities of the PS5. Velazquez said that the PS4 version is a visual improvement over the 2018 installment and noted that all of the studio's design goals were achieved on the PS4 version, so the PS5 version "is essentially an enhancement of what's already possible n the PS4. The game does, however, include several features exclusive to the PS5 hardware, such as 3D audio, haptic feedback, higher frame rate, and overall better graphics. In terms of design, Velazquez said there were no compromises for the PS4 version and that the game would essentially be the same experience on both consoles. Santa Monica confirmed that the game would have a photo mode, but it would not be available at launch and would instead be added in a post-launch update.

On October 7, 2022, Santa Monica announced that the game had gone gold. Additionally, it was revealed that eight other studios contributed to the development of ''Ragnarök'', including PlayStation Studios Creative Arts, Valkyrie Entertainment, Bluepoint Games, Red Hot, SuperAlloy Interactive, Jetpack Interactive, Super Genius, and Original Force. The exact contribution from each studio was not detailed, except SuperAlloy, which worked on motion capture. SuperAlloy specifically assisted with combat choreography, and the studio provided stunt coordination and stunt work for the game and key characters. Eric Jacobus also revealed that he again did the combat motion capture for Kratos, just as he did in the 2018 installment, as well as for some other characters.

Casting

During the 2021 PlayStation Showcase event, game director Eric Williams revealed that Richard Schiff would portray Odin. Other casting announcements included Ryan Hurst as Thor, Ben Prendergast as Týr, Laya De Leon Hayes as Angrboda, and Usman Ally as a dwarf named Durlin. In addition to Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic returning as Kratos and Atreus, respectively, it was confirmed that Danielle Bisutti and Alastair Duncan would be reprising their respective roles as Freya and Mímir, and that Robert Craighead and Adam J. Harrington would reprise their respective roles as the Huldra Brothers, Brok and Sindri. SungWon Cho also announced that he would be providing the voice and motion capture for the squirrel Ratatoskr, and worked directly with the writers to write his scenes. A day before release, Scott Porter revealed that he played Heimdall, and the game's music composer, Bear McCreary, was also confirmed to play a Dwarf musician named Ræb.

Unlike the popular portrayal of Thor by Chris Hemsworth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Thor in ''Ragnarök'' looks closer to his depiction in Norse mythological literature, having a hefty build with long red hair and beard. This type of portrayal was similarly done for the other Norse gods such as Odin himself, shown as a softly spoken and somewhat friendly middle aged man, as in the literature, they are not as flashy as the Greek gods were. In portraying Thor, Hurst took inspiration from another Marvel Comics character, Hulk, citing his rage and power. He also took inspiration from Tommy Lee Jones' character in '' No Country for Old Men'' (2007), Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, noting how he was a powerful character that harbored regret.

Pre-release fan backlash

Following the announcement that ''Ragnarök'' had been delayed to 2022, Santa Monica's developers received harassment from some fans, including threatening messages. The delay was announced shortly after Alanah Pearce revealed her involvement on ''Ragnarök''. Pearce was blamed for the delay and she received threatening messages of sexual harassment. Cory Barlog came to her defense—and all of Santa Monica's developers—stating that he made the call to delay the game and that it had nothing to do with lower-level staff. Furthermore, after a rumor circulated that Santa Monica would reveal the release date towards the end of June 2022, and that date passed, some developers received explicit images from angry fans in an attempt to get them to reveal the release date.

Additionally, the reveal that Angrboda would be black was controversial to some fans. They claimed that since the game is set in Scandinavia, she should have been white. The developers, however, defended the decision due to the diversity of the Dwarves in the game, among other changes such as Mímir having a Scottish accent, and the fact that the character of Angrboda is of a mythological race with a power of transformation.

There was also some backlash to the reveal that ''Ragnarök'' would be released on both the PS4 and PS5 due to concerns that the PS4 version would hold back the PS5 version. Comparing the situation to what happened with 2007's ''God of War II'', which had released exclusively on the PlayStation 2 although the PlayStation 3 had already been out for a few months, Barlog said that despite not releasing on the newer console at the time, it still worked out well for that game.

Soundtrack

''God of War Ragnarök (Original Soundtrack)'' was released on November 9, 2022, by Sony Classical Records and was also included in the game's special editions. It was composed by Bear McCreary, returning from the previous game. The soundtrack features Faroese singer Eivør on the tracks "God of War Ragnarök", "Holding On", "Svartalfheim", "Pull of the Light", and "Remembering Faye". McCreary had previously featured Eivør on the 2018 installment's soundtrack.

Irish folk artist Hozier is featured on the track, "Blood Upon the Snow", which was Hozier's first contribution to a video game soundtrack. Hozier was particularly interested in working on the song as he was a fan of the series and also interested in the maturing medium of digital arts. He was also familiar with McCreary's other works. Due to Hozier being signed with Sony's Columbia Records in the United States, he was approached by Sony to contribute to ''Ragnarök''. To help in composing the song, the game's director Eric Williams talked Hozier through the character arcs of Kratos and Atreus. Hozier was also inspired by nature and the natural world. In working with McCreary, Hozier said they were able to find a balance so that the song was "not too elegiac, not too much of an elegy, not too sweet, not too lullaby-esque, not too outrageously doom and gloom, and not too absolutely metal". Paolo Ragusa of '' Consequence'' described the song as "a daring, cinematic number that hits at all the thematic notes of ''God of War: Ragnarök'', and finds Hozier using his signature velvety tone to evoke both tenderness and awe". Hozier and McCreary performed the song live at The Game Awards on December 8, 2022.

Release

''God of War Ragnarök'' was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Players who purchase the PS4 version can upgrade to the PS5 version for US$10. In addition to the standard base game (physical and digital), there are three special editions: the Jötnar Edition, the Collector's Edition, and the Digital Deluxe Edition. Early copies of the base game were also marketed as a Launch Edition and included the Risen Snow Armor and Tunic skins for Kratos and Atreus, respectively, which are also included with the three special editions. Pre-orders for all versions opened on July 15, 2022.

The items in both the Jötnar Edition and the Collector's Edition are housed within a box called the Knowledge Keeper's Shrine (a shrine featured in the game). Both editions include a SteelBook game case; however, they do not include a physical copy of the game, only digital versions for both platforms. The centerpiece of both editions is a 16-inch replica of Thor's hammer Mjölnir, and both also include 2-inch carvings of the Vanir twins (Freya and Freyr). Physical items exclusive to the Jötnar Edition include a 7-inch vinyl record of music by Bear McCreary, a pin set of a Falcon, Bear, and Wolf (which represent Freya, Kratos, and Atreus, respectively), a replica Draupnir ring, Brok’s dice set, and a Yggdrasil cloth map which shows each of the nine realms. Instead of Brok's dice set, the Collector's Edition has a Dwarven dice set. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the Darkdale armor and weapon skins for Kratos and Atreus, the official ''God of War Ragnarök'' soundtrack, a mini artbook by Dark Horse Comics, a PlayStation Network avatar set, and a PS4 background theme; all of this downloadable content (DLC) is also included with both physical special editions.

Available separately is a limited edition ''Ragnarök'' themed DualSense controller for the PS5. There is also a PS5 bundle that includes the console (disc version), a regular DualSense controller, and the standard version of the game.

Since launch, Santa Monica has supported the game with patch updates to address software bugs. A Photo Mode, which was revealed prior to launch, was added as part of update patch 3.00 on December 5, 2022. It allows players to take customized in-game screenshots. Players can adjust, among other things, the field of view, depth of view, filters, the visibility of characters, and the ability to change the facial expressions of Kratos, Atreus, Freya, Brok, Sindri, Týr, Angrboda, Thor, and Thrúd. A New Game Plus mode will be added in spring 2023.

Reception

''God of War Ragnarök'' on PS5 received "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator Metacritic, garnering a score of 94/100. This ties it with both the original 2005 installment and the 2018 installment for the highest Metacritic score in the series. The game was praised for its storytelling, characters, visuals, level design, and overall improvements to the gameplay over its predecessor. Most reviewers agree that it excelled over the 2018 installment in almost every aspect, and that it was a fitting end to the Norse era of the series. The game was, however, subject to minor criticism, such as the excessive hints during puzzles.

Sales

The PlayStation 5 version of ''God of War Ragnarök'' was the third bestselling retail game during its first week of release in Japan, with 29,377 physical copies being sold. The PlayStation 4 version was the sixth bestselling retail game in the country throughout the same week, selling 11,260 physical copies. In the United Kingdom (UK), although the exact sales numbers were not revealed, it was reported that ''Ragnarök'' sold more physical copies on its first day than any previous ''God of War'' title did in their first week, with 82% of the total sold on PS5 and 18% on PS4. Of the PS5 sales, 12% came from the PS5 bundle. Additionally, it sold 51% more in its first week than the 2018 installment did. This made ''Ragnarök'' the biggest launch in the series in the UK, which was largely due to it being the first cross-gen release in the series. In terms of physical copies, it was the country's second biggest launch of the year, behind ''FIFA 23'', and it had a bigger launch than '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II'', '' Elden Ring'', and '' Pokémon Legends: Arceus''. ''Ragnarök'' became the fastest selling first-party game in PlayStation history, selling 5.1 million units in its opening week.

Awards

At the 2020 Golden Joystick Awards, the game received the award for Most Wanted Game. That same year, it also received the award for PlayStation.Blog's Most Anticipated Game. It was also a nominee for Most Anticipated Game at The Game Awards in both 2020 and 2021. Various media outlets also included the sequel on their respective lists for most anticipated games of 2021, prior to the game's delay to the following year. It was a nominee for Ultimate Game of the Year at the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards, and was named as ''Time'' magazine's #1 game of the year. ''Ragnarök'' is up for ten nominations at The Game Awards 2022, including Game of the Year and Best Game Direction.

Future

While no future games have been confirmed, prior to the release of the 2018 installment, Cory Barlog said that after the Norse era of ''God of War'', future games could see the series tackling either Egyptian or Maya mythology. He also said that although the 2018 installment (and subsequently ''Ragnarök'') focused on Norse, it alluded to other mythologies co-existing in the world, including Celtic, Japanese, and Irish mythology.

Notes

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:God of War Ragnarök
2022 video games
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God of War (franchise)
PlayStation 4 games
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Video games based on Norse mythology
Video games developed in the United States
Video games postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Video games set in Norway
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Golden Joystick Award winners
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