God Of War Ragnarök
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''God of War Ragnarök'' is a 2022
action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action ...
developed by
Santa Monica Studio Santa Monica Studio is an American video game developer of Sony Interactive Entertainment based in Los Angeles. It is best known for developing the ''God of War'' series. The studio was founded in 1999 by Allan Becker and was located in Santa ...
and published by
Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is an American video game and digital entertainment company that is a major subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. It primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game co ...
. It was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for both the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
and
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
, marking the first cross-generation release in the ''God of War'' series, and was released for
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on September 19, 2024. It is the ninth installment in the series, the ninth chronologically, and the sequel to 2018's ''
God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in polytheism, polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been portrayed in their ...
''. Loosely based on
Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology, is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The ...
, the game is set in ancient
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
and features series protagonist, Kratos, and his now teenage son,
Atreus In Greek mythology, Atreus (, ) was a king of Mycenae in the Peloponnese, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia (daughter of Oenomaus), Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. His descendants became known collectively as the Atreidae ...
. Concluding the Norse era of the series, the story follows Kratos and Atreus' efforts to prevent the nine realms from being destroyed by
Ragnarök In Norse mythology, (also Ragnarok; or ; ) is a foretold series of impending events, including a great battle in which numerous great Norse mythological figures will perish (including the Æsir, gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdall, a ...
, 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 A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are differe ...
and
role-playing Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing ...
elements. Improvements and additions include Kratos's main weapons: a magical
battle axe A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were designed differently to utility axes, with blades more akin to cleavers than to wood axes. Many were suitable for use in one ha ...
and his double-chained blades, and a new magical
spear A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...
; his
shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...
has become more versatile, with different types of shields that have differing offensive and defensive abilities. His son
Atreus In Greek mythology, Atreus (, ) was a king of Mycenae in the Peloponnese, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia (daughter of Oenomaus), Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. His descendants became known collectively as the Atreidae ...
, as well as some other characters, provide assistance in combat and can be passively controlled, though as a new feature in the series, Atreus is fully controllable in specific story segments. Originally slated for a 2021 release, the game was delayed in part due to Kratos actor
Christopher Judge Christopher Judge is an American actor. He is best known for playing Teal'c in the Canadian- American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997-2007). He is also the second actor to portray Kratos in the ''God of War'' ...
's health problems in August 2019, and later, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on development. A free
downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...
pack titled ''Valhalla'' was released on December 12, 2023. Serving as an epilogue to ''Ragnarök'', it follows Kratos as he participates in a series of trials within
Valhalla In Norse mythology, Valhalla ( , ; , )Orchard (1997:171–172) is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. There were five possible realms the soul could travel to after death. The first was Fólkvang ...
, where he must come to terms with his past life in
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. ''Ragnarök'' has received critical acclaim, with critics praising its storytelling, characters, visuals, level design, and quality of life improvements over its predecessor. Minor criticism focused on some gameplay mechanics, as well as the excessive hints during puzzles. The game sold 5.1 million units in its first week, making it the fastest-selling first-party launch week in
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
history, with over 15 million units sold by November 2023. At the Game Awards 2022, ''Ragnarök'' received a leading 11 nominations, including Game of the Year, winning six. It received a leading 12 nominations at the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, ultimately winning seven awards including Adventure Game of the Year. It also received a leading 15 nominations at the 19th British Academy Games Awards, the most nominations for any game in the history of the ceremony, from which it won six awards, including the EE Game of the Year Award.


Gameplay

''God of War Ragnarök'' is a third-person
action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action ...
. It features an over-the-shoulder player-controlled camera, and the game is presented with no camera cuts or
loading screen A loading screen is a screen shown by a computer program, very often a video game, while the program is loading (moving program data from the Disk storage, disk to Random-access memory, RAM) or initializing. In early video games, the loading scr ...
s. The
gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game. The term applies to both video games and Tabletop game, tabletop games. Gameplay is the connection between the player and the game, the player's overcoming of challenges, and t ...
is similar to the previous installment, ''
God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in polytheism, polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been portrayed in their ...
'' (2018), including being
single-player A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the gameplay. Video games in general can feature several game modes, including single-player modes designed to be played by a single player in add ...
-only. Throughout the game, players battle Norse mythological foes, with more enemy types than in the prior entry, including newer enemies, such as
einherjar In Norse mythology, the einherjar (singular einheri; literally "army of one", "those who fight alone")Simek, Rudolf (1993). ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology''. Translated by Angela Hall. p. 71.Orchard (1997:36) and Lindow (2001:104). are those ...
,
wyvern The wyvern ( ), sometimes spelled wivern ( ), is a type of mythical dragon with bipedalism, two legs, two wings, and often a pointed tail. The wyvern in its various forms is important in heraldry, frequently appearing as a mascot of schools an ...
s, stalkers (
centaur A centaur ( ; ; ), occasionally hippocentaur, also called Ixionidae (), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said to live in the mountains of Thessaly. In one version o ...
-like creatures with antlers),
phantom Phantom, phantoms, or the phantom may refer to: * Spirit (metaphysics), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phanto ...
s, human raiders, and nøkkens, 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 A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are different ...
elements. Kratos's main weapons are a magical
battle axe A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were designed differently to utility axes, with blades more akin to cleavers than to wood axes. Many were suitable for use in one ha ...
called the Leviathan Axe, and his signature double-chained blades, the Blades of Chaos. He also dons his original Guardian Shield, and 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 Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
's hammer
Mjölnir Mjölnir ( , ; from Old Norse ''Mjǫllnir'' ) is the hammer of the thunder god Thor in Norse mythology, used both as a devastating weapon and as a divine instrument to provide blessings. The hammer is attested in numerous sources, including t ...
. 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 in rapid succession. 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 Runes are the Letter (alphabet), letters in a set of related alphabets, known as runic rows, runic alphabets or futharks (also, see ''#Futharks, futhark'' vs ''#Runic alphabets, runic alphabet''), native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were ...
to allow for magical runic attacks, with slots for a light and heavy magical attack, providing a variety of play style options. Additionally, a "Weapon Signature Move" ability was added, which unleashes a powerful magical attack for the equipped weapon. Another added mechanic is that if on a higher ledge, the player can leap down to perform a powerful weapon attack on enemies below. The developers also revamped the shield for versatility beyond a minor
parry Parry may refer to: People * Parry (surname) * Parry (given name) Fictional characters * Parry, protagonist of the movie ''The Fisher King'', played by Robin Williams * Parry in the series '' Incarnations of Immortality'' by Piers Anthony * ...
; different shields can be obtained and used offensively or defensively depending on which is equipped. Smaller shields are more for parrying and can stun enemies while larger ones are more defensive and can create a large wave of energy to knock enemies back. Kratos's 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 precisely, while Wrath unleashes a powerful weapon attack for the equipped weapon. The character
Atreus In Greek mythology, Atreus (, ) was a king of Mycenae in the Peloponnese, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia (daughter of Oenomaus), Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. His descendants became known collectively as the Atreidae ...
provides assistance through
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
(AI), helping in combat, traversal, find treasures, 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's combat was updated to reflect his character's growth. 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 ''God of War'' 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 Ingrid may refer to: * Ingrid (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ingrid Burley (born 1986), rapper known mononymously as Ingrid * Ingrid (record label), also an artist collective * Tropical Storm Ingrid, various cy ...
that replaces the accompanying character. The game retains the
role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
(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 (transmog), 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. ''Ragnarök'' has over 70 accessibility options. The game's
user interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fro ...
(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. The
downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...
(DLC) pack ''Valhalla'', released on December 12, 2023, uses elements of the roguelite genre. Players play solely as Kratos through a series of trials in random
procedurally generated In computing, procedural generation is a method of creating data algorithmically as opposed to manually, typically through a combination of human-generated content and algorithms coupled with computer-generated randomness and processing power. I ...
levels, selecting what relic, shield, and rage ability to use throughout a trial run. At the end of each challenge within a trial, players are allowed to select an upgrade to either a weapon, relic, or stats, such as strength or defense, but these upgrades only last for the duration of that trial run. Each run-through and the completion of specific gameplay challenges unlocks further rewards that are permanently unlocked. Death resets the player back to the start of the trial. The DLC also added new enemies, as well as returning ones from the Greek era games, such as
cyclopes In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''The ...
and
minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (, ''Mīnṓtauros''), also known as Asterion, is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "par ...
s. A new variant of the rage ability was added called Legacy which lets the player wield the Blade of Olympus, like the rage ability from ''
God of War III ''God of War III'' is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released for the PlayStation 3 on March 16, 2010, it is the fifth installment in the ''God of War'' serie ...
'' (2010); this ability can be used in
New Game Plus New Game Plus (also New Game+ or NG+) is an unlockable video game mode available in some video game titles that allows the player to restart the game's story with all or some of the items or experience gained in the first playthrough. New Game ...
(NG+) of ''Ragnarök''. New cosmetic armor appearances were also added, including Kratos's appearance from the original ''
God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in polytheism, polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been portrayed in their ...
'' (2005); these can also be applied in NG+.


Synopsis


Setting

''Ragnarök'' is set in the world of Norse mythology, taking place three years after the previous game. Unlike that prior entry, all nine realms of Norse mythology are visited as part of the story.
Midgard In Germanic cosmology, Midgard (an anglicised form of Old Norse ; Old English , Old Saxon , Old High German , and Gothic ''Midjun-gards''; "middle yard", "middle enclosure") is the name for Earth (equivalent in meaning to the Greek term : oikou ...
is the primary realm which has become a frigid wasteland, dramatically changed by
Fimbulwinter Fimbulwinter (from , ) is the immediate prelude to the events of Ragnarök in Norse mythology. Etymology comes from Old Norse, meaning "awful, mighty winter". The prefix ''fimbul'', albeit with a largely unknown etymology, means "mighty, gian ...
, 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, is now frozen over, with Kratos making use of a sleigh and two pet wolves to navigate around the area. The other returning realms include Alfheim, the mystical home of the dark and light Elves; Helheim, the icy land of the dead; Jötunheim, land of the
Giants A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore. Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to: Mythology and religion *Giants (Greek mythology) * Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...
; the fiery realm Muspelheim, and fog realm
Niflheim In Norse cosmology, Niflheim or Niflheimr (Old Norse: ; "World of Mist", literally "Home of Mist") is a location which sometimes overlaps with the notions of Niflhel and Hel. The name ''Niflheimr'' appears only in two extant sources: ''Gylfagin ...
, now covered with ice and snow—the latter two were previously optional to explore. The three new realms for ''Ragnarök'' include Svartalfheim, the industrial abode of the Dwarves; Vanaheim, the lush home of the
Vanir In Norse mythology, the Vanir (; Old Norse:, singular Vanr) are a group of gods associated with fertility, wisdom, and the ability to see the future. The Vanir are one of two groups of gods (the other being the Æsir) and are the namesake of the ...
gods as well as the giant wolves
Sköll In Norse mythology, Sköll (Old Norse: , "Treachery"Orchard (1997:150). or "Mockery"Simek (2007:292)) is a wolf that, according to Snorri Sturluson's ''Prose Edda'', chases the Sun (personified as a goddess, Sól) riding her chariot across th ...
and Hati; and
Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr''; "Garden of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in several Old Norse sagas and mythological texts, including the Eddas, however it has also been suggested to be refe ...
, the humble home of the Aesir gods that is only visited as part of the story and cannot be accessed after its conclusion. The DLC pack ''Valhalla'' adds
Valhalla In Norse mythology, Valhalla ( , ; , )Orchard (1997:171–172) is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. There were five possible realms the soul could travel to after death. The first was Fólkvang ...
, a remaining area within Asgard where warriors go after death. Within Valhalla are small recreations of the previous realms based on Kratos's memories, as well as areas from his homeland of
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
.


Characters

The main protagonists are Kratos (played by
Christopher Judge Christopher Judge is an American actor. He is best known for playing Teal'c in the Canadian- American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997-2007). He is also the second actor to portray Kratos in the ''God of War'' ...
) and his teenage son, Atreus ( Sunny Suljic). Kratos is the former
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
God of War, while Atreus is half Giant, one-quarter god, and one-quarter mortal and is also referred to by his Giant name,
Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...
. Since the conclusion of the previous game, Kratos and Atreus have been in hiding at their home in the realm of Midgard, training for the inevitable battle ahead of them. They are often accompanied by the head of
Mímir Mímir or Mim is a figure in Norse mythology, renowned for his knowledge and wisdom, who is beheaded during the Æsir–Vanir War. Afterward, the god Odin carries around Mímir's head and it recites secret knowledge and counsel to him. Mímir ...
( Alastair Duncan), who claims to be the smartest man alive and is a loyal companion who provides knowledge and counsel. Other major returning characters include Freya ( Danielle Bisutti), a Vanir goddess, former Queen of the
Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ( or ; from ) is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become ('single fighters' or 'once fighters').Orchard (1997:36) and Li ...
s, and Odin's ex-wife, also known as
Frigg Frigg (; Old Norse: ) is a goddess, one of the Æsir, in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about her, she is associated with marriage, prophecy, clairvoyance and motherhood, and dwells in the wetl ...
, who seeks revenge against Kratos and Atreus for the death of her son, Baldur; and 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. A new character is Angrboda (Laya DeLeon Hayes), one of the last remaining Giants hiding in Jötunheim in a secluded forest called the Ironwood, protecting its animals. Other allies include
Ratatoskr In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr (Old Norse, generally considered to mean "drill-tooth"Orchard (1997:129), Simek (2007:261), and Byock (2005:173). or "bore-tooth"Lindow (2001:259).) is a squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil to carr ...
( SungWon Cho), the squirrel guardian of the World Tree; Lúnda (
Milana Vayntrub Milana Aleksandrovna Vayntrub ( , Russian: ; born March 8, 1987) is an American actress, comedian, and activist. She began her career as a child actress and came to prominence for her appearances in AT&T television commercials as saleswoman L ...
), a dwarven blacksmith who is part of
Freyr Freyr (Old Norse: 'Lord'), sometimes anglicized as Frey, is a widely attested Æsir, god in Norse mythology, associated with kingship, fertility, peace, prosperity, fair weather, and good harvest. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was ...
's resistance army; and Skjöldr ( A.J. LoCascio), a Midgardian refugee who has settled in Asgard. The game's primary antagonist is the Aesir god
Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
(
Richard Schiff Richard Schiff (born May 27, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Toby Ziegler on ''The West Wing'', a role for which he received an Emmy Award. Schiff made his television directorial debut with ''The West Wing'', directing an ...
), the king of Asgard and Allfather of the Nine Realms. An
unseen character An unseen character in theatre, comics, film or television, or a silent character in radio or literature, is a character who is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and w ...
in the previous game, he is a pathological liar and manipulator obsessed with preventing his death at
Ragnarök In Norse mythology, (also Ragnarok; or ; ) is a foretold series of impending events, including a great battle in which numerous great Norse mythological figures will perish (including the Æsir, gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdall, a ...
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 In Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn ( or ; roughly "mind and will" – ''see '') are a pair of common raven, ravens that serve under the god Odin and fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring information to the god Odin. Huginn and Muninn are ...
, allow him and the Aesir to travel freely to any realm, and they are his watchful eyes over them. 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 although constantly belittled by him. Another antagonist is the Aesir god
Heimdall In Norse mythology, Heimdall (from Old Norse Heimdallr; modern Icelandic language, Icelandic Heimdallur) is a Æsir, god. He is the son of Odin and nine mothers. Heimdall keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himi ...
( Scott Porter), another son of Odin and half-brother to Thor who has a superiority complex and believes himself untouchable due to his foresight ability. Known as the "Herald of Ragnarök", he watches over Asgard for threats, rides atop a graðungr, a large, horned, lion like beast, named Gulltoppr, and possesses the magical horn
Gjallarhorn In Norse mythology, Gjallarhorn (Old Norse: ; "hollering horn"Orchard (1997:57). or "the loud sounding horn"Simek (2007:110).) is a horn associated with the god Heimdallr and the wise being Mímir. The sound of Heimdallr's horn will herald the ...
that signals the start of Ragnarök and opens simultaneous realm travel to Asgard. Other characters include
Freyr Freyr (Old Norse: 'Lord'), sometimes anglicized as Frey, is a widely attested Æsir, god in Norse mythology, associated with kingship, fertility, peace, prosperity, fair weather, and good harvest. Freyr, sometimes referred to as Yngvi-Freyr, was ...
(
Brett Dalton Brett Patrick Dalton (born January 7, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Grant Ward and Hive in ABC's series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', as well as Detective Mark Trent in the NBC procedural drama series '' Found'', an ...
), Freya's Vanir twin brother who has been leading a resistance against Odin and the Aesir in Vanaheim;
Týr (; Old Norse: , ) is a god in Germanic mythology and member of the . In Norse mythology, which provides most of the surviving narratives about gods among the Germanic peoples, sacrifices his right hand to the monstrous wolf , who bites it off ...
(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 In Norse mythology, Sif is a golden-haired goddess associated with earth. Sif is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturl ...
( 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; and
Surtr In Norse mythology, Surtr (Old Norse "black"Orchard (1997:154). or more narrowly "swart",Simek (2007:303–304) Surtur in modern Icelandic language, Icelandic), also sometimes written Surt in English, is a jötunn; he is the greatest of the fire ...
( Chris Browning), a fire Giant who lives in Muspelheim. The three
Norns The Norns ( , plural: ) are a group of deities in Norse mythology responsible for shaping the course of human destinies.''Nordisk familjebok'' (1907) The Norns are often represented as three goddesses known as Urd ( Urðr), Verðandi, and S ...
also appear, who are the
Fates The Fates are a common motif in European polytheism, most frequently represented as a trio of goddesses. The Fates shape the destiny of each human, often expressed in textile metaphors such as spinning fibers into yarn, or weaving threads on a ...
of Norse mythology— Urð ( Kate Miller), the Norn associated with the past,
Verðandi In Norse mythology, Verðandi (Old Norse, meaning possibly "happening" or "present"Orchard (1997:174).), sometimes anglicized as Verdandi or Verthandi, is one of the norns. Along with Urðr (Old Norse "fate"Orchard (1997:169).) and Skuld (possi ...
(
Emily O'Brien Emily Roya O'Brien is an English actress and writer who is known for her role of Jana Hawkes Fisher on ''The Young and the Restless'' from 2006 to 2011. She voiced The Woman in the '' Love, Death & Robots'' episode "The Witness", which won a ...
), the Norn associated with the present, and
Skuld Skuld ("debt" or "obligation"; sharing etymology with the English "should") is a Norn in Norse mythology. Along with Urðr (Old Norse "fate"Orchard (1997:169).) and Verðandi (possibly "happening" or "present"Orchard (1997:174).), Skuld makes ...
( Shelby Young), the Norn associated with the future. Kratos's second wife—Atreus's mother—
Laufey Laufey may refer to: Mythology and fictional characters * Laufey (mythology) Laufey or Nál is a figure in Norse mythology and the mother of Loki. The latter is frequently mentioned by the matronymic ''Loki Laufeyjarson'' (Old Norse 'Loki Laufey' ...
( Deborah Ann Woll), a Giantess who goes by Faye for short and had died shortly before the start of the previous game, appears in flashbacks to Kratos, preparing him for her death and her final wish, which was the basis of the previous game. The DLC expansion ''Valhalla'' sees the return of the Greek Sun god
Helios In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Helios (; ; Homeric Greek: ) is the god who personification, personifies the Sun. His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyperion ("the one above") an ...
(
Crispin Freeman Crispin Freeman is an American voice actor, voice director, and screenwriter who is best known for voicing characters in English-language dubs of Japanese anime, animation, and video games. Some of his prominent anime roles include Zelgadis Grayw ...
), who appears as an illusory head during Kratos and Mímir's journey in Valhalla, briefly taking Mímir's place; Helios mocks and taunts Kratos about his past and his desire for redemption. The Valkyries Sigrun (
Misty Lee Misty Lee is an American voice actress, comedian and magician. Early life Misty Lee was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and spent most of her childhood in Detroit, which she credits as inspiration for her unique sense of humor and interest in ...
),
Gunnr Gunnr (alternatively ''Guðr'') is one of the named Valkyries in Norse mythology, specifically referenced in the ''Völuspá'' (st. 30/7; NK, p. 7), Helgakviða Hundingsbana II (st. 7/4; NK, p. 152), and the ''Prose Edda.'' Her name is an Old Nors ...
(Anna Campbell), and Eir (
Sarah Sokolovic Sarah Sokolovic is an American film, television, and theatre actress, who starred in '' Homeland'' as Laura Sutton and has a recurring role on '' Big Little Lies''. She has also performed on stage, including in ''The Shaggs: Philosophy of the ...
), who had minor roles in ''Ragnarök'', act as guides for Kratos and Mímir in ''Valhalla''.


Plot

Near the end of Fimbulwinter, Kratos and Atreus return home—fending off an ambush from a vengeful Freya—to find their wolf
Fenrir Fenrir (Old Norse 'fen-dweller')Orchard (1997:42). or Fenrisúlfr (Old Norse "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"),Simek (2007:81). also referred to as Hróðvitnir (Old Norse "fame-wolf")Simek (2007:160). and Vánagandr (Old Nors ...
as he dies. Atreus's grief briefly transforms him into a bear and he battles Kratos before returning to his senses. Thor arrives with Odin, who proposes leaving them alone if Atreus abandons searching for Týr. Kratos refuses and duels Thor to a stalemate. Odin tells Atreus he will leave Kratos alone if the former comes to Asgard. Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir take refuge at Sindri's home on a branch of
Yggdrasil Yggdrasil () is an immense and central sacred tree in Norse cosmology. Around it exists all else, including the Nine Worlds. Yggdrasil is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'' compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and in t ...
, and rescue a pacifistic Týr in Svartalfheim. At
Gróa In Norse mythology, Gróa (possibly from Old Norse "growing"Orchard (1997:63).) is a völva (seeress) and practitioner of ''seiðr''. She is the wife of Aurvandil the Bold. Groa was also the goddess of knowledge. Attestations ''Prose Edda'' ...
's shrine in Alfheim, they learn only Asgard is fated for destruction while other realms survive under a new champion, implied to be Atreus as Loki. Kratos and Atreus argue over the latter's supposed destiny. Atreus is transported to Jötunheim. He meets Angrboda, who shows him a mural seemingly foretelling Kratos's death in Ragnarök and Atreus serving Odin. Atreus is entrusted with spiritual stones containing Giants' souls, putting one into a snake's body. Atreus returns to Midgard where Freya attacks but relents, agreeing to spare Kratos if he helps break the curse binding her to Midgard, which she temporarily circumvents by transforming into a falcon. In Vanaheim, Kratos opens up to Freya about his family's deaths in Greece, his vengeance against Olympus, and the emptiness of revenge. After breaking the curse, Freya and Kratos make amends. Atreus's deceitful behavior prompts an argument with Kratos, causing Atreus to flee to Asgard to attempt to prevent Kratos's death. He works with Thor and Thrúd to prevent Ragnarök by reassembling an ancient mask for Odin that supposedly grants infinite knowledge. Kratos, Freya, and Mímir visit the Norns who say Heimdall is destined to kill Atreus. Kratos and Brok forge the
Draupnir In Norse mythology, Draupnir (Old Norse: , "the dripper"Orchard (1997:34).) is a gold ring possessed by the god Odin with the ability to multiply itself: Every ninth night, eight new rings 'drip' from Draupnir, each one of the same size and wei ...
ring into a spear capable of harming Heimdall. In Helheim, Atreus releases the soulless giant wolf Garm, who tears holes between realms. Reunited with Kratos, Atreus resurrects Fenrir by transferring his soul into Garm, and Kratos and Atreus reconcile. In Vanaheim, Kratos is forced to kill Heimdall and claims Gjallarhorn, setting Ragnarök in motion. Atreus returns to Asgard and assembles the mask before escaping with it. Týr agrees to fight and asks for the mask; suspicious of Týr's sudden change of heart, Brok realizes he is calling Atreus "Loki", like Asgardians. Týr fatally stabs Brok, revealing himself as Odin in disguise. He is driven away but a grief-stricken Sindri blames Atreus for Brok's death and abandons the group. Atreus and Kratos commit to Ragnarök, entering Muspelheim to help Surtr achieve a destined primordial form to destroy Asgard. The realms' united forces gather under Kratos's leadership; he sounds Gjallarhorn to begin the siege of Asgard. It begins poorly, but the tides turn when Angrboda arrives with Fenrir and the snake Atreus saved, now grown into
Jörmungandr In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr (, see Etymology), also known as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent (, "worm of Midgard"), is an unfathomably large and monstrous sea serpent or worm who dwells in the world sea, encircling the Earth ( Midga ...
, who battles Thor while Sindri destroys Asgard's wall. Thrúd and Sif defect after discovering Odin used Midgardian refugees as shields. Thor knocks Jörmungandr back in time and battles Kratos, but is convinced to stand down to help his family, only to be killed by Odin for disobeying. Kratos, Atreus, and Freya fight Odin, who encourages Atreus to use the mask; Atreus shatters it. An infuriated Odin attacks again but is eventually defeated. Atreus traps Odin's soul in a spiritual stone, which Sindri smashes, finally killing the mad tyrant. Surtr, now Ragnarök, destroys Asgard as the group escapes to Midgard whilst Freyr sacrifices himself to buy time for them to escape. Angrboda shows Kratos and Atreus a mural Faye had destroyed so they could determine their own fate. Atreus resolves to find surviving Giants and bids farewell to Kratos, who then discovers a mural depicting himself as a beloved god of peace and justice. Overcome with emotion and finally hopeful about his future, Kratos recruits Freya and Mímir to restore peace. Asgard's Einherjar are cleared out, Freya kills the vengeful Valkyrie Queen Gná and reclaims her mantle, the Aesir relocate to Vanaheim and achieve peace with the Vanir, Thrúd wields Mjölnir to honor Thor, and the real Týr is found and freed in Niflheim. In the secret ending, Kratos, Freya, Mímir, and an unforgiving Sindri attend Brok's funeral in Svartalfheim.


''Valhalla''

Sometime after the events of ''Ragnarök'', Kratos receives an anonymous invitation to Valhalla. He and Mímir travel to the last remnant of Asgard and force their way through Valhalla's entrance. Kratos's equipment and magical powers are suddenly stripped away and he is defeated in combat. Waking up on the shores outside the entrance, they are confronted by Freya and the Valkyrie Sigrun, who berate Kratos and Mímir for breaking into Valhalla without informing them, but allow him entrance. Prior to coming to Valhalla, Freya, now Queen of the Realms, invited Kratos to join her council as the new Norse God of War, but he refused, reluctant to wield such power again after abusing it during his time in Greece. After fighting his way through Valhalla, Kratos is approached by Týr, who is revealed to have sent the invitation. While the two spar, Týr coaxes Kratos to open up and face his past, but Kratos's anguish prevents him from doing so. Týr reveals that Kratos must use Valhalla to master himself and come to terms with who he used to be. Kratos then proceeds through more trials within Valhalla, facing manifestations of past foes, such as Modi and Magni. He also deals with appearances from the illusory head of Helios, while Mímir is transported to a forest. One attempt goes wrong, and Sigrun violates Valhalla's rules to save Kratos and Mímir from a definitive death, thus weakening her connection to the land. After several more sparring sessions with various weapons from around the world such as a
macuahuitl A macuahuitl () is a weapon, a wooden sword with several embedded obsidian blades. The name is derived from the Nahuatl language and means "hand-wood". Its sides are embedded with prismatic blades traditionally made from obsidian, which is c ...
, a pair of
khopesh The ''khopesh'' ('; also vocalized khepesh) is an Egyptian sickle-shaped sword that developed from battle axes. The sword style originated in Western Asia during the Bronze Age and was introduced in the Second Intermediate Period.Lloyd, Alan B. ...
es and an ōdachi, Týr helps Kratos confront a manifestation of his younger self in order to overcome his fears and self-loathing. Kratos concludes that although his younger self was spiteful and cruel, he also sacrificed himself in order to release the power of hope back to humanity, proving there was always good in him. Realizing the difference between serving others and being of service, Kratos makes peace with himself and agrees to join Freya's council as a god of hope. Through more trials in Valhalla, Mímir reveals the history and depth of his romantic feelings for Sigrun. In the secret ending, Sigrun decides not to go through the trials to restore her connection to Valhalla, instead choosing to leave her post as a Valkyrie and travel the world alone to find her own purpose. Kratos, Mímir, Freya, and the Valkyries, Gunnr and Eir, see her off, with Sigrun promising to eventually return to Mímir.


Development

During the development of ''
God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in polytheism, polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been portrayed in their ...
'' (2018), that game's director Cory Barlog confirmed that the 2018 installment would not be Kratos's last game, and that future games would continue to be set in the Norse environment and include Atreus. A sequel was then 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. Following this saw various pre-release marketing materials that included the hidden phrase "Ragnarök is coming". During the
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
(PS5) Showcase event on September 16, 2020, a new ''God of War'' was officially announced for a 2021 release on the newer console. After
Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is an American video game and digital entertainment company that is a major subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. It primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game co ...
revealed their plans to support their previous console until at least 2022, it was later confirmed that the game would also release on the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
(PS4), in turn marking the first cross-gen release in the series. The game's title was confirmed to be ''God of War Ragnarök'' during the following year's showcase event, although earlier that year, the title had accidentally been leaked. Development of the game was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, head of
PlayStation Studios PlayStation Studios (formerly SCE Worldwide Studios and SIE Worldwide Studios) is a division of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) that oversees the video game development at the studios owned by SIE. The division was established as SCE Worl ...
, Hermen Hulst, confirmed that the game had been delayed, partly due to the pandemic, as he stated that there were issues getting access to performance capture and talent.
Santa Monica Studio Santa Monica Studio is an American video game developer of Sony Interactive Entertainment based in Los Angeles. It is best known for developing the ''God of War'' series. The studio was founded in 1999 by Allan Becker and was located in Santa ...
issued a statement regarding the 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 delay brought a unique issue with Atreus actor Sunny Suljic, who was going through puberty during the time of production. Due to the change in his voice, supervising dialogue designer Jodie Kupsco 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 noted there were no changes to cinematics as a result of the delay, but they had to get creative in how they made the content. In following pandemic guidelines, they had actors "stand in" for background characters in some scenes "to avoid a situation where too many people were on-set". In a series of tweets posted by Kratos actor Christopher Judge in late September 2021, he said that he was the reason that the game was delayed due to surgery he needed in August 2019, and that Santa Monica allowed him time to recover and rehabilitate before continuing production. During the 2021 PlayStation Showcase event, 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—Barlog served as a producer and creative director. It was also revealed 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 about five years to develop, and they did not want to take another five years, totaling nearly 15 years, to tell one story. Lead writer Rich Gaubert said there were pros and cons to doing a trilogy or ending the Norse era at two games. The developers debated 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 had worry 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 originally thought that the Norse era would be a trilogy with ''Ragnarök'' split into two games. The decision to end the Norse era with ''Ragnarök'' was ultimately left to Barlog, and Williams stated 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 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. Narrative director Matt Sophos revealed that during early development, there was an idea pitched in which Kratos died during his first battle with Thor and then there would have been a 20-year time jump where Atreus would rescue him from Helheim. This was rejected as Williams did not like it, but he also did not want to repeat a plot sequence that had been done during the Greek games. The emotion and main hook of ''Ragnarök''s actual story were also missing in this proposed idea, and the actual ending worked better for what they wanted to do, which was to say that prophecy and fate are not predetermined. On July 6, 2022, a new cinematic trailer was unveiled, which confirmed a worldwide release date of November 9, 2022. Another trailer was shown during Sony's 2022 State of Play event on September 13, and it was confirmed that just like the 2018 installment, ''Ragnarök'' was done in one shot. Additionally, the game supports options for players to run the game in either higher resolution or better performance, including
4K resolution 4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) with a 16:9 asp ...
at 30
frames per second A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (co ...
(fps),
1080p 1080p (1920 × 1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the sc ...
resolution at 60fps, a high frame resolution mode in 4K at 40fps, and a high frame performance mode that syncs to 120
hertz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or Cycle per second, cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in ter ...
. The latter two high frame options are only available for the PS5 version and require monitors with
HDMI 2.1 High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a proprietary digital interface used to transmit high-quality video and audio signals between devices. It is commonly used to connect devices such as televisions, computer monitors, projectors, g ...
. Animation director Bruno Velazquez stated that Santa Monica wanted to ensure that ''Ragnarök'' was fully optimized for the PS4, and as such, it does not utilize all of 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 3D audio effects are a group of sound effects that manipulate the sound produced by Stereophonic sound, stereo speakers, Surround sound, surround-sound speakers, speaker-arrays, or headphones. This frequently involves the virtual placement of sou ...
, 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 also confirmed that the game would have a photo mode, but it would 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 DeLeon Hayes as Angrboda, and
Usman Ally Usman Ally (born August 27, 1982) is a Pakistani-American film, stage and television actor. Marking his acting debut in 2008, Ally won an Obie Award in 2015 for his role in ''The Invisible Hand''. He has appeared in several stage productions in ...
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. After Judge found out that Williams would be directing the game, he briefly quit as he was uncertain about Williams; however, Barlog was able to convince Judge that Williams was fully capable of directing the sequel, which Judge affirmed after working with him. SungWon Cho also announced that he would be providing the voice and motion capture for the squirrel
Ratatoskr In Norse mythology, Ratatoskr (Old Norse, generally considered to mean "drill-tooth"Orchard (1997:129), Simek (2007:261), and Byock (2005:173). or "bore-tooth"Lindow (2001:259).) is a squirrel who runs up and down the world tree Yggdrasil to carr ...
, 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 Bear McCreary (born February 17, 1979) is an American composer of film, television, and video game scores. His work includes the scores of the television series '' Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'', '' Black Sails'', '' ...
, was also confirmed to play a Dwarf musician named Ræb. Unlike the popular portrayal of
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
by
Chris Hemsworth Christopher Hemsworth (born 11 August 1983) is an Australian actor. Born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria, and Bulman, Northern Territory, he rose to prominence playing Kim Hyde in the Australian television series ''Home and Away'' (2004 ...
in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU), 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, the Norse gods were not as extravagant as the Greek gods were. In portraying Thor, Hurst took inspiration from another
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
character,
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
, citing his rage and power. He also took inspiration from
Tommy Lee Jones Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Tommy Lee Jones, various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Scre ...
' character in ''
No Country for Old Men ''No Country for Old Men'' is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin ...
'' (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''. Fans blamed Pearce for the delay and she received threatening messages of sexual harassment. 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 Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
was met with backlash from some fans. They claimed that since the game is based on mythology originating from North Germanic peoples, she should have been
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
. Furthermore, the fans accused the developers of
cultural appropriation Cultural appropriation is the adoption of an element or elements of one culture or cultural identity, identity by members of another culture or identity in a manner perceived as inappropriate or unacknowledged. Such a controversy typically ari ...
and claimed they used race-swap to score political points. 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 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. Barlog compared the situation to 2007's '' God of War II'', which released exclusively on the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
despite the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
's launch some months earlier, noting that 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 Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by ...
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 Eivor, Eivør or Øyvor is a female given name in the Nordic countries. In Sweden, 4,922 people bear the name. The average age is 78. The name perhaps originated from either the Proto-Norse word ''auja'', which is thought to mean "good luck", o ...
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 Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (born 17 March 1990), known professionally as Hozier ( ), is an Irish musician. His music primarily draws from Folk music, folk, Soul music, soul and blues, often using religious and literary themes and taking politica ...
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 Columbia Records is an American reco ...
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. For the ''Valhalla'' DLC, McCreary composed five new tracks, which included contributions from Sam Ewing and Omer Ben-Zvi from McCreary's record label, Sparks & Shadows. Two of the tracks, "Master Thyself " and "The Path", make use of themes from the Greek era of the franchise that were originally composed by Gerard Marino.


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 were 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 were 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 were housed within a box called the Knowledge Keeper's Shrine (a shrine featured in the game). Both editions included a SteelBook game case; however, they did not include a physical copy of the game, only digital versions for both platforms. The centerpiece of both editions was a 16-inch replica of Thor's hammer Mjölnir, and both also included 2-inch carvings of the Vanir twins (Freya and Freyr). Physical items exclusive to the Jötnar Edition included a 7-inch vinyl record of music by Bear McCreary, a pin set of a Falcon, Bear, and Wolf (representing Faye, Kratos, and Atreus, respectively), a replica Draupnir ring, Brok's
dice A die (: dice, sometimes also used as ) is a small, throwable object with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. Dice are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, ro ...
set, and a Yggdrasil cloth map which showed each of the nine realms. Instead of Brok's dice set, the Collector's Edition had 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 art book by
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
, a
PlayStation Network PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
avatar set, and a PS4 background theme; all of this DLC was also included with both physical special editions. Available separately was a limited edition ''Ragnarök'' themed
DualSense The DualShock (originally Dual Shock, trademarked as DUALSHOCK or DUAL SHOCK, with the PlayStation 5 version as DualSense) is a line of gamepads developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment (formerly Sony Computer Entertainment) for the PlayStat ...
controller for the PS5. Additionally, two PS5 bundles were available the same day as the game's release. One bundle was for the disc version of the console while the other was for the digital version, with both including a regular DualSense controller and a voucher code to download the standard version of the game. Furthermore, an official art book from Dark Horse Comics titled ''The Art of God of War Ragnarök'', in both a standard and deluxe edition, was released on November 29, 2022. Since launch, Santa Monica has supported the game with patch updates to address
software bug A software bug is a design defect ( bug) in computer software. A computer program with many or serious bugs may be described as ''buggy''. The effects of a software bug range from minor (such as a misspelled word in the user interface) to sev ...
s. As well, the developers have added new features along with these free updates. 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 adjusting, among other things, the field of view, depth of view, filters, and the visibility and facial expressions of most major characters. A New Game Plus (NG+) mode was added in update patch 4.00 on April 5, 2023. Players must have completed the game on any difficulty before they can access the mode. Experience levels and previously acquired gear carry over into NG+ (with a couple of game-progression related exceptions), which increases the level cap and adds new gear and resources to be acquired, as well as enemy adjustments to make them more challenging. The option to skip cutscenes was also added. Update patch 6.00 released on November 7, 2024, and added a setting for the PS4 and PS5 versions to reduce hints during puzzles. Also as part of the update, the PS5 version received an enhancement patch for the PlayStation 5 Pro, an updated version of the PS5 that released the same day. The patch adds a favor quality setting that targets 60fps, a High Frame Rate mode that unlocks the game's framerate up to 120fps when running on
variable refresh rate Variable refresh rate (VRR) refers to a dynamic display that can continuously and seamlessly change its refresh rate without user input. A display supporting a variable refresh rate usually supports a specific range of refresh rates (e.g. 30 Hertz ...
-capable displays, and players can also opt between PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution and the prior Temporal Anti-Aliasing technique for resolution upscaling. Shortly after ''Ragnarök''s release, game director Eric Williams said there would likely not be a story-based
expansion pack An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion, is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game, collectible card game or Miniature wargaming, miniature wargame. An expansion may introduce new rules ...
post-launch. However, during
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on December 7, a free DLC pack titled ''God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla'' was announced and released on December 12, 2023, as an epilogue to ''Ragnarök''. Although it is an epilogue, ''Valhalla'' can be played without completing ''Ragnarök'', but the developers recommended its completion to avoid spoilers of the base game. In May 2024 during the State of Play event, Sony announced that ''Ragnarök'' would be released for
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
(PC) on September 19, 2024, and would also include the ''Valhalla'' DLC. The PC port supports unlimited framerate, UltraWide support, and support for Nvidia DLSS 3.7/ AMD FSR 3.1/ Intel XeSS 1.3. It also supports PlayStation Trophies, which are shared between the PC and console versions of the game. The PC version originally required a
PlayStation Network PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
account, which made it unavailable for purchase in many countries, but this requirement was removed on January 30, 2025. As part of the ''God of War'' franchise's 20th anniversary celebration, Santa Monica released a free DLC pack for ''Ragnarök'' on March 20, 2025, titled the "Dark Odyssey Collection". The name of the DLC is a reference to the original ''God of War'' as "Dark Odyssey" was the working title for that game, while the DLC itself includes a skin for Kratos inspired by the one unlocked from beating ''God of War II''s God Mode difficulty. The skin changes the color of Kratos's skin and tattoo to black and gold, respectively, while also giving him solid white eyes. There are also Dark Odyssey armor sets for Kratos, Atreus, and Freya, as well as Dark Odyssey versions of Kratos's weapons and shield. The DLC pack was released as part of update patch 6.02, which also added an Edit Appearance option for Kratos's weapons and shield, enabling transmog on these items; transmog was previously only available for Kratos's armor.


Reception

''God of War Ragnarök'' on PS5 received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, 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. Writing for ''IGN'', Simon Cardy said that ''Ragnarök'' provided fresh interpretations of well-known Norse mythological characters, and the actors gave them a unique take that was different from their popular MCU counterparts. Tamoor Hussain of ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' opined that out of all the many different takes on Norse mythology, ''Ragnarök''s is "easily one of the most memorable", as it takes the mythology, deconstructs it, and rebuilds it as an epic story about families. ''
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network. In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. Fr ...
''s Chris Tapsell, however, felt that because ''Ragnarök'' tried to include as much of the series history as possible, the game can feel "both bloated and crowded", but positively noted that due to its length, it meant that there was more of the game to play. Kyle Hilliard at ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
'' wrote that although ''Ragnarök'' did not have the same unique impact that the 2018 installment had, everything that worked well in that prior game is present. In terms of gameplay, ''Ragnarök'' does not make any drastic changes over the 2018 installment, but there are some new additions to the existing mechanics. Hussain said that while the core gameplay is fundamentally the same, this is in ''Ragnarök''s favor, as it made it easy to begin playing. Tapsell, however, was somewhat critical of the combat, stating that he would have liked a more systematic approach, and although there is synergy across the weapons' skills, there is practically no room for expression. Cardy was positive on the combat, saying that being able to perform a weapon attack when leaping off a ledge added another layer to battles. He also said the combat harkens back to the series roots, noting that the Blades of Chaos have a more similar feel to how they performed in the Greek games, but still also felt modern. The update to the shield was also praised, with Hussain stating that it "enhances the offensive feel of combat". Cardy similarly felt the shield was more of an offensive tool, and that parrying is a skill players would want to perfect. The variety of enemies and bosses were also praised among the reviewers. Hilliard opined that the only negative thing about the gameplay was that it was not much different from the previous game. Hussain did have criticism over some gameplay mechanics, stating that in more challenging scenarios, "the mechanics can struggle under the pressure of the increased speed and aggression". Tapsell had similar comments and stated this can be a hindrance in battle. One common criticism among reviewers was the excessive hints in solving puzzles, as the accompanying character offers these hints too soon and too frequently, barely giving the player any time to think about a solution. Although the
role-playing Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing ...
(RPG) elements were praised for giving players a variety of play styles, reviewers felt the system was not innovative. Writing for ''
PCMag ''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and continues . Overview ''PC Magaz ...
'', Clay Halton stated it was the game's "most tedious aspect", as it can be difficult to determine which weapon or armor piece needs upgraded. He also noted this was an issue in the prior game, but it was more complicated in the sequel. Tapsell noted that although there were some new ideas, nothing was really memorable or expressive like in other RPGs, and players could get by without engaging much with it. Cardy, however, said the system was more streamlined and felt it encouraged players to make their own custom builds, praising it as accessible and not overwhelming. The environments were also well-praised for their sense of scale and the changes to returning locations. Hussain praised the changes as not only did they show the effects of Fimbulwinter, but they provided new areas to explore. Tapsell shared similar sentiments and said that the realms were more varied and more inviting, and also said that the sense of scale that was missing in the 2018 installment was resolved in ''Ragnarök''. Halton said that although there is not a noticeable difference from the prior game, largely due to ''Ragnarök'' releasing on both the PS4 and PS5, the game is still beautiful, saying that each realm and their respective environments are "thoughtfully crafted".


Sales

''Ragnarök'' became the fastest-selling first-party game in
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
history, selling 5.1 million units in its first week. By February 2023, the game had sold 11 million units worldwide, which increased to over 15 million units by November 19, 2023. In Japan, the PlayStation 5 version of ''God of War Ragnarök'' sold 29,377 physical units, making it the third best-selling retail game during its first week of release in the country. The PlayStation 4 version sold 11,260 physical units, making it the sixth best-selling retail game in the country throughout the same week. In the United Kingdom, although the exact sales numbers were not revealed, it was reported that ''Ragnarök'' sold more physical units 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 bundles. 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 units, it was the country's second biggest launch of the year, behind ''
FIFA 23 ''FIFA 23'' is a football video game published by EA Sports. It is the 30th and final installment in the ''FIFA'' series that is developed by EA Sports, and released worldwide on 30 September 2022 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation ...
'', and it had a bigger launch than '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II'', ''
Elden Ring is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding provided by the American fantasy writer George R. R. Martin. It was released o ...
'', and '' Pokémon Legends: Arceus''. By the end of 2022, 670,617 units of the game had been sold in the UK, making it the sixth best-selling game of the year in the country. In Germany, the game had sold over 200,000 units by the end of December 2022.


Awards

At the 2020
Golden Joystick Awards The Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the People's Gaming Awards, is a video game award ceremony; it awards the best video games of the year, as voted for originally by the British general public, but is now a global event that can be voted ...
, 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 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
and
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
. 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 Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine's #1 game of the year. At the Game Awards 2022, ''Ragnarök'' won six of its 11 nominations, which was both the most nominations and most awards won at the event. It was nominated for Game of the Year and won Best Narrative and Innovation in Accessibility. Christopher Judge also won Best Performance with Sunny Suljic a nominee for the same award. The game won Game of the Year at the 2022 Titanium Awards. It won all 14 of its nominations at the Game Audio Network Guild Awards, representing more than half of the overall winners. It also received a leading 15 nominations at the 19th British Academy Games Awards, the most nominations for any game in the history of the ceremony, which is hosted by the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
(BAFTA). It won six of its 15 nominations, which was the most awards won at the event, including the EE Game of the Year Award. During the AIAS' 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, ''Ragnarök'' received the most nominations (12), as well as the most awards (7), of the ceremony.


Future

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 ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...
or
Maya mythology Maya mythology or Mayan mythology is part of Mesoamerican mythology and comprises all of the Maya tales in which personified forces of nature, deities, and the heroes interacting with these play the main roles. The legends of the era have to be ...
. He said that the game alluded to other mythologies co-existing in the world, including
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
,
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
, and
Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...
. ''Ragnarök'' would subsequently also have similar references.


Notes


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:God of War Ragnarök 2022 video games Action-adventure games BAFTA winners (video games) Fiction about father–son relationships The Game Awards winners Game Developers Choice Award winners God of War (franchise) Golden Joystick Award winners Hack and slash games Japan Game Award winners New York Game Award winners PlayStation 4 games PlayStation 4 Pro enhanced games PlayStation 5 games PlayStation 5 Pro enhanced games Santa Monica Studio games Single-player video games Sony Interactive Entertainment games Video game sequels 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 Video games set in the Viking Age Windows games