God of War: Ragnarok will officially hit the shelves worldwide in November 2022. The sequel to 2018’s PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 exclusive still has many unknowns, but at least we now know when it’ll be here. Developer Sony Santa Monica Studios has released plenty of information over the last few years. We’ve collected it all here for your convenience.
Sony announced at the PS5 reveal event in 2020 that Kratos and Atreus would return to explore more of the Norse kingdoms and face more powerful gods seeking vengeance in the next game. To date, this is everything we have learned about the next God of War game.
Is God of War Ragnarok Open World?
Yes.
God of War was mind-blowing. It softened up a series known for its violence, introduced a semi-open world for the 1st time, and reworked the series’ combat experience. Upon starting the game, players were given a boat and encouraged to set off and explore the land, which surprised many players. God of War allowed players to venture away from the main campaign tale and discover a daring new universe by giving them access to six of the nine kingdoms.
God of War: Ragnarok greatly expands the previous game’s semi-open world concept. The PlayStation Blog claims that the sequel will allow players to explore all nine realms, an increase of three from the original game.
Vanaheim, Svartalfheim, and Asgard are “unreachable” regions that players can access using new and ancient traversal mechanisms. The sequel will be significantly larger than the first game, and each of the six realms you explored in 2018’s God of War will include new places.
The gameplay trailer revealed that Midgard’s realm faces Fimbulwinter, the harsh forerunner to Ragnarok. The trailer, though, depicts lush areas and sunny communities, so it appears that this isn’t a problem throughout the Nine Realms. Instead, a new, wolf-drawn sled will enable Kratos and Atreus to travel across the snow-capped territories. In contrast, the boat used for travel in God of War will be used in the areas untouched by Fimbulwinter.
Be prepared to face some strong foes, including what appear to be the guards of Asgard, as you explore these uncharted territories. Things will get difficult quickly because Freya and Thor are both angry with the father/son duo.
With so much hype and interesting gameplay elements, you’ll have the best experience playing God of War Ragnarok with some good open-back headphones. (Coz you don’t want to ignore your surroundings completely)
Is God of War Ragnarok the End of the Norse Saga?
Yes.
Sony has stated that God of War Ragnarok will be the final installment in the Norse saga. No one saw this coming because there had already been three previous installments in the Greek mythology series.
Santa Monica Studio’s creative director Cory Barlog has given an overview of their decision with God of War YouTuber Kaptain Kuba.
“Time is an essential factor, but there are other justifications as well. It took five years to make the first game. I have no idea how long it will take to complete this one, but I’m guessing somewhere around the same time it took to complete the first game.”
“Then, if you say, wow, there’s a third one in the same timeframe, and we’re talking about a span of close to 15 years of the same scenario. I think you’re trying to make too much of that. I think it’s unreasonable to expect the story’s conclusion to come in such a lengthy time frame.”
Barlog continued by explaining the team’s reasoning for thinking two games are enough to wrap up the saga of Kratos and Atreus.
“From the start, telling Kratos and Atreus’ stories was at the heart of what we set out to do.” According to Barlog, the dynamic between the two protagonists is the story’s driving force.
“It’s easy to see the story’s complexity spreading like waves across an ocean, with repercussions felt for thousands of miles. Is it really essential and helpful to spread everything out that far, or are we just losing focus because it’s so scattered?”
The community’s reaction to the announcement of the story’s conclusion varies because many feel it is ending too quickly. However, no developer should prolong a series if doing so will compromise its artistic integrity.
What Can We Expect from God of War Ragnarok?
What we saw in the God of War: Ragnarok announcement trailer accurately set our expectations. It has been years since the end of God of War in 2018, as indicated by an older, more determined Atreus.
As Kratos struggles with his son’s stubborn nature and his understanding of who Atreus really is, the two of them must also face the upcoming Ragnarok, the mythic Norse version of an apocalypse, where they will encounter adversaries they made in God of War, such as Freya, as well as new enemies, such as Thor. You’ll get to explore the other three realms (Vanaheim and Svartalfheim) along with Asgard, bringing the total number of realms to nine.
New creatures like Angrboda are introduced in the trailer as well. But who’s that huge dude at the end of the trailer? He’s Tyr, Odin’s son, and Baldur, Thor’s half-brother. Odin has imprisoned Tyr. Hence, Tyr will have a strong desire for revenge.
Considering that God of War ended with Thor’s children dead, many viewers believe he will play a significant villainous role in Ragnarok. This was only hinted at in the original game’s secret ending, though, and has yet to be proven.
Given the series’s subject matter, at least a few relatives are bound to be raging for payback. However, due to elements like karma, family, and conflict, these guesses have the potential to become major plot twists.
Are you excited enough? Then, wait for God of War Ragnarok’s launch on the official release date, and get in on the fun!