Exclusives will punctuate this year 2022, and PlayStation will have serious arguments to make in this area. Whether Horizon forbidden west releasing in just a handful of weeks, another even more anticipated title is on the horizon (no pun intended). It is obviously about God of War Ragnarok.
In 2018, Santa Monica Studio shocked gamers around the world with God of War. And if, in its overall construction, this opus looked like a kind of reboot, its story nevertheless followed that of the third episode launched on PS3 in 2010. Thus, after four long years of work, Kratos will be back in a new epic that already promises to be grandiose!
The end of the world is near
The adventure of God of War Ragnarök takes place about three years after that of the previous game. We find once again Kratos and his son Atreus (or Loki), while the latter seeks answers concerning his true identity. Alas, the imminent catastrophe of Ragnarök will come to counter the plans of our duo. It is simply the end of the world caused by a long sunless winter followed by a battle that will cause the death of men, but also of gods and giants.
On their journey, Kratos and Atreus will traverse the Nine Realms, battling creatures and gods who will try to stand in their way. Characters seen in the 2018 opus like Mimir, Brok, Sindri and Freya will make a comeback. The latter will obviously hunt down our protagonists in order to avenge the death of her son Baldur. New faces will also appear, such as the thunder god Thor or the young ice giant Angrboda. Finally, Týr, the god of the sky, of war, of justice, of victory and of strategy (sacred CV) should also occupy a central role.
An almost unchanged formula?
God of War (2018) brought new blood to the saga through its more cinematic dimension. The camera placed directly behind Kratos or the “sequence shot” aspect without any loading time reinforced the immersion. Ragnarök should not upset this proven formula. The first trailer demonstrates this well, since the dynamics of combat and the means of movement hardly change. For example, we can borrow sled dogs (or probably wolves) to move faster through snowy areas. A boat will also be on the program.
When it comes to clashes, Kratos will always have his Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, and Guardian Shield to suppress threats. Atreus, who has perfected his craft over the years, will enjoy new abilities. Rumors even go so far as to mention the possibility of playing the teenager. For now, Santa Monica Studio has neither confirmed nor denied this information. What is certain is that the handling should not be too different from that of the previous opus.
Always more beautiful, always stronger!
If God of War Ragnarök will be part of the continuity of its predecessor, it must also innovate in certain areas. Already, the game may be planned on PS4, it will also be a showcase for the PlayStation 5. At this level, Santa Monica Studio has never disappointed and has always been able to take advantage of the power offered by Sony consoles. The trailer showed us perfectly modeled characters, sumptuous sets and spectacular staging. We will be in the presence of a real blockbuster which should amaze us.
These epic moments will contrast with the story of God of War Ragnarök which is intended to be rather intimate. The theme of the family will come up often, and we must expect a dramatic turn of events… Because this game will also come to conclude the narrative arc of Norse mythology. What will happen next? Should we expect to dive into the heart of another mythology? Like the Egyptian folklore that was once considered by the Santa Monica teams for the 2018 game? It is still too early to tell.
Ragnarök is coming…soon?
The great unknown of this God of War Ragnarök remains its release date. Initially, the PlayStation exclusivity was to arrive among us in 2021. If the COVID-19 is not totally foreign to the postponement formalized last June, it is above all the actor Christopher Judge (Kratos) who would be mainly at the origin of the delay. In a tweet, he notably explained that he was no longer able to walk in August 2019. He then had back and knee surgery. Rather than replacing him, the Santa Monica Studio teams preferred to wait for him to recover to resume motion capture sessions.
In addition, director Cory Barlog has given way to Eric Williams at the helm of God of War Ragnarök. A habit for the saga, since only Barlog has produced two different opuses to date (God of War 2 and God of War on PS4). A small reorganization has necessarily taken place internally and possibly led to an upheaval of the calendar.
Anyway, God of War Ragnarök should be released in 2022 on PS5 and PS4. An upgrade will be on the cards for PS4 players who will be able to get the PS5 version for an additional 10 euros.
