Everything We Know About A Game: God of War: Ragnarök

Are you fascinated by the world of the Vikings? Are you interested in Nordic runes and conquering new kingdoms? Or perhaps you want to expand your knowledge of new action-adventure games?

Whichever of the above questions you answered yes to, you have come to the right place. After reading this article, you will learn all about one of the best and most popular games set in the world of the cold north and as exciting as reading old Nordic myths – God of War: Ragnarök!

God of War: Ragnarök – basic information

God of War: Ragnarök is an action-adventure computer game with hack-and-slash elements, developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is the ninth game in the God of War series and a direct storyline sequel to God of War, released in 2018. The game was released on 9 November 2022 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

The game’s plot, like that of the previous game in the series, is built around the further adventures of protagonists Kratos and his son Atreus in the world of Nordic mythology; the game is set in the territory of ancient Norway. The game is expected to start with the events of Ragnarök, which lead to the death of many Scandinavian gods and the presumed end of the world.

God of War: Ragnarök – the storyline

The story of God of War: Ragnarök is set a few years after the events presented in the previous series’ instalment – the title Ragnarök, a great battle between Norse gods and giants, which is to lead to the end of the world, is imminent. That is evident as the preceding Great Winter (Fimbulvinter) has already reached Midgard. Keen to avoid the inevitable tragedy that further confrontations with the Aesir will undoubtedly bring upon them, Kratos wants to keep Atreus safe at all costs.

However, the son of a Spartan warrior is consumed by curiosity about his identity and what role he will play in the events to come. The heroes are about to embark on another challenging adventure, during which they will have to make choices that will determine not only their and the future of all nine worlds.  They will visit lands that were previously inaccessible – Vanaheim, home of the dwarves, Svartalfheim and home of the Asgard – as well as new places in the worlds already visited: Alfheim, Muspelheim, Helheim, Niflheim, Jotunheim and Midgard.

Three years after the end of the events of the previous game, Kratos and Atreus live in their home in Midgard, waiting for the end of the Fimbulwinter and the coming of the great battle. Ambushed by Freya on their return from a hunt, they find their wolf Fenrir on his deathbed at home. Atreus uses Jotun (Jotun) magic to transfer the wolf’s soul into his knife, then transforms into a giant bear and attacks his father. Kratos is visited by Thor — thus fulfilling Atreus’ dream of three years ago – together with his father Odin. They offer Kratos a deal – Atreus refuses to search for Tyr, the Scandinavian god of war, and Thor and Odin allow them to live in peace in Midgard. Kratos refuses the offer and, after a fight with Thor, hides in the house of the dwarven smiths Brok and Sindri in the Yggdrasil tree.

God of War: Ragnarök – technology

The God of War: Ragnarök runs on the technology developed for the previous instalment of the series. The game’s visuals are top-notch, with detailed models,  great character animations, and detailed environments. The game also features more than sixty accessibility options, implemented with a view to people with disabilities – mainly the visually and hearing impaired, as well as those with limited motor and cognitive abilities.

The settings can be used to enable high-contrast mode, automatically pick up objects, assist camera navigation, slow down reflex-intensive sequences, assign Kratos’ skills to the controller’s touchpad or adjust the size of text and icons displayed on the screen. It’s a game perfect for exploiting all the possibilities of controllers, so customize your PlayStation 5 controller and play with relish. The best custom PS5 controllers you can find on AimControllers – so be sure to create your own PS5 controller using our clever creator.

God of War: Ragnarök — game mechanics

The game’s action takes place from a TPP view. During the game, we move through diverse locations from jungles to vast, labyrinth-like mines to complete quests that move the story forward, perform various side missions, solve environmental puzzles and, as befits a production about the god of war, fight a host of different enemies. The game offers the combat system known from the previous instalment of the series, which got boosted.

During clashes, we must carefully observe the movements of enemies, make timely dodges and launch quick counterattacks. We eliminate enemies using the protagonist’s iconic Chaos Blades and the axe known as the Leviathan – both weapons deliver their special attacks, and the damage they inflict can be amplified with fire or ice magic respectively, allowing you to set opponents on fire or freeze them. The Blades of Chaos and the Leviathan can also be used by Kratos outside of combat. They are particularly useful when solving complex environmental puzzles. Moreover, you can use the Blades to catch yourself on edges, making it easier to get to high rock ledges, and you can throw the axe, so you can then summon it to you, similar to what Thor does with Mjölnir.

Furthermore, God of War: Ragnarök features two new types of shields compared to the previous game in the series. One of them allows for dynamic defence and unarmed counterattacks and the other provides a powerful shield. You can store kinetic energy from enemy blows, which can be released from time to time by hitting the ground, causing devastating shockwaves.

God of War: Ragnarök – conclusions

God of War: Ragnarök is one of Sony Entertainment’s most exciting productions, introducing you to the extraordinary world of Nordic mythology. It’s a game perfect for long winter evenings.