God of War Ragnarök
God of War Ragnarök is an action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, marking the first cross-gen release in the God of War series. It is the ninth installment in the series, the ninth chronologically, and the sequel to 2018's God of War. Loosely based on Norse mythology, the game is set in ancient Scandinavia and features series protagonist, Kratos, and his now teenage son, Atreus. Concluding the Norse era of the series, the game covers Ragnarök, the eschatological event which is central to Norse mythology and was foretold to happen in the previous game after Kratos killed the Aesir god Baldur.
God of War Ragnarök
- Eric Williams
- Cory Barlog
Chad Cox
Jason McDonald
Josh Hobson
Rafael Grassetti
- Matt Sophos
- Richard Zangrande Gaubert
November 9, 2022
The gameplay is similar to the previous 2018 installment. It features combo-based combat, as well as puzzle and role-playing elements. The gameplay has been revamped from the previous game: in addition to Kratos's main weapons, a magical battle axe and his double-chained blades, he also acquires a magical spear and his shield has become more versatile, with different types of shields that have differing offensive and defensive abilities. His son Atreus, as well as some other characters, provide assistance in combat and can be passively controlled. Additionally, and for the first time in the series, there are some story missions where the player takes full control of Atreus; his gameplay is similar to Kratos, but he uses his magical bow as his weapon. There are also more enemy types and mini-bosses than in the previous game. Originally slated for a 2021 release, the game was delayed in part due to Kratos actor Christopher Judge's health problems in August 2019, and later, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on development. A free downloadable content 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, where he must come to terms with his past life in Greece.
Ragnarök garnered universal acclaim from critics and was praised for its storytelling, characters, visuals, level design, music, and overall improvements to the gameplay over its predecessor. The game sold 5.1 million units in its first week, making it the fastest-selling first-party launch week in PlayStation history, with over 15 million units sold as of 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 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.
Synopsis[edit]
Setting[edit]
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 is the primary realm which has become a frigid wasteland, dramatically changed by Fimbulwinter, a three-year long winter that began upon the conclusion of the previous game. The Lake of the Nine, previously navigable by means of a boat, 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; the fiery realm Muspelheim, and fog realm Niflheim, 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 gods as well as the giant wolves Sköll and Hati; and Asgard, 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, 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.
God of War Ragnarök (Original Soundtrack)
Release[edit]
God of War Ragnarök was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.[41] Players who purchase the PS4 version can upgrade to the PS5 version for US$10. In addition to the standard base game (physical and digital), there are three special editions: the Jötnar Edition, the Collector's Edition, and the Digital Deluxe Edition. Early copies of the base game were also marketed as a Launch Edition and included the Risen Snow Armor and Tunic skins for Kratos and Atreus, respectively, which are also included with the three special editions. Pre-orders for all versions opened on July 15, 2022.[62]
The items in both the Jötnar Edition and the Collector's Edition are housed within a box called the Knowledge Keeper's Shrine (a shrine featured in the game). Both editions include a SteelBook game case; however, they do not include a physical copy of the game, only digital versions for both platforms. The centerpiece of both editions is a 16-inch replica of Thor's hammer Mjölnir, and both also include 2-inch carvings of the Vanir twins (Freya and Freyr). Physical items exclusive to the Jötnar Edition include a 7-inch vinyl record of music by Bear McCreary, a pin set of a Falcon, Bear, and Wolf (which represent Faye, Kratos, and Atreus, respectively), a replica Draupnir ring, Brok's dice set, and a Yggdrasil cloth map which shows each of the nine realms. Instead of Brok's dice set, the Collector's Edition has a Dwarven dice set. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the Darkdale armor and weapon skins for Kratos and Atreus, the official God of War Ragnarök soundtrack, a mini art book by Dark Horse Comics, a PlayStation Network avatar set, and a PS4 background theme; all of this DLC is also included with both physical special editions.[62]
Available separately was a limited edition Ragnarök themed DualSense controller for the PS5.[63] 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.[64] 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.[65]
Since launch, Santa Monica has supported the game with patch updates to address software bugs. 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.[66] 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.[67]
Shortly after Ragnarök's release, game director Eric Williams said there would likely not be a story-based expansion pack post-launch.[68] However, during the 2023 Game Awards 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.[69]
Future[edit]
Prior to the release of the 2018 installment, Cory Barlog said that after the Norse era of God of War, future games could see the series tackling either Egyptian or Maya mythology.[133] He said that the game alluded to other mythologies co-existing in the world, including Celtic, Japanese, and Irish mythology.[134] Ragnarök would subsequently also have similar references.[135]