Do you want to know what’s next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry at GamesBeat Summit Next in October. Register today.
The upcoming God of War Ragnarok is Sony’s 2022 crescendo, launching on November 9. I played the first few hours of Ragnarok on PlayStation 5, and oh boy, if that was anything, this sequel is going to be a doozy.
There’s a lot I can’t say due to spoilers, but the first thing that struck me was that Ragnarok is breathtakingly beautiful. The Midgardian home of Kratos and Atreus is ravaged by the snows of Fimbulwinter, making it even bleaker than before, and it looks great on PS5. During the preview period, the two also visit Svartalfheim, home of the dwarves. The festering swamps and densely populated city of Nidavellir are visually distinguishable from other series locations. When we first arrived in the realm, both Atreus and I stopped to gasp.
Combat has also been improved, with Kratos’ signature weapons – the Leviathan Axe and the Blades of Chaos – available from the get-go. Kratos still has some moves at his disposal that he didn’t have at the start of the last game, and he has more enemies to use them on. I played on the medium difficulty and found the combat relatively easy to pick up and learn, although I’d like to play against tougher enemies before making a final judgment.
There is an early battle between Thor and Kratos that is particularly satisfying to play. The gameplay speed adjustment is most noticeable here. It’s not a hard fight by any means – looks like Thor is playing with his food. But it’s absolutely breathtaking to watch, especially since Thor is the first character to give Kratos a real run for his money in a while. I’m not going to go into detail because I think it’s something everyone deserves to experience for themselves.
Kratos and Atreus: The Dynamic Changes
One thing that always struck me as odd about God of War 2018 was the selective memory regarding the previous games in the series. It’s not a full reboot – Kratos is the same person throughout the series. But of his many, a lot acts of violence in the original games, the only one the 2018 title openly refers to is his murder of his father, Zeus. I understand why – Kratos’ disastrous “relationship” with his father is the reason he treats son Atreus the way he does, because he desperately wants Atreus to break this cycle and become better than he was.
What the game doesn’t mention is what started the whole mess. He who simply says “I killed my father” to Atreus omits a lot of complicated backstories that would put that act into context. The one crime with which Kratos has never historically reconciled is his rage-induced murder of his first wife and daughter. The end of the 2018 match implies he’s made peace with it, but he doesn’t tell Atreus that. And if Ragnarok’s opening hours are any indication, he still hasn’t named his firstborn with anyone.
At the beginning of Ragnarok, several other characters are in Kratos’ case because of their children. Freya is mad at him for killing Balder. Thor is mad at him for killing Magni and Modi. Even Atreus, now a teenager and much less intimidated by his father than he used to be, has an opinion about Kratos’ ability as a father. If they really wanted to hit Kratos with an inconvenient truth, each of them could easily point out that Kratos is only one-on-two if he doesn’t kill his own offspring (until now).
Something about the increased tension between Atreus and Kratos makes me wonder if that particular fact will eventually come up in the conversation. It sure feels like something will cause a rift between the two. I look forward to finding out how further in the journey we go.
The GamesBeat credo when talking about the game industry, is ‘where passion and business meet’. What does this mean? We want to tell you how important news is to you — not just as a decision maker in a game studio, but also as a game fan. Whether you’re reading our articles, listening to our podcasts, or watching our videos, GamesBeat helps you learn and have fun with the industry. Discover our briefings.
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.