One of the new foes Kratos will face up against has been revealed by the creators of “God of War Ragnarok,” along with some new combat choices that will make the Ghost of Sparta even more lethal. The eagerly awaited sequel to 2018’s God of War will debut in November 2022 after years of anticipation and rumors.
In “God of War Ragnarok,” Kratos and Atreus will undoubtedly battle a number of mythological foes in their fight to stop the end of the world, with the merciless tyrant Odin now fully aware of the duo’s activities and dispatching his armies to kill them. In “God of War Ragnarok,” even erstwhile allies are turning against Kratos, with the formerly charitable Freya now demanding retribution against the Ghost of Sparta for her son Balder’s passing in the previous game. Finally, after a horrifying tease at the end of God of War, Kratos will finally battle “God of War Ragnarok’s” version of Thor (2018). Fortunately, it appears that Kratos in “God of War Ragnarok” has learned some new strategies for defeating these fresh threats.
Mihir Sheth and Denny Yeh, the main combat designers for “God of War Ragnarok,” recently spoke with Game Informer about the gameplay in their game and how it relates to the old Sony Santa Monica studio philosophy, “Playing with your food.” Sheth discusses how his team aimed to create gameplay mechanisms that are enjoyable, playful, and allow “plenty of various routes” in the interview. This is demonstrated in a seven-minute gameplay sample for “God of War Ragnarok,” in which Kratos and Atreus battle a pair of bipedal, lizard-like creatures known as Grims. Atreus uses his trusty sonic arrows to immobilize opponents while Kratos uses his iconic Leviathan Axe and Olympian power to beat one to submission against a rock wall. Father and son work together to defeat these new enemies. Kratos is attacked by a “Cursed” Grim who uses some sort of poisonous spit on him, but the Ghost of Sparda quickly strikes back by driving his axe into a detonating pot. On the Game Informer Twitter account, there is a post with a link to the complete article.
New Combat and Shield Options Are Added In “God Of War Ragnarok”
New arm shields and an added layer of verticality make God of War Ragnarök’s combat faster and grittier than ever. Read more here: https://t.co/lLTLpEGj66 pic.twitter.com/wjX2a8UbiM
— Game Informer (@gameinformer) August 30, 2022
Sheth and Yeh discuss some of the modifications made to the already acclaimed combat system in this “God of War Ragnarok” gameplay demonstration. For instance, the Leviathan Axe of Kratos could be retrieved with the Triangle button after being thrown, but Ragnarok adds a new feature for when the Ghost of Sparta is already holding his sword. These attacks, known as Weapon Signature Moves, let Kratos add ice or fire magic to his Leviathan Axe or Blades of Chaos to deal more damage. Additionally, Kratos’s shield is being updated with the addition of two new shields kinds. After a successful last-second parry, players can launch a counterattack with the Dauntless Shield, but the Stonewall Shield exchanges parrying for a shockwave after deflecting enough enemy attacks.
With these new additions to Kratos’ already amazing arsenal, battle in “God of War Ragnarok” appears to have a strategic component as players must decide which shield and Weapon Signature Move to employ depending on the situation or their play style. Since “God of War Ragnarok” will finally be published on November 9 and give Kratos even more opportunities to toy with his food in the middle of battle, fans won’t have to wait too much longer to try out these new attacks and armor for themselves.
Before Ragnarok, This God of War Tale Recap Is Crucial To Watch