In 2018, a soft reboot of the God of War series was released. Players loved the new Scandinavian setting, so the second part was an expected decision from Sony. The first part even won the "Game of the Year" award at The Game Awards in 2018. It seems that the long wait for the new installment is gradually coming to an end as a trailer has been revealed. Let's consider all the available information at the moment.

When to expect the release?

The trailer, presented on September 9th, illustrates not just a video made with the game engine but also full-fledged gameplay. All of this gives hope that the next part is not far off. Naturally, the developers will continue to generate interest in the project until its release. For now, only the release year has been announced - 2022.

It's worth remembering that the game was initially announced on September 16th, 2020. At that time, they only showed the project's title against a dark background with epic music. However, there were already hints of a continuation at the end of the first part, such as the appearance of Thor, whose sons did not exchange pleasantries during the course of the game.

As for the current platforms, God of War Ragnarok will be released exclusively on PlayStation 4 and 5. Sony is not yet taking the risk of making its major projects solely for the new generation of consoles.

What is known about the plot?

Since the developers are not inclined to disclose detailed plot information about the new part at the moment, it's worth recalling the ending of the first game. The adventure concluded with the killing of Baldur, the Norse god. Afterwards, Kratos and his son arrived at the highest point of all nine realms to scatter the ashes of Atreus' mother.

On the way to the summit, Kratos discovered that Faye (Atreus' mother) was a giantess. In other words, he realized that his son is half god and half giant. Another name for Kratos' son was inscribed on the wall in the cave - Loki. Referring to Norse mythology, this name has always belonged to the god of mischief and cunning. Interestingly, Atreus doesn't resemble the Loki from the Marvel cinematic universe yet.

Partially revealing the plot of the second part is a fresco found in Jotunheim. There is a prophecy according to which the main protagonist of the series, Kratos, will die at the hands of his son. Atreus, while holding his father, gazes intently at something hidden behind a curtain. Frescoes depicting predicted futures and pasts regularly appeared to players during their journey through the game's world.

The Coming of Ragnarok

The title itself suggests what will happen in the second part. According to Norse mythology, Ragnarok begins with the death of several gods. It's worth reminding that Baldur and Thor's sons have already fallen at the hands of players, which was supposed to set off changes in the world. The theme of the death of gods and the world has been raised in dialogues throughout the game.

In April 2019, the developers released a theme for PlayStation commemorating the project's anniversary. The main characters are seen sailing on a boat with runes inscribed on it, meaning "Ragnarok is Coming." Therefore, too many sources converge on the fact that the events will take place during the predicted event.

Unveiling New Gods

The Aesir are a group of gods from Norse mythology, with Odin considered their leader. And Thor, his son, made an appearance at the end of the first part. The final cutscene shows the mighty thunder god coming not to have a conversation but to seek revenge on Kratos and Atreus for the death of his sons and brother. The god of thunder silently reaches for his hammer to settle the score with the foreigners.

There is a high probability that players will also encounter Odin. The developers have repeatedly hinted that Allfather is the one who leads the other gods. It is worth reminding that in the world of God of War, Odin's ravens could be found, closely observing everything that was happening. We were promised that the leader of the Aesir will make an indelible impression with his appearance.

Epic battles with the gods will undoubtedly become one of the key mechanics of the game. The grown-up Atreus will directly participate in combat, as was already demonstrated in the first part. It is still unclear whether we will have to fight multiple gods simultaneously. By the way, the trailer showed that Freya, Baldur's mother, has not forgiven Kratos for killing her son. An interesting confrontation on sleds with the enraged goddess from Vanaheim was depicted.

Týr, the god of war in Scandinavian mythology, was also shown in the trailer. Despite his epic appearance and the intense gaze directed at Kratos, the new character is likely to be on the side of the main protagonists. Interestingly, according to mythology, Týr, like Atreus, is the son of a god and a giantess.

It would be a crime not to mention Angrboða, who, according to legends, was Loki's wife. All of this leaves the possibility of a romantic storyline between Atreus and the giantess. Judging from the trailer, the girl is roughly the same age as the young boy, which only confirms the speculation.

World Geography

Familiar locations were glimpsed multiple times in the trailer, such as the large lake, which, however, was covered in ice. The developers will allow us to revisit beloved places, and the world itself will be significantly expanded. In the first part, there was no opportunity to visit certain realms, which will be rectified in the sequel.

Since God of War Ragnarok will be the final game in the Norse saga, players will have access to all nine realms. Where the series about the god of war will turn next is still unclear. There is a possibility that Atreus, Kratos' son, will become the main protagonist.

Gameplay

It is unlikely that we should expect any radical changes, as God of War Ragnarok is a direct continuation. The new mechanics did not have time to become stale within one installment, so the developers may have focused on other aspects.

There is a possibility that gameplay changes will mostly affect Atreus, as he has noticeably grown compared to the first part. The young boy has become taller, stronger, and more resilient, which will certainly be reflected in the innovations. Additionally, the developers may take advantage of the fact that Atreus is half-giant. This means he will acquire new abilities inherent to this race. However, it is unlikely that he will rely solely on brute force in battle, like his father.

Referring once again to Scandinavian myths and legends, it becomes clear that Loki was skilled in changing his shape. He could transform into any animal or human. It would be very interesting to see something similar introduced in the sequel. It is possible that certain segments of the game will be played as Atreus alone.

Most likely, the existing combat system will receive significant expansion. New armor elements, weapon upgrades, runes, and special abilities will add variability in dealing with both regular enemies and powerful bosses. Variety will also be added by new enemies glimpsed in the trailer. For example, in one of the frames, Kratos clashed with a centaur.

Necessary Changes and Player Wishes

In addition to improving graphics and expanding the combat system, there are a few important points that the community wants to see in the sequel. Some of them are automatically fulfilled when the game is installed on PlayStation 5. Thus, we can expect fast loading times, increased frame rates, and draw distances. Moreover, there is a high probability that the option to choose between performance and quality mode will be added.

Initially, the game was planned to be released on PlayStation 4 as well. Santa Monica developers have not been known for poor optimization of their projects, which gives hope for decent graphics and frame rates on the previous generation of consoles. Since God of War is an exclusive title, a situation similar to Cyberpunk's is impossible to occur, even in theory.

The community also didn't warmly receive the decision of the developers to assign the character rotation to the lower D-pad button in the original game. In the heat of battle, it's easy to get disoriented in space, which is critical at higher difficulty levels. If the studio's specialists also work on the camera, they will earn the love and respect of the series' fans.

In Conclusion

The God of War game series started back with PlayStation 2. Over the course of 16 years, the projects have gained an incredible number of fans worldwide. Even the change from the bloodthirsty Kratos to the "exemplary" father figure was warmly received by players with the release of the reboot. The new portrayal of the main protagonist allowed the series to take an unexpected turn while maintaining its popularity and demand.

Fans around the world eagerly await the release of the game. Until then, the developers will gradually reveal new details and changes being made. All that's left is to be patient and wait.