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God of War: Ragnarok trailer sets up war against the gods

Sony Santa Monica finally revealed its long-awaited sequel to 2018’s God of War reboot. The game, officially named God of War: Ragnarok will pit Kratos against Nordic gods and Freya, the rueful mother of Baldur, who Kratos killed at the end of God of War.

The debut trailer for the game shows Kratos and his son preparing to prevent Ragnarok by saving Tyr, the Norse God of war. Kratos’ son also plays a large part in the trailer, and has grown up since God of War. Some sparse gameplay was also shown during today’s trailer. Kratos’ returning axe will still be present in God of War: Ragnarok, along with his Blades of Chaos, which seem to have gotten some upgrades since the first game. Players can now use the blades to grapple up to higher ledges or onto enemies.

Kratos and his son sit by a fire in God of War Ragnarok.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Similarly, the world of Midgard has evolved since God of War. Spurred on by Ragnarok, the mythical land is trapped in winter, with many of the bodies of water that Kratos and his son sailed across in the first game having frozen over. Instead of using a boat to get around, the father and son duo now have a sled pulled by two wolves. Players will apparently explore more of Midgard in Ragnarok, with multiple environments being shown during the trailer.

God of War: Ragnarok didn’t get a release date during the PlayStation Showcase, but it’s likely to launch sometime in 2022. It was originally slated for a 2021 launch before getting pushed back.

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Otto Kratky
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