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Listen to the epic ‘God of War’ soundtrack right now on Spotify

Gabe Gurwin
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The Music of God of War with Composer Bear McCreary | Countdown to Launch

God of War releases on Friday, April 20, and we were pretty big fans of Sony Santa Monica’s massively retooled sequel. In addition to the fantastic visuals, compelling story, and engaging combat, the game’s soundtrack is absolutely killer — and you don’t have to own the game to hear it. The God of War soundtrack is now available on Spotify.

The soundtrack was composed by Bear McCreary, whose work can be found in the films 10 Cloverfield Lane and Happy Death Day, as well as Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate — now free for Xbox Live Gold members.

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The God of War soundtrack feels appropriately Scandinavian, with emotional chants, supported by horns and strings in a title track so powerful, you can’t not murder some monsters after hearing it.

Soaring vocals are a theme throughout the soundtrack, with the song Ashes, featuring a female vocalist, sounding slightly similar to Sins of the Father in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

With the integration of Spotify and PlayStation Music on the PlayStation 4, you can essentially make the God of War soundtrack the soundtrack to any game you want. Why not try it out with God of War III: Remastered, just to see the contrast in tone between Kratos’ vengeful past self and his more reserved and introspective side showcased in the new game.

Kratos’ relationship with his son is also explored through McCreary’s work. In a developer video, McCreary said the three-note melody looped through much of Kratos’ theme is meant to be “stern,” conveying the mentoring relationship between the two characters and the lessening of Kratos’ unbridled rage.

“The fact that I could distill [that feeling] down to those three notes — it meant that if he walks into a scene or if he takes the upper hand … if he does anything, Kratos is here,” McCreary added. “He’s taking command, you know?”

It’s unclear if McCreary has inserted any subliminal messages into the God of War soundtrack, but it wouldn’t be out of the question for the series. We just aren’t sure which beverage he’ll choose to reference this time.

God of War releases exclusively for PlayStation 4 on April 20.

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The best video games of November 2022: God of War Ragnarok, Pentiment, and more
Kratos sternly looks at Atreus in God of War: Ragnarok.

November 2022 was filled to the brim with some of the year’s biggest releases, which is typical of this time of year. Although not all of them lived up to expectations, others like God of War Ragnarok garnered critical acclaim and are must-plays for anyone gaming in 2022. Still, there are plenty of other games that released in November 2022 that also deserve admiration.
December 2022 will be packed with exciting games too, so you’ll want to check out these six titles before that rush begins. From well-known games like God of War Ragnarok to smaller indies like A Little to the Left, these are the November 2022 video game releases that you shouldn’t miss.
God of War Ragnarok

Sony Santa Monica followed up 2018’s critically acclaimed God of War with a sequel that is bigger in almost every way. While that doesn’t always work out perfectly for God of War Ragnarok, it’s still a massive and emotionally touching action game. It features many great accessibility options for players that need those too.
“God of War Ragnarok is much bigger than its predecessor, though not inherently better,” Gaming Editor Giovanni Colantonio wrote in his four-star review of the game. “It’s more reminiscent of the jump between the original God of War in 2005 and God of War 2, offering a largely similar experience down to its plot beats. That larger scope makes for a messier story that loses some of the previous game’s intimacy, but the trade-off is even sharper combat that further establishes the franchise as the God of action games.”
As God of War Ragnarok had the bestselling launch of any first-party PlayStation game ever, there's a good chance you're already playing it. If you haven’t checked it out, though, this sequel is a must for PlayStation owners. God of War Ragnarok is available now exclusively for PS4 and PS5.
Pentiment

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God of War Ragnarok: best Runic Abilities
Thor in God of War Ragnarok.

Runic attacks are back from God of War 2018, and they're more varied and potent than ever. These special moves are unique to each weapon in the game and offer various forms of attack that deal different amounts of damage, stun, and elemental afflictions. You can equip two per weapon -- one light and one heavy -- and each one can be upgraded using XP to make them even stronger. You'll need that extra edge in combat, especially when facing off against the tougher bosses in God of War Ragnarok.

You will naturally pick up a lot of Runic attacks as you make your way through the main story in God of War Ragnarok, and while they are easy to manage at first, you will eventually need to make some tough choices. Not only will you need to pick which ones are best, but also which are worth investing upgrades in. With Ragnarok fast approaching, don't waste any time with the weaker Runic attacks in God of War Ragnarok. Here are the best ones for each weapon.

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God of War Ragnarok shares a key strength with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Hafgufa flies away in God of War Ragnarok.

God of War Ragnarok’s main story is memorable, but some of the smaller moments are what have stuck with me most since completing it. I'm not just talking about its moments of quiet, but its optional Favors as well. These sidequests can be entirely ignored, but skipping them is a mistake as they contain some of the game’s best scenes. It's a trait that God of War Ragnarok shares with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, one of the best RPGs of the last decade.
In some large RPGs, sidequests can often boil down to boring fetch quests, or they simply may not have as much polish put into their writing. As a result, they can feel like content bloat that does more harm than good to the game’s pacing. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and God of War Ragnarok avoid this problem by elevating these sidequests, making the entire adventure feel more cohesive and ensuring that the small moments stick out as some of the best.
More than a side thing
Like God of War Ragnarok, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt features a lengthy main story full of memorable characters, set pieces, and boss fights. While those alone would have made it a strong RPG, it’s remembered as an all-time great because of how rich its world is, something that's reflected in its side content. There were quests like Ghosts of Past, which pays off the character arc of Witcher 2 character Letho, but it's entirely possible to finish the game without ever seeing it.

Others, like Return to Crookback Bog, turn what could just be some fun supernatural fights into a chilling tale about abuse and broken families. While The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s main narrative is strong, these side moments are what make it a game that sticks with you years after release. I can already tell the same will be true of God of War Ragnarok, as some of my favorite missions in the game are entirely optional Favors.
An early game Favor called The Weight of Chains sees Kratos, Mimir, and Atreus freeing a giant Lyngbakr sea creature that Mimir imprisoned while working with Odin. They manage to break its chains, but find that it now struggles to move and do what it used to. This sidequest takes a series of somewhat standard combat encounters and puzzles and spins them into critical aspects of a memorable tale. The Weight of Chains reflects on how Kratos and Mimir’s reckless actions have had irreversible consequences, but they now have an opportunity to be better people in the future.
Another standout Favor called Secret of the Sands, where Kratos and Atreus free a trapped jellyfish-like creature called a Hafgufa, is also quite beautiful. The short story shows what Kratos will do to be able to spend more time with his son in the face of Ragnarok. However ordinary these sidequests may be from a gameplay standpoint, their narrative relevance and level of polish are on par with some of God of War Ragnarok’s main quests. This high effort even applies to some side missions that wholly exist with NPCs in the game’s overworld, ones that aren't even built around huge set pieces. For example, there’s The Lost Treasure quest.

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