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God of War Ragnarök 2022
Action-adventure, hack and slash
God of War Ragnarök is a 2022 action-adventure video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It launched globally on November 9, 2022, for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, becoming the first cross-generation release in the God of War series, and also released for Windows on September 19, 2024. This title marks the ninth entry in the franchise and the tenth chronologically, following 2018’s God of War. Set within Norse mythology, the game is based in ancient Scandinavia and stars Kratos and his now adolescent son Atreus. The narrative concludes the Norse era of the series, as Kratos and Atreus attempt to stop the destruction of the nine realms caused by Ragnarök—the apocalyptic event foretold in the earlier game after Kratos killed the Aesir god Baldur.
The gameplay maintains similarities to the 2018 title. It includes combo-driven combat along with puzzle-solving and RPG components. Enhancements feature Kratos' primary tools: a magical battle axe, double-chained blades, and a new magical spear. His shield has gained more versatility, offering various types with distinct offensive and defensive properties. Atreus and other characters assist in combat and can be passively managed, though a new addition allows full control of Atreus during select story moments.
Originally planned for release in 2021, the game’s launch was postponed partly due to health issues faced by Kratos actor Christopher Judge in August 2019, and later influenced by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on development. A free expansion titled Valhalla was issued on December 15, 2023. It introduces roguelite mechanics and acts as an epilogue to Ragnarök, showing Kratos taking part in trials within Valhalla where he must reconcile with his past life in Greece.
Ragnarök garnered widespread critical acclaim. Critics commended its narrative, character depth, emotional impact, visual presentation, level architecture, and quality-of-life upgrades compared to the previous game. Some critiques addressed pacing, certain gameplay features, and overuse of puzzle hints. In its opening week, the game sold 5.1 million copies, establishing it as the fastest-selling first-party PlayStation launch in history, with more than 15 million units sold by November 2023. At the Game Awards 2022, Ragnarök received 11 nominations, including Game of the Year, and claimed six awards. It also led the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards with 12 nods, ultimately winning seven, including Adventure Game of the Year. Additionally, it was nominated for 15 awards at the 19th British Academy Games Awards—setting a new record for nominations in the event’s history—and won six, including EE Game of the Year Award.
Trailer
Plays from YouTube only after you click.
Crew
- Director
- Eric Williams, Cory Barlog
- Designer
- Jason McDonald
- Programmer
- Josh Hobson
- Artist
- Rafael Grassetti
- Writer
- Matt Sophos, Richard Zangrande Gaubert
- Producer
- Chad Cox
- Music
- Bear McCreary
Details
- Developer
- Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows
- Modes
- Single-player
- Series
- God of War
