2018’s God of War for the PlayStation 4 may have knocked it out of the park, but the upcoming God of War Ragnarok is ready to aim for a higher score. The combat system was fast-paced and offered just enough variety to keep it from dreaded repetition. Now, Ragnarok is promising to make things more interesting, not just with new attacks, but new ways to defend as well: a series of new shields will have Kratos protecting that stern mug in style, and will throw in some unique defensive skills for each one wielded in battle. Some eagle-eyed fans noticed hints of the new additions in the latest trailer aired during the PlayStation Showcase 2021, with director Eric Williams confirming the sequel’s improvements.
While retractable shields look pretty impressive on their own, Williams commented that while he didn’t want to reveal too much, different shields will feature unique abilities and options. While combat in God of War was praised, there was a clear lack of customization options when it came to shields, with only one available–skins could be swapped, but this was only cosmetic, with no impact on combat. According to Williams, Ragnarok will have more options for players to customize Kratos, including increased equipment options across the board.
Combat in Ragnarok will demand more of the player, with enemies far less predictable and more emphasis placed on experimentation during battle. Kratos will also need to pay more attention to the environment in the new title. The upcoming title will see the end of the Norse Saga started with the 2018 game. Originally announced to be released in 2021, Ragnarok was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
While not yet having a solid release date, God of War Ragnarok is set to hit PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles sometime in 2022.