What is the role of a sequel? Whether for a movie, video game, or other media, the true purpose is to be as good, if not better, than the original. The first of a series is often meant to “lay the groundwork” for what could be. Then, if they do well and get the sequel, they can expand upon it and do things they couldn’t before. When God of War was reborn on the PS4, it was more than just a visual upgrade. The game went through a top-to-bottom overhaul in terms of looks, gameplay, setting, and story. It was Game of the Year without hesitation, and now, God Of War Ragnarok will have to live up to its expectations.
That being said, it’s apparently already surpassed what its predecessor did. That feeling comes from a recent preview by Video Game Chronicle, where they got to play the first five hours of the game, and their praise was immediate and consistent. One of the first things they noted was the change between Kratos and his son Atreus. The “boy” is now older, more experienced, and wants to do more. But being the wary father he is, Kratos isn’t exactly on board with that. Not yet, at least. It’ll be interesting to see how their dynamic fuels the story going forward.
In terms of the worlds and areas you’ll visit, this was something that VGC had high praise for. They noted how the worlds of the previous game were beautiful but were mainly set pieces and nothing else. When you visit the realm of Svartalfheim, you’ll see the difference in terms of detail and how it feels “alive” instead of just “there.” In this case, Svartalfheim is the home of the Dwarves, and you’ll see them throughout the realm. You’ll not only get their backstory and why they’re afraid of Kratos, but you’ll also get the chance to help them by doing certain quests. For example, you’ll go into drawven mines to shut them down, solving puzzles as you do.
Combat was another preview topic, and they noted how wielding Kratos’ axe has never been more fun. He has a wider variety of moves in God of War Ragnarok, which will help you immensely in combat. But, if you want to wield the Blades of Chaos from the get-go, you have that option.
Another praised element of the game is the variety of enemies. You’ll have to face not only more types of enemies, but their sizes vary too. That means you’ll have to deal with towering enemies as well as swarms of smaller ones.
Add that to the game’s graphical quality, and you can see why the preview team states that this is better than the PS4 game in virtually every way. We’ll see how grand it is when the title arrives on November 9th.
Source: VGC
