It shouldn’t need to be said, but it takes a lot of work to make a video game, especially one to the scale of God of War Ragnarok. Because not only do you need to make sure the game plays great and will have players invested in the story, it needs to look good on many levels. We’re talking beyond just the main characters and their animations too. If you think about the adventures that Kratos has gone on, half the point of those games was enjoying the locations where you were fighting gods and monsters. So you’d notice if things didn’t look as good as possible.
In the latest dev diary about the game, the God of War Ragnarok team brought in the artists and designers for the world and characters to talk about what it was like to make the Nine Realms and ensure that the characters stood out instantly. They spoke immediately about the challenge presented to them because they had the PS4 title to look back at and notice how well it looked, and now they had to expand upon that. Plus, with the PS5 and its graphics capabilities, they needed to utilize its enjoy to deliver a visually pleasing experience.
One thing that an artist on the team noted is that when it came to developing the worlds from the concept art, they felt the urge to make the lands and people so good that they connected with them “instantaneously.” Likewise, with the characters, they wanted to make sure that each one stood out and that you’d remember them should they pop up later.
Regarding the Nine Realms, the team had to ensure that every realm felt unique and accurate. There was already a lot of lore about the Nine Realms from within the game universe and the actual Norse Lore. So they had to go through everything meticulously to ensure that it all fit within the web of that lore and that they didn’t make any mistakes in capturing the feeling of each land and people.
One spot in the Nine Realms that the team heavily focused on was Svartalfheim, the realm of the Dwarves. The group noted how we had briefly gone there in the PS4 game, but they wanted to expand it heavily in the PS5 sequel. So we’ll see more than just the Dwarven homes in the game. We’ll also see the lands that surround it. They talked heavily about the inspirations behind the different biomes, including putting in hot springs and minerals to feel like a place they would live and work.
The team put a lot of time and effort into this realm, and since there are eight more you’ll visit before the game is done, you’ll have a lot to do when God of War Ragnarok arrives on November 9th.
Source: YouTube
