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God of War Ragnarok saw a brief but interesting gameplay reveal today, courtesy of Game Informer. In their teaser, they showed off Kratos using the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, as well as the new armshields, Dauntless and Stonewall.
In the teaser, Kratos was far more mobile, grappling to areas above his reach and cutting down foes with wicked elemental-based attacks. This article will explore what fans can expect in the upcoming God of War Ragnarok.
God of War Ragnarok will open up combat in some exciting new ways
According to Santa Monica Studios’ Mihir Sheth and Denny Yeh, the old studio motto of “Play with your food” was one of the inspirations for God of War Ragnarok. It shows through the recent footage as well. The combat is more lively and animated.
In this most recent teaser for the upcoming God of War title, Kratos cuts down the lizardfolk Grims with his various tools of destruction. Atreus is more helpful than in the previous game as well. He can stun foes, break obstructions, use his bow as a melee weapon, and can still summon spectral allies.
Combat has evolved in God of War Ragnarok, thanks to a new series of attacks that Kratos has at his disposal. Mashing or tapping the Triangle button will unleash the “Weapon Signature Move” of whichever weapon he is actively using at the moment.
When it comes to the Leviathan Axe, he uses “Frost Awaken,” and the Blades of Chaos activate “Whiplash.” The former does extra damage by freezing his foe, and Whiplash incinerates them to deal extra damage.
This is significantly better than how combat worked in the previous entry. In God of War 2018, Kratos used Triangle to recall his Axe, but other than that, the button did nothing. If players held the Blades of Chaos and hit the Triangle, it would just switch back to the Leviathan Axe. The developers decided to change this up to create a more action-packed system, and do something a bit different.
Even Kratos’ defense has been improved. The two armshields, Dauntless and Stonewall, are different, and offer players options depending on how they want to play. The Dauntless Shield is best used by waiting until the last possible moment to parry. Doing this makes it glow red, and allows Kratos to smash foes, tossing and stunning them.
On the other hand, Stonewall is for players that like slower, tank-style fights. He can’t parry with it, so players will have to keep it in place to avoid taking damage. The more hits the shield takes, the more energy it absorbs. Once it’s fully charged, Kratos can slam it into the ground to knock down anything nearby.
The Stonewall shield does come at a cost, though. It becomes unstable as it takes damage, making it possible to have Kratos' guard broken. It would be unwise to play with his food too much because it can come with negative consequences.
The primary theme does seem to be customization and aggression, though. In the footage, Kratos’ combat was relatively fast-paced, and fans saw him lash onto a platform with the Blades of Chaos, leap up, and smash through an enemy in quick succession.
Unfortunately, there is no word if Kratos will receive other new weapons. However, fans have certainly seen a fair amount of what the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, and his two shields can do.
God of War Ragnarok will be released on November 9, 2022, for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles.
