We’re actually doing a bunch of stuff… it’s really exciting. All of the things that we’re doing and you’re tempted to know what is this, but I don’t really have anything I can talk about right now specifically, mostly because we’re really focused on God of War Ragnarök.” Between now and November 9, we can’t wait to show you more of what’s awaiting Kratos and Atreus in the Nine Realms as Ragnarök draws closer! Something that isn’t a surprise is how great God of War Ragnarok feels to play. The combat system, which was a highlight of the first game, has been refined, feels tighter, and has added a catalog of new abilities and moves which makes fights feel far more varied than in the original. This is also aided by a massive overhaul of enemies. Gone are the days of fighting endless Draugrs; each realm has several classes of unique enemies, all of which provide added challenge and encourage players to step out of their combat comfort zone. We knew we needed to keep the pieces that symbolize his parents, specifically Atreus’ yellow scarf representing Faye and his red skirt piece from Kratos’ Greek outfit.

Unlike some of the more fantastic characters and creatures of the game, we took a more subtle approach to the details in Angrboda’s design. We always try to find the balance between realism and interesting designs that make the characters in God of War so iconic. As we’ve previously discussed, God of War: Ragnarok is not an open-world game. Yet, in the grand tradition of the bigger sequel, it does offer more gameplay distractions and opportunities than its predecessor did. Ragnarok not only features more side missions, more collectibles, and more world navigation sequences than 2018’s God of War, but it allows you to access so many of those activities pretty much out of the gate. The game is one of the best games out there, and this artbook is one of the best video game artbooks this year. I was worried that Ragnarok’s visuals and performance would suffer slightly from the fact the game still needed to be playable on PS4. While Ragnarok would have obviously been more visually impressive if it was a PS5 exclusive, I’m stunned by just how good this game looks regardless of the platform you pay it on. It’s not only the best-looking PS4 game by some distance; it’s also somehow one of the best-looking PS5 games released so far.Kratos has been through a lot and his design always reflects that. He cares about function more than visuals, so a lot of the decisions made on his design serve a practical purpose. Several pieces are there based on their utility in battle, for example, the pauldron with metal pieces protects his dominant arm and the bracers can be used to shield him if necessary. God of War 2018 director Cory Barlog has revealed he won’t be returning to direct the PlayStation 5 sequel, God of War Ragnarök.

Kratos doesn’t want to fight another war. He’s determined to leave that life behind, the entire reason he came to these shores in the first place, but he also senses that it is inevitable, and is grappling with his own mortality, despite his Godhood. He’s trying to protect Atreus, but can also sense that in doing so, he’s pushing away the thing he loves unconditionally. Boy no longer, Atreus is a man, and Kratos is struggling to come to terms with it. The Legendary Draupnir Ring – A ring from Norse Mythology, the Legendary Draupnir Ring comes in a red cloth bag. The new designs for Kratos and Atreus you’ve seen for God of War Ragnarök are a culmination many months of iteration among the talented character and concept artists here at Santa Monica Studio. Atreus especially posed a unique challenge and opportunity for us with several years having passed since the last game.They have put together a wealth of resources for cosplayers to reference alongside the official cosplay guides, not to mention they’ll be releasing videos documenting key parts of their creation process on their own channels. Interview with Art Director Raf Grassetti

A Steelbook Display Case (no game disc included) – The God of War Ragnarök Steelbook Display Case depicts renditions of the Bear and the Wolf. Granted, it doesn’t help that the menus themselves are pretty bad. They’re clunky, slow, and they become even more cumbersome as you dive deeper into the aspects of the game those menus are seemingly designed to support. Every new skill, piece of gear, or unearthed piece of lore adds yet another element to an overburdened UI that already conflicts with the heart of the game. Printed voucher code for the full God of War Ragnarök game on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. * We’ve referenced Thor’s descriptions in the Eddas for a lot of inspiration in his design, was the teams’ visual interpretation of him from the myths pretty defined from the start or did it take a lot of iteration to settle on the final look?I still remembered playing God of War for the first time many years ago and was just mesmerised by the worlds and characters created by Santa Monica Studio. I'm still reminded of that feeling of awe each time I see art or video clips of the game. The art direction is just amazing. I spoke with God of War veteran and newly appointed director Eric Williams as well as some lead UX, combat, and level designers about their experience crafting the long-awaited sequel and the most significant changes coming to the action and exploration loops. Moreover, you’ll learn about Kratos’ tools/toys, a never-before-seen dwarven realm that feels lived in, the unprecedented number of accessibility features available at launch, and some quality-of-life updates, including new navigation mechanics. Brok’s Dice Set – This dice set comes with a metallic silver finish with blue detailing. The dice bag features the Huldra Brothers’ brand. Every artist involved in this Art Blast has been able to make their mark with their incredible art. We strive to push the artistic boundaries while always continuing to grow on a journey of craftsmanship, creativity, and close collaborations. Thank you for taking this journey with us!

We’re worked with our fantastic character artists and writers at SMS, as well as B is for Boy artist Romina Tempest, to create guides that not only give the in-depth references necessary for cosplayers, but also let us play more in the world of God of War by looking at these designs through the lens of our characters. Because Ragnarok gives you so much more to do so much earlier in the game, some of those side activities can sometimes feel more like obligations than adventures you organically feel compelled to embark upon. Yes, many of those adventures are ultimately worth seeking out (some of this game’s side missions are some of the best I’ve seen in recent memory), but the early and middle parts of Ragnarok suffer from that bloat that you get with modern open-world games (even though the game doesn’t quite embrace that exact format). At this point in his life, Atreus is trying to find out who he is and the color choices play with that theme. The yellow from the Giants is very strong and something we have used since God of War (2018) to hint at what was to come regarding his heritage.With the Norse era Kratos design now established in players’ minds, what considerations or challenges did you face with updating his look for God of War Ragnarök?