God of War Ragnarok’s recent update adds a substantial amount of content than its New Game Plus mode alone, making it more than worth the wait. There is no better time for fans to return to God of War Ragnarok than now, and with this update they are able to tackle far greater challenges that make the experience tougher this time around. It is unknown whether the next God of War game will feature Kratos in Midgard again, or if it will follow Atreus in an uncharted land, but Ragnarok’s Sparring Arena introduces a great idea that a sequel could pursue further.
The Sparring Arena is found in Niflheim and can be used to practice combat whenever players would like. However, before Ragnarok’s New Game Plus update, options were limited as to what the player could achieve in combat. Ragnarok makes an effort to expand its colorful cast of characters with a lot more NPC companions than its predecessor had, but these companions are remanded to specific sequences in the narrative. Fortunately, the update allows players to choose which companion aids them in the Sparring Arena, which would be a great gimmick in a future God of War title.
God of War Ragnarok’s Arena Update Lets Players Mix-and-Match Characters
Choosing which characters aid players in the Sparring Arena does not have any profound effect on the game overall, but it is nonetheless a fantastic way to spend more time with important companions. If for no other reason, it is incredible to see Kratos and Thor fight side-by-side instead of fighting each other, demonstrating what God of War Ragnarok could have looked like if Thor saw reason sooner than he did.
Freya and Atreus are obviously instrumental companions due to their Sonic and Hex arrows, but NPCs such as Brok and Sindri offer unique abilities that players will not see in combat otherwise. In total, players can choose between Atreus, Freya, Brok, Sindri, Angrboda, Ingrid, Thor, and Thrud as their companions. This allows for a lot of creative experimentation in the Sparring Arena. Narratively, it will be interesting to see how Santa Monica Studio approaches NPCs in the franchise hereafter, especially since Kratos is now open to having companions, while Atreus already greatly enjoys the company of others.
God of War’s Future Could Party Kratos and Atreus with New Companions
Atreus in particular would be a great playable protagonist in a game with several NPC companions at the player's side. New characters will obviously be a massive part of wherever Atreus ends up, and making these characters intriguing will be a huge challenge after the success of God of War Ragnarok.
Of course, God of War Ragnarok now knows to tone down its NPC backseating, but companion AI seems to be a feature that the franchise should certainly keep and improve. Indeed, NPC AI is becoming a foundational part of video game storytelling because it allows a character to be paired with the player for hours at a time, and the more mechanically interactive they are the better. Kratos could have his own crew to sail and journey with, and fans still need some closure on Sindri's journey following the events of Ragnarok.
Both Kratos’ next epic and Atreus’ potential spin-off entry could feature expanded companion features, and the Sparring Arena might be a sign that NPCs will continue to be a large focus for the franchise. If companions can be interchanged like a classic JRPG, then that could be all the better for combat experimentation throughout a story-driven campaign.
God of War Ragnarok is available on PS4 and PS5.
