Ahead of its launch later this year, God of War Ragnarok is slowly beginning to reveal new details. Recently, Santa Monica Studios shed light on some new gameplay innovations that have been created in order to enhance God of WarRagnarok's combat.
Offensively, Kratos has a ton of options returning from the last game including light and heavy attacks, magic use, and ranged attacks by throwing his Leviathan Axe. With his son Atreus providing additional ranged support, God of War offers a variety of ways to tackle its monstrous enemies. In terms of defense though, Kratos' options are a little more limited. He has the standard roll and the Guardian shield, which he can use to block or parry, but nothing really past that. A recent Game Informer interview with the developer has revealed a couple of new tools in Kratos' defensive arsenal though, which should offer players who like to play defensively some extra options.
Kratos' Combat Options in God of War Ragnarok Will Be Vast
God of War certainly shifted Kratos' attacks and animations away from the quick, button-mashing hack and slash style of his previous outings. The battle-hardened veteran now moves much more purposefully and fluidly than ever before, and the over-the-shoulder camera ensures players get to experience his visceral power up close and personal. Ragnarok is looking to build on this by enhancing his combat options across the board, including the ability to imbue the Leviathan Axe with Ice or the Blades of Chaos with fire.
The most interesting changes look to be with Kratos' defensive capabilities, however. In God of War Ragnarok, he will have access to multiple shields, all offering something a little different. Only two have been revealed by Santa Monica Studio so far: the Dauntless Shield and the Stonewall Shield. The Dauntless Shield will be a favorite of those who like to use parry frequently. Depending on the player's timing, parrying will cause the shield to glow red, signaling that the player can use a special smash move that will both throw enemies back and also stun them.
The Stonewall Shield, on the other hand, is more for players who prefer blocking to parrying, and in fact, parrying will not be an option for those who choose to don this shield. It utilizes a risk-reward system of sorts. The shield stores up kinetic energy with each blow it absorbs, but this also causes it to become increasingly unstable. The more unstable it is, the more unreliable it becomes when blocking attacks that otherwise wouldn't penetrate it. Storing up enough energy with it though, Kratos can unleash a devastating pulse attack that will knock all but the most brutal of enemies clean off their feet. In this way, it may be reminiscent of the kinetic energy stored by the MCU Black Panther suit.
This means, depending on the other shields added in God of War Ragnarok, that players will be able to tailor defense to their playstyle as well. Fans know what to generally expect from offense, whatever Santa Monica reveals, but defense will be the real wild card in the upcoming game. With two shields opening up so many avenues, it'll be interesting to learn what even more can do.
God of War Ragnarok launches November 9 for PS4 and PS5.
