STACK #217 November 2022

GAMING FEATURE

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It’s been a long wait for fans of the series, but this month finally sees the return of Kratos and son Atreus in God ofWar Ragnarök .We had a chat with Grace Orlady, lead community and communications manager at Santa Monica Studio, about the much-anticipated sequel to 2018’s God ofWar . Words Amy Flower 2 018’s game was surprisingly emotional, delivering the feels with the father and son relationship between Kratos and Atreus. “Kratos and Atreus’ relationship grew reveals that our intrepid pair have quite a quest in store for them. “For Kratos and Atreus, God of War Ragnarök CRIKEY, WHAT A BEAUTY!

experience into one that’s even more amazingly fun to play,” Orlady tells us. “They’ve especially leaned into player choice and expression. We want to give fans more tools to play with their food with whatever combat style is most fun for them. Looking at the new shields, for example, we’ve got one that will enhance your playstyle – from heavy blockers who want to lean into Kratos’ ‘tankiness’ to build up an explosive shockwave that will handle multiple enemies at once, to the precision experts who want extra rewards for timing their parries just right in order to heavily punish a single target.” After spending so much time honing the experience, the Santa Monica Studios people can’t wait for fans to get their hands on the fruits of their labour. “We’re really excited to see fans experience the finale of the Norse Saga,” Orlady enthuses. “We have such a wide range of characters for the players to meet, each with their own perspective on the world and events unfolding around them. We’re honestly excited for players to jump in and try everything! The story, combat, music, exploration, puzzles – it’s so exciting for us to finally have people play God of War Ragnarök after years in development.”

is in part an exploration of fatherhood and coming-of-age against this epic backdrop of the apocalypse. They will have to grapple with holding on and letting go as forces beyond their control threaten not only their family, but all the nine realms.” It’s been almost five years since the new era of God of War began. Naturally technology has marched on, including the arrival of the PlayStation 5. So, how have the developers embraced it? “Our goal is to provide our fans with the best experience possible, wherever they play our games,” says Orlady. “In the case of God of War Ragnarök , we’re excited that fans who started on the PS4 are able to complete the Norse saga. At the same time, players now have an opportunity to take advantage of some of the amazing new features with the PS5. For example, we have enhanced reflections, lighting, and shadows, as well as immersive haptic feedback and 3D audio.” The series’ already impressive combat has also been tweaked. “Our combat team has taken the foundations of God of War and refined the

massively over the course of God of War, ” Orlady agrees. “Kratos was a distant father, afraid to pass on his worst traits to his son. Atreus desperately wanted his father to acknowledge him, especially in the wake of his mother’s death. Throughout their journey to scatter Faye’s ashes, Kratos learned to trust and rely on his son. Atreus learned to appreciate that while his father may not always verbalise his love, he knows that Kratos would do anything to protect him.” With Atreus now several years older, God of War Ragnarök sees an evolution of this relationship in another dramatic, engaging story. “At the start of God of War Ragnarök , Kratos and Atreus have been training throughout the long years of Fimbulwinter to prepare for the coming hardships foretold in the prophecy of Ragnarök,” Orlady reveals. “Kratos, above everything, wants Atreus to be safe – which means keeping the affairs of the Norse gods as far from them as possible. Atreus, now a young man, has so many unanswered questions. Not only about his heritage as a Giant, but also about Loki’s role in the events to come. He knows that these answers can’t be found in their little home in Midgard.” As well as the familial angle, Orlady also

HAIL TO THE KING! Meet Odin, the king of Norse gods, who’s voiced by actor Richard Schiff. Yes, Toby from The West Wing (among many other great roles) has moved up in the world!

• God of War Ragnarök is out on Nov 9

NOVEMBER 2022

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