The main combat designers Mihir Sheth and Denny Yeh have over 17 years of experience in God of War shared between them and both played prominent roles in the previous game’s success. The series’ current direction is inspired by the studio’s old motto: Play with your food.
“It’s an internal philosophy that we’ve had since the day before,” Sheth said. “Kratos plays with his food. We have tried to create systems that you want to be in, fun, very playful, have many different routes. And when we looked at the battle in the previous game, we said, ‘We can push this further; We can find new toys and ways to play with enemies and strategies. ‘ That’s the guiding principle more than anything else.”
Sheth and Yeh constantly emphasize the importance of enemy diversity, so expect a bunch of fresh, grotesque faces to be defeated.
For seven minutes, I followed Kratos and Atreus through an enclosed arena filled with dynamite pots, elevated platforms, wooden platforms, and bipedal lizards called Grims. The couple moved at the same time. Kratos pinned a beast to a stone wall and then used the Olympian’s power of the pinnacle to use its power using a skull. Atreus fills stagger bars while locking enemies in place with sonic arrows. When a “cursed” Grim tries to catch his bulky father off-guard, spewing poisonous bile from its swollen straw, Kratos clears the phlegm and skillfully deflects it a second time with a wing shield. his hand. He threw his ax into a jar placed between the boxes, and that corner instantly burst into flames, sending the scaly appendages everywhere. Atreus proves he is a power no less than his father, swinging his bow at Grims while always repositioning to shoot. The two notice a few spoilers perched overhead, and in one fluid motion the god-slayer clings to the side of the mountain with his Blades of Chaos, climbs the structure, stomping on a rock for an extra boost. subtlety, and launched the remaining creatures into the sky.
This adrenaline rush is tied to the versatility of Kratos kits. War ax and chain blade increase mobility and power, but a misleading small-scale change to the Triangle button made all the difference. “In the final game, if you hit Triangle, you recover the ax,” Sheth said. “But if you took the ax, nothing happened. If you have Blades of Chaos and you hit Triangle, you just need to go back to the ax. We looked at that concept and wondered, ‘What if you could do something a little different with that button – a whole new set of moves.’ “
The triangle attacks are formally known as Weapon Signature Movements. Depending on whether you have the Leviathan or Blades of Chaos Ax available, Kratos can channel ice or fire into the sharpened steel. These elemental moves, called “Frost Awaken” and “Whiplash,” deal additional damage by freezing or incinerating invaders.
The shield has also been refurbished. Yeh guided me through the pros and cons of the new Dauntless Shield and Stonewall, reminding me from time to time that the team wanted players to tailor their playstyle to suit immediate needs. Dauntless Shield is all about the seizure response. By dashing in at the last possible moment, Kratos’ shield glows a menacing red, signaling the player can unleash a devastating smash that tosses and stuns enemies. Unlikely, Stonewall Shield is for tank lovers who prefer slower paced matches. Kratos is not passable when equipped with a Stonewall, so keeping it raised is crucial to surviving the barges. The more hits the Stonewall Shield takes, the more kinetic energy it absorbs. And once it’s fully charged, the player can slam the shield to the ground that sends out a full-screen pulse, knocking anything stupid enough to get near its feet.
But all that protection comes at a cost. Stonewall Shield becomes increasingly unstable as it takes damage, causing Kratos to take ineffective block-breaking attacks. Yeh says Kratos will have access to other powerful shields but warns players against biting more than they can chew: “Maybe don’t play with all your food, as there will be food that can be eaten. can eat you pretty easily.”
Both designers confirm the aggressiveness and damage of enemies will be enhanced with more difficulty, but players still need to keep their wits about them regardless of the chosen setting. Old locations are periodically re-created with stronger fauna and optional territories that can be difficult without a stronger crew. Yeh mentions that teardrop fans will get an equal amount of satisfaction from testing out some of Ragnarök’s formidable side content. There is no word on whether Kratos will receive other main weapons, but last year’s trailer revealed an elk summon for Atreus to ride, so hopefully, we’ll see other new abilities soon.
This article originally appeared in Chapter 349 by Game Informer.
