He explained: “We were trying to create a system that players wanted to engage in, and it was fun, very playful, with a lot of different routes. When we looked at the combat in the last game, we thought, ‘ We can push further; we can find new playthings and ways to deal with enemies and strategies.’ That’s always been our guiding principle.”
Sheth said that one of the ways the sequel will accomplish this is by introducing “a whole new set of moves” for Kratos, which players can operate with a triangular-shaped button.
In 2018’s God of War 4, pressing the triangle would either cause the protagonist to return the axe, do nothing if he already had it, or cut to the axe if Kratos had Chaos Blade equipped.
God of War: Ragnarok’s new triangular attack is known as the weapon signature move. Kratos can now inject ice or fire elemental attacks into his weapons, called Frost Awakening and Whiplash, which can freeze or incinerate enemies, respectively.
Kratos also has access to a variety of new shields, including the Dreadnought and Stonewall. By blocking at the last critical moment, the former can launch a kill attack that throws and stuns enemies. The Stonewall Shield cannot be used to parry, but it absorbs kinetic energy each time it blocks its next attack. Once charged, it slams into the ground, unleashing a full-screen pulse that knocks approaching enemies to the ground.
Game Informer has also released some new screenshots of Ragnarök, God of War, shown below.
Sony recently announced a release date for God of War: Ragnarok on November 9, 2022, with four more versions on sale at the same time.