The upcoming sequel, according to Sony Santa Monica, will have a lot of material. Sony’s Santa Monica Studio developers have opened out about the difficulties of completing the Norse story of God of War in just two games.
Ragnarok, coming to PS4 and PS5 next month, will wrap out the Norse saga begun in 2018’s God of War reboot. In the first of a new series of behind-the-scenes movies, the developers responsible for Ragnarok’s tale explain that the event might just as easily have been the middle chapter of a three-part saga.
According to primary writer Rich Gaubery, “we discussed a lot” over whether or not the Norse saga would span three games. As with any choice, there were benefits and drawbacks to each strategy. Cory Barlog, [Santa Monica’s creative director], was eventually asked for his thoughts. “Let’s do it in two,” he said.
As a lead producer, Ariel Angelotti put it, “the fallout is how do you tie up this story in one game and do Ragnarok justice?” That’s the big moment at the end of the game where everything comes together, so how do we set it up?
The scope of this game is far beyond our wildest expectations. There were many crucial points in the plot that needed to be addressed. We also keep tabs on several other characters. Because there is so much to appreciate, it succeeds in conveying a sense of grandeur and epic proportions.
I can’t wait for people to watch this final chapter,” Gaubery continued. It’s an eventful time. Our protagonists went through the wringer. Nonetheless, we give them satisfaction by resolving many of the issues raised in the original game and answering many of the questions that were raised.
Last September, Barlog explained that Santa Monica decided to split God of War’s Norse mythology across two games rather than a trilogy because each game took so long to make.
Santa Monica’s lead community manager Grace Orlady announced the new Ragnarok behind-the-scenes video series in a PlayStation Blog post. The nine episodes will “go into one facet of the game — from defining the story and enhancing combat, to developing the score and building cinematics,” she said.
She wrote: “The story of God of War Ragnarok is not only that of a father and son who must confront the coming tides of war, but it is also the story of the individuals who chose to devote their time, skill, and passion to build this game together in the face of unprecedented uncertainty during a global pandemic.”
Sony postponed the release of God of War: Ragnarok from 2018 to 2022 so that Santa Monica could create “a top-quality game while ensuring the safety and wellness” of its staff.
Ahead of the November 9 release date for God of War Ragnarok, the developer recently revealed that the game had gone gold, signifying that it is feature complete and ready for physical manufacturing.