God of War Ragnarök gameplay footage shows off new weapon abilities

A new God of War Ragnarök gameplay video has shown off some of the sequel’s updated combat features for the first time.

The Game Informer video below includes footage of several new ways that Kratos can use his Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos to take on enemies.

Lead combat designer Mihir Sheth recently told the publication that one of Santa Monica Studio’s internal philosophies is the idea that “Kratos plays with his food”.

He explained: “We tried to create systems you want to engage with that are fun, very playful, lots of different routes. And when we looked at the combat in the last game, we were like, ‘We can push this further; we can find new toys and ways of playing with enemies and strategies.’ That’s been the guiding principle more than anything else.”

Sheth said one way the sequel does this is by introducing “a whole new suite of moves” for Kratos which are accessible via the triangle button.

In 2018’s God of War, pressing triangle either recalled the protagonist’s axe, did nothing if it was already in his possession, or switched to the axe if Kratos had the Blades of Chaos equipped.

Ragnarök’s new triangle attacks are called Weapon Signature Moves. Kratos can now infuse his weapons with ice or fire to deal elemental attacks called Frost Awaken and Whiplash, which can freeze or incinerate enemies respectively.

Kratos can also use multiple new shields, including the Dauntless and Stonewall ones. By parrying at the last possible moment, the former can be used to unleash a smash attack that throws and stuns enemies.

The Stonewall Shield can’t be used to parry, but it absorbs kinetic energy with every hit it blocks. Once fully charged, it can be banged into the ground to release a screen-wide pulse which knocks approaching enemies off their feet.

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God of War Ragnarök pre-orders are open, revealing PS5 graphics modes and more

Players will be able to switch between 4K/30 and dynamic resolution at 60fps

Publisher Sony recently announced a God of War Ragnarök release date of November 9, 2022, alongside four editions of the game.

The title was originally planned for release last year, but Sony delayed it to 2022 to help Santa Monica Studio deliver “a top-quality game while maintaining the safety and wellbeing” of its team.