God of War Ragnarok

God of War Ragnarök  is an  action-adventure game  developed by  Santa Monica Studio  and published by  Sony Interactive Entertainment . It was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for the  PlayStation 4  and  PlayStation 5 , marking the first cross-gen release in the  God of War  series . It is the ninth installment in the series, the ninth chronologically, and the sequel to 2018's  God of War . Loosely based on  Norse mythology , the game is set in ancient  Scandinavia  and features series protagonist  Kratos  and his teenage son Atreus. Concluding the Norse era of the series, the game covers  Ragnarök , the  eschatological event  which is central to Norse mythology and was foretold to happen in the previous game after Kratos killed the  Aesir  god  Baldur . The gameplay is similar to the previous 2018 installment. It features  combo-based  combat, as well as  puzzle  and  role-playing  elements. The gameplay has been revamped from the previous game: in addition to Kratos' main weapons, a magical  battle axe  and his  double-chained blades , he also acquires a magical  spear  and his  shield  has become more versatile, with different types of shields that have differing offensive and defensive abilities. His son Atreus, as well as some other characters, provide assistance in combat and can be passively controlled. Additionally, and for the first time in the series, there are some story missions where the player takes full control of Atreus; his gameplay is similar to Kratos, but he uses his magical bow as his weapon. There are also more enemy types and mini-bosses than in the previous game. Originally slated for a 2021 release, the game was delayed in part due to Kratos actor  Christopher Judge 's health problems in August 2019, and later, the  impact of the COVID-19 pandemic  on development. Ragnarök  garnered universal acclaim from critics and was praised for its storytelling, characters, visuals, level design, and overall improvements to the gameplay over its predecessor. It won Game of the Year at the  Titanium Awards  and was a nominee for the same award at  The Game Awards 2022 , where it won Best Narrative, Best Action/Adventure, and Innovation in  Accessibility , among other awards and nominations. The game was a commercial success, selling 5.1 million units in its first week, becoming the fastest-selling first-party game in  PlayStation  history.