God of War Ragnarök, a direct sequel to God of War 2018 developed by Santa Monica Studios, was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.  It marked the first cross-generation release in the God of War series and was released for Windows on September 19, 2024. It is the ninth installment in the series, the ninth chronologically, and the sequel to 2018’s God of War.

Continuing the story, God of War Ragnarök begins in Midgard place three years after the previous game. The story follows Kratos’s son Atreus searching for Týr, the Norse god of war, as he tries to get a feel for his newly found godpowers. At the same time, Kratos attempts to protect him by any means necessary and tries to discover the secrets his wife kept from him.

The gameplay is similar to the previous 2018 installment. It features combo-based combat, as well as puzzle and role-playing elements. Improvements and additions include Kratos’s primary weapons: a magical battle axe, his double-chained blades, and a new magical spear; his shield has become more versatile, with different types of shields with differing offensive and defensive abilities. His son Atreus and some other characters assist in combat and can be passively controlled. However, as a new feature in the series, Atreus is fully controllable in specific story segments.

The world-building is on a whole other level for this game, as we get to explore all nine of the Norse realms, each with its own different feel and beautiful scenery. The boat, teleportation travel mechanics, and return and loading screens are almost nonexistent on new-gen consoles. All of these aspects make God of War Ragnarök the perfect sequel.