PlayStation

The Next God of War Needs to Make a Major Decision with its Version of Yggdrasil

By 5 Mins Read

Highlights

  • God of War Ragnarok’s Yggdrasil travel segments need improvements to avoid repetition and incomplete conversations.
  • Future God of War titles have two options for realm travel: longer, detailed segments or instant fast travel.
  • A smaller Atreus-led title in the Norse Saga may be in development before changes to realm travel in future games.



In order to fulfill the prophecy of Ragnarok in God of War Ragnarok, Kratos was tasked with traveling between the realms, recruiting certain key players, and enacting proceeding events. 2018’s God of War introduced players to a new method through which Kratos could move between locations –Yggdrasil, the World Tree – which Norse lore depicts as holding and connecting the nine realms. While Yggdrasil gave rise to an effective mode of travel, as well as some deep storytelling, the feature was not without its problems. In order to improve players’ overall experience, and avoid the repetitious issues of Ragnarok’s World Tree, the next God of War needs to make a major decision with its version of Yggdrasil.


God of War Ragnarok is the sequel to 2018’s God of War bringing the chief narrative of the Norse Saga to a close. In December 2023, a DLC epilogue for Kratos, titled Valhalla, saw the former Greek God of War confront his past with the help of Tyr, the Norse God of War. Battling through Valhalla, Kratos faces Tyr in a series of bouts, before the latter aids him in understanding the nature of his past. By the DLC’s end, Kratos is on a new path and sets off to bring hope and unity to the Norse Realms.

Related

The Next God of War Needs its Own Ratatoskr

The next God of War entry needs a character to pick up Ratatoskr’s mantle by not only giving side quests and rewards, but also bringing in humor.

God of War: Ragnarok’s Yggdrasil Was a Blessing and a Curse

In God of War Ragnarok, players can travel between realms by entering Mystic Gateways. These gateways lead Kratos to the branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, which he safely travels until he reaches the gateways of other realms. Along the way, Kratos and Mimir often engage in conversation, leading to some of the most personal and poignant moments of storytelling the game has to offer. Players travel Yggdrasil many times over Ragnarok’s nearly 30-hour narrative, and, while effective, the travel segments feature some glaring issues.


God of War Ragnarok’s Yggdrasil segments see Kratos walking and discussing, in an otherwise empty environment, until the next Mystic Gateway suddenly appears before him. While the conversations are compelling, players often don’t get to hear the full conversation, as usually the next gateway suddenly cuts off the dialogue with a scripted interjection.

What’s more, Yggdrasil’s segments become tediously repetitive by the story’s end, with countless conversations cut off as Kratos is given free rein to travel to and from the realms completing objects, side missions, and collectibles. While Yggdrasil’s issues seem quite simple to fix, the repetitive and unpredictable nature of its travel segments leaves the next God of War title with a big decision to make about its own realm travel.


The Events of Valhalla Leave Future GoW Titles With Various Realm Travel Options

After confronting his past for the duration of God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, Kratos resolves to take up Tyr’s former mantle as the Norse God of War and Peace. While Tyr classically used the Unity Stone to travel between realms, Valhalla reveals that he continues to do so long after losing it. As Tyr’s successor, Kratos may gain access to this new method of realm travel in future titles. What’s more, the next God of War could see him following in Tyr’s footsteps, by traveling to new lands and new cultures.

Were the next God of War title to continue Kratos’ story, this new method of travel leaves developer Santa Monica Studio with two clear options. The first sees the developer employ longer, more detailed segments, with a focus on deep conversations and environmental storytelling. This would avoid the frustrating cutoffs of Ragnarok’s Mystic Gateways.


The second sees the traditional mode of travel replaced with instantaneous fast travel, removing this storytelling altogether and avoiding the repetitious wandering of past titles. It remains to be seen which route the next major God of War will go, in realm travel and beyond. However, fans of God of War Ragnarok may return to the Norse Saga, and Yggdrasil, before these changes take hold, as a smaller Atreus-led title is rumored to be in development.

Share.

Related News

Exit mobile version