With God of War Ragnarök inching ever closer to its 9th November release on PlayStation, the pre-launch pre-amble keeps on coming, this time with a closer look at the dwarven realm of Svartalfheim in a new video.
Svartalfheim is, of course, one of the Nine Realms at the heart of God of War’s current Norse-themed saga, and one of three – alongside Vanaheim and Asgard – that were unreachable in the first game. Players will finally be able to complete the set in Ragnarök, though, as well as getting a chance to return to previously visited realms to explore new locations.
Svartalfheim, like other realms, can be accessed via the gateway located at the centre of the Lake of Nine (frozen over in Ragnarök thanks to the onset of Fimbulwinter) and – as detailed in a new GameInformer video – will present players with plenty of dwarven ingenuity to explore, including mine pits, artificial water channels, and sprawling cities.
According to level designer James Riding in a write-up accompanying the new video footage, the team’s goal with Svartalfheim was to “evolve the gameplay in the level spaces”, adding “more variety and verticality” for players to grapple with on their travels.
Here, Kratos will, among other things, need to freeze water geysers using his Leviathan Axe and dismantle pots with his Blades of Chaos in order to proceed. Svartalfheim promises to be a little more lively than other realms too, with Riding saying, “It was a little lonely in the last game… So, specifically with Svartalfheim, we’re trying to show this lived world. There are things here besides just you two.”
Expect plenty more on God of War Ragnarök in the run-up to its PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 release on 9th November.
www.eurogamer.net
