Summary
- God of War (2018) received minor cuts to enemies, while God of War Ragnarok faced a significant questline being cut.
- Atreus' character development in God of War was changed due to cutting out an entire level in the game.
- The original ending for God of War Ragnarok involved Surtr's failed plan and a different role for Sinmara, but it was cut.
Sony and Santa Monica's God of War reboot series, excellent as it may be, wasn't able to completely avoid the chopping block during its development process. This ultimately led to cuts being made to God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok, which would have changed both of them in interesting ways.
The cuts that God of War (2018) received weren't too pivotal to the game's story, but they still would have changed some elements. On the other hand, God of War Ragnarok received a cut so significant that its ending would have been much different if the cut content had made it to the game's final release.
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Everything Cut From God of War (2018)
Some Enemies Never Made It to God of War's Final Cut
One of the more minor cuts made to God of War (2018) involved two enemies who never made it to the full release. Firstly, Norse Warriors originally appeared in the game's 2015 Greenlight Demo, but they were ultimately replaced by Hel-Walkers in the final version of God of War (2018). Another enemy that was cut is the Drummer, a particularly horrifying creature with four partially blackened arms, hollow eye sockets, and a collection of skulls hanging from its waist.
Drummers were cut and replaced by Revenants in God of War (2018).
Atreus' Egotistical Sequence Was Originally Much Longer
Atreus' evolution into what God of War's creative director Cory Barlog describes as "jerk mode," where he discovers that he and Kratos are gods and, therefore, the power that he has, was originally supposed to be more of a gradual evolution that lasted upwards of two hours. Instead, the final cut makes it feel as though Atreus' ego begins showing rather abruptly. This is due to Santa Monica cutting an entire level from the game and rearranging certain plot points to happen in a different order. To this day, Barlog wishes the team could have gone back to fix the abruptness of this particular story beat before God of War's release.
Everything Cut From God of War Ragnarok
A Major Questline Involving Sinmara Was Cut From God of War Ragnarok
While it has since become rather common knowledge among the God of War fanbase, God of War Ragnarok's ending was significantly impacted by the decision to cut an entire questline involving Sinmara, most likely in an effort to decrease the length of the game's main story. Specifically, Sinmara, Surtr's wife and the second half of the key to forming Ragnarok, was originally supposed to have a much larger role in the game. The decision to cut this questline then inevitably affected Surtr's role as well.
In the original ending for God of War Ragnarok, Surtr's plan to become Ragnarok without Sinmara failed, killing him in the process. Kratos and Atreus would then travel to Niflheim to find Sinmara in hopes that she might be able to form Ragnarok on her own. Upon arriving in Niflheim, Sinmara would have fled from Kratos and Atreus, only to be convinced later on by Atreus that Odin killed Surtr — which was, of course, a blatant lie. Kratos would have then disciplined Atreus for lying to Sinmara.
Atreus would have countered Kratos' disappointment, saying that he was "closing his heart," just as his father had taught him.
Shortly thereafter, Sinmara would accompany Kratos and Atreus to the Spark of the World, where she would merge with Surtr's remains to form Ragnarok. From there, God of War Ragnarok's final ending would have converged with the cut ending, allowing Kratos to retrieve Sinmara and Surtr's remains and return them to the Spark of the World. Mimir, as usual, would have voiced his concern that allowing Surtr and Sinmara to be together could cause Ragnarok to be formed again, to which Kratos would reply that he would deal with it if it happened.
God of War Ragnarok
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- November 9, 2022
- ESRB
- M For Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an epic and heartfelt journey as Kratos and Atreus struggle with holding on and letting go
From Santa Monica Studio comes the sequel to the critically acclaimed God of War (2018). Fimbulwinter is well underway. Kratos and Atreus must journey to each of the Nine Realms in search of answers as Asgardian forces prepare for a prophesied battle that will end the world. Along the way they will explore stunning, mythical landscapes, and face fearsome enemies in the form of Norse gods and monsters. The threat of Ragnarök grows ever closer. Kratos and Atreus must choose between their own safety and the safety of the realms.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Franchise
- God of War
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
