A very nice but unexpected surprise at the game awards tonight. Santa Monica Studio announced God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, a free DLC for God of War Ragnarok will be dropping in only a few days.
The subsequent PlayStation Blog post detailing the free DLC says that this is a gift for the fans. A way to show appreciation for all the support fans have shown since the game’s release last year.
To show our appreciation for the incredible support and love you’ve given the game since its release last year, our team has been working on a surprise for the God of War community.
Yes, it’s a very nice surprise indeed Santa Monica, thank you very much. Looks like we will be reinstalling God of War Ragnarok on our PS5s.
What is God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla?
It’s a free DLC for God of War Ragnarok. “God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla will be an epilogue to the events of God of War Ragnarök that follows Kratos on a deeply personal and reflective journey,” says Santa Monica Studio.
The DLC is set after that final battle with Odina and Atreus’ departure at the end of the main game. Kratos has seen a path for himself that he never thought possible before. Brought to the mysterious shores of Valhalla accompanied only by Mimir, Kratos will enter its unknown depths to overcome trials within himself and face echoes of his past.
Like The Last of Us Part 2’s No Return mode, Valhhalla will also have Roguelike gameplay. Combat is re-imagined, it celebrates the combat you know and love about God of War Ragnarok but blends it with fresh, experimental elements inspired by the roguelike genre.
Each attempt at Valhalla will encourage players to master different aspects of Kratos’ arsenal as they face new combinations of enemies and some surprises along the way!
Death is not the end
Santa Monica Studios explains that defeat in combat is not the end. If Kratos falls during combat he will awaken outside the doors, ready for the next attempt. The more you overcome the more resources you can gain that will be put toward permanent upgrades. So it looks like you won’t start from scratch after a failed run. Assuming you can get far enough to get permanent rewards that it. This is similar to Returnal’s permanent rewards like the grappling hook for instance.
Kratos will be able to access his weapons and fully upgraded skill tree at any time but must commit to a shield and the SPartan Rage path for each attempt. Choice and strategy sound like it will play a part in Valhalla. As you overcome the trials of Valhalla you’ll need to make choices between temporary glyphs for which stat upgrades, perks, runic attacks and more.
The free Valhalla DLC will also have unlockable armour which is cosmetic only. You’ll be able to unlock different looks and mix and match your favourites to make Kratos look sharp during each attempt. With God of War Ragnarok’s photo mode, you’ll be able to capture Kratos looking smashing as he shashes his enemies.
Valhalla will have five difficult settings to choose from. The higher the difficulty the better the rewards. Players will be able to swap freely between the difficulty settings between attempts.
God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla is a completely separate experience from the main game. Santa Monica says that you won’t have to play the main game for certain upgrades, gear or story progress. But if you are worried about narrative or gameplay spoilers they recommend finishing the main campaign first before diving into Valhalla. Valhalla serves as an epilogue to the story of the base game.
God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla will be free to download on December 12th. You will have to own the base game on either PS5 or PS4 to play the free DLC.
The PS5 version of God of War Ragnarok is currently £45.00 on Amazon. The PS4 version is priced at £40.00.
