630°

PS4 Exclusive God of War Gets New Trailer and Lots of Info on the Draugr and More

Sony Santa Monica shares a trailer showcasing beautiful artwork of God of War, alongside a lot of information on the Draugr and other creatures.

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dualshockers.com
AspiringProGenji2434d ago (Edited 2434d ago )

I am so ready to dig the Norse Myths. I'm pretty sure Sony SS will teach more about Norse myth than school or other media ever did (looking at you Marvel), just like they taugh me Greek Myths

opinionated2434d ago (Edited 2434d ago )

There isnt a whole lot of source material compared to Greek mythology. Almost everything derives from the Poetic Edda. The good news is that they have a ton of freedom to make their own lore using some great characters and personalities. The framework is there for something great but i wouldn't expect to learn anything new that you haven't already known.

morganfell2434d ago

@opinionated,

That isn't exactly accurate. There is a great deal of material that does not rely on Snorri. Many writers simplistically fall back on him and ignore other sources as they seek to put their own spin on classic tales. Re-imaginings, usually disgusting literary affairs. He has a major influence because of the Eddas, and certainly as history goes the Heimskringla is important. But there is plenty to read aside from him. I love his works but there is more than Sturluson. I have read a little bit about the subject because of my family's Scandinavian heritage: https://imgur.com/a/nRYBY

The Sagas are a great source, numerous and abound in history and rich myth. Also there are works such as those of Saxo Grammaticus - a must have for any aficionado. A good deal of material comes from documents written as a history yet they contain numerous mythological stories and references. And much of the Norse legends are Germanic in origin so that offers even more sources. The Saga of Hervör and Heithrek is quite important and was a huge inspiration for Tolkien and his writings while also plying into Swedish history.

Snorri's impact on Norse myth is massive, no doubt. Its irrefutable and the most prominent. But he isn't alone nor was he always good for myth. Some works offer insight to where he actually altered myths for no reason other than the fact he was Christian, and either by intent or accident in many ways he crafted some of the stories to be less than they could have been. I suggest people read The Seed of Yggdrasil for that info.

opinionated2434d ago

@morgan
Nice collection dude. I will have to check a few of those out. I didn't mean to sound like there isn't more to look into, I was just comparing it Greek mythology.

When I startes looking into Norse it was really hard to find something that wasn't the same thing retold like you mention. It seemed like it all came from the same spot unlike the Greeks which you can find a wealth of information on.

morganfell2434d ago

@opinionated,

Its all good. I didn't mean to sound like you were way off the mark either. For most people it is the Eddas that will be the foundation of everything they will ever know about Norse mythology. And for them it will be enough.

But those of us that want to look further, there is more to find. After all my immediate family passed, I grew curious and did the Ancestry.com route and ran my DNA as well. Surprise. Scandinavian by a mile. So I had to find out more. Plus Norse mythology is so much darker than other mythologies I have enjoyed such as Greek, Egyptian, and Indian. I recommend The Saga of Hrolf Kraki because it tells the story of Bodvar Bjarki - the blueprint for my favorite Tolkien character, Beorn. Plus it is a really good story of the patience required for true revenge. Also The Sagas of the Volsungs, Njals Saga, The Sagas of the Icelanders which also contains The Vinland Sagas (Step off Columbus, step off).

There is a lot out there, a great deal of it more historic in nature than straight mythology but early Norse society was different than most others. They had no word in ON (Old Norse) for religion because it was not seen as a separate aspect of life but was ingrained into all things in the world. If you want a different take on that life, try reading "Ibn Fadlin and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travellers in the Far North". This is a series of historic accounts that form the basis for Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead, which in turn became the movie The 13th Warrior.

opinionated2434d ago

@morgan

I would gladly be wrong on something like that, I'm a fan of most mythologies like you. I will definitely check out that Seed of Yggdrasil book. Who wrote that Norse dictionary? When you say historic do you mean the saga books are Viking era tales? I really like that the new God of war is pre-Viking. It's more in that myth realm of things.

Yeah I like the darkness of it. It makes sense that marvel took inspiration because they are more like heroes (or villains) than gods. Extraordinary people with everyday ordinary problems like the rest of us. They are more like the watchmen imo lol.

morganfell2433d ago

Yes, the Sagas are interwoven with some mythology but several of them tell stories - amazing GOW type stories in some cases - of historical Scandinavian figures or individuals believed to have existed. Some of Wagner's Ring Trilogy draws on Norse history and mythology found in some of the Sagas. I mentioned Bodvar Bjarki earlier. In the Saga of Hrolf Kraki he is a Berserker - a shape shifter known as a Berserker or Ber serkir (Bear Shirt) in ON. These warriors could change into a creature similar to a werebear in battle. In reality some Vikings were considered Berserkers going into combat shirtless or sometimes wearing bear skins and would fight in a mad battle rage. They are similar to the legends of the Ulfhednar or Wolf Shirts. Bodvar shares a lot of similarities with Beowulf and may have been drawn from the same source.

And yes many of these individuals in the Sagas are supposed earlier Viking warriors and Kings. Some of them real and some legend like Ragnar Lodbrok about whom there are stories - Ragnar's Saga Lodbrokar. - but hard evidence of his existence is lacking.

I have several Norse dictionaries but they are more like encyclopedias. I recommend the one by Rudolf Simek. It is the most referenced and comprehensive: https://www.amazon.com/gp/p...

For actual dictionaries you may want to tackle Icelandic first since it is the modern language that most resembles Old Norse. But regarding ON, Jesse Byock has done the best courses available with full audio support in many cases: https://www.amazon.com/Viki...

Be aware that The Seed of Yggdrasil is more of a reference book breaking down the writings than it is a tome of stories. It delves into manuscripts kept from the public for over a thousand years. It also shows errors in past interpretations and the real meaning of some ON idioms and the like. It demonstrates where Snorri just made up characters now believed to have been part of Norse Mythology when they weren't. The writer, Maria Christine Kvilhaug has done extensive work in philology and really has no equal in this department. It is utterly fascinating. Look at the name Ivar the Boneless. Many people assumed he was a cripple but that may not have been the case since Boneless in Old Norse shouldn't be strictly translated as it can mean someone that does not have sympathy or feelings of compassion for anyone and we know that to be the case with the historic Ivar. I like Vikings but that show is about as historically accurate as the movie Tombstone meaning it isn't accurate at all in many ways. Kvilhaug also has a youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/cha...

KingKelloggTheWH2433d ago

They will take huge liberties though..and people wont understand that

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 2433d ago
_-EDMIX-_2434d ago

I can't wait

is there even another high level hack and slash game besides God of War that is coming next year?

2434d ago
FallenAngel19842434d ago

It'll always be God of War 4 to me

bigmalky2433d ago

No it's not. It's a continuation of canon. Following on from GoW III.

If it forgot about Kratos' past, it would be a reboot, soft or otherwise. But it doesn't. It's a continuation of Kratos' life... Sequel.

UCForce2433d ago

@bigmalky Soft reboot is a sequel but revamped something new.

bigmalky2433d ago (Edited 2433d ago )

Invented term. So, the 2000s Robocop is a reboot. New actor, timeline reset, no follow on from the original, entirely different story.

God of War. Kratos, after his adventures in Greece, has moved to Scandanavia , had a child, and has settled down. Same character, continued story, still the protagonist... It's a sequel, new style gameplay or not.

Relientk772434d ago

I'm excited for this. I love the new style of the game

CyrusLemont2434d ago

That theme song is stunning and looks to be so iconic and memorable. Not enough credit going towards that given how unforgettable video game soundtracks are these days.

I also want something like this for Snoke in the new Star Wars please. Imagine that and when the song turns positive and uplifting you see Luke with his green saber in a stand off. SO F***** OT but I can’t help. TLJ is so close.

Zeke682434d ago

Looks great ! Can't wait much longer. Hopefully times goes fast until release.
Thank god I get GT Sport and Wolfenstein II in a few weeks to occupy me while waiting for this masterpiece.

Show all comments (56)
90°

God of War Needs to Redefine Kratos' Purpose Clearly and Quickly

Whatever form the next God of War game takes, it needs to be clear about what role Kratos is playing, lest the franchise lose direction.

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gamerant.com
Nacho_Z10h ago

I'm pretty sure it'd be a major mistake having Atreus as the main character in the next GoW. Seems to me like at best people tolerate him and his gameplay sections.

Ideally the story for the next game would be that Atreus has gone missing in Egypt, Kratos gets mad about it, picks up Mimir and goes on a god killing rampage.

Mad_Matt9h ago

If that is an option for the dev team then they need to make it a clean slate. No Atreus, No Mimir. That's what happened when he changed pantheons before. Lets Kratos be in that world. But it will be a difficult task to complete. Kratos and his past demons are getting a bit redundant as far as story telling goes.

Nacho_Z7h ago

Yeah there's not a lot of meat left on the bone story wise. Personally I'd happily accept any goofy reason they could come up with for why Kratos is in Egypt chopping off heads. I'm personally not that bothered about the finer points of the storytelling, although they do it well.

Lionsguard5h ago

They need to bring back the "God of War" in God of War. I was expecting to unleash hell and fury in Asgard against Thor that they really talked up in the first game but all we got was brooding middle aged dad drunk in a beer hall. Ragnarok was still "good" but I left that game expecting a lot more.

InUrFoxHole5h ago

Tried Rag... just couldn't get into it. Felt like more of the same. I would welcome a Kratos only game again.

30°

Frostpunk 2 Director Łukasz Juszczyk Discusses Game Balance, Politics, and Beta Feedback

TechRaptor writes, "After getting our hands on the Frostpunk 2 story, we got to sit down with Łukasz Juszczyk to talk about how the game evolved from the original."

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techraptor.net
70°

XDefiant dev promises fix to frustrating hit reg issues, though players remain skeptical

Mark Rubin, XDefiant’s executive producer, responded to an X/Twitter post that fixes to hit reg “are something [they] are working on.” Unfortunately, it’s unclear when it will arrive, as neither Rubin nor the development team have yet to provide an actual time frame.

just_looken2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Ha man what is this the 8th time they are working on this issue?

SO the game is using division one maps/assets with some divison 2 thrown in with that we can say they never really made the maps so what have they been doing for there 6 to perhaps 8 years of dev time? must be alot of hookers/blow/parties.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Notellin2d ago

It's astounding how much money they blow and this is the results. Gaming development is out of control.

just_looken2d ago

Right even when ubisoft cancelled division heartland as a beta player that game was a far better state then they push with this trash of a game that is still in a beta state after 3 years of delay's.

we are so starved of any decent fps/3rd person shooters out there it seems we will take anything even though some ps2 fps games were more fun then this game in my old opinion.

FPS_D3TH2d ago

Skeptical because it was an issue with ALL the betas and still hasn’t been fixed

just_looken2d ago

Its like they are using division one servers but they caught fire then were put together with barry/carols help from the janitors wing or some shit. Three years they still can not make it so the gun goes boom the guy gets hit then damage is applied.