God of War (2018) and GoW Ragnarok’s Cut Content Explained

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God of War (2018) and GoW Ragnarok's Cut Content Explained

Key Takeaways

  • 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.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia tinged with disappointment when I reflect on the cuts made to the latest iterations of the God of War series.

In the creation of the rebooted God of War series, developed by Sony and Santa Monica, there were instances where certain elements had to be eliminated due to development challenges. These cuts affected both God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok, potentially introducing intriguing alterations to both games.

In 2018’s God of War, the modifications weren’t crucial to the overall plot, yet they could have influenced certain aspects. Conversely, in God of War Ragnarok, a substantial cut was made that would have drastically altered the ending if the removed content had been included in the final edition.

Everything Cut From God of War (2018)

Some Enemies Never Made It to God of War’s Final Cut

In the realm of gaming, I, as a player, found out that in the 2018 version of God of War, there were two enemies that didn’t quite make it to the final cut. Firstly, I remember encountering Norse Warriors back in the Greenlight Demo from 2015, but they were swapped out for Hel-Walkers in the full release. Secondly, a chilling adversary known as the Drummer was also left behind. This creature had four partially charred arms, empty eye sockets, and a macabre collection of skulls adorning its waist.

Drummers were cut and replaced by Revenants in
God of War
(2018).

Atreus’ Egotistical Sequence Was Originally Much Longer

In the original plan for “God of War,” Atreus’ transformation into a character portrayed as arrogant or self-centered, known as “jerk mode,” was intended to be a gradual progression that took about two hours. However, due to the removal of an entire level and changes in the sequence of plot events, this transition appears sudden. The creative director, Cory Barlog, regrets that they couldn’t go back and smooth out this abrupt story development before the game’s release.

Everything Cut From God of War Ragnarok

A Major Questline Involving Sinmara Was Cut From God of War Ragnarok

In the God of War community, it’s now widely recognized that the ending of God of War Ragnarok underwent significant changes due to the removal of an entire Sinmara-centric questline. This cut content seems to have been done to shorten the main storyline of the game. Initially, Sinmara, who is married to Surtr and the second part of the key to igniting Ragnarok, was meant to play a more prominent role in the game. Consequently, alterations made to this questline also affected Surtr’s character development.

Originally, God of War Ragnarok’s ending showed that Surtr’s strategy to initiate Ragnarok without Sinmara failed, leading to his demise. Subsequently, Kratos and Atreus sought out Sinmara in Niflheim, hoping she could spark Ragnarok independently. Upon their arrival, Sinmara escaped from them initially, but later, Atreus managed to persuade her that Odin was responsible for Surtr’s death – a fact he had fabricated. In response, Kratos would have reprimanded Atreus for deceiving Sinmara.

In a different turn of words, if Atreus were responding to Kratos’ dismay, he might say, “You’re shutting down your feelings, much like my father always taught me.

Following this point, Sinmara joined Kratos and Atreus on their journey to the Spark of Creation. There, she combined with Surtr’s leftovers to bring about Ragnarok. In the final scene of God of War Ragnarok, events would have intertwined with the deleted ending, enabling Kratos to recover Sinmara and Surtr’s remains and return them to the Spark of Creation. As always, Mimir expressed his worry that reuniting Surtr and Sinmara might trigger another Ragnarok. In response, Kratos vowed to handle it should such an event occur.

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2024-10-20 20:44