God of War Ragnarok truly pushes the PS4 to its limits, and provides us a mere glimpse of what’s possible on PlayStation 5. The Nine Realms, sprinkled in all of their wondrous magic are a real treat to explore, not just in terms of their intricate level design that compel you to venture off the beaten path, but visually, too. It’d be remiss of us to only compliment the visual fidelity of the realms, though, as Kratos, Atreus, Mimir and the colorful cast of characters that join them along the way all equally look spectacular, too.
To really highlight just how far Sony Santa Monica Studios have gone in bringing God of War Ragnarok’s world and characters to life, we’ve put together this list of incredible, tiny details you’d probably miss if you didn’t take the time to really go searching for them. So, without further ado, let’s dive into it.
Kratos’ Scratchy Beard
The screenshot above is from the very first cutscene in God of War Ragnarok, and it really goes to showcase just how beautiful and intricately detailed the character models for Kratos and Atreus are.
But it’s the God of War himself that we’re focused on here, and it’s all about that big bushy beard of his. During this cutscene, it’s possible to make out the individual hairs that make up Kratos’ beard, and you can even see the variation in color, with some greys coming through.
But what’s particularly impressive about Kratos’ beard is just how scratchy it looks. That might sound bizarre, but bearded people — or those who just like stroking people’s beards (we’re not here to judge) — will know what I mean. The wiry, wrinkled look of Kratos’ facial hair looks like its dry, weathered, and has that oddly satisfying scratchy feel to it.
The opening cutscene also gives us some other insane details. Just look at his fingernails! You can literally make out the crescents at the bottom of the nail. Very impressive indeed.
The Grain of the Wood of the Leviathan Axe Handle
The Leviathan Axe is Kratos’ trusty, frost-imbued weapon, and it certainly looks the part in God of War Ragnarok. Complete with intricate detailing on the lethal metal blade itself, it’s actually the wooden handle or ‘stem’ of the axe that’s so impressive in our eyes.
Look at the very top of the axe, above the blade and you’ll see the rough edge, the graining of the wood, and even little dents and notches in it. Further down the ‘stem’ you can see the grain in the wood, and even some little scratches and scuffs of wear and tear. Is anyone really going to notice if all these tiny marks weren’t there? Probably not, but it goes to show Sony Santa Monica’s dedication to bringing their uncompromised vision for Ragnarok to our screens.
Insects Scuttling on Walls
I’m not going to lie, I was adamant these glowing, colorful bugs had some sort of gameplay use. I mean, look at them, they’re big, colorful and demand your attention. They scuttle around on walls, providing a suitably creepy and dank vibe to caverns and other dark and dingy corners of the Nine Realms.
Alas, despite killing all 10 of the little blighters in the first area I encountered them, they had no use whatsoever. I at least expected health or rage pickups but nope, nothing.
The fact that Santa Monica has even thought about adding these large, detailed critters to the creepy crannies of the Nine Realms just goes to show their dedication to bringing the world of God of War Ragnarok to life. It adds that additional, skin-crawling component to these parts of the world and helps immerse you within the world. These aren’t pristine caves Kratos is exploring. These have been largely untouched by humans, left for nature to takeover, and that’s exactly the feel that these bugs bring to the table.