![\"God](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/how-god-of-war-ragnaroks-level-designers-made-dwarven-realm-svartalfheim-larger-than-life.jpg\")
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A powerful sense of discovery drove players to chart courses throughout God of War 2018’s map. Winding footpaths led to expansive hubs at a scale unlike previous games in the franchise. Ornate chests holding rare equipment and J\u00f6tnar Shrines with lore murals were just some of the items awaiting wide-eyed players across six realms. Golden path locales like Midgard and its massive Lake of the Nine, Alfheim, home to light and dark elves, Helheim, the underworld, and J\u00f6tunheim, the land of Giants, were sprawling zones in their own right, filled with enough content to keep players engaged. Yet, the optional but equally impressive Niflheim and Muspelheim realms pushed player skills to the limit with vigorous combat trials. Despite the size and myriad navigable backdrops, the Norse universe felt connected. Odin barred access to Asgard, Vanaheim, and Svartalfheim, but Ragnar\u00f6k director Eric Williams<\/a> says players will get to explore all nine realms in the sequel and that \u201cThe ones you\u2019ve seen before are going to feel new again.\u201d<\/p>\n The frostbitten forest from God of War 2018\u2019s early hours is just as everyone remembers, but Fimbulwinter\u2019s frigid grasp extends beyond Kratos and Atreus\u2019 home region. The Lake of the Nine is frozen solid, requiring unconventional transportation methods. Enter: Speki and Svanna, sled wolves that transfer the characters from one far-off point to the next. In verdant areas, players must once again paddle down serpentine streams or trudge through open waters in a canoe, but these various means of travel suggest a journey vaster and bolder than what came before.\u00a0<\/p>\n The exclusive footage I watched of the dwarven realm, Svartalfheim, provided me with more than enough insight into the depth and complexity of Ragnar\u00f6k\u2019s world. Lead level designer James Riding and level designer Jon Hickenbottom spoke with me about their experience crafting the points of interest, with the former saying, \u201cWe wanted to evolve the gameplay in the level spaces \u2013 more variety and verticality. In Svartalfheim, you\u2019ve got a lot of places that you go to all within one realm. It\u2019s so much content.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s right. As soon as the video starts, I\u2019m thrust into a maze-like depot brimming with wooden machinery, a technical marvel even by God of War\u2019s fantastical standards. Water sloshes down rickety ducts sectioned off by sluice gates. I spot towering wheels in the distance, and just overhead, an ore block, suspended in the air by a derelict rig, threatens to crush me. Atreus climbs to an elevated ledge, scouts the area, and offers a plan of action, but not before cracking a joke at the expense of his father\u2019s aging knees. Suddenly, the clip jumps forward, and I\u2019m standing on a cliff face with breathtaking views of the entire site. I barely make out the cloudy silhouettes of mountaintops along the horizon. A few feet away, a small chest sparkles, waiting for Kratos to burst in and snatch its well-kept treasure. An abundance of visual cues imply walls are mountable and structures can be acted upon, setting the stage for potentially intricate puzzles.<\/p>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/how-god-of-war-ragnaroks-level-designers-made-dwarven-realm-svartalfheim-larger-than-life-1.jpg\")
Kratos and Atreus will encounter Durlin in Svartalfheim, but how he factors into their latest odyssey is still anyone’s guess. <\/p>\n