Plenty of other games made an appearance during the show, ranging from blockbuster series to smaller indie projects. While it is unfortunate that God of War: Ragnarok was not present, the upcoming PlayStation exclusive doesn’t exactly need extra promotion. With only two trailers under its belt, God of War: Ragnarok is already among the most anticipated games of 2022, and it would likely stay that way if developer Santa Monica Studio chose not to promote it any further. However, even though Kratos didn’t need the extra boost from The Game Awards, the event itself lacked a major show-stopping moment that God of War: Ragnarok could have easily provided.
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The Game Awards Needed That ‘One More Thing’ Moment
Whether it’s The Game Awards, a Sony State of Play, or even a Nintendo Direct, developers usually try to include at least one teaser that stands above the rest. Following the notion of “saving the best for last,” this kind of reveal ends things in a big way and leaves players feeling excited for what’s to come. For example, at the last State of Play in September, many upcoming games were shown off for PS5 like Forspoken and Gran Turismo 7. At the very end of the presentation, the first proper look at God of War: Ragnarok gameplay was shown off in spectacular fashion.
Nintendo has performed the same tactic on numerous occasions, saving a reveal for Super Smash Bros Ultimate or Breath of the Wild 2 until the end of a stream. Naturally, these kind of reveals don’t always need to be at the very end, and can even be used to open a show with a bang. The point is, when looking back at The Game Awards 2021, there was no one huge announcement that stood high above the rest of the games on offer. God of War: Ragnarok, considering its immense amount of hype, would have been a stand-out inclusion, especially if something like a release date was confirmed alongside a new trailer.
The Scale of a Game Announcement
This is not to discredit or undermine any of the new game reveals at TGA 2021. A myriad of new footage for previously announced titles, as well as entirely new surprises were on display. Fans of horror games finally got a tease for Alan Wake 2, the long-anticipated sequel to the 2010 original. Quantic Dream additionally premiered a trailer for Star Wars: Eclipse, hinting at a moody, mature take on a galaxy far, far away.
These were all noteworthy stand-outs in a laundry list of exciting games to look forward to, but none of them could arguably be seen as the one show-stealing moment. Alan Wake 2 appeals mostly to fans of horror titles, and while Star Wars: Eclipse is set in a popular franchise, Quantic Dream’s interactive drama style isn’t exactly for everyone. God of War: Ragnarok is a game with such an epic scale that it is able to check off enough boxes to appeal to many different interests. Whether it be action, fantasy, RPGs, robust combat mechanics, or even just a gripping narrative, God of War: Ragnarok is set to be the epitome of AAA experiences if its predecessor is any indication.
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The Hype For God of War: Ragnarok
Looking ahead into 2022, God of War: Ragnarok is not only positioned as one of the biggest PlayStation exclusives, but one of the biggest games of the year in general. Aside from fellow PlayStation title Horizon: Forbidden West and Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild 2, God of War: Ragnarok could very well be the game with the greatest expectations behind it. Considering its predecessor from 2018 was showered in near universal praise, it’s easy to see why.
The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley undoubtedly made a tremendous effort to secure a healthy amount of reveals for players of all interests. There was clearly a lot of passion behind putting this event together, made only more impressive by the outside difficulties of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But once again, even with the enormous quantity of new reveals on display, there wasn’t one that was able to edge out the competition as a clear frontrunner for the evening.
Sony generally likes to save new trailers and information for its first-party titles to appear in its own State of Play streams, ensuring more eyes are exclusively on them. Even so, a brief tease that lasted a minute or two wouldn’t have hurt to promote God of War: Ragnarok. It also would have worked wonders to turn an overall good show into a great one.
God of War: Ragnarok is planned to release in 2022 for PS4 and PS5.
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