God of War Ragnarok is launching very soon, and Sony is poised to have another global hit on its hands. The game already supports many languages, but different regions also demand their own marketing approaches. The latest Ragnarok promo on the PlayStation Japan YouTube channel is extra strange.
Dubbed the “God of War Ragnarok Song,” the video is part karaoke, part dance routine. Japanese television personality Hiromichi Sato (literally) rolls in and begins singing about the exploits of Kratos and his son Atreus. Thus begins a full song-and-dance number, complete with Leviathan Axe and Talon Bow props (sans the cool new elemental attacks). It’s a routine that Yakuza’s Kazuma Kiryu would probably be jealous of. That series is known for its silly side content, but God of War not so much. In any case, it’s a delightfully odd promo video that would probably please both the Greek and Norse music gods (that would be Apollo and Bragi, for the record). It includes plenty of gameplay footage too.
This isn’t the first head-scratcher that PlayStation has put out there in the lead-up to Ragnarok’s launch. The US YouTube channel just published a promo video featuring a random celebrity trio of Lebron James, Jon Travolta, and Ben Stiller, the last of which is done up in full Kratos makeup and costume. Whether or not you enjoy this comedic approach is up to you, but one thing is indisputable: PlayStation is pulling out all the stops when it comes to promoting God of War Ragnarok. Considering all the leaks that are already out there, that’s probably for the best.
If you’re trying to dodge spoilers, at least you don’t have much longer to go. The release date of God of War Ragnarok is Wednesday, November 9. That same day, PlayStation will put out a console bundle that includes a PlayStation 5 with a disc drive, a DualSense controller, and a copy of the game.
