The extended trailer already gives away quite a bit – like the fact that the Norse god of war, Týr, is still alive. Also, in the interview with Ragnarok director Eric Williams, some exciting details are shared, maybe even a little too much. But the fact remains that developer Santa Monica Studio has chosen to reveal this themselves so that perhaps not everything is as it seems. That said, it’s time to delve into God of War: Ragnarok!
Winter is coming
The relationship between Kratos and his son Atreus is one of the many highlights of God of War, and it seems to be an essential element again in Ragnarok. The conflict between the two grows when a grown son in a heavier voice tries to find out who he is, now that he knows his mother called him “Loki.” He also wants to stop Ragnarok, and these two things motivate him to look for answers. If this requires war with the Norse gods, then so be it.
However, Papa Kratos is less looking forward to a renewed confrontation with the Norse gods, especially since he now has to deal with an enraged Freya after killing Baldur in the last part. The Greek god of war is a bit tired of it and would prefer to spend the rest of his life with his son in peace. But a quiet existence is not in it for Kratos.
God of War: Ragnarok
A little bit on top
At the end of the trailer, we saw the first big surprise, if we are to believe the words of Atreus: Týr is still alive! Thought to be dead in the first game, he still had a significant influence on the story. For example, his temple is the centerpiece of Midgard, with both the Realm Travel Room and numerous secret rooms for the player to explore. Also, Mímir does what he does best, telling stories of Týr’s great deeds from Kratos’ hip. Now the question is whether Týr, a huge boy in Ragnarok, is willing to help the Greek gods in their fight against the ultimate bad guys of Norse mythology: Thor and Odin! Check out the designs of the main characters from Ragnarok here.
The interview above with Eric Williams, the director of God of War: Ragnarok, confirms that Thor and Odin will be making an appearance in the game. Thor, the Norse god of thunder and lightning, was already teased at the end of God of War and is described by Mímir as the “biggest, butchering bastard in the Nine Realms.” Odin’s design remains a secret for a while, but we can already assume that the supreme god of Norse mythology will not perish without first fighting a lot.
Bottom line: Ragnarok takes it up a notch than God of War’s demigods Magni and Modi and even their initially immortal Uncle Baldur. We’re in the end game now!
God of War Ragnarok: Story
The 2018 God of War ending featured quite a few lightning-fast revelations, so stop reading if you haven’t finished reading it yet!
At the end of the game, we find out that Atreus was named Loki at birth, suggesting that he is part of the Norse pantheon that Kratos has tried so hard to hide from. Baldur’s death leads to the onset of Fimbulwinter, an ice plague that precedes the world-ending Ragnarök himself.
Santa Monica Studio
From the first trailer for Ragnarök, we can see that a few years have passed, and Atreus has matured a bit in his awkward teenage years. The Norse gods are coming for Kratos, not least Freya, who is still mourning Baldur – and in the background, Thor’s presence cannot be ignored.
Mimir, your friendly talking head from the last game, returns, and based on its sounds, devises a plan to free the imprisoned Tyr, Norse mythology’s war god, to help him push you back against the other gods. Whether that will work as simple as it sounds, we’ll leave it up to you.
God of War: Ragnarok Gameplay – How does the gameplay?
God of War from 2018 still shows glimpses of a hack-and-slasher, but the gameplay has been deepened to such an extent that it can no longer easily be placed in a genre box. Remarkably, Kratos‘ primary weapon is now an ax and shield, which gives a different dynamic to the combat. Later in the game, the infamous Blades of Chaos make their return. An exciting addition is passive control over the bow and arrow-armed Atreus, which you can engage in combat through commands. God of War also has several RPG elements, such as crafting better armor and unlocking new skills with XP.
Developer Santa Monica Studio has not released any information about the gameplay at the time of writing. As expected, the above gameplay elements in God of War: Ragnarok and maybe new features will be added.
In the previous game, the god of war, Kratos, has left the exhausting battle with the Greek gods and is building a new life in Midgard. However, his second wife Faye has passed away. He must now fulfill the role of father and mentor to his son Atreus without her. He was struggling with his bloody past results in a Spartan upbringing in which there was no room for mistakes and emotions. In their quest to scatter Faye’s ashes on the highest peak of the Nine Realms, there is an inescapable duality between humanity and divinity. After many upheavals through different worlds and the necessary confrontations with meddling mythical creatures, the truth finally emerges: Atreus comes to realize that as the son of a Greek god and Nordic giant, he is much more than just a mortal.
In the secret ending of God of War, where you go back to Midgard during the credits, some hints of the course of the story are already given. So it is clear that Faye wanted to name her son Loki. Once home, Kratos and Atreus take their well-deserved rest. This is followed by a shortcut scene in which a not too friendly-looking stranger stands at the door, accompanied by lightning bolts and a hammer at the ready. Immediately afterward, father and son wake up again, and nothing seems to be wrong. Atreus tells of his strange dream in which Fimbulwinter had ended, and Thor came to visit them. Was it a dream? Or was it a look to the future? In any case, it’s a strong hint of what to expect in God of War: Ragnarok.
Sindri, Brok, and Mimir, among others, refer to a terrible winter that is ahead. In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is the legend of the end times. It is ushered in with Fimbulwinter, in which the human world becomes covered with snow, ice and darkness. Anarchy turns everyone against each other, several catastrophic disasters follow, and there is an invasion of evil mythical creatures. As if that wasn’t enough, the gods, giants, and other legendary creatures also get into a fight. Salient detail: the deceitful god Loki (and who knows, who knows, Atreus) plays a prominent role. Although opinions differ on the exact interpretations of this legend and writer Cory Balrog will undoubtedly give it his twist, the battle between order and chaos at least promises to be central to God of War: Ragnarok.
