One of the most anticipated games of 2022 is God of War: Ragnarok from Santa Monica, the second and last part of Kratos’ adventures in Norse mythology. Although not many details have been revealed, it is clear that Kratos and his son Atreus face many dangers ahead. After Baldur’s death, Freya and Thor want revenge, and it seems that Kratos’ head will not satisfy them. In addition, the coming Ragnarok promises the end of the world if Kratos and Atreus do not find a way to stop it.
Needless to say, God of War: Ragnarok is on its way to unraveling many secrets and provides many exciting moments. However, there was an assumption that the game would do the unthinkable and after a decade of God of War would shift the focus from Kratos. While Spartan Warrior has held the franchise well for years, it may be time for Atreus to take the reins, and Norse mythology hints that the next God of War game will do just that.
God of War (2020) could be a setup
It is assumed that God of War 2020 will be a reboot of the series, and it will get rid of many conventions that have served the franchise well in previous years. Instead of the usual fixed camera that gives gamers a wide view of the battlefield, God of War (2020) uses an over-the-shoulder perspective that makes gamers very close to the action, making each strike even more impressive. He also abandons the inspiration of Greek mythology in favor of Norse mythology. Consequently, Kratos finds himself in the Nine Realms, where his paths intersect with Scandinavian gods such as Mimir and Scandinavian mythological creatures such as Jormungand.
The biggest change that God of War 2020 brings is the addition of Kratos and Faye’s son, Atreus. Because Atreus is young, he can be arrogant, restless, and at times irritatingly inquisitive. It only gets worse when he discovers that he is a descendant of the gods, which greatly inflates his ego. However, Atreus also helps Kratos in many seemingly helpless situations. Players have some control over Atreus, and they can use it to shoot arrows during battles or strategically activate runic invocations that can quickly change the direction of combat. As players progress and improve Atreus’ equipment, he becomes an indispensable part of every confrontation, and Kratos feels helpless without him.
The inclusion of Atreus allowed the creation of creative game mechanics that helped make God of War (2022) one of the highest-rated games in its generation, but it could also be a way for Santa Monica to smoothly transition players from one main character to another. After spending several games with Kratos, the sudden transition to a new main character could cause irritation and upset many gamers. However, by allowing gamers to spend time with both Kratos and Atreus, and by allowing gamers to bond with Atreus, they may be less resistant to passing control from father to son.
God of War: Ragnarok will not be the only game in which the protagonist changes. It is known that Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty replaces Solid Snake with Ryden, which caused controversy in 2001, and The Last of Us 2 allows players to play as Ellie in the first half of the game before presenting an unexpected twist in the second half of the game. However, by stretching the transition from Kratos to Atreus into two games, God of War may succeed in becoming the franchise in which the main character switches most elegantly.
Norse mythology focuses on Atreus/Loki
If God of War: Ragnarok is borrowed from Norse mythology, then there is a lot of room for Atreus, but not so much for Kratos, which may indicate who the game will focus on. In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is a series of terrible events following Fimbulwinter. Ragnarok ends with devastating natural disasters, the death of many Scandinavian gods and the flooding of the whole world. After the flood, the world will be inhabited by two people named Lif and Liftrasir.
It is predicted that there will be many battles between the gods during Ragnarok. The trickster god Loki will wage war against the gods with an army of Yotnars (fire giants) under his command. There will be a big battle between Loki and Heimdall, and they will mortally wound each other. Loki is an important figure in Norse mythology, which is worth paying attention to, because Atreus has very close ties with him. In God of War 2020, it turns out that Atreus’ mother Faye originally named him Loki, and this is the name she told the Jotnars. This suggests that if Ragnarok waits in the next game, the upcoming battles should be fought for Atreus, not Kratos.
