October is a packed month for new game releases, including some of the most anticipated titles of the year. But right after that comes one of the most anticipated games of the decade so far. Hitting store shelves on November 9, God of War Ragnarok is continuing and concluding the series' Norse saga. Though details are still scarce this close to release, God of War Ragnarok looks to be upping the ante with Kratos and Atreus facing off against even more of the Norse pantheon. Before players dive back into the Nine Realms, they may want a quick refresher on where God of War (2018) left off.
Winning a whole slew of game of the year awards in 2018, God of War brought more attention to the franchise than ever, with Sony Santa Monica delivering one of the most impressive narratives in the industry. Four years later, fans are hoping that it can replicate the magic with a sequel that increases the stakes, and ties up all loose ends.
The Events of God of War 2018
Taking place hundreds of years after Kratos wreaked havoc on the Greek gods, the Spartan God of War now lives in a cabin hidden within an isolated woodland in Midgard. God of War opens with Kratos cutting down a tree to use as firewood for his recently deceased wife's funeral pyre. Joined by his son Atreus, Kratos says his mother's last wishes were to spread her ashes at the highest peak in all the Nine Realms.
Before the two set off on their journey, Kratos is confronted by a mysterious stranger who starts a fistfight with the former God of War. Despite using all his strength, Kratos cannot kill the stranger, but he manages to subdue him temporarily and escape with Atreus. In the early hours of their journey, Kratos and Atreus meet Brok and Sindri, two ancient Dwarven smiths who created Kratos' new Leviathan Axe. The father and son duo also meet a Witch of the Woods who leads them to the Lake of the Nine, a gateway to the other realms and home of the World Serpent.
With black mist stopping their journey, Kratos and Atreus are forced to use the Bifrost to claim the Light of Alfheim. Passing through the mist and reaching the highest peak in Midgard, the two narrowly avoid the unkillable mysterious stranger, who is now accompanied by Thor's children Modi and Magni. After they've left, Kratos finds Mimir at the peak, imprisoned. Once the advisor to Odin, Mimir has an unrivaled amount of knowledge, and tells Kratos that the highest peak in the Nine Realms is actually in Jotunheim. He promises to serve as a guide if Kratos cuts his head off and revives it with the Witch of the Wood.
Mimir also reveals that the mysterious stranger is Baldur, a son of Odin, and that the Witch of the Woods is the goddess Freya. Once Mimir's head has been revived, he and Freya try convincing Kratos to tell Atreus of his ancestry as a god, but Kratos refuses. Soon after, the party is ambushed by Magni and Modi, who Kratos defeats - but not before Atreus unleashes some of his god-like powers, which causes him to fall gravely ill. To heal him, Freya sends Kratos to Helheim and retrieve the heart of a troll, but in order to survive Kratos returns to his cabin and digs up his old Blades of Chaos.
After retrieving the heart, Atreus is healed, and Kratos tells him that he is a god. Modi ambushes them once again, and despite being told not to, Atreus kills him. Before they can step through the gate to Jotunheim, Baldur destroys it, and traps them all in Helheim. Here they discover that Baldur is Freya's son, and his invulnerability is due to a spell she has cast on him; though Baldur resents her as it has resulted in him being unable to feel anything. After escaping Helheim and retriveing Mimir's lost eye, Baldur once again confronts the party, but Atreus manages to fire a Mistletoe arrow into his chest, breaking Freya's protective spell.
During the climax of an intense fight, Baldur tries to kill his mother, but Kratos intervenes and kills Baldur instead. Freya swears revenge on Kratos, and leaves with her son's body. Kratos finally tells his son about his past, how he killed the Greek gods including his own father Zeus, and that they need to learn from those past mistakes. Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir then head off to Jotunheim to finish their journey.
The Ending of God of War 2018
Finally in Jotunheim, Kratos and Atreus find an abandoned temple at the top of a mountain. They discovers a mysterious mural that seemingly recounts the journey they've just been on, suggesting the now-dead giants knew everything that would transpire. Kratos and Atreus also discover from that Faye, their wife and mother respectively, had been a giant, and that Baldur had been hunting her the entire time. After finding out that he is part mortal, god, and giant, Atreus also learns that his mother originally intended to name him Loki.
As Atreus leaves the room, a piece of fabric on the mural blows aside, revealing a new image seemingly of Atreus holding a dying man, with an eerie snake-like substance flowing between the two people's mouths. Kratos is the only one to see th mural, and says nothing to Atreus about it. Instead, Kratos joins his son at the top of the mountain, and the pair finally spread Faye's ashes. On the way back to Midgard, Mimir says that Fimbulwinter has begun already, which is prophesized to only occur at the beginning of Ragnarok. God of War ends with Atreus waking from a vision that sees Thor arrive to confront the two at the cabin, believed to be future events.
God of War Ragnarok launches on November 9, 2022, on PS4 and PS5.
