One of the most hotly anticipated games of 2022 is Santa Monica's God of War: Ragnarok which is the second and final part of Kratos' adventures in Norse mythology. Although not many details have been released, it is clear that Kratos and his son, Atreus, have plenty of dangers ahead of them. Following Baldur's death, Freya and Thor are both out for revenge, and it seems not much but Kratos' head will satisfy them. Furthermore, the incoming Ragnarok promises to bring doomsday if Kratos and Atreus do not find a way to stop it.
Needless to say, God of War: Ragnarok is on track to unravel many secrets and provide plenty of action-packed moments. However, there has been speculation that the game will do the unthinkable and, after a decade of God of War, shift the focus away from Kratos. Although the Spartan warrior has carried the franchise well for years, it may be time for Atreus to take the reins, and Norse mythology gives hints that the next God of War game will do exactly that.
God of War (2020) May Have Been the Set-Up
2020's God of War is supposed to be a reboot of the series, and it does away with many of the conventions that have served the franchise well for years prior. Instead of the usual fixed camera that allows gamers a wide view of the battlefield, God of War (2020) opts for an over-the-shoulder perspective that puts gamers real close to the action, making every blow feel even more impactful. It also abandons its Greek mythology inspirations in favor of Norse mythology. Consequently, Kratos finds himself in the Nine Realms where he crosses paths with Norse gods such as Mimir, and Norse mythological creatures such as Jormungandr.
The biggest change 2020's God of War brings is the addition of Kratos and Faye's son, Atreus. Because Atreus is young, he can be arrogant, troublesome, and annoyingly inquisitive at times. This only gets worse once he discovers that he is a descendant of the gods, causing his ego to vastly inflate. However, Atreus also helps Kratos out in many seemingly helpless situations. Players have some control of Atreus, and they can use him to fire arrows during battles or strategically activate runic summons that can quickly change the direction of a fight. As players progress and upgrade Atreus' gear, he becomes an indispensable part of every showdown, and Kratos feels powerless without him.
Atreus' inclusion enabled a creative gameplay mechanic that helped make God of War (2022) one of the highest-rated games of its generation, but it could have also been a way for Santa Monica to smoothly transition gamers from one protagonist to the next. After spending several games with Kratos, a sudden jump to a new protagonist may have been jarring, and it could have upset many gamers. However, by allowing gamers to spend time with both Kratos and Atreus, and letting gamers grow attached to Atreus, they may be less resistant to having the controls passed from father to son.
God of War: Ragnarok would not be the only game to do a protagonist switcheroo. Famously, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty swaps out Solid Snake for Raiden, which was a controversial move in 2001, and The Last of Us 2 lets gamers play as Ellie for the first half of the game before introducing an unexpected twist in the second half of the game. However, by spreading out the transition from Kratos to Atreus over two games, God of War may succeed in being the franchise to do the protagonist switcheroo the most elegantly.
Norse Mythology Places an Emphasis on Atreus/Loki
If God of War: Ragnarok is going to be borrowing from Norse mythology, there is plenty of room for Atreus, but not much for Kratos, which could indicate who the game will be focused on. Within Norse mythology, Ragnarok is a terrible series of events that follows Fimbulwinter. Ragnarok ends with destructive natural disasters, the death of many Norse gods, and the flooding of the entire world. Following the flood, the world will be repopulated by two humans named Lif and Lifthrasir.
It is prophesized that during Ragnarok, there will be a lot of fighting between the gods. The trickster god Loki will wage a war against the gods, with an army of Jotnar (fire giants) at his command. There will be a big battle between Loki and Heimdall, and the two will mortally wound each other. Loki is an important Norse mythology figure to pay attention to because Atreus has very strong connections to him. In 2020's God of War, it is revealed that Atreus' mother Faye originally named him Loki, and this was the name she told the Jotnar. This suggests that, should Ragnarok be awaiting in the next game, the upcoming battles are for Atreus to fight, not Kratos.
Should God of War: Ragnarok take heavy inspiration from Norse mythology and place Atreus/Loki at the center of the action, it does put Kratos' alignment into question. With Atreus/Loki waging war against the gods, it is unclear where Kratos would position himself. Naturally, one would expect that Kratos would side with his son. However, as Kratos has learned the hard way, when it comes to the gods, fate has a way of controlling events in unexpected ways, often resulting in sons murdering their parents. It would be a shocking, though not un-foreshadowed, turn of events if Kratos and Atreus found themselves on opposite ends of the battlefield, as this is the very thing that Kratos fears most.
God of War: Ragnarok has faced delays, in part due to medical issues from Christopher Judge who plays Kratos, though the game is now on track to release in 2022. There are plenty of questions waiting to be answered, and gamers are itching to know whether Odin will make an appearance, how Kratos will deal with Thor and his mighty hammer, and what role Angrboda will play. It may be the case that gamers will uncover these answers, not through Kratos, but Atreus.
God of War: Ragnarok is set to release in 2022 on PS4 and PS5.
