One observant fan of God of War Ragnarok captured a video of an incredible detail visible in Photo Mode when Freya is in her falcon form. While fans of the Sony Santa Monica Studio title are used to seeing God of War Ragnarok’s Kratos taking the spotlight, this clip shows that the Ghost of Sparta’s supporting cast have their own secrets waiting to be found by eagle-eyed gamers.
God of War Ragnarok became an instant hit with players and critics when it released in 2022. The second game in Santa Monica Studio’s reimagining of the Spartan warrior’s saga, God of War Ragnarok sees Kratos and his son Atreus once more exploring the nine realms of Norse mythology. Throughout the beginning of the game, the pair must contend with the wrath of the Norse goddess Freya, who swore vengeance on the duo after they killed her son, Baldur, in 2018's God of War. Gifted with many magical abilities, Freya can turn into a falcon to avoid the curse that binds her to the realm of Midgard.
In a new post on the r/GodofWar subreddit, Redditor ib770 shared a clip of an incredible detail that can be seen when viewing Freya’s falcon form in God of War Ragnarok’s Photo Mode. The clip begins with the camera focused on Freya’s winged form as it slowly circles the magical bird, revealing that Freya remains observant even when the action is paused to snap a picture. As the camera moves around the falcon, the bird’s eyes remain fixed on the player watching their every move. While slightly unsettling at first glance, it also shows the astonishing level of thought and detail that went into every element of God of War Ragnarok’s design.
One response to the somewhat creepy clip summed up the overall tone of the replies to ib770’s post, calling it “Spooky but intriguing at the same time.” One Redditor wondered if, rather than tracking the camera, the falcon was rendered with concave eyes that only gave the illusion of following a viewer’s gaze, similar to statues in Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 3. Other responses cited the easily overlooked feature of Freya’s feathered form as a prime example of the incredible level of detail that Santa Monica Studio included in God of War Ragnarok. Focusing on the avian avatar’s appearance rather than its unflinching gaze, another Redditor replied to share that they initially thought the video was of a real bird.
The fact that Santa Monica Studio took the time to include such a minor but impressive detail in the game, even knowing most players would likely never see it, shows why the developer has gained a reputation for creating some of the most immersive worlds in gaming. And while fans of the Ghost of Sparta wait eagerly for his TV debut with the God of War show on Amazon, this clip shows that there are still plenty of secrets left to be found for players of God of War Ragnarok.
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.
