Summary
God of Waris about to reinvent itself all over again if it is headed to an Egyptian, Japanese, Aztec, Chinese, Celtic, or other culturally rich mythology. It seems as if Atreus—also known as the Norse mythology’s Loki—will be making this trek alone, though, with Kratos possibly staying behind to help Midgard and the rest of the Nine Realms recuperate afterGod of War Ragnarok’s battle of Asgard. There are certainly enough loose threads there for Kratos to tie or sever, leaving Atreus free to traverse another new mythological setting on his lonesome.
No matter the happenstance,God of Warcan’t pursue a new mythology the same way it did with the Norse saga. Choosing Norse mythology was a terrific choice on Santa Monica’s part because it brought out a burly beard on the pale-skinned demigod and introduced a harsh environment with fantastic creatures and NPCs to encounter. Nonetheless, not explicitly addressing how Kratos was able to get there in the first place or at least give some context into how he responded to seeing such a drastically different corner of the world are huge oversights thatAtreus’ own mythology-hopping journeyshouldn’t replicate.
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How Kratos Got to the Norse Lands After God of War 3 is Left Unknown
Because it’s unclear how Kratos reached Norse lands and a time-lapse allowed Santa Monica to pick up his story at a convenient moment in the character’s sudden development, there are odd suspensions of belief fans need to stomach in order to accept where the franchise was taken. Kratos should’ve been on his deathbed if anything, for example, and instead he managed to probably sail across an immeasurable sea to reach a markedly colder locale.
That’s all well and good since Kratos has proven he’s more than capable of accomplishing herculean feats, but then to suggest that the rage-riddled brute became conscious of his anger after meeting Faye and decided he would try to have a family again is a plot point that desperately needed to be addressed, but wasn’t. These choices put Kratos in a position of fatherhood that would challenge his character as the primary theme ofGod of Warin the Norse saga, though they were only possible because Santa Monica never needed to explain how and why he changed to become as tender and thoughtful as he did besides citing Faye’s influence.
Either way, after a handful of installments where Kratos was characterized primarily through bloodlust and grief, it continues to feel unsatisfying that his development was never thoroughly discussedbetween the Greek and Norse pantheons. It’s crucial now that the nextGod of Warmythology jump will hopefully learn from that mistake.
Atreus’ Journey to a New Mythology Shouldn’t Be Obscured
That’s not to say that Atreus’ entire actual journey would need to be documented in-game, but explaining some of these details could help discern how the protagonist was able to reach their destination at all, let alone what his response to it could be. It is still unknown what mythologyGod of Warplans to adopt next, and while fans will almost assuredly know which it is whenRagnarok’s sequel is revealed, it would be incredible to see how Santa Monica creates a bridge between it and the Norse mythology for Atreus to traverse.
That could be done simply by having the player sail through a thick mist and enter into the new mythology’s landscape thereafter. Regardless, seeing Atreus’ reaction to a new landscape and his first interactions with NPCs there are necessities this time around.God of Warthrust fans into a Norse sagawhere Kratos was already familiar with at least the gelid woods he resided in, plus he already had a wife and son.
This meant that players couldn’t see how he responded to being in an environment so unfamiliar to him, and what his initial reaction to Faye was. Therefore, if the nextGod of Wardoes the same and brings fans up to speed onAtreus’ established life in a new mythology, it’ll be equally unsatisfying.
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