Alright let me tell you, God of War 2018 is one of my favourite games ever. I played it through a couple of times. I admired it for its simplicity, the combination of fun gameplay and intriguing story, as well as the great creative re-interpretation of real-life mythology to frame Norse mythology from the perspective of Loki. In fact, I was excited to see how Loki’s journey continues. How will the confused but well-meaning, naïve boy end up becoming the cunning God of Trickery?
Now, God of War Ragnarök is a great game. I had lots of fun playing it. The story was also well thought out and really enjoyable. But due to the expectations set up in 2018 I am a tad bit disappointed about in what direction the story developed, and how it ended. Instead of a trilogy that shifted the focus from Kratos towards Loki, with a great tragedy that was teased in 2018, we get a two-parter with a happy ending. That is completely fine and the creators had their reasons for doing that.
But lately I’ve been thinking about how that series I was hoping for back in 2018 would have looked like. So here is my rewrite of God of War Ragnarök. It will be followed by an attempt at inventing a third part soon.
The Foundations
I would keep the 2018 God of War more or less like it is, of course. It already provides the foundation of how Atreus could turn into Loki. The uncertainty Atreus faced early in his childhood about who he is, his lack of knowledge about his godhood already taught him that he could be somebody he’s not. A valuable lesson for a shapeshifter. Secondly there is the fight of nature and nurture in Atreus. He has a benevolent and curious nature, while he learns from Kratos to dismiss his own nature as weak and instead, he learns to be disciplined and focused on survival. Those are the predispositions of someone who will end up questioning reality and trusts no one, maybe not even himself.
Fimbulwinter
First of all, I would call the second instalment of the series Fimbulwinter. It’s not yet Ragnarök, but the tension is building towards it. It’s not entirely different from the existing second instalment. Atreus wants to reconnect with his Giant roots and thinks Tyr is the only possible lead to the fate of the giants. Kratos, trying to be a good father, joins him on his search and so the game starts in Alfheim, where they hope to find some clue about Tyr. Again, there is war in Alfheim and like in the real game, this time the light elves are the “evil” ones. Atreus sees how his judgment back when he was first in Alfheim was wrong and starts questioning himself. Also, he’s hurt in his pride and feels treated as stupid by Kratos, because he doesn’t understand the complexity of warfare. So, with his insecurity, there is some resentment growing towards his father (also he’s a teenager, so it comes naturally).
They find a shrine devoted to Tyr, and within Atreus enters a secret door, which is too small for Kratos. In the room behind its Atreus meets a girl. Thor’s daughter. She is there to collect information for Odin. Unfortunately, no one in Asgard can read the Giant runes she found. Atreus of course can. So, she invites him to Asgard to join her grandfather’s search for Tyr’s knowledge. Atreus declines because of the distrust for Gods instilled by his father, but she gives him a travel rune in case he’d change his mind.
Atreus doesn’t tell his father about his encounter, so for Kratos the search looks unsuccessful and he tries to convince Atreus to forget it and instead focus on preparing for Ragnarök in a more practical way. Of course, this displeases Atreus. So, he decides to visit Asgard. After a wall climbing adventure, he meets Thor and Odin. From then on, the story is split up between two strands of plot.
Thor
On the Thor strand, Odin sends Atreus and Thor out to search for clues in Helheim, Niflheim and Muspelheim. Here Atreus learns about the cruelty Odin lays upon Thor, and the hedonism Thor uses to cope with it.
Their journey starts of course in Helheim, where the two unlikely allies have to reconcile with each other’s sins (it is a returning trope in the games that, whenever someone has to come to term with some mistake or sins, they have to go to Helheim). Atreus confronts Thor with the genocide on the Giants, while Thor confronts Atreus with the deaths of his sons. Of course, they don’t entirely forgive each other, but learning the fact that both are not particularly proud of their deeds lets them grow a little closer. Whenever they are back from their missions Atreus has to report to Odin and then spends time with Thor’s daughter, where he admits that Thor isn’t as bad as he thought.
Their second stop is in Muspelheim. There they bond over their daddy issues. Atreus hates the strictness of his dead (which was cause of some contention before he turned up in Asgard the second time), so Thor shows him how to drink and go wild. Maybe here Atreus learns the skill where he turns into a bear. They both end up having fun together in Muspelheim and growing closer.
In Niflheim, the two get lost in the fog of their loyalties. Atreus hopes to be able to turn Thor against Odin, and invites him to join Kratos an their allies at Sindri’s house in the Worldtree.
Kratos
On the second strand the relationship of Atreus and Kratos is further explored. Kratos tries his best to balance his strictness with leaving room for Atreus to grow, while Atreus seeks independence and wants to impress his father with his own ideas.
They visit Vanaheim, Nidavellir and Jotunheim, where they discover all the atrocities of the Aesir conquest and rule. In Vanaheim it is the torched earth strategy and the extraction of resources, in Nidavellir it is colonialism and slavery and in Jotunheim it is genocide. During every visit we learn the story of how the realms fell to Odin, and it is always the story of trickery and deception.
The main dispute between father and son is, that Atreus overestimates himself and thinks he could outsmart Odin, while Kratos cautions him to do anything rash. Atreus hates that his father doesn’t believe him and gets even more motivated to take on Odin himself. In Nidavellir they are looking to find a weapon that could kill Thor, and Atreus tries to make the case, that maybe they don’t have to kill Thor. Kratos again, tries to be reasonable and agrees but adds, that in case they had to, they better had the tools to do so. Only when they reach Jotunheim again, Atreus’ home, he reconciles with his father, but it might be too late.
An unstoppable force meets an immovable object
At the end of the two journeys, in Jotunheim, they find Tyr’s tomb. He is dead, but there are further peculiar prophecies about Ragnarök. Throughout the story, Atreus gets similarly intertwined with Angrboda like in the real game. But here she reveals herself to Kratos and the others of Atreus’ party and joins them in Sindri’s hideout in the tree. Soon after, Thor and his daughter arrive, because Atreus has revealed their location to Thor in Niflheim. Throughout the game there would have been a bit of a love triangle between Atreus, Thor’s daughter and Angrboda (they’re in their teens after all), but now, Thor’s daughter stabs Angrboda and reveals herself to be actually a shapeshifting Odin. Thor would have no real daughter in this game. Odin then orders Thor to kill the others. Thor hesitates at first, but eventually obeys. And so begins the fight Kratos vs Thor. It starts in the tree, from which they eventually fall off. Then they fall through all the realms, within each they have a short battle, before they end up in the next. Eventually they find themselves at the roots of the tree, where the world serpent lies too. She helps Kratos in defeating Thor, but Kratos gets fatally wounded in the process. During the fight Freya held off Odin long enough to prevent his intervention, but eventually, he kills her.
Atreus, in absolute despair, does the only thing he thinks he can do and saves the souls of the slain – Angrboda, Freya, and Kratos – in the marbles Angrboda has shown him before. Then he hides from Odin in Helheim and the game ends.
Tale of foolishness
At first glance, this story would be about the foolish mistakes of Atreus, overestimating himself, rebelling against his father and trusting Thor too quickly. But with a closer look it is more about the foolishness of the old ones. Stubbornly they refuse to envision a better future. Kratos maybe tries to do so for the sake of his son, as was his character development in the first game, but in the end he can’t part his old ways for he has to protect his son. Thor is as much victim as perpetuator of the Aesir abuse, and is given the chance by Atreus, to redeem himself and free himself from Odin. But in the end, he is too much of a coward and again chooses to kill and finally die for his father. Atreus, however does not yet understand that and takes all the blame upon himself, developing a self-hatred and falls into despair.
This sets the stage of the third instalment. Loki, a broken man, after years of hiding in the inhuman cold of Helheim with a burning desire for revenge and an ignored need for redemption. How will he confront Odin? Will he find peace? Stay tuned for the next article.