“Ragnarök is coming”, read the mysterious teaser that announced a next installment of God of War for 2021, but what do we know about him?
God of War is one of the most celebrated sagas in the history of video games. Since his debut on PlayStation 2, Kratos has established a new paradigm for action and hack n ‘slash games. David Jaffe created a new legend for PlayStation that offered us an even more perverse version of Greek mythology. Thus, Kratos’ story was a spiral of revenge and a journey paved in blood. However, in 2018, the story of the Ghost of Sparta was written from a separate point: God of War, without a 4 to serve as a last name, represented a second chance for the destroyer of Olympus. The next installment, announced for PlayStation 5, is one of the most anticipated titles of the new generation, but what do we know about it?
A project that has been in development for a long time
“Ragnarök is coming” promised the brief teaser of God of War for PlayStation. In it, we saw the omega symbol of Kratos, with runes engraved, drawing slowly and that make up the word “Ragnarök”. Kratos’ voice, played by Christopher Judge, read “The hour is near. You must prepare.”
Throughout 2019, Sony Santa Monica published different job offers that suggested that a new project was being cooked in their offices. An example of these was the search for a main screenwriter, who would work under the leadership of Cory Barlog: “He will work closely with the directors of the project to supervise and contribute to the creation of the story and the writing of the narrative elements of the game. and thus ensure that it meets the intended vision. This includes writing and rewriting exhibits, scripts, character biographies, and world backgrounds. ” Throughout this time, we have seen different signings join the studio, such as screenwriter Alanah Pearce or Beau Anthony Jiménez, sound designer who had worked on The Last of Us Part II.
Omega and Ragnarök, the end of the world.
The arrival of Ragnarök
(NOTE: Relevant details of the God of War story are discussed in the following paragraphs).
After finishing God of War (2018), we see many loose ends and unknowns that make us want to know more. In the last hours of the game, Kratos and Atreus have the last battle against Baldur. After undoing his immortality, they manage to kill him, despite the pleas of a desperate Freya, who was willing to be sacrificed by her own son so that he would obtain the satisfaction of revenge. The goddess takes a sinister oath to Kratos before becoming his new mortal enemy: “I will bring down all imaginable agonies and violence on you. I will walk your corpse through every corner of the kingdom and feed the worst scum in Helheim with your soul. This is my promise”.
Freya during the last moments of the game.
A short time later, Kratos and Atreus complete the journey of scattering Faye’s ashes from the top of Jötunheim. Here we discover that the Spartan’s wife and the boy’s mother was a giant named Laufey, and we also know the boy’s true identity: Loki. We knew that Atreus has a divine nature, and with this revelation we discover that he is the Norse god of deception, disguise and languages. His expertise in understanding all languages and his question as to whether he will be able to transform into other creatures serve as a preview of this revelation.
To understand why the working title of the new installment is Ragnarök, it is necessary to draw a parallel between the Norse myth and the final events of God of War. According to Scandinavian mythology, Ragnarök or “the destiny of the gods” is the battle of the end of the world, fought between the Aesir, with Odin at the fore; and the fire giants of Surtr, accompanied by the jötun released by Loki. The inescapable result will be the destruction of the universe.
Baldur in God of War
This period will begin with the death of the god Baldur, god of light and peace, according to the Norse Eddas. In the legends, this deity was protected by his mother Frigg – identified in several versions with Freya – who had made all the elements swear that none would harm her son. Loki, envious, sought to outwit the immortality of his rival, and persuaded Freya to reveal her weak point: only a mistletoe had not taken the oath, being too weak and small. During a party where the other gods threw weapons at Baldur as a game, Loki persuaded Holder, Baldur’s blind brother, to shoot him with an arrow from that mistletoe. Thus, the very personification of peace died and a definitive war awoke.
A new version of the Viking myth
One of the characteristics of the God of War saga is the telling of new versions of classic myths, and Ragnarök is no exception. In the game, it is also Loki (Atreus) who overrides Baldur’s protection, albeit accidentally, and Kratos kills the god to save Freya. The goddess’ baleful threat marks her as a future villain for an upcoming installment. Also, in the final scene of the game, Thor’s visit to Kratos’ home heralds new duels against the gods.
Thor introduces himself to Kratos.
The end of God of War already makes it clear that not everything is told in the story of the Ghost of Sparta. Cory Barlog, God of War director and screenwriter, hinted during an interview with Kotaku that they have a lot of aces up their sleeve. Throughout the 2018 game, Odin is mentioned numerous times, and we know that the god is no stranger to Kratos’ presence. Jason Schreier asked the designer if he was not concerned that the player would be disappointed not to see Odin, despite the fact that throughout the game he is portrayed as the god who pulls the strings. Barlog responded: “It’s what I wanted. Many of the most important sagas for me do not always give us everything in the first installment. They leave many things in the pipeline, so that later in the second or third installment, the power of the characters and their interactions take on an even stronger impact ”.
In the same interview, Cory claims to have material for five more games, and expresses his desire to be able to deliver faster. Later, on his personal Twitter, he corrected himself when a user suggested that five more games could be detrimental to the quality of God of War. Well, to be honest, 5 more games would literally kill me. You can be sure that reality is going to be more measured than my speculation on Kotaku. “
Cory Barlog during the presentation of God of War (2018).
Released in 2021 and exclusive to PS5?
In the teaser presented last September, it was announced that the launch would be for 2021. The Santa Monica job offers make us think that the project has been in development for a long time, although the COVID-19 pandemic may alter the agenda of future launches, as we have already verified in 2020.
God of War: Ragnarök is expected for PlayStation 5. Without images of the gameplay, we expect it to move in a similar vein to the 2018 installment, with a more strategic action and a complex equipment improvement system. We also hope that the game will benefit from the possibilities offered by the haptic controller and how it will make the game even more immersive.
Kratos and Atreus
However, a direct from David Jaffe has raised suspicions about how Ragnarök could be cross-gen. Ah, I’m sure God of War will be out on PS4 and PS5. Well of course I do. I mean, Jim Ryan said it that way, ”said the designer during one of his recent streaming sessions in which he was playing the 2018 installment. Ryan, CEO of Sony, evaded in The Telegraph the question of whether the game would be totally exclusive to PS5: “Sorry, I have nothing to say about it today.” Like other triple-A titles of the new generation, it is likely to launch at a starting price of € 69.90.
Jaffe’s statements raised doubts in the media about whether he had privileged information, to which he made an explanatory video: “In the press they have promoted it as if I had affirmed a fact. Of course not. It was an opinion and of course if I had inside information I wouldn’t tell it here either. I was speculating on what Jim Ryan had said to the media and based on the fact that anyone with a minimally functional brain would deduce that God of War: Ragnarök, or whatever it will be called at the end, will be a cross-gen title. ” In the same video, he explains that Sony’s smartest strategy with such a prestigious title would be to put it on all possible platforms.
All in all, expectations around God of War: Ragnarök are very high. Herald of a new generation, Kratos’ story has been one of the most cared for by Sony and one of the most loved by gamers.
