Major spoilers ahead forGod of War Ragnarok.
God of War Ragnarokends with a bang. Odin, Thor, and Heimdall are all dead, alongside Brok, who was killed by Odin while the latter was impersonating Tyr. This bombastic and bloody ending concludes with a moment of peace, and eventually thepost-fight therapy afforded to Kratos via theValhallaDLC.
The circumstances of this ending, which is rather definitive for Kratos, have led many to assume that the next game will center on Atreus, who leaves the Norse realms in search of the remaining Giants. There are obviously a lot of moving parts to this potential game plan, not the least of which being the basis for Atreus' solo adventure: there’s no major conflict remaining afterGod of War Ragnarok’s finale, so it’s hard to say what tribulations Atreus will face. This, alongside other factors like Atreus' parenthood, could be addressed through a time jump, which would give the events of the game’s world time to breathe and change. This comes with some downsides, though, as it would mean missing crucial chapters of Kratos' development as the Norse God of War, and of Atreus' journey as a young adult on his own for the first time.
Despite Challenges, a Time Skip Would Help an Atreus-Led God of War’s Combat
Concerns About Atreus' Combat Abilities in a Solo Game
Atreus is featured inGod of War Ragnarokas a surprise playable character, but he doesn’t feel all that different from Kratos to control. As one would expect, he has a greater focus on ranged combat and magic, but the particular blend of close-quarters melee, ranged attacks, summons, and special abilities on a cooldown is definitely derivative of his father’s approach to fighting. Atreus has a few extra bells and whistles, but he doesn’t really feel like he can lead his own game just yet, at least not when it comes to his combat abilities.
Then there’s theissue of Atreus' weapons arsenal, which is severely truncated in comparison to Kratos'. He essentially only uses his bow, even for close-combat encounters, and he doesn’t appear to have much, if any, experience with other sorts of armaments. Kratos has the benefit of being a lifetime warrior with vast weapon proficiency, so there’s no need to explain why he is so skilled with his Leviathan Axe or Draupnir Spear once they are acquired. Atreus doesn’t have such a luxury, and would likely need to spend some time training if he wished to use any other combat tools.
Keeping all the above in mind, there’s no reason to say thatAtreus wouldn’t be able to expand his weapons arsenal, spell set, and slew of combat abilities over the course of, say, three to five years. Kratos needed to make use of several weapons, both in the Norse and Greek sagas, so it would only make sense for Atreus to need to be similarly versatile. But as previously mentioned, this isn’t going to happen overnight.
GivingAtreus new weapons and abilities would also have symbolic power: he is away from his father and homeland, and so must adapt to new circumstances.
And there’s nothing forcing such a time jump to occur before the game starts. Perhaps the first several hours of the Atreus-led game couldtake place right after the end ofGod of WarRagnarok, and then, after a specific story beat, the narrative could skip ahead a few years, letting players “skip” the training that Atreus would need for a new weapon or type of magic. Naturally, there are risks and downsides associated with an approach like this, but it could work, at least in theory.
God of War Ragnarok
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an epic and heartfelt journey as Kratos and Atreus struggle with holding on and letting goFrom Santa Monica Studio comes the sequel to the critically acclaimed God of War (2018). Fimbulwinter is well underway. Kratos and Atreus must journey to each of the Nine Realms in search of answers as Asgardian forces prepare for a prophesied battle that will end the world. Along the way they will explore stunning, mythical landscapes, and face fearsome enemies in the form of Norse gods and monsters. The threat of Ragnarök grows ever closer. Kratos and Atreus must choose between their own safety and the safety of the realms.
