The ending of God of War Valhalla sets up what’s next after Ragnarök

God of War: Ragnarok‘s Valhalla Downloadable content It packs a lot of story into Kratos and Mimir’s roguelike-like journey through the titular hall of heroes. With the Santa Monica studio, he framed Part 2 as Part 2 The end of the Norse Mythology arc of the seriesthere was a lingering question about what was next for Kratos and his son, Atreus, and… God of War Story moving forward. While fans were discussing what RagnarokThe end means for our heroes over the past year, Valhalla It gives some clarity to what Kratos will be doing in the near future.

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Valhalla It is Kratos’ cure

the Valhalla The DLC fills in the emotional gaps in Kratos’ arc in both the 2018 reboot and Ragnarok. The first game focused on Kratos as he tried to hide his violent past from Atreus. Ragnarok It raises questions about what Kratos’ title as God of War means if no one follows him. Father Odin confronts him about this, claiming that he knows nothing about the devotion between humans and gods, and the service they render in kind. In theory at least. It’s easy to throw away the cliches about serving humans as you turn the Nine Realms upside down in fear of the coming Ragnarok disaster. But his point seems valid. What divinity was for Kratos beyond power? The title represents that he annihilates his enemies more than he cares about the less bloody parts of being a god.

Ragnarok Kratos ends up seeing the shrine of Jötnar, which depicts him as a god in the Nine Realms beloved by the people. This discovery moves Kratos to tears, but he has a lot of work to do before he can become a better leader of men. As such, it is convenient for most tasks to be performed Valhalla It is titled Some Variation of “Work”. Valhalla It is an extended therapy session for Kratos. He has to face up to the horrible things he did during this God of WarGreek arch. He travels to Valhalla and confronts his inner demons as his memories create environments to travel through, enemies to face, and manifestations of his past such as Helios, the Greek sun god, who appears as a severed talking head throughout the expansion.

Throughout his journey in Valhalla, Kratos discusses his past as a violent tyrant and wonders if he deserves to be any kind of government employee after everything he’s done. Freya has asked him to become the new Norse God of War, and his journey through Valhalla is more or less about working through all those conflicting emotions by throwing his ax at enemies and confronting Tyr, the former God of War, every time he reaches her. the above. After doing this several times, Kratos finally encounters an image of himself, and actor Christopher Judge delivers an excellent monologue where he chooses not to forgive what he’s done but to move forward nonetheless as the God of Hope. He will serve the people instead of himself and fight to protect the Nine Realms alongside Freya. Is it enough for him to be a god worthy of this title? He doesn’t know, but he has hope.

Valhalla It could be a new beginning

While we can take Santa Monica studio’s claims of that Ragnarok It is ostensibly the end of the story of Norse mythology, and much remains unclear at this point. like Fans pointed out, RagnarokKratos’ original ending sets up some themes for the next game to follow, and it doesn’t look like Kratos is going anywhere anytime soon. After Brok’s death in the main game, Kratos and Atreus’ relationship with the dwarf blacksmith Sindri is in disarray, and if Kratos is to continue serving the people of the Nine Realms, he will serve his friend and ally after the devastating loss of his brother. It is a relationship that is still worth exploring.

However, the more explicit setup for the sequel/spin-off doesn’t involve Kratos at all. After Atreus discovered more about his origin as one of the last Titans alongside Angrboda, he decided to separate from his father to find the remains of his people. Kratos’ son has a more specific and concrete goal at the moment that could drive the plot of a video game. Whether it’s in Spider Man: Miles Morales-style spin-off or Atreus getting a starring role in a proper mainline God of War The game has not yet been seen.

While Atreus’ immediate future seems more realistic, fans are not convinced that he will be the face of the series from now on. Sure, said the Santa Monica studio Ragnarok culminated in the Norse story, but Kratos has put his ass firmly on the throne of the god of war in Norse mythology after… Valhalla. Atreus has certainly become a fan favorite over the years, but he doesn’t have the same cultural cache as Kratos, his playable sequels in Ragnarok It was divisive, and Some fans feel that the series cannot continue without the grumpy old man. What’s more, a God of War TV program It’s still in production at Amazon – it wouldn’t make sense to get rid of the series’ central character before introducing it to a whole new audience.

There are some hints of that potential God of War The game could be set in ancient Egypt and focus on the gods of its mythology. Kratos has already been to Egypt once in God fell comic series, but there are more subtle references to it throughout the series. In the 2018 reboot, a few Egyptian artifacts such as a pharaoh’s crook and a scarab are found in the Temple of Tire. Ragnarok It also contains an ankh as one of its collectible stolen treasures. Mimir knows about this element and calls Egypt the “River Empire”, meaning it is a known quantity in the Nine Realms. So, while this isn’t a direct confirmation, it does show that there is precedent for Kratos to explore this set of myths next.

Whatever the future holds for Kratos and Atreus, Valhalla It feels like the culmination of the arc of the Norse God of War series. He has transcended shame and anger and reached acceptance. Can Kratos, a character largely defined by his inner turmoil and rage, act when he reaches complete peace? I’m curious to find out.

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