Everything God Of War Ragnarok's Trailer Reveals About Its Story
The September 2021 PlayStation Showcase was host to the gameplay premiere of God of War Ragnarök, the highly anticipated sequel to 2018's God of War. The trailer was action-packed, filled with familiar faces and new ones and, of course, Kratos brutally taking down enemies, Atreus never far behind. The God of War Ragnarok trailer also provided some insight into the story to come.
The 2018 God of War reboot picks up where the original trilogy left off. Kratos has defeated the Greek pantheon and escaped to the realms of Midgard. He has a son, Atreus, with his second wife, Faye, who dies just before the game begins. Her final request is for her ashes to be spread at the highest point in the Nine Realms, and their journey to honor her wish is fraught with peril. Atreus learns of Kratos' bloody history, and both learn Faye was actually a giant of the Jotunheim, making Atreus part god, part giant. At the end of the game, it's revealed Faye named Atreus Loki, and the Ragnarok-preceding Fimblewinter begins. In the last scene of God of War, Atreus has a vision of Thor coming to his and Kratos' home.
The God of War Ragnarok gameplay trailer runs just over three minutes, highlighting the dangers that await Kratos and Atreus. As the game's title implies, the father-son duo is faced with Ragnarok, the Norse apocalypse. In mythology, Ragnarok is an epic battle between the Asgardian gods and the Jotunheim giants, resulting in flames that devour the Nine Realms. While there have been several depictions of Ragnarok in recent media, from Thor: Ragnarok in the MCU to the Ragnarok Netflix series, God of War Ragnarok promises a fresh perspective on the end of the world and those who try to stop it.
The God of War Ragnarok trailer's opening moments mirror the start of its predecessor. Kratos is alone in their home - now a solidary cave as opposed to a cozy cabin - and Atreus approaches from behind carrying a deer, a nice homage to Kratos teaching Atreus to hunt in the prior game. Fimblewinter has set in, and Atreus is anxious to get out into the world and learn more about his true identity, not wanting to live out the rest of his life alone in the woods. Atreus makes the point that he doesn't want to fight anyone, just find answers, but that almost immediately changes. He soon argues Faye might have wanted war with Asgard, an ominous statement in the face of Ragnarok.
The narrative of God of War Ragnarok appears to follow Kratos and Atreus on a quest to both stop Ragnarok and learn about Loki. They are met with hostility from the Norse pantheon, who want revenge on Kratos for killing Baldur (and presumably also want to prevent Ragnarok by killing Atreus). Atreus apparently believes Ragnarok can be stopped through war, while Kratos wants to avoid another battle against the gods. As the trailer presents it, their quest leads Kratos and Atreus to seek out Tyr, the Norse god of war who, in the game, was believed to be dead.
Part of PlayStation Showcase's post-show included an interview with God of War Ragnarok director Eric Williams. Rather than being ambiguous, Williams' comments confirmed Ragnarok will take place: "You can't call the game God of War Ragnarok and not have Ragnarok happen in the game, so it's gonna happen." This seems like quite the spoiler, as it suggests Kratos' belief that war with the gods is futile will come true.
Aside from the quest to spread Faye's ashes, 2018's God of War was mainly focused on the fraught relationship between Kratos and Atreus. Atreus believed his father didn't actually love him or his mother due to Kratos' constant absence, not knowing his father was out learning to control his rage. The growth of their dynamic, as well as Atreus' character development as truths were revealed, was a major part of the game's story.
God of War Ragnarok clearly positions father and son at odds once again, disagreeing at almost every turn. One telling moment in the trailer shows Atreus demanding Kratos think like a general, not a father, which Kratos immediately shuts down. Not only it this a reference to Kratos' bloody backstory in the original trilogy, but it points to the new struggle at the heart of Kratos and Atreus' relationship, as the son exhibits some of his father's violent traits. Kratos, meanwhile, maintains that "war is not the only way" and that Faye would not have wanted to fight the Asgardians. The pair is likely going to have to learn to work through their differing opinions or find themselves in grave peril.
Throughout the God of War franchise, Kratos' rage has been legendary. In fact, the driving force of Kratos' hatred for the gods is that, at one point, he was so overcome with rage that he mindlessly slaughtered an entire village at Ares' command, not realizing his victims included his first wife and daughter. This drove him to destroy the Greek pantheon, but Kratos has since worked hard to keep it under control.
The God of War Ragnarok trailer shows Kratos' resolve in this matter will be tested: Thor appears, seemingly asking Kratos, "You seem like a calm and reasonable person. Are you a calm and reasonable person?" Naturally, the footage that follows contains some of Kratos' most brutal attacks. Will Kratos maintain his hard-earned peace, or will the Ghost of Sparta be reborn in a storm of rage? If he hopes to prevent his son from succumbing to the many troubles he faced in his own life, Kratos will need to keep a level head.
God of War Ragnarök will be released for PS4 and PS5 in 2022.
Source: PlayStation