It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think 2018’s God of War was the first title in the series, or that its direct sequel, GoW: Ragnarök was the second one. The mostly vague references to Kratos’ past felt like a standard fare storytelling meant to ignite imagination, rather than a call back to earlier installments.
But the title of this article has already spoiled the twist: the God of War series is nearly two decades old, and the atrocities haunting Kratos in the Nordic chapter of his life are things we have done ourselves, as players, with a lot of combos and a heap of Quick Time Events.
So before you begin your own Twilight of the Gods with GoW: Ragnarök’s PC launch on September 19th, let’s take a quick look the old Spartan’s journey, because it was a wild ride.
It’s all Greek to me!
The series started way back in 2005, with the first God of War (as opposed to 2018’s second God of War). Kratos used to be a Spartan general, who bound himself to Ares to secure an unlikely victory, but it was an ill alliance. In a spat of divinely induced rage and due to an equally divine trickery, Kratos killed his own family and was cursed to forever bear their ashes on his skin. The game itself followed Kratos’ service to the gods of Olympus, as he hoped to be freed from the nightmares of that fateful crime.
Unlike the series’ modern, TPP installments, the original game was closer to Devil May Cry games of the time, with distant, less flexible camera, emphasis on aggressive combos and platforming, and somewhat arcade-like additions like health orbs. Subsequent games would iterate on the formula, but a revolutionary change wouldn’t come until 2018.
The original God of War introduced the iconic silhouette of the athletic Spartan wielding jagged swords attached by chains to his forearms. It also initiated Kratos on the path of fury which would leave carcasses of dead gods in his wake for decades to come. It’s a grim legacy, but there’s no denying Kratos is one of the most recognizable characters in all of gaming.
The Ghost of Sparta
The original game was succeeded by two mainline follow-ups: conveniently titled God of War II and God of War III.
Over the course of these games the Spartan’s roaring rampage of revenge led to him pretty much singlehandedly killing all of the Greek pantheon, not to mention numerous monsters and some titans who happened to stand in the way. Kratos’ cruel fate even led him to accidentally killing his rare allies. The moniker “Ghost of Sparta”, earned due his ashen skin back in God of War 1, turned out to be quite fateful, as Kratos became a grim harbinger of death to Olympians.
On the more positive side, the games have cranked up their spectacle to an incredible degree, with battles waged across the bodies of titans, and against the titans themselves. Of course, there were also plentiful fights against regular-sized enemies as a violent, satisfying respite from Santa Monica Studio’s flair for cinematic gameplay sequences.
Greatest stories never told (in the main games)
Kratos has served the gods for many years before his rebellion, and the rebellion itself took some time as well. This opened a path for many smaller spin-offs and prequels which kept fans engaged while Santa Monica worked on the big titles. Some entries even started on portable consoles before coming to their big siblings.
None of these titles are essential reading, but they provide a lot of additional context and background to Kratos’ relationships with divinity. They also give more chances to slice and punch your way through hordes of monsters, solve clever environmental puzzles, and engage with QTEs depicting the most brutal takedowns and kills, fueled by Kratos’ violent temper and overwhelming strength.
The Afternoon of the Gods
Which finally brings us to the Norse saga.
Long years after he left Greece behind, Kratos wound up on the cold north, where Norse gods roam and prepare for their prophesied demise. It’s a new place, a different time, and Kratos even built a new family, but as the first game starts, it’s already in crisis.
The emotional impulse for 2018 God of War is Kratos and his son Atreus going on a journey to give the boy’s mother and Kratos’ wife, Faye, a proper burial, guided by the marks she left for them. Unfortunately, this somber ambition is interrupted by god Baldur, a man deprived of sensation by his own invulnerability. Baldur’s determined to follow a task assigned to him… which unfortunately involves the duo.
The Norse saga saw a major shift for the series. The camera got closer, hovering not too far over Kratos’ shoulder, the game was presented as a single, continuous shot due to clever tricks, while combat was more punchy, more impactful, and less “2005 hack’n’slash”,
The story was also more thoughtful, interested in seeing how Kratos will manage to become the father his son needs, despite being troubled by his own gruesome past. It certainly doesn’t help that Atreus is budding into a god in his own right, putting extra strain on the relationship. The Norse saga’s story isn’t necessarily more serious, the original games weren’t lighthearted at all, but the angle of this seriousness makes the new entries more mature and character-driven.
At the same time, the violence is still there. Kratos might be more reserved, but he still can face anything the Norse mythology can throw at him, especially once Atreus starts getting the hang of this whole “divinity” thing and being able to help.
Kratos’ restrained tempter also allows him to make more lasting allies, who are essential for the stories of both this game, and its follow-up.
God of War: Ragnarök and roll
Which brings us to the game which inspired this article in the first place. God of War Ragnarök launched originally in November 2022 for PlayStation 4 and PS5.
Nearly two years later it has found its destiny on PC, with a September 19th release benefitting from all the bells and whistles allowed by the generally speaking more powerful PC hardware. It begins a few years after the end of its immediate predecessor, so if you want the full picture, make sure to play both games.
Kratos paid a heavy price to get where he is now, but you don’t need to suffer comparable expenses. You can find excellent and affordable digital offers for God of War’s Norse saga (as well as thousands of other titles) on the G2A Marketplace.
Get your first-row seat to the Twilight of the Gods!
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