Minor Spoilers AheadAfterGod of War(2018), many fans expected some form of time travel/time skip and the death of Kratos in the sequel, and while neither thing really happens, they almost did. The former expectation came from the role of the World Serpent during Ragnarok, while the latter was due to themural found at the end ofGod of War. However, it seems both things did happen in some way in the “earliest outline” ofGod of War Ragnarok.
This outline didn’t last long, according to narrative designer Matt Sophos during an interview with MinnMax, but at one point, Kratos did die inGod of War Ragnarok, twenty years would have passed, and Atreus would have saved him from Hell, now as an adult. Sophos also revealed that it was thanks to game director Eric Williams that this did not happen.
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As Sophos revealed, Kratos would have originally died in thatfirst boss fight with Thor, and eventually be pulled out of Hell by Atreus, for some reason, twenty years later. Williams wasn’t very happy with this direction, Sophos recalled, as it would have just been another meaningless death for Kratos. It would not have been the first time he died and came back, and because of that, there would not have been a good hook or any emotion for fans. “He was absolutely right, and so that’s why it didn’t last very long,” Sophos explained.
Instead, Sophos explained, the narrative team onGod of War Ragnarokwanted to challenge the notions of Norse Mythology. As fans of it and the game know, Norse Mythology is a circular series of events all about fate and prophecy that everyone, including the World Serpent, Thor, Odin, Loki, and so on are all bound to. Sophos revealed that Santa Monica wanted to challenge that, wanted the story to be instead about letting go and changing, and that the idea of repeating the same story and indicating that Kratos couldn’t change would “suck.”
Ultimately, it seems many would agree with Williams, Sophos, and Santa Monica, per the popularity of the game. Its story was definitely one of many, many highlights, as we wrote in ourGod of War Ragnarokreviewthat it is “absolute proof that vision, artistry, and creative direction far outweigh hardware.”
God of War Ragnarokis available now on PS4 and PS5.
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