God of War’s next saga could follow an early-game Nordic trend

July 8, 2024

Although it is not yet clear where exactly the series is going, it is safe to say that God of War will be moving full steam ahead for at least the next few years. Aside from being one of PlayStation’s flagship IPs, the series has cleverly positioned itself to stay fresh and interesting through a quasi-anthology format and potentially a new protagonist.

Kratos may not be completely out of the race, but God of War Ragnarok‘s finale, coupled with the Valhalla DLC, suggests that he will step back from the role of action hero and warrior and move more into a leadership position. This narrative direction makes sense not only for Kratos’ personal journey, but also for the state of God of War‘s World: The Nordic kingdoms are in a much more stable state at the end of Ragnarokand Kratos seems to be staying in those realms, so keeping him in action might require some plot twists. With that in mind, many have assumed that Atreus will take on the role of protagonist. If that’s the case, his solo play needs to start with a bang.

How God of War’s Norse saga changed Kratos’ possible future deaths

The theme of Kratos’ death is of eternal relevance, and the questions about the afterlife in God of War Ragnarok open up some approaches to this topic.

The next God of War game could start with a bombastic boss fight

Early spectacular battles are a God of War tradition

God of WarThe Nordic saga is full of great boss fights, but the best encounters are perhaps the continuation of a common archetype of the series: the opening boss fight. Most God of War Games begin with a huge, visually complex showdown, but these are geared in a more story-focused direction for the Nordic games; they are used both as an opportunity to set the tone for each story and to establish a menacing antagonist (Baldur in the 2018 God of WarThor in Ragnarok).

These triggering incidents serve several purposes. The most obvious is to introduce new threats and define their relationship to Kratos and Atreus. But they also set the stakes of the story. For example: God of War RagnarokThe first Thor fight is used to establish Thor as an obstacle that Kratos may have difficulty overcoming. After so many years of Kratos slaying all manner of gods and monsters, this kind of narrative re-imagining is essential, and a tense boss fight is a fun and efficient way to set the stage.

Atreus’ God of War game could greatly benefit from a big, early boss fight

Atreus leads the next God of War brings with it some challenges, and there’s always the danger of him living in Kratos’ shadow. While there are several ways he could combat this in his potential solo game, an early encounter with an intimidating force could be one of the best, not only because it would connect Atreus with his own arch-enemy, but also because it could reinforce how much he’s grown as a fighter.

At the same time, an invincible enemy like Baldur or Thor would keep Atreus’ story exciting and intriguing, as it would raise the question of whether he is ready to embark on his own journey. This would give him a relevant, meaningful internal challenge to overcome, represented by this external force.

Continuing the tradition of the big start boss would also help if the next God of War visits a new mythology. This is plausible, because in 2018 God of War confirmed the existence of other mythological pantheons, particularly the Egyptian one, in the series’ universe. If the franchise decides to go that route, starting the next game with a huge boss fight would be a great way to introduce one or more new mythological figures and establish their power, personality, and motivation through actions.