God of War: Ragnarok’s official gameplay trailer dropped at the 2021 PlayStation Showcase last week, finally giving fans a glimpse at how Santa Monica Studio might tackle the Norse apocalypse. With the events of the mythological Ragnarok already spelled out in famous works likeSnorri’s Edda, many fans have spent the years since the last game’s release speculating upon how that prophecy might be brought to life.
There are some key differences between theGod of Warworld and Norse mythology, but by and large Atreus’ secret name – Loki – will have far more meaning to the next game’s players than its main characters at the start of the story. The new trailer made it clear that Atreus is oblivious to knowledge many players will already have about Loki and his role in Ragnarok. Player assumptions could provide an interesting perspective shift andGod of War: Ragnarokwill likely be playing with player expectations as much as Norse mythology itself.
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Prophecy And Dramatic Irony in God of War Ragnarok
God of War: Ragnarok’s latest trailermade one central if unsurprising conflict clear. Atreus, having learned of his prophesized involvement in Ragnarok at the end of the last game, is eager to discover the true meaning of his fate and the name his mother gave him – Loki. Kratos, on the other hand, seems determined to protect his son from going to war with the Norse gods, even if it means keeping him in the dark.
God of War: Ragnarokwill be forced to play with far more dramatic irony than the last game. However, although the events of Ragnarok were prophesized onthe Jotunheim muralat the end of the 2018 game, the panels depicting them were cryptic. The final panel, for example, showed Atreus cradling what appeared to be a dying man as a strange, presumably magical substance flowed between them.
Nonetheless, the reveal of Atreus true name was primarily a reveal for the players, notAtreus or Kratos. Neither father nor son appeared to have any inkling of the name’s true significance, only that it indicated Atreus’ involvement in Ragnarok in some important way.
The reveal is far greater from the player’s perspective. Most players with a broad knowledge of Norse mythology from popular culture will be going into the next game with the understanding that, at the very least, Atreus’ secret name does not bode well. Loki is the god of deception, an antagonistic figure whose slights againstthe gods of Norse mythologyrange from mere name-calling to murder.
Loki In Ragnarok
Fans with a bit more knowledge of the mythological Ragnarok may also know that Loki, like almost all of the Norse gods, dies during the final battle. After a fight withHeimdallboth gods find themselves bleeding out on the battlefield, watching as the giant Surtr’s fires consume the world.
In the myths, Ragnarok begins with Loki imprisoned by the gods for his role inthe death of Baldur, roughly adapted in the last game. Loki breaks free of his chains and captains a ship made from the nails of dead men, fighting on the side of the Jotnar during the final battle against the Aesir and Vanir. His children, the wolf Fenrir and the World Serpent Jormungandr are responsible for the deaths of Odin and Thor respectively.
The player’s presumed foreknowledge is an interesting factor forSanta Monica Studioto have to consider while telling its story. Atreus’ wants to know what his true fate will be, but many fans will believe they already know.
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Fulfilling And Subverting Expectations
Of course,theGod of Warseriestakes a lot of liberties with the mythologies that serve as its inspiration, like the involvement of Kratos himself. The last game, however, still stuck to the most important aspects of the myths. Loki was involved in the death of Baldur using a mistletoe projectile, triggering Fimbulwinter and by extension Ragnarok.
While Loki fighting on the side of the Jotnar isn’t given much moral weight in the myths, the giants ofGod of Warwere portrayed far more sympathetically in the last game, the victims of a campaign of annihilation ordered by Odin and carried out byGod of War’s Thor. It seems likely that if Atreus fights for the giants it will be portrayed sympathetically as well, at least compared to the Aesir.
Far more than the last game, Santa Monica Studio is now telling a story that comes with some clear expectations, with each event spelled out clearly inthe Ragnarok prophecy. Many fans will go in assuming that they know far more about Atreus’ fate at the start of the game than the character himself does.
It seems likely that the players won’t be the only ones with knowledge ofLoki’s role during Ragnarok. Odin himself began his campaign against the giants after they cast him out of their realm for stealing their knowledge of the future, which presumably includes his downfall’s connection to a figure named Loki.
As the game goes on, it’s almost certain that Atreus and Kratos will learn more about Loki’s destiny. That doesn’t mean, however that the player’s knowledge can’t still be used to build tension. One source of tension in the next game, for example, could be between Atreus’ desire to help the Jotnar and the player’s knowledge of his potential to become the violent, deceptive Loki of Norse mythology if he goes too far. Atreus’ darker side was already hinted at in the last game, when he stabbedThor’s son Modiin the neck for insulting his mother.
This unique blend of prophecy and the potential for Santa Monica Studio to subvery that prophecy presents the studio’s storytellers with some fascinating opportunities. Whether each beat of the prophecy is fulfilled or not, the dramatic irony could lead to some particularly tense and satisfying moments.God of War: Ragnarokcould use fan expectations to its advantage if the studio can come up with some interesting reinterpretations of the prophesized events that still fulfill the prophecy and feel true to the spirit of bothGod of Warand Norse mythology.
God of War: Ragnarokis set to release in 2022 for PS4 and PS5.
