God of War Ragnarok’s Atreus Takes the Wind Out of a Standalone Game

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 3, 2025 4 Views 6 Min Read
God of War Ragnarok's Atreus Takes the Wind Out of a Standalone Game

One of the most gratifying and unexpected twists in God of War Ragnarok is the shift to Atreus’ perspective. As its title indicates, God of War has never been a series about multiple playable protagonists—Kratos has always taken center stage. With Atreus taking over a portion of Ragnarok‘s interactive content, and with him seemingly departing on his own adventure at the end of the game, the stage is set for him to lead a solo story.

It should be noted that such an Atreus-centric sequel to God of War Ragnarok hasn’t been confirmed or denied by Santa Monica Studios or PlayStation, but it seems like a likely next step for the series. Ragnarok and its Valhalla DLC strongly hint at Kratos becoming more pacifistic and moving into a leadership role rather than being on the front lines of war, and the man is certainly getting on in years by the time the story concludes. It’s not that Kratos is likely to be wholly absent from future God of War games—that would certainly be surprising—but only that Atreus, being young and coming of age, has more potential for expansive storytelling.

A “half-sequel” to God of War Ragnarok has long been rumored, and this could be the ideal venue for an Atreus-only story. This would mirror what Marvel’s Spider-Man did with 2020’s Miles Morales game.

God of War Heimdall Fight

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One of God of War’s best strengths is its implementation of mythology, and Ragnarok’s use of Heimdall should inspire a new character in the next saga.

An Atreus-Lead Adventure Will Have Less Interesting Gameplay Thanks to Ragnarok

Atreus’ Gameplay Framework Was Already Unveiled in God of War Ragnarok

Players already have a sense of what Atreus could play like due to his position as deuteragonist in God of War Ragnarok. This is actually something that has caused a small bit of concern among fans who have guessed that the next God of War game will star Atreus, as his combat capabilities are remarkably similar to Kratos’. Yes, Atreus is better suited to ranged combat, is quicker, and has some unique powers like the ability to shapeshift, but these don’t impact the moment-to-moment gameplay enough to make him feel remarkably distinct.

All that aside, he does feel at least somewhat different from Kratos, and his gameplay sections in Ragnarok are often a nice change of pace. But this means that, if he is truly going to be the main star of his own adventure, the gameplay switch-up from Kratos’ games won’t feel nearly as exciting as it would have otherwise. There’s also less room for growth, as God of War Ragnarok already featured a progression path for Atreus via its RPG-lite systems.

Atreus Gameplay Can Still Stun Audiences in Future God of War Games

Playing as Atreus in his theorized solo adventure might not be that impactful or novel due to Ragnarok‘s gameplay choices, but it could still be refreshing and exciting in different ways. Players already have a general sense of what Atreus’ strengths and weaknesses are as a fighter, so perhaps his solo game could play on these expectations: Atreus could be put in situations where his typical bow-and-arrow strategies aren’t effective for whatever reason, forcing him to adapt and master new weapons or spells that recontextualize the combat sandbox.

In this way, Atreus’ solo adventure could have gameplay that reflects its unique narrative. Atreus may be getting in over his head on this journey, as he is without his father, the majority of his allies, and the familiarity of his homeland. Making players feel equally discombobulated and vulnerable could elevate this game’s story, as they would have to learn new skills and experience discomfort alongside the protagonist. There may never again be that “wow” moment of playing as Atreus for the first time, but Santa Monica could leverage the gameplay foundation set in Ragnarok to achieve something even greater.

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