While God of War protagonist Kratos has been in the news plenty due to his Fortnite crossover skin, players are just as excited for the character to make a return in his own series. 2018’s God of War brought Kratos to the realm of Norse mythology, and while the game featured plenty of memorable moments, it felt like Santa Monica was only dipping its toes into all that Norse legends have to offer. While the sequences with the World Serpent were incredible and the boss battles with the Valkyries were a memorable challenge, there is still plenty Kratos and Atreus can explore.
With so much left to do in the Norse realms, it can be assumed that the God of War Ragnarok sequel will not be the final game in the series set in this mythology. Not only does a trilogy make sense from a business and storytelling perspective, but fans loved the new direction God of War took in 2018. With unanimous praise for the new direction of the God of War games, the developer should be in no rush to move on from the more mature Kratos and his amazing Leviathon axe. As such, Santa Monica may avoid showing all of God of War’s cards in the next game.
While the idea of Ragnarok would imply that this is the last game to be set in the Norse universe, the reality is that there is so much left to cover in the current God of War setting. Though the end of Ragnarok would provide a perfect opportunity for Midgard to be transformed into a setting fitting of another mythology, the developer can easily still stick to Norse mythology after the event. Not only could they pull from some aspects of the tale while changing others, but other realms could remain intact even after Midgard falls.
By keeping the attention solely on Midgard, an excellent second chapter could be told that truly nails the feel of Ragnarok. Heavy hitters like Odin could be left out of the sequel entirely, with the developer instead focusing on other elements of the massively important event. Thor could still meet his end at the hands — or fangs — of the World Serpent, while Loki (aka Atreus) could do battle with Heimdall. Speaking of Atreus, the God of War sequel playing with his transformation into Loki could be incredibly fun, leading to a third game where the character is fully aware of his prophesized role in Ragnarok.
Rushing through Kratos’ clash with Thor and Atreus’ growth into Loki seems like a bad idea, as it does a disservice to the brilliant storytelling of the last God of War game. While plenty has been set up already, there is even more on the table, and Thor’s thirst for vengeance is more than deserving of its own game. With Kratos and his son having killed Thor’s children, the iconic wielder of Mjolnir should not go down without a fight.
While the battle will likely end with Thor’s death, potentially setting up the scenario where Kratos wields Mjolnir, making the entire game build to that moment is a wise idea. With the God of War Ragnarok sequel originally starting as DLC for the original game, the idea that it will live up to its name and end the Norse chapter of God of War seems unlikely. Instead, it could be a great chapter that sets up a third God of War game perfectly. With the entirety of Asgard feeling the weight of Thor’s death, Odin would have true motivation to kill Kratos. The result would be a third game that mirrors God of War 3, with Kratos taking on an entire pantheon of Gods — only this time to protect his family instead of avenging their loss.
Not only did God of War’s realm travel room have major locations that could not be explored, but some areas served as small challenge areas as opposed to fully-fledged locations. This is a major area that a single God of War sequel could likely not improve upon, as it would be impossible to do justice to all the realms in the runtime of one more game. By not showing all its cards in the next game and extending the fallout from the huge event to two games, however, Santa Monica can flesh out the Norse universe and let players see everything it has to offer.
By using the God of War Ragnarok sequel to explore the rest of the realms further, the third game in the Norse God of War timeline can take a deep dive into Asgard. The perfect place for Kratos to take on numerous Norse gods and eventually Odin himself, the majestic realm of Asgard is more than worthy of its own game. Seeing it briefly in as some form of a teaser could work fine, but like Odin himself, the land of the Gods should be mostly held back until Ragnarok is over. This way, when a third God of War rolls around, players will be in for something truly special.
The Mural from God of War has major implications for the future of the series, as it seems to imply the death of Kratos. If the iconic Ghost of Sparta is indeed going to be killed off, it is hard to think of a better send-off for the legendary character than a final fight with Odin. Given all that the character has been through, bringing Kratos down will be no easy task, making a gauntlet of Gods and a war with all of Asgard one of the only viable ways to kill him. Before that happens, though, another story where the bond of Kratos and Atreus is strengthened should take place — and that story should be the God of War Ragnarok sequel.
With so much left to cover, from Realms to Gods and everything in between, Santa Monica will likely not show all its cards in the 2021 sequel. With Kratos’ days seemingly numbered and plenty of mythology left to explore, that may be for the best. Santa Monica writers like Alanah Pearce surely have plenty of ideas for stories to tell in the current mythology, and with God of War setting up a huge clash between Kratos and Thor on top of the encroachment of Ragnarok, there is no need to rush. Covering the Mural, Odin, and Asgard on top of everything else could lead to an incredibly cramped story, something that can be avoided by simply extending the story story across two games and making a proper trilogy. After all, who could possibly be against more God of War?
The God of War sequel is planned to release in 2021 for PS5.
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