Summary
God of War Ragnarokwas unquestionably one of 2022’s best games, and having gone on to win that year’s Best Narrative award, it certainly tells a captivating story. While its third act has proven to be divisive among fans, the larger part of its story tells a compelling tale of the growing bond between a father, sworn to protect his son from danger, and a son, navigating the complexities of adolescence while learning to embrace his true identity.God of WarRagnarok’s storyis quite an emotional roller coaster throughout, with tear-jerking and laughter-inducing moments alike, eventually bringingGod of War’s Norse saga to a close just before the credits roll.
With all ofGod of War Ragnarok’s ups and downs and emotionally gripping moments, there are few video game stories that can compete with it. Even so, despite the praise its narrative has received, its ending falls short of its predecessor’s in one big way.
How God of War Ragnarok’s Ending Falls Short of Its Predecessor’s
God of War (2018) Left Players Hanging After a Major Reveal
God of Warwas 2018’s Game of the Year for many reasons, but most notably due to its ability to successfully reinvent a long-running franchise while simultaneously maintaining the core of what makes it unique. However, like its successor, it was also praised for its character development, particularly regarding the growing relationship betweenKratos and Atreus. In fact, this is what ultimately made the big reveal duringGod of War’s conclusion such a mind-blowing moment.
At the end ofGod of War’s narrative, Kratos and Atreus arrive at a temple in Jotunheim, where they discover a mural that details every event of Atreus' life, including what took place during the game’s main story. Eventually, Atreus leaves the temple, and behind a curtain, Kratos spots another part of the mural that depicts the future. In this portion of the mural, it is first believed that Atreus is shown holding his father’s lifeless body, butthis is later proven byGod of War Ragnarok’s ending to be Odin. The biggest reveal, however, comes later, when Atreus tells Kratos that his name in the mural was Loki. Most fans would immediately recognize this name as one belonging to the Norse god of mischief himself. This is ultimately the peak ofGod of War’s big reveal, as the game ended shortly after that.
God of War Ragnarok’s Ending Felt Aimless and Flat
God of War Ragnarokends almost like its predecessor did — with a mural. After investigating the mural inside a cave, Atreus tells his father that he must leave to find other Giants. Shortly after that, he departs Kratos with Angrboda. After Atreus leaves, Kratos eventually discovers a hidden mural behind the mural depicting him as a savior, thereby tying up his character arc that has developed over this game and the last.Kratos, Mimir, and Freyathen leave the cave and tease what might come next. The only issue here is that what comes next is essentially nothing.
Perhaps it’s a bit ironic that Freya even says, “And what now?” While Kratos replies, “There is much to do, much to rebuild,” that is basically it — no big reveal, no big tease, just an open-ended bit of dialogue presumably there to justify continued exploration inRagnarok’s world. It might have been monumental to finally reveal who blew the horn of Jormungandr in the first game or to lay out how exactly Kratos was transported from Greek mythology over to Norse mythology, but instead, the game simply ends. There is the possibility of anAtreus spin-off gamenow that he has left Kratos for his own adventure, but it currently only exists on speculation. Nevertheless,God of War Ragnarok’s story was a fairly satisfying conclusion to Kratos' Norse story, at least prior to the release of the Valhalla DLC. Despite this, it will be interesting to see where Kratos goes next.
