God of War: Ragnarok was given a new lease of life by its Valhalla DLC, cementing Santa Monica Studio’s 2022 title as the perfect entry point to the long-running PlayStation series.
Kratos’ showdown with the Norse pantheon began in 2018’s God of War, which reimagined the series and brought the PlayStation-exclusive property into a new light by moving the story away from Greece and Sparta.
Ragnarok followed in those footsteps, and it was the first God of War game I ever played. I only recently bought a PS5, and while I was exclusively an Xbox player, I watched 2018’s God of War with envious eyes. After getting my PS5 and Ragnarok, I could finally dive in, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I will admit, however, that Ragnarok started collecting virtual dust in my PS5 library after I completed the main story. But I was pulled back in with the release of Valhalla, which helpfully provided me with a brilliant recap of Kratos’ story so far.
Back to the beginning
While Valhalla takes place after the events of Ragnarok and comes with a spoiler warning for those who haven’t completed the main story yet, Kratos’ journey with Mimir teases what lies ahead for the pair, as well as reviving stories from Kratos’ past life that newcomers to the series like me missed.
We meet Helios, the Greek God of the Sun, whom Kratos decapitated in 2010’s God of War 3, and hear Kratos tell Mimir about the Boat Captain he let die, for no apparent reason, in the first God of War game.
For long-time fans of the series, all the name drops and returning characters provide great nostalgia. For newer players like me, the DLC gives important details about Kratos’ background from before he arrived in the Norse lands.
So far, I’m yet to encounter any more throwbacks, but I’m still working through the halls of Valhalla with small steps of progression in every run. I don’t know what’s around the corner, but I cannot wait to find out and learn more about the lore.
A look ahead
As well as recapping Kratos’ past sins and adventures, there are some fairly substantial hints about what lies ahead. Atreus is absent, as he’s off looking for giants following the events of Ragnarok, but we are treated to appearances from Freya, Tyr, and the Valkyries.
Having successfully led the army against Odin and fended off Ragnarok, Valhalla reveals that Freya asked Kratos to take up his old God of War mantle and succeed Tyr in the Norse position—something Kratos seems reluctant to accept.
It’s safe to reason that Kratos will eventually accept this position and embark on a new journey in the next entry to the God of War series. Although, there have been plenty of hints about other pantheons that Kratos may face off against.
Having lured in new players like myself with Ragnarok, the God of War series is in a prime position to expand even further. Valhalla showed us that God of War lore and Kratos’ backstory is just as relevant as ever, so perhaps we could see other familiar faces return.
We’ll have to wait and see what Santa Monica Studio has lined up for us next, but in the meantime, Valhalla is a brilliant history lesson about Kratos’ past, and its addictive gameplay keeps me coming back for more.
Published: Jan 4, 2024 10:05 am