Summary
God of Waris an interesting franchise to follow now since many assumptions have already been made based on inferences from the soft reboot back in 2018. However, some of those assumptions have been made perfectly plain, such as the fact thatGod of War Ragnarokis supposed to be the second and final entry inGod of War’s Norse saga, even though the sequel’s concluding events suggest otherwise. There’s a lot to discern between what was included for narrative’s sake and what was included to give players an explanation for why they could continue exploring after the credits, for example.
That said, it’s everyone’s assumption now that Atreus going off on his own will inevitably lead to a standalone game of his where he finds a new mythology to explore. Kratos isn’t dead and it would seem as if Santa Monica actually has plans for a lighthearted future for him instead, but keeping him in the continuity begs many questions. Either way, while it might be absurd to predict that Santa Monica will wholly reconsiderGod of War’s gameplay, there is one feature populating the franchise’s optional side content now that can’t be abandoned, and that is a string of grueling mini-bosses.
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Who the Next God of War Stars Might Determine Its Gameplay
Fundamentals exist betweenKratos and Atreus’ gameplay inGod of War Ragnarok, such as an emphasis on companions’ abilities. But while Atreus has a bunch of ranged options and his exhilarating shapeshifting powers, players will surely be more accustomed to swapping between weapons as Kratos, whether for actual combat or for environmental puzzles.
Ragnarokdid well in introducing a new playable protagonist to the otherwise Kratos-centric series, which was a tall order for how mutually exclusiveGod of Warand Kratos have been thus far. Now, it’s almost certain that Atreus’ gameplay will build uponRagnarok’s foundations, which could mean he equips multiple other weapons or continues to develop new abilities on his travels. It will be exciting to hear which mythology Atreus finds himself in—no such confirmation of that has graced the public, so there’s no telling if that’s still the plan—because it will almost assuredly determine what his weapons are like, too.
Rather, if Kratos is given the next installment and it’s still set within the Norse realms, fans can probably expect gameplay to be incredibly familiar. Indeed, moving onto another mythology would give Santa Monica the delight of designing new gameplay within a new setting, which would be rejuvenating and likely a relief sinceRagnarokalready had a lot on its plate design-wise.
God of War’s New Direction Should Keep the Mini-Boss Premise of Valkyries and Berserkers
If changes are being planned for a new mythology’s direction,God of Warneeds to retain the hidden mini-bosses it has featured in some form. The Valkyries were a fantastic diversion fromGod of War’s main story that offered much more difficult combat challenges than anything else its narrative put forth, andRagnarokcelebrated them with Queen Gnain the late-game.
Therefore, Santa Monica will hopefully find an agreeable substitution within its respective mythology’s lore to do so. Likewise, smartly not wanting to retrace its steps with the same mini-boss enemies,Ragnarokdebuted Berserkers who delivered their own similar string of mini-boss fights.
God of War’s new over-the-shoulder action-adventure combat isn’t anywhere near easy at times, but these mini-bosses players hunt are herculean feats if players are under-equipped and even then they can take quite a while to learn and telegraph.God of Wardoesn’t have much in common with Soulslikes, but these mini-bosses are satisfying to defeat in the same way that anElden Ringboss can be, and for them to be found while exploring is a rare treat as well thatGod of Warhopefully refuses to give up on in future games.
God of Waris out on PC and PS4.
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