Detailed Analysis - Side Narratives
The Eyes of Odin
Making a return are Odin’s spectral ravens. In the last game, they were scattered throughout the 5 realms we were able to find them and destroy them. In the last game, they were a fun but challenging side quest but ultimately wielded no reward for destroying them other than the satisfaction of knowing you were robbing Odin of his spies. Santa Monica studios have learned their lesson this time around by giving the Ravens an actual storytelling purpose. When I first saw that the ravens were back I was initially pessimistic. While the ravens were a fun distraction, there were far too many of them scattered throughout the world to be any fun to find. However, after finding out that there were only about half as many as last time I was fine with it. After progressing through more of Kratos and Atreus’ journey we can eventually make our way back to Niflheim. Instead of Ivaldi’s Workshop, however, we get to explore a completely different area of Niflheim.
As we explore we find an eerily beautiful tree filled with the Raven that we have been destroying. As we approach the tree the Ravens give eerily strange messages to Kratos and Atreus. To find more messages we must destroy more ravens. There are extra benefits this time around as each raven we kill allows us to open chests at the tree that holds armor and magic attacks that are extremely useful for Kratos and Atreus’ journey. As we destroy more Ravens we can learn more about them and the atrocities that Odin has committed for his selfish wants and needs.
In Midgard, parents would sacrifice their children to Odin and so Odin commanded a witch to enslave their souls and transform them into the spectral ravens we know today and became their keeper. Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir agree to find the raven keeper which can only be done by destroying all the ravens scattered throughout the Nine Realms. Once this is done we can finally face the Raven Keeper and kill her. With the raven keeper destroyed, we have freed the children from her and Odin but sadly they will forever remain ravens and will never be able to move on. Kratos in his years has softened and grown more compassionate as he asks if there is anything they can do for them but sadly this is something beyond their ability to help. Santa Monica took perhaps one of the more lengthy activities from the last game and expanded on it with brilliant narrative agency and a drive to complete the quest.
The Crater
After acquiring a magical floating boat, Kratos and Atreus (or Freya) travel to a brand new part of Vanaheim known as the Crater which links up to other areas. They initially go there to rescue a friend but after that they eventually a Frozen Lighting bolt in the sky. This is significant as Kratos’ 1st fight with Thor resulted in a frozen lightning bolt the same as the one in the crater. As Kratos and his companion explore the area they find several spirits with unfinished business and in exchange for help they will reveal what happened to the area. Piecing together pieces they find that Thor had come to the valley hoping to cripple the Vanir military and before he could finish a fair-haired warrior with a frost axe attacked Thor with immense power and rage and their battle destroyed the entire valley. Kratos quickly deduces that the woman was Faye and that she fought a battle with Thor which at the very least ended in a draw and she fought with such rage that she could have rivaled Kratos. Her strength is of little surprise as when Kratos and Faye first met, they almost killed each other and if she was strong enough to battle Kratos and potentially win, it’s scary to think about what else she could have done.
Freya, Goddess of Vanaheim
As Freya agrees to create an alliance with Kratos and wander the jungles of Vanaheim they come across many opportunities to help Freya’s home. Encountering Spirits who inform Freya of her cursed followers, Freya makes a point of finding them so that she can free them of their curse by killing them and bringing them peace and by helping other spirits with their other unfinished business. Freya speaks about how she barely remembers her people and how she feels that God's live too long. This is interesting as Kratos has never had to care for followers as he doesn’t have any concern for anybody else but his immediate family and a few friends. While this is something Kratos wouldn’t have done in the past, Atreus’ kindness and willingness to help has certainly rubbed off on Kratos and so offers to help with minimal questioning, something that Freya appreciates greatly.
As they explore more of Vanaheim, we came across an area familiar with Freya as her wedding site when she married Odin. Here we learned more about how her relationship with Odin was so strenuous at times but how she saw a modicum of love and respect from him and how her people eventually turned against her and especially after her son was born. Freya laments about her situation about how she tried to make it work and we discover that Odin cursed her because she wouldn’t perform the invulnerability spell for Odin that she performed for Baldur, showing just how vain and afraid he was of death that he would prefer not to feel anything at all. As they arrive at the marriage site they find a stone pillar with a sword in the center. This is a sword that Odin had made for Freya on their wedding day to signify their bond. Freya can accept her ties to Asgard, no matter how painful some of them may be as they make her stronger. Her ties to Baldur and her ties to the Valkyries are now what makes her strong and she accepts this as she removes the sword she was just struggling to remove. This shows tremendous growth for Freya as we are not able to see just how strong and resilient she is but also how she can accept how certain things have turned out and how it’s best to now move on but she affirms she can only do this when Odin is gone, yet another individual who wants Ragnarök but who will continue to help us regardless of Kratos and Atreus’ intentions.
The Berserker's
After meeting with the Norns Kratos and Freya exit a hidden cave and find a broken sword hilt that is familiar to Mimir. Around the game world, strange Gravestones start appearing around the world which houses a deadly enemy. Mimir has his suspicions but warns Kratos to keep his guard up and that he might not meet a deadlier enemy. Inserting the hilt into the gravestone unleashes a deadly, spectral Berserker, matched only by the Valkyries. Mimir it turns out has a history with the berserkers and has a deep-seated hatred for them and urges Kratos to hunt down the others. As Kratos hunts down the other Berserkers, they mention the Kingdom of Lejre. Mimir describes the kingdom as a peaceful one full of artists and that it was one of the 1st places he arrived in. Mimir became an advisor to the King, Aldis, and convinced him to trust a man name Hrólf Kraki and give him a place in the royal court. Sadly, however, Hrólf overthrew Aldis with his Berserkers and after some time led the kingdom to ruin. Throughout their hunt, Kratos councils Mimir against Vengeance and how it is not so different from Justice but Mimir is very bitter about this advice and how the hunt for the berserkers is like when they hunted the Valkyries with no malice. When placing a Valkyrie helm as the council of the Valkyrie’s, Mimir would give us personal knowledge that helped us understand who they were and how individually different they were. Sadly this was not the case and I feel the Berserker’s should have had the same treatment as the Valkyrie’s as it means that we could have gotten to know them and how they got their names.
After killing the Berserkers, Kratos finally has what he needs to confront Hrólf Kraki who now calls himself King Hrólf Kraki. The difficult fight is finally ended by Kratos who eliminates the Berserker King, thus ending his reign forever. Mimir has a brief discussion about not knowing if what they did was justice or vengeance, where Kratos wisely answers that they are not always so different. When asked what he intends to do with the Hilt, Kratos states he intends to use it much to Mimir’s dismay due to the blade's history. Kratos wants to use it for good and while not erasing its history, its story is still being written and future generations will be able to weigh the good deeds against the bad and make their own determinations. Mimir is impressed with Kratos’ reasoning and growth and Kratos states that he has had excellent counsel from Mimir. The trust and respect between Kratos and Mimir is truly an inspiring relationship as Kratos does not have very positive friendships save for Mimir, the dwarves, and Freya which he has come to greatly value.
Mimir's Mistakes
During their visit to Svartalfheim, Kratos finds an Island that Mimir shows immediate signs of distress about much to Kratos’ concern. After ringing a bell behind a gate they find that the island is a creature known as a Lyngbakr, a rare, whale-like creature that Mimir had captured and enslaved during his early years as an Aesir advocate. This greatly angers Kratos as he is shocked to find that a man that he has come to respect and care for deeply would have enslaved an innocent creature. Kratos has been a slave to Ares during the original game something that still weighs heavily on Kratos’ shoulders due to not being able to leave his past behind. As Kratos, at Mimir’s behest, sets about trying to free the creature he wonders why Mimir enslaved it and is told it was because the Aesir needed oil for lanterns, much to Kratos’ annoyance. Mimir hopes that by freeing the creature he can make some small amount of atonement which Kratos doesn’t think he can. After freeing it, the Lyngbakr doesn’t move and so Mimir asks to be taken to its head. When the creature still doesn’t move much to Mimir’s confusion, Kratos determines that it has grown used to its chains and there is not much else they can do for it, which disappoints Mimir.
Around the islands of Svartalfheim, Kratos destroys several mining rigs that Mimir had set up for Odin. Odin asked Mimir to pacify the dwarves, either by diplomacy or by force. Mimir made the rigs, knowing it would poison the Dwarves' soil so they couldn’t grow food anymore but meant they would form a partnership with Asgard which would stave off any bloodshed. While he saved many lives, Mimir still hates what he did but surprisingly Kratos can provide wise words of solace and counsel about being given an impossible situation and not be harsh on himself for not finding a better solution. They destroy the rigs, which after some time, should allow the dwarven soil to flourish again and allow the dwarves to thrive.
Despite the calmer version of Kratos that we are getting to know now, and the Mimir who we have been getting used to for so long, we must still remember that they have both lived incredibly long lives and that their great wisdom and knowledge did not come without having to get their hands dirty and made many mistakes. For Kratos, it is the murder of his family, the Greek pantheon, and all of Greece and for Mimir, it is Freya’s marriage to Odin, The Lyngbakr, and the Oil Rigs. Despite their vast array of mistakes they are both working hard to redeem themselves and be better men than who they once were and both have taken great strides both here and in the last game to do this, their redemption does not stop here.
The Adventurer's
This quest is a very special developer quest as it represents a member of their team who sadly passed. During Kratos and Freya’s hunt for the Norns, they come across a campfire and a cookbook describing a recipe that Kratos and Freya decide to find. They also find initials scrolled on the wall that represent a pair of adventures called, Jari and Somr who is identified by Mimir very solemnly. Mimir speaks of how Jari was a warrior, born to expectations to find a wife, have a family, and be a warrior but instead rejected this and chose his own path as a wandered looking for something but was never satisfied until he met Somr who wanted to find the same thing that Jari did. They agreed to travel together as they thought it would be better than traveling alone and their quickly grew romantically involved and cooked for each other and others on their travels, going on countess expeditions and that the destination didn’t matter so long as they were together as they had found a home with one another.
This quest was a touching tribute made by the development team at Santa Monica Studio as a way to honor a co-worker who sadly passed and left his colleague behind. Sam Hendrick, a developer at Santa Monica Studio met a man named Jake Snipes who arrived at the studio in 2019 and worked together on God of War: Ragnarök. Sam and Jake would bond over the things that they loved and eventually fell in love with each other. They traveled together on a road trip across the U.S., visiting theme parks. They would spend their weekends together playing games and cooked for each other often and even bought their food for the people at the studio where they would win a pie contest. Jake once suggested that they leave a symbol of their love on Ragnarök and after Jake passed the developers decided to create a quest that was special and would honor their colleague which I consider to be a very respectful and loving send-off to their colleague.
The Song of the Sands
Exploring the realm of Alfheim to show Tyr a prophecy leading war, Atreus is incredibly disappointed when Tyr refuses to accept the prophecy and they leave for home. As they leave, Atreus hears of an injured animal in the world and Kratos encourages Atreus to find the creature and help it. Along the way, Atreus continues to be sour due to Tyr’s choice to not pick up arms, Kratos tries to get Atreus to engage properly in their task with little success. They find the creature is a Hafgufa, a jellyfish-like being that has been trapped by the dark elves and causes a sandstorm in the process. Kratos and Atreus free the Hafgufa and Atreus finally asks why Kratos wanted to do this. While many would think it is a tactical reason or an opportunity to teach a lesson, Kratos simply wanted to spend time with his son while they still can as they have no idea if they will survive Ragnarök, Kratos having come foreknowledge of his death.
After more exploring they find another Hafgufa trapped and seek to free it so that it can sing freely with the other Hafgufa. As they do this the Hafgufa sing and dance with each other before mating and sacrificing themselves so that their offspring can thrive as Mimir would tell them while trying to free the 2nd Hafgufa. This is something Atreus doesn’t initially understand but wise words from Kratos show how he would do the same, as he has mentioned in the past to Atreus. This is something that Kratos can relate to as he would give his life if it meant that Atreus would live and thrive even if it’s without him and it has shown how even though Kratos does not seek death, he will accept it if it comes.
Sigrun's Past
Sigrun was the most lethal opponent that Kratos had ever faced, Incredibly strong, difficult to take down, and more than a match for Kratos. Other than knowing the former Queen of the Valkyries and Mimir were romantically involved, we didn’t know much else about her, and for the most part that was fine. When Kratos and Freya, were hunting for the Norns, they found an abandoned outpost that bared an emblem from Sigrun’s past. Mimir, brimming with curiosity for his lost love, is eager to explore and Kratos decides to investigate. Learning the outpost is called Fjóturland's, Sigrun’ spend much of her youth here before she joined the Valkyries.
Exploring further they find an abandoned fortress, where they find markers that tell more of Sigrun’s story. The heir to a rich and powerful kingdom, Sigrun was offered the hand of King Helgi and did fall in love with the young king. Not trusting Helgi, Sigrun’s father, Högni refused the offer, and in rage Helgi invaded, intending to claim Sigrun. Sigrun’s family was killed, except for her brother, Dagr. Dagr would go on to kill Helgi, but Sigrun, not knowing what had occurred, cursed Dagr, for killing her lover. When she finally realized what had happened, it was too late. Finding 2 vault keys in the outpost and fortress, they find a vault that held the corpse of Prince Dagr. To atone for her actions, she joined the Valkyries and would become their most powerful member, before Freya,
Sigrun and Mimir are an excellent match. Both are good at heart but have made their fair share of mistakes that they have tried to atone for in their ways. Sigrun joined the Valkyries and Mimir aids Kratos and Atreus against the Aesir. These people aren’t perfect but they are made all the more special for their mistakes and the mutual love they have for one another, despite them.
Elven History
As Kratos and Atreus have traveled to Alfheim, they have been made unwilling enemies of the elves as their affairs have been forced upon them. In the last game, Kratos killed a dark elf leader, which had terrible ramifications for his people and this is shown in Ragnarök as the dark elves have been driven to the desert and the light elves have taken most of the territory. Learning from Mimir we learn that the divisions between light and dark elves are ridiculous as both elves used to be the same people and that really there is no right or wrong side and so they shouldn’t take sides. In Vanaheim we meet a light elf, Byggvir and a dark elf Beyla, who are married. Seeking to uncover more of their history but not being able to return to Alfheim, they ask Kratos to find some information about the elven history. Kratos finds the information in an ancient temple but is stopped by a light elf librarian who seeks’ to stop Kratos. After the fight, the Librarian states she is simply protecting her people and instead of killing her, Kratos spares her and deems that the elves do not need protection from their history but need access instead as it is time to write a new chapter. Kratos has learned his lesson from last the last time he was in Alfheim and does not seek to cause any more lasting pain for the elves but instead seeks to help them. Kratos has grown in ways I would have never thought possible as Kratos is showing intricate concern for the elves' affairs as last time, he could not have cared less and would not have batted an eye if it weren’t for the wise council of Atreus and Mimir. After witnessing the consequences of his last visit, Kratos has become more cautious which is a good thing for the old God.
