It’s been a wild yr for VG247, so to rejoice we’re going to be republishing a few of our favorite work printed in 2018 – opinion items, options, and interviews, that we’ve loved writing and studying, and which we consider showcase a few of our greatest work. Enjoy!
How God of War hides its huge story reveals in plain sight was first printed on May 11, 2018.
Did you discover what number of of God of War’s huge reveals had been hiding in plain sight?
God of War is a game of many triumphs. It has satisfying fight, and a world large enough to encourage exploration that someway by no means overstays its welcome. It’s additionally a game keen on hiding one thing worthwhile round each nook, pushing you to scour each cranny if it means spending extra time in its beautiful world.
Underlining all of it is a coherent story with a transparent starting, center, and finish. God of War’s story is comparatively easy, even when the game spends time teasing a lot larger stakes that don’t ever come into play.
But one factor chances are you’ll not discover in your first playthrough is how a lot foreshadowing there’s of main plot factors. Many voice traces you sweep off, and lots of encounters and quotes you by no means assume twice about find yourself having extra which means than you initially realise.
Make it to the top, and also you’re rewarded with context. As I sat again taking the ending in, I made a decision to observe the opening minutes once more. My first time by way of the game, a number of explicit traces caught out, however I rapidly forgot about them because the story picked up.
Now that God of War’s supplied all of the solutions, I assumed a second viewing could be price it. And what a worthwhile endeavour it turned out to be, as a result of it lead me to understand one other facet of God of War’s writing I hadn’t thought of earlier than.
We’re going to SPOIL a lot of God of War’s story past this level, together with the ending and different main reveals. It’s greatest to expertise these by yourself, so flip again now in the event you haven’t.
After a quick introduction to the brand new Kratos and his boy, Atreus, the game throws you right into a 30-minute tutorial: a hunt for some meat. This deer hunt additionally helps set up our two most important heroes, however the game’s first “real” second – the second the journey is about to start – is while you meet Baldur.
For a good chunk of the game, Baldur is known as The Stranger. Both your self and Kratos are clueless as to his identification. Baldur seems a bit off-kilter, and also you’re anticipated to not take the whole lot he says at face worth. Go again and re-watch that scene, and also you’ll realise how lots of the game’s story beats and twists had been hiding in that dialog.
The first phrases out of his mouth are, “There’s no use hiding anymore. I do know who you’re – extra importantly, I do know what you’re.” You’re meant to assume he’s speaking about Kratos’ previous in Greece and his divinity. Even Kratos believes that’s what Baldur is referring to.
The story later reveals that Baldur was despatched by Odin to trace down a selected Giant whom the Allfather was having no luck discovering on his personal. That Giant, Faye, is Atreus’ mom, and he or she’s been hiding in a cabin away from the eyes of Odin. In this primary encounter, Baldur makes clear who he was in search of, he simply didn’t know she’s already lifeless.
Upon laying eyes on Kratos, Bladur remarks, “I thought you’d be bigger”, and “long way from home, aren’t you?” – goading him to struggle. These traces make sense in the event you’re speaking to somebody you’ve been led to consider is a Giant hiding amongst males. He even expects Kratos, mistakenly considering he’s the Giant he was despatched after, to know what he’s speaking about.
A Giant would know, clearly, so when Kratos denies it, Baldur replies that he “thought your kind was supposed to enlightened, so much better than us, so much smarter.” This is one other purple herring, as you’ll routinely assume it’s a reference to historical Greece’s tradition, when actually Baldur is speaking in regards to the Giants.
Earlier within the scene, when Kratos asks Atreus to cover within the cellar, the boy is stunned, saying that he thought he wasn’t imagined to go there. This change doesn’t imply a lot at first, for the reason that purpose for it might be something. When you come to the home to take out the Blades of Chaos for the primary time, Atreus’ reply within the opening mission will make full sense.
Kratos clearly doesn’t need his child discovering out about his previous, and since that’s the place a part of his previous is hidden, he undoubtedly doesn’t need him stumbling upon it.
This first struggle even drops a number of different hints about Baldur, like the actual fact nothing can harm him. This is one other twist that left me in awe of how nicely it was executed.
Freya mentions mistletoe being a really harmful weapon while you return to her residence someday after Atreus is given mistletoe arrows by one of many dwarves. If you’re unfamiliar with Norse mythology, this irrational aversion to mistletoe gained’t imply something to you. If you’re, nevertheless, you’ll immediately make the connection that Baldur should be her son, given her response to mistletoe of all issues.
In the extra widespread readings of Norse mythology, Baldur is a god whom nothing can harm, besides mistletoe. (Loki pranks him by asking somebody to throw a mistletoe at him, killing Baldur and beginning a sequence of occasions that may ultimately result in Ragnarok).
It’s exhausting to not join these dots if even a bit about these characters, however right here’s how God of War will get round that. If you’re unaware of the importance of those folks, you’ll simply belief in Freya’s knowledge that the arrows are harmful, simply as Kratos does when he tells Atreus to do as she says.
God of War establishes early on that it’s not following recognized tales of Norse mythology rigidly, and that it’s completely happy to play quick and unfastened with those it borrows, so the scene is quickly forgotten.
I too deserted the thought, till God of War determined to substantiate this suspicion with that scene in Helheim, and with The Stranger’s vulnerability to mistletoe being key within the last struggle – wrapping all of it again round. Cory Barlog and the writing group are most likely smiling about this someplace.
The World Serpent, mighty Jörmungandr, even will get to drop a tease of its personal when it tells Mimir that Atreus’ voice sounds acquainted. At one level, Mimir tells Kratos and Atreus of a selected prophecy about Ragnarok.
In it, Thor hits the serpent so exhausting it travels again in time, which Mimir says would clarify why it’s already conversant in Atreus (Loki)’s voice, as Loki is the daddy of Jörmungandr within the myths.
Future God of War games will probably alter this origin story to show the serpent into Loki’s pet or one thing, for the reason that considered an individual fathering a snake could be too on the market for a video game – even one in which you’ll be able to kick a dragon within the face.
As you ascend the mountain within the last mission, one of many greatest reveals made after you uncover the murals is admittedly a bit absurd, however undoubtedly meant.
All the yellow/golden paint telling Kratos and Boy the place to climb, marking the best way all through the game, was all of the work of Atreus’ mom to make sure they observe a set path and fulfil the prophecy.
It’s stunning to see the group go this far to provide context to one thing very grounded in gameplay mechanics, nevertheless it was nice to see. This second additionally confirms the game does certainly borrow a part of Laufey‘s Norse mythology origins, enhancing its impact.
All of that stuff is completed extremely nicely, by no means as soon as revealing an excessive amount of that it ruins a twist. When it does tease a number of issues early, they’re fastidiously hidden that I don’t consider it’s attainable to guess the entire plot in your first time by way of.
Source
