God of WarRagnarokhas once again stormed onto everyone’s PlayStation to take the top spot in gaming.God of War Ragnaroktakes fans on Kratos' next great adventure alongside his Son, Atreus, and other awesome characters such as Mimir…the smartest man alive!
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Ragnarok has begun in the Norse realm, meaning the end is near for the Gods. Odin and Thor must do all they can to prevent this extinction event. Along the way, players see and use a range of items that are particularly relevant in the Norse pantheon. Santa Monica’s ability to manipulate the mythology into their own story while keeping true to the original texts is something that really makes the series so special.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead, Including the Ending
5Odin’s Noose
During the story, Kratos is traveling with Freya to free her from the spell Odin placed on her to stop Freya from traveling between the nine realms. On this journey, they find a noose with a range of runes, hanging from a lonely tree.
Players learn from Freya that this is where Odin hung himself in search of more answers to the universe. Freya takes this noose which comes in handy during the last fight in Asgard. These runes are still bound to Odin, and they stop him from killing Kratos and Atreus, ultimately leading to his soul being trapped in one of the marbles Atreus gains from Angrboda.
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In Norse Mythology, it is well known that Odin hung himself from Yggdrasil, the World Tree, to gain knowledge of life, death, and runic powers. This small detail plays a large role in theGod of Warstory and is another creative way the developers weave the stories from the Poetic and Prose Eddas into their own universe.
4Gungnir
Odin’s Spear, Gungnir, is only seen a handful of times inRagnarok. Most notably in the final fight during the events of Ragnarok and when he chooses to kill Thor as he does not obey his commands.
This Spear, in Norse Mythology, is the most powerful weapon and can pierce any creature or material. Its ability to kill Thor in a single blow is clearly evidence of this as theLeviathan Axe couldn’t do the same. During the Final fight, this spear takes a few different forms, showing off its almighty power and transforming into a staff-whip hybrid.
In the only close-up players get of this spear, we can see it is decorated with some awesome patterns and seems to be made of some sort of wood, a detail that changes from the original story.
3Mjolnir
Mjolnir is arguably the most recognizable weapon in all of Norse Mythology due to its appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and popular features throughout modern media. This is probably due tothe popularity of Thor, and his awesome Thunderous powers.
Many fans believed they would get to wield Thor’s Hammer as the main weapon, or even get to use it at least once throughout the story. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. This is probably due to its similarity to the Leviathan Axe in how it functions (throw and recall).
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Fans also had a similar theory surrounding Odin’s Spear Gungnir, as this would differ from the traditional Axe and Blades players are used to. However, with some awesome story manipulation from the Edda’s, players get their hands on a very different Spear.
2Draupnir
In the Norse Mythos, Draupnir is a gold ring possessed by Odin. This ring has the ability to multiply itself from nothing.
InGod of War,this ring is owned by Brokand Sindri and is kept in their basement among the World Tree. In a hilarious scene, Sindri goes to retrieve the ring from a room that is completely flooded with its copies. Kratos then takes this ring, along with Brok and some other materials to the “Lady of the Forge.” This is a Forge founddeep underwater in Svartalfheim, the home of the Dwarves.
Here, the ring istransformed into the Draupnir Spear, the final addition to Kratos' deadly arsenal of weapons. This spear is required to defeat Heimdall as his rapid reflexes aretoo quick for the Blades of Chaosor the Leviathan Axe.
1Gjallarhorn
The final item on this list is the Gjallarhorn. This horn signals the start of Ragnarok and can be heard throughout every realm in the Norse pantheon.
Kratos manages to retrieve the Gjallarhorn bykilling Heimdall in Vanaheim, when he ambushes themon the hunt for Freya’s brother, Freyr. Kratos does try to spare Heimdall out of pity, but after a few threats towards Atreus, the inevitable takes place.
As Kratos blows the Gjallarhorn players see each realm open and the army descends on Asgard. This is a change from the original Norse story as Heimdall, who is now dead, is said to be the one to blow the Gjallarhorn and awaken the Gods for the final fight. Instead, the horn is not to awaken the gods but instead used to awaken all the realms.
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Players can’t wait to see which pantheon Kratos explores next as there are a few options with the Egyptian gods being at the top of the list. However, fans may also see the introduction of the Japanese or Celtic realms.
WithAtreus going his own way and making his own path, the developers may create a standalone title involving his adventures and discovery of the other giants. But where are they? Perhaps this links to the other pantheons as Tyr could’ve helped them escape to an entirely new realm.
God of War Ragnarokis now available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
