God of War story recap: All the lore you need to know before Ragnarok

The God of War series isn’t all bravado and bluster, it just wants to tell stories. God of War Ragnarök is the fifth main game in the iconic PlayStation series — and that’s not including all the spinoffs: two PSP games, a mobile game, a text-based game, and a full-fledged prequel, Ascension of the God of WarFor PS3. And even with the 2018 refresh creating a relatively clean break from the series’ original Greek era, it still featured a few key aspects of Kratos’ past that played into the game’s narrative.

It’s a lot of plot to mentally juggle. It’s part of the puzzle. God of War Ragnarök at least attempts to catch players up to speed: There’s a two-minute recap video accessible from the main menu, but it’s vaguely structured and light on details. (Frankly, if you either haven’t played the 2018 game or are fuzzy on the narrative details, the video is likely to leave you Continue reading confused.)

That’s where we come in. What follows is a thorough accounting of every important narrative beat in the God of War series — from the Ghost of Sparta’s days in Greece through his more recent adventures (i.e., pissing off the entire Norse pantheon). As you’re playing God of War RagnarökThis page is important. If you’re confused about a plot beat or can’t quite parse a side character’s errant remark, you’ll find the answer here. It’s your chance to make it yours. The god of legend.

This is the story of the original God of War trilogy.

Image: Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment

The original God of WarIt was first released on PlayStation 2 in 2005. The hack-and-slash game was released on PlayStation 2 in 2005. It took place in Ancient Greece and featured Kratos (an extremely angry general for the Spartan army).

Why was Kratos so angry, you might ask? Kratos became angry after Ares, the Greek god war, gave him extreme power. He was then tricked to kill his wife and daughter in a raid. Their ashes were then bound to his skin, giving him the ashy white hue he’s known for — as well as his “Ghost of Sparta” nickname.

In the beginning, Kratos is given a set of tasks that will grant him the ability to defeat Ares. In the end, Kratos kills Ares and inherits the dead god’s former title, becoming the new god of war.

God of War 2,In 2007, the PS2 release of. Kratos, who has been a god for many years now (possibly centuries), causes havoc throughout Greece and his Spartan armies. The other gods aren’t happy about this, and Zeus betrays Kratos, stabbing him through the chest with the Sword of Olympus (hence Kratos’ gnarly tummy scar you may have noticed in the 2018 game and in pre-release footage for Ragnarok).

Gaia, the Titan rescues Kratos and he works together to try to kill Zeus. Kratos then learns that Zeus is his father — essentially meaning Kratos is a demi-god. Soon thereafter, Athena (one of Kratos’ only allies in Olympus) sacrifices herself to save Zeus. Furious that he’s suffered yet another loss at his/the gods’ hands, Kratos rejoins with the Titans and prepares to assault Mount Olympus head-on.

God of War 3It was first released in 2010 for PlayStation 3. The battle for Olympus begins. The first casualty of Kratos’ assault on the Greek pantheon is Poseidon (the god of the ocean). The death of Zeus’ brother floods the lands around Mount Olympus, and Kratos continues his assault. Over the course God of War 3Kratos is able to kill almost all of the pantheon. He starts with Hades, then works his way up through Hercules and Hermes and Hephaestus and Hera. This destruction basically destroys Greece and makes it uninhabitable.

Finaly Kratos achieves his goal to destroy the Greek pantheon. He kills Zeus and leaps from Mount Olympus.

The non-mainline God of War games are technically canon but aren’t terribly impactful on the broader narrative. Chains of Olympus (PSP) sees Kratos stop Persephone — the wife of Hades — from using the Titan Atlas to destroy the world. Ghost of Sparta(PSP) Follow Kratos’ search for Callisto and Deimos as he hunts down his mother. Thanatos, the god of death, kills Kratos’ brother, leading Kratos — as usual — to exact revenge. Ascension It takes place before or after the original God of WarIt pits Kratos versus the Furies.

God of War (2018) Story Recap

Image: Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment

God of War(2018) makes a new friendship with an older man (can immortal demigods age?) Maybe it’s just the beard) Kratos in an unfamiliar and icy land: Midgard. Kratos has found his way to the land of Norse myth and has a new child — Atreus, his son — and wife, Faye, who passed away shortly before the game begins.

Kratos begins the game by cutting down Faye’s tree, which breaks Faye’s protection spell. We are later to learn that Baldur is the son and king, Odin’s All-Father, of the Nordic gods. Kratos and Baldur battle it out, and Kratos breaks Baldur’s neck — although Baldur’s death doesn’t stick. Freya’s protection spell makes Baldur virtually impossible to kill.

Kratos and Atreus then set off to scatter Faye’s ashes from the highest peak in all the realms, which they believe is in Midgard. On the way, the two meet Freya — who simply calls herself the Witch of the Woods to mask her identity — and then Jormungandr, the aptly titled “World Serpent.” Curiously, Jormungandr, who is positively gigantic, somehow recognizes Atreus, despite Atreus claiming to have never seen the snake before. Kratos and Atreus also meet the Huldra brothers, Brok and Sindri, who forged Thor’s hammer and the Leviathan Axe that Kratos inherited from his late wife. When they first meet Kratos, Brok and Sindri aren’t on speaking terms with each other.

Freya assists Kratos, Atreus, and Atreus to reach Midgard’s highest peak. However, the route is blocked by dense smoke. Freya then helps Kratos and Atreus travel to Alfheim, the realm of the elves, using the Bifrost in Tyr’s Temple. Freya, however, is not able to leave Midgard because of a curse she received from Odin. She is then forced back home to Midgard after only taking a few steps in Alfheim.

Kratos and Atreus proceed through the Temple of Light until they claim light arrows for Atreus’ bow. They also managed to expel the Dark Elves out of the Temple of Light, and change the power dynamics in Alfheim for the Light Elves. Alfheim has been a place of war for many centuries between the Light Elves (and Dark Elves). Kratos and Atreus’ characteristically violent interference is primarily chalked up to self-defense.)

Atreus and Kratos return to the mountain and use their new light arrows to get through the smoke. They then encounter a lightning dragon as they make their way up to the top. When they reach the top of the mountain, they overhear Baldur — alongside his dipshit nephews, Magni and Modi, sons of Thor — interrogating a mysterious character. Atreus and Kratos meet Mimir when the Aesir Gods depart.

Mimir informs the duo that, unfortunately, they aren’t on the tallest peak in all the realms. Jotunheim is the realm of giants, and it’s actually its tallest peak. Double unfortunately for Kratos and Atreus, it’s impossible to reach Jotunheim from Midgard. Mimir is open to suggestions, but Odin has trapped his body inside a tree.

Mimir requests Kratos to cut off Mimir’s head, and then take it to Witch in the Woods. In exchange for his eternal wisdom. Kratos is a notorious murderer who has just met people. He quickly returns the head to Freya and agrees to do so. Kratos and Atreus are then shown who the mysterious witch is. It’s Mimir who has been reanimated by the witch.

With Mimir’s fully alive head now dangling — and chatting incessantly — from Kratos’ belt, the trio Caps Jotunheim is their destination. After adventuring through the corpse of a literal giant in search of a chisel, the group faces Thor’s sons. Kratos kills Magni. Modi escapes.

Kratos and crew head to the bowels of Tyr’s temple and use their new chisel to get inside. But Modi is pissed and tries to entrap the crew. While he doesn’t do any real damage, Atreus collapses with a mysterious illness. Freya and Mimir explain that Atreus’ sickness is because he doesn’t understand that he’s actually a god — as Kratos has never explained his true nature or Greek god lineage.

Image: Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Freya tells Kratos that he must go to Helheim in order to save his son. However, due to the extreme cold of Helheim, Kratos’ icy Leviathan Axe will be useless. After returning to his house, the demi-god literally uncovers his past and pulls out his Blades of Chaos under the floorboards. On the journey, he faces visions of Athena and Zeus, leading Mimir to learn Kratos’ identity as the Ghost of Sparta — a legend so brutal that it’s somehow made its way to the Norse world.

Kratos finds Atreus after they have travelled through Helheim, claimed the heart and revealed to Atreus that they were gods. Atreus, who is still a young child, does not find this difficult. Atreus quickly acquires a superiority complex. When the group runs into Modi once again — now beaten and battered by Thor — Atreus stabs and kills him, despite Kratos’ protests.

They return to the summit where Mimir was found and try to unlock the Jotunheim gates. Baldur appears and creates havoc. Atreus is confused and shoots Kratos using an arrow. Baldur, Kratos and Atreus are trapped in Helheim after the Jotunheim gate collapses beyond repair. Kratos has a different vision of Zeus, and uses a flying boat as he escapes.

Mimir offers the trio to reclaim the Bifrost eye that was lost in his battle to get to Jotunheim. The statue of Thor Jormungandr ate earlier in the game contained the missing Bifrost. Kratos, Mimir, and a humbled Atreus paddle their boat into the serpent’s mouth and recover Mimir’s eye. Baldur, however, appears and causes Baldur to vomit up the heroes.

Kratos and Baldur battle, much to Freya’s dismay. Baldur accidentally stabs his hand on a mistletoe arrow tip that Sindri had given Atreus earlier in the game, and it’s revealed that mistletoe was the one living thing Freya couldn’t protect Baldur against. The battle goes on, but her protection spell is broken. Freya reanimates the dead giant’s corpse in an attempt to stop Kratos, and Atreus summons Jormungandr to fight off the giant.

Baldur ultimately attempts to murder Freya after destroying his life and removing the possibility of him feeling anything for hundreds of years. Freya apologizes to Baldur in an effort to earn his forgiveness, but Baldur won’t give it up; he still plans to murder Freya. Freya tells Baldur she’s willing to give up her life if it’ll make him happy, but Kratos steps in and snaps Baldur’s neck again, killing him for good. Freya promises revenge on her father and her son, as she heads to Jotunheim.

Mimir remains in Midgard, where he opens the realm portal and places his eyes in newly-flipped Temple of Tyr. The Huldra brothers have since restored their relationship. Kratos and Atreus go to spread Faye’s ashes. Jotunheim has the discovery that all giants are now dead and Faye (who was known as Laufey) is a giant. They also learn that Atreus’ giant name is Loki, while Kratos sees a prophecy that foretells his own death come Ragnarök — the Norse apocalypse — which he hides from Atreus.

Kratos and Atreus bond over the spreading of Faye’s ashes and then head back to Midgard. When they return, however, Fimbulwinter — the forever blizzard that heralds Ragnarök — has already started, signaled by the death of Baldur. Atreus and Kratos fall asleep at the end, but wake to the visit of an angry Thor.

Other than the main storyGod of WaSide quests are also available in r, many of which can have a significant impact on your story. Atreus, Mimir and Kratos save a group of cursed dragons. The Valkyries, powerful warriors that were cursed by Odin to continue serving him ad infinitum, are defeated. During that quest, it’s revealed that Mimir and Sigrun — queen of the Valkyries — used to be lovers.