I read every God of War Wikipedia entry to understand Ragnarok

God of War(2018) was the game I first played in this series thanks to its excellent reviews. The majority of them I enjoyed. God of War RagnarökIt is also known as God of War 2,Oder God of War: Boy Takes the Battle Back. You have made the error of thinking that you are the one who is responsible for your actions. RagnarökAlthough it may seem like a complete sequel, you can still understand why. The 2018 game has the eponymous title of the 2005 original, and it’s a pretty hard reset, taking the franchise into the modern console age. Ragnarök is actually very confusing if you haven’t played God of War (2018). This led me to question whether any previous entries are worth revisiting for my own knowledge.

Though my peers assured me that 2018’s entry stands alone well enough, I ended up compulsively reading the Wikipedia entries of prior installments to see if there were plot beats and tidbits that would enhance my understanding of Ragnarök’s story. This is the recap God of War (2018) Ragnarök’s main menu is incredibly confusing and not very helpful — but I’ve found Wikipedia to be a perfectly serviceable way to enjoy things, from horror films I’m too scared to watch to books that I want to make small talk about.

To be clear, I Am not reviewing the games themselves based off of the Wikipedia descriptions — that’s not reviewing, baby! I amI found these entries to be extremely valuable in helping me understand what’s going on. Ragnarök, in an effort to give a good — or if not good, passable — description of vital background information. And while there were a number of God of War spinoffs for platforms like PlayStation Portable or on mobile, I’ll be sticking with the three main entries — God of War (2005), God of War 2,2007 God of War III (2010). Without further delay.

God of War (2005, 2005)

Funniest Kratos line: Going with the classic opening banger, which Kratos says while standing atop a massive cliff before launching himself off the side: “The gods of Olympus have abandoned me. Now there is no hope.”

Oddest fact that won’t let me live: The supercut included every minigame of sex. I knew that at least one of the games had such a minigame, but I didn’t know HowThere were many. It’s a lot! God of War (2018) was the original title within the core franchise, without any type of sex scene. I’m thankful for that.

This is what Wikipedia taught me It was when I was playing. God of War(2018). I was disoriented at first by the lore. This world is clearly steeped in Norse mythology, with the prominent Yggdrasil, Viking aesthetic, and a reveal that Atreus is “Loki.” I’m pretty sure Loki’s dad, in the mythology at least, isn’t some Greek guy named Kratos. I have also noticed that they periodically talk about the Greek gods, which I’m also pretty sure are totally different. A favorite book on Greek mythology was something I had, just like other children who are terminally alone. What was the interplay of Greek and Norse mythology that I hadn’t noticed?

While the 2018 version fills some of the context, I find the Wikipedia entry for that original game to be more helpful. God of WarThe story of (2005) takes place entirely within the world of Greek mythology. It makes perfect sense. All the time, I believed Kratos. startedAs a god (the god war), he was in reality Some Guy, who first made bad deals with Ares then with Athena. Unfortunately the details are a bit jumbled as I’m reading, but the clear takeaway is that Kratos made deals with gods that repeatedly did not go well. He was a good man. DoesYou will eventually defeat Ares, and you’ll be able to take Ares’ place in the pantheon. The act of killing a god can be very dangerous and extremely JRPG for Kratos. His rise from being a Spartan into a god of war is something I respect.

I’m also learning, regrettably, that Kratos had a completely separate wife and child, which he fatally, accidently, killed. I didn’t know that an oracle bonded the deceased’s ashes to Kratos’ skin; I had assumed he was simply pale. This is a very stressful situation. Does the ash… ever come off? Is Mimir breathing that in while his disembodied head slaps against Kratos’ ass during exploration and combat? For another day.

God of War 2 (2008)

Image: SIE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Funniest Kratos line: Kratos monologuing about the “lies of the gods” and shouting “I am cursed!” while facing an enormous Kraken.

Oddest fact that won’t let me live: Kratos fights Kraken next, which is quite wild.

This is what Wikipedia taught me This Wikipedia plot summary is very detailed. Kudos to all those who contributed. While I don’t think the plot itself is invaluable to an understanding of RagnarökThis sequel’s themes are much stronger than those of the current games.

Kratos gets knocked on the floor at the start of the game and kills gods to climb his way into victory, just like the original. Kratos also enjoys spending a large amount of God of War 2, attempting to alter his fate in order to exact revenge on Zeus, who tricked and killed him — and rendered him a mere mortal — at the start. Changing one’s fate is a prevalent theme in RagnarökIt is easy to understand how a father who was once so obsessed about his life’s path might feel hesitant when his son follows his lead.

I also appreciate the plot point that Kratos frees Prometheus (to his death, and final rest), which echoes the themes of the contemporary releases — notably when he frees Mimir.

Below are important points. Kratos kills Athena and her sacrifices herself for Zeus. Kratos discovers Zeus to be his father. This explains a lot of Kratos’ exhaustion in RagnarökThis is why Atreus would be loath to follow in his steps. We Were reminded that Kratos’ dad is Zeus in God of War (2018), when they meet up in Helheim — this is also how Mimir figures it out. Atreus then recalls Zeus being killed by Kratos. While the scene was moving, I was still confused about the Greek god’s presence in this Norse game. I now have a more complete picture.

This context also gives more meaning to the “Atreus is Loki” reveal at the end of the God of War (2018) — Kratos genuinely is one of the only characters who could plausibly relate. It would be great if he could actually have a conversation with his son about this!

God of War 3 (2010)

Image: SIE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Funniest Kratos line: It’s extremely hard to choose, since Kratos shades So many gods. Kratos, sassing Hephaestus. The smithing god says, “I thought Zeus would have killed you by now.” Kratos responds, “I thought you would have escaped this cavern by now.” Extremely sick burn.

Oddest fact that won’t let me live: Although this is not an indisputable fact, the sheer amount of Greek gods he has killed is quite impressive. A source of inspiration.

This is what Wikipedia taught me This Wikipedia entry is much faster than other Wikipedia entries. Kratos picks on the Greek gods. I know the reason, having read through previous Wikipedia entries. It would, however, be quite funny to come in cold.

Kratos plummets towards the Underworld again and must fight to get there. All of the gods are on his shit list, and it appears he’ll kill them whenever he gets the chance, starting with Poseidon. That’s not enough. He kills Hades. He kills Helios. He’s a very angry person! He is fighting for who? The Wikipedia entry does not really say, but I’m buckled in for the ride.

Kratos next kills Hermes in his burning book. He then kills Hephaestus, evidently in self-defense. Finally, he murders Hera. By the way, every time a god is killed, an entire category of item is eradicated from the surface of the Earth — and it’s important stuff too, like light and plants. The Wikipedia plot summary builds up to this final moment of Kratos’ ultimate revenge: “He forces Zeus’ spirit back into his body and then beats him to death.” Then Kratos stabs himself and presumably dies. He may have survived, but a trail of blood suggests otherwise. (Spoiler alert: he survived; God of War has more games.

After reading these entries, if I were to go back and play one of these games, I’d probably go with the third entry. Though the first two have a more coherent backstory and give better insight into Kratos’ story, I just love the premise of going after all the Greek gods in a massive slasher-fest. (By the way, my favorite quote from 2018’s God of War is “boy.”)

Aufgrund of his bloody, vengeful past, it is easier to understand the risks involved in making Kratos a father for the current series. The idea that Kratos the younger version of Kratos has mellowed out is quite funny. However, I still enjoy his rages, which are great for ending fights. It would be nice if they gave him a dad body if we were to see another entry. That would make the Wikipedia entry worth it.