God of War World Building, Narrative, and Player Experience

God of War

World Building, Narrative, and Player Experience

Daniel Tynan

Submitted to the Faculty of Film, Art and Creative Technologies in candidacy

for the BA (hons) Degree in DL828 Model making & 3D Design

Submitted (13/03/2022)

Declaration of Originality

This dissertation is submitted by the undersigned to the Institute of Art

Design & Technology, Dun Laoghaire in partial fulfilment of the examination

for the BA (Honours) (programme name). It is entirely the author’s own work

except where noted and has not been submitted for an award from this or

any other educational institution.

___________________________________

Acknowledgements

Throughout the writing of this thesis, I have received wonderful support from

those around me.

I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Sherra Murphy, for sticking with me

and for guiding me through creating something that I am truly proud of.

I would like to thank my family, for their support and encouragement

throughout my college journey.

I would like to thank Glen, for always being by my side and pushing me to be

the best I can be.

Lastly, I would like to thank my Grandad, for always believing I would get

here, my own way.

Abstract

How God of War (2018) creates an emotional and engaging experience

through narrative and world building. I will explore both of these aspects in

detail in regard to game design and how this impacts the player experience

and how that, in turn, creates a unique experience in God of War. After

playing through this game twice myself, I began to notice how it was distinctly

different to any other game I had played before, the entire playable

experience felt different to me as the audience to the game. This is when I

began to delve deeper into why this may be.

Table of Contents

List of Figures ________________________________________________ pg. 01

Introduction __________________________________________________ pg. 03

Chapter 1 ____________________________________________________ pg. 08

God of War: Design and World Building

Chapter 2 ____________________________________________________ pg. 24

God of War: Narrative

Chapter 3 ____________________________________________________ pg. 35

The Experience of God of War

Conclusion ___________________________________________________ pg. 47

List of Works Cited ____________________________________________ pg. 52

Appendix __________ __________________________________________ pg. 57

List of Figures:

 Fig. 1: Troll skinning – The Art of God of War. Pg. 14

 Fig. 2: Kratos and Atreus with Faye’s Body (God of War. Dir, Cory

Barlog. Santa Monica Studios 2018 (GOW)) Pg. 15

 Fig. 3: Kratos and Atreus beginning their journey towards the

mountain (GOW) Pg. 16

 Fig. 4: Kratos and Atreus on the highest peak in Jötunheim (GOW)

Pg. 18

 Fig. 5: Wanderer above the sea fog (Casper David Friedrich c1818)

Pg. 18

 Fig. 6: Kratos in Niflheim (GOW) Pg. 20

 Fig. 7: Abbey in the Oakwood (Casper David Friedrich c1809-1810)

Pg. 20

 Fig. 8: The world map of Midgard (GOW) Pg. 22

 Fig. 9: Atreus’ Bestiary (GOW) Pg. 23

 Fig. 10: Atreus/Loki (GOW) Pg. 28

 Fig. 11: Loki with a fishing net (18

century Icelandic manuscript) Pg.

 Fig. 12: Kratos and Atreus meet Jörmungandr, the world serpent.

(GOW) Pg. 29

 Fig. 13: Kratos and Atreus sharing a rare intimate moment. (GOW)

Pg. 34

 Fig. 14: Kratos and Atreus on the river (GOW) Pg. 37

 Fig. 15: Assassins Creed Valhalla’s third-person camera (Assassins

Creed: Valhalla. Dir Eric Baptizat. Ubisoft. 2020) Pg. 39

 Fig. 16: Call of Duty: Black Ops cold war’s first-person camera. (Call

of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Dir. Corky Lehmkuhl, Dan Vondrak.

Activision. 2020) Pg. 40

 Fig. 17: Typical Gameplay within God of War (linear progression)

(GOW) Pg. 43

 Fig. 18: A Fight with a Valkyrie (Emergence gameplay) (GOW) Pg. 44

 Fig. 19: A Jotnar shrine in the game depicting Sköll and Hati chasing

the sun. (GOW) Pg. 45

 Fig 20: Kratos and Atreus exploring the realms in God of War:

Ragnarök (God of War: Ragnarök, Dir Cory Barlog. Santa Monica

Studios, 2022) Pg. 50

Introduction

To understand a sense of immersion and attachment as an audience or

“Player” to video games, we must first explore games and their place in our

world as well as what makes a good video game. Frans Mayra in, An

Introduction to Game Studies provides an excellent overview of the most

basic elements of Game Studies and also into the place of video games as

part of our culture today – resulting in an understanding of the basic

elements of games that will create an immersive experience. To allow

context for the role of video games in our modern day lives, Mayra states that

while in the past games were “only cluttering the children’s rooms and arcade

parlours”

they are now “conquering living rooms and stepping out from the

computer screen to various multifunctional devices”

, showing a true shift in

the place video games now have in our lives – they are a far more adult

experience to the general public now than they would have been. This has

allowed for a rapid change in both the quality and software of video games

but also changes in progression of stories and therefore progression of the

worlds that hold them. As Mayra further discusses the space video games

occupy in our lives, it becomes apparent that the audience (or the “player”)

have molded and shaped the types of games and stories that have been

played and written through demand and this in turn will influence how

attached these players are to each individual game and story.

As games and stories develop so does the complexity of the worlds in which

the players inhabit during play. Each player approaches a game in a unique

fashion that will change both ideas and attitudes towards certain games.

Mayra, Frans. An Introduction to Game Studies, SAGE Publications, 2008. P 15.

Each different approach in mindset seems to result in the player either

engaging with a certain type of video game or not. This is vitally important to

consider as this can create a discourse in what is considered a “good” game

to play. Engagement hangs on approach, and while Mayra concludes that

“some gamers concentrate more on the rule system and play the game to

win or finish it, without much regard for the game world or its backstory”

it is

becoming apparent that this is becoming a harder state to remain in as the

increasingly complex worlds and stories players and partaking in forces the

player to consider the game world through rules and both linear and non-

linear storylines.

To begin to explore the immersion a player feels whilst participating in the

“play” of a video game one must first look to the foundation of what captures

an audience’s attention in entertainment in general. For thousands of years’

story has been what drives and captures audiences. However, we must look

to what is integral to these stories and how they are supported in their

existence. Mark J. P. Wolf notes that “it is the world that supports all the

narratives set in it and that is constantly present during the audience’s

experience”

. Despite if the audience, or in this case “player”, is aware of it or

not; the existence of worlds that our stories inhabit gives them meaning,

purpose and a place that we can use to further understand the story that is

being told. In the exploration of immersion, it is apparent that the core idea

that “worlds, unlike stories, need not rely on narrative structures, though

Mayra, Frans. An Introduction to Game Studies, SAGE Publications, 2008. P 18.

Wolf, Mark J. P. Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Sub creation, Taylor &

Francis Group, 2012. P 16-17.

stories are always dependent on the worlds in which they take place”

. For in

order to “invite an audience to vicariously enter another world and hold them

there”

there must be a world for them to enter, then once that world is

created and understood a story has a solid base on which it can exist. With

the addition of vital elements such as rules the player can understand and

follow, as well as background building elements that can be discovered or

interacted with during play, we begin to see a fully rounded and immersive

experience take place.

The need for a rule system within video games is essential (particularly in

games that allow for open exploration) Sebastian Domsch attributes them to

much of the success of the player’s experience and engagement and

therefore immersion. To define rules as “the most important defining

characteristics of games”

initially feels like a rather bold statement to make,

however defining them in such a way to separate them from linear media

such as novels or movies gives a deep insight into worlds and why we find

them easy to immerse ourselves in. Rules (and our learning to understand

them) lead us to a sense of understanding of a world and how it functions,

thus giving a sense that once we know these rules, we can belong in the

world that has been created. To consider that within these worlds there is

rule systems, and considering videogames as a “meta-medium” – defined by

Domsch as a medium with the ability to, non-reductively, incorporate all other

Wolf, Mark J. P. Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Sub creation, Taylor &

Francis Group, 2012. P 17.

Wolf, Mark J. P. Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Sub creation, Taylor &

Francis Group, 2012. P 17.

Domsch, Sebastian. Storyplaying: Agency and Narrative in Video Games, De Gruyter, Inc., 2013.

Print. P 15.

presentational media (spoken text, written text, music, images etc.) within

itself without this media being lessened by being part of a video game – we

are provided perspective into the many layers that can be added to a video

game’s world to create something that is well populated, has deep backstory

and is an effective vessel for storytelling and world building to then be

presented to a player as a livable experience.

God of War (2018) (God of War) is a video game that not only utilizes and

embodies these principals but pushes the boundaries of what we can expect

from these principals and how they are delivered. Through unique camera

angles, incorporation of myth into the game’s narrative and unique world

design, the player experience is heightened to a fascinating point. Following

this introduction, I will discuss God of War in relation to design, narrative, and

player experience to further understand the sense of immersion that is

created through play.

Chapter One:

God of War: Design and World Building

God of War (Santa Monica Studios, 2018) is a single player, story driven

video game. It is the fourth instalment in a series about the Spartan Demi-

God Kratos. Despite the Roman origins of the first three games in the series,

God of War narrates a Norse Mythology based story arc centring around a

man and his son, traveling the lands to spread the ashes of their wife and

mother respectively

Upon its release, God of War sold more than 3.1 million units within the first

three days of its launch

and has since sold a staggering 19.5 million units

worldwide for PlayStation 4

. In comparison to other Triple-A games, (‘AAA’

– Games that are made by medium to high budget companies) this is a huge

number of sales. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, another single player, story

driven game, sold 16 million units in comparison

. Not only do the sales

figures show the popularity of the game, but there is also a keen player base

involved with the franchise – with many new players joining the series for the

first time at this point. God of War took the title of IGN’s 2018 game of the

year winning 62.2% out of 26,604,825 votes

. Within four months of the

game’s release, Sony confirmed that a ‘New game +’ mode would be added

to the game to allow eager fans to replay the game without losing any of their

in-game statistics and items

. This indicates the immediate demand from

See Appendix 1 for full story summary.

Sarkar, Samit. “God of War becomes fastest selling PS4 exclusive ever” www.polygon.com.

Web. May 3 2018. Accessed November 24 2021.

Moore, Logan. “God of War has sold nearly 20 million copies” www.comicbook.com. Web.

October 21, 2021. Accessed November 24 2021.

Nesterenko, Oleg. “Niko Partners: Uncharted 4 sold 16 million copies, The last of us – 20

Million”. www. Gameworldobserver.com. Web. October 14 2019. Accessed November 24 2021.

Bankhurst, Adam. “God of War is the winner of IGN’s best video game of all time bracket”.

www.ign.com. Web. October 1 2021. Accessed 24 November 2021.

Sheth, Mihir. “13 reasons why you need to play God of Wars new game + mode, out today”.

www.blog.playstation.com. Web. August 20, 2018. Accessed November 25 2021.

fans to replay and reengage with the game. This strong fan base behind the

game has continued to grow leading to much anticipation for the release of

the game’s sequel God of War: Ragnarök. God of War created an

experience for its players that was different to other games with similar sales

numbers by creating beautiful, story-guided worlds and a captivating, deeply

emotional, storyline.

In exploring a single player, story driven game it is tempting to look first at

this deeply emotional narrative. However, theorist Mark J.P Wolf outlines that

“worlds, unlike stories, need not rely on narrative structures, though stories

are always dependent on the worlds in which they take place”

. In God of

War the world design has a huge impact on the story it houses and also the

sense of immersion the game aims to achieve. This has a direct influence on

the player’s engagement with the media as a whole. In essence, when

playing a video game, the audience is invited to step into a world that is not

their own – this in itself can allow for feelings of escapism and a drive to

explore and understand a new environment. While the player is invited to this

world, they become both an audience and a participant. The aim of creating

an imaginary world can be to “pull their audience in so skilfully that not only is

one’s imagination stimulated without much conscious effort, but the whole

experience is a pleasurable one”

. This is particularly true of video games:

keeping an audience situated and engaged while they play through a

narrative or freely enjoy a carefully designed world is essential to the full

Wolf, Mark J. P. Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Sub creation, Taylor &

Francis Group, 2012. P 17.

Wolf, Mark J. P. Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Sub creation, Taylor &

Francis Group, 2012. P 16.

enjoyment of the piece. However, it is important to note that the game itself is

not the experience of a player, but what enables the experience

. Jesse

Schell explores this idea in depth in The Art of Game Design – likening game

design to building a ship in a bottle; the designer is far removed from what

they are creating

. Characters and stories are created to inhabit a world

which a designer is unable to literally inhabit and instead must use a

combination of elements to shape an experience that is activated through

play and interaction

Approaching the idea that the world has been designed to house the

narrative and characters of God of War leads us to look to what exactly game

design is. Schell puts it in simpler terms stating: “game design in the act of

deciding what a game should be”

. Elaborating on that, the game designer

does not ultimately care about games, but the experience that is created by

the player

. Considering “without the experience, the game is worthless”

as a point in reference to God of War, it is apparent that it is the aesthetic

experience that draws us in and propels us forward. Through light,

movement, sound, and the player’s ability to interact with the world and

control their actions, the shape of what a game “is” begins to take form. This

Schell, Jesse. “The art of game design”. Elsevier, Morgan Kaufman Publishers. 2008. Print. P

10.

Schell, Jesse. “The art of game design”. Elsevier, Morgan Kaufman Publishers. 2008. Print. P

11.

Schell, Jesse. “The art of game design”. Elsevier, Morgan Kaufman Publishers. 2008. Print. P

11.

Schell, Jesse. “The art of game design”. Elsevier, Morgan Kaufman Publishers. 2008. Print. P

10.

Schell, Jesse. “The art of game design”. Elsevier, Morgan Kaufman Publishers. 2008. Print. P

10.

Schell, Jesse. “The art of game design”. Elsevier, Morgan Kaufman Publishers. 2008. Print. P

10.

act of interacting and ‘playing’ or ‘experiencing’ a video game does transfer

to all different types of games – from Monopoly to large scale open world

games such as Assassins Creed: Valhalla. This is identifiable due to

designed elements of each of these games to be played, creating an

experience for the player by setting up conditions and rules that the player

then follows in order to engage with the designed experience.

The team at Santa Monica Studios were responsible for creating this

experience within God of War. They set out to create the world that felt stable

and complete, particularly capturing a time period within the game that

implied an existence of this world long before the story of God of War

While the game initially relies heavily on narrative to set the characters on

their journey, the player is given the opportunity early on to learn about the

world whether that be through exploring vast mountains that were once

inhabited by the Giants of Norse Mythology – shown by their impressive

craftsmanship and remains of culturally significant objects – or, by leaving

the safety of their home area to explore a much bigger and more intimidating

world.

When creating God of War, the team found traversing the world of pre-Viking

culture to be difficult. The aim was to create a world where it was believed

that the Gods roamed all over Midgard, the human realm, in the past

. Luke

Berliner, concept artist, wanted to create a world that was “before man had

really settled and when gods, giants and monsters roamed the land – the

Shamoon, Evan. The Art of God of War, Dark Horse Books & Santa Monica Studios. 2018. Print.

P 9.

Barba, Rick. God of War: Lore and Legends, Dark Horse Books. 2020. Print. N page.

period when the myth was really being made”

. Finding reference for this

was difficult and so a very small pool of images would be used to create an

entire level within the game

. This initial difficulty and strain on the design

lead to the team drawing from all manner of inspirations such as Celtic ruins

and Indian temples. This helped to create a world that was both familiar and

new

. Considering this difficulty, it is worth noting that while many other

cultures myths and legends focus on narrative with not much given in the

way of description of worlds, Norse mythology itself does; in many of its

retellings, descriptions are given of the worlds its stories inhabit. Each realm

is known by a defining factor such as the fires of Muspelheim, or the Fog of

Niflheim, thus giving a clear indication of what is historically expected from

that realm before any additional design is considered.

Spanish concept artist José Cabrera was responsible for some of the early

images of the Norse Landscape, creating a compelling piece of some

Nomads skinning a troll (Fig 1 below). The 3D artists recreated it and it was

released as part of the 2016 God of War E3 trailer (A video game

convention). This served as a launch pad for the tone and mood of the initial

stages of the game based in Midgard. Luke Berliner stated that, in regard to

José Cabrera’s concept images; “we collectively picked our jaws up off the

Shamoon, Evan. The Art of God of War, Dark Horse Books & Santa Monica Studios. 2018. Print.

p 11.

Shamoon, Evan. The Art of God of War, Dark Horse Books & Santa Monica Studios. 2018. Print.

P 9.

Shamoon, Evan. The Art of God of War, Dark Horse Books & Santa Monica Studios. 2018. Print.

P 9.

floor and said ‘that’s the game… this is the direction we should go in’

Fig. 1: Troll skinning – The Art of God of War. p

Once the initial world design was completed by the team at Santa Monica

Studios, the design was then transferred into the digital world the player

would then inhabit. Cory Barlog (director) used mise-en-scene to create an

experience that was visually captivating for the player. Bordwell and

Thompson identify mise-en-scene in film, as something that highlights the

control that the director has over what appears in a scene

. Deriving from

theatre performances – lighting, costume, staging, makeup, and performance

all play vital roles in hat the audience perceives and how they experience

what is presented to them. Despite being a different medium, the concept of

mise-en-scene is transferable to the visual design and delivery of experience

within video games. It is imperative for the director to position and guide the

player through the character and scenery in the way that will help them best

Shamoon, Evan. The Art of God of War, Dark Horse Books & Santa Monica Studios. 2018. Print.

P 18.

Thompson, Kristin. Bordwell, David. Smith, Jeff. “Film Art: An Introduction”. McGraw-Hill

Education. 2016. Print. P 113.

experience the game. The main difference between film and video games is

the act of play within video games that changes the experience into a user

guided one. I will be exploring the effects of video games and the experience

of the user in chapter 3, Player Experience. However, it is important to

consider the effect of design on experience. A well-rounded design with a

strong foundation has a great impact on the user experience. In the images

below (Fig 2 and Fig 3), there is a stark contrast shown between the intimate,

warm, home that Kratos and Atreus begin the story in and the open,

imposing, landscape of the mountain they venture towards.

Fig. 2: Kratos and Atreus with Faye’s Body (God of War. Dir, Cory Barlog. Santa Monica Studios 2018

(GOW))

Fig. 3: Kratos and Atreus beginning their journey towards the mountain (GOW)

This opens the world up to the characters and gives the player a comparable

experience with them. In Fig 2, the director used mise-en-scene to create an

intimate atmosphere between Kratos and Atreus. The back and side walls

are visible in the shot, creating a sense of the space closing in; the

characters are then forced to stand close to each other. The candlelight also

highlights the shrouded body on the table, giving a sense of warmth to the

room. In comparison, Fig 3 illustrates mise-en-scene by framing the

characters in the mouth of the cave they are leaving and showing the

mountain in the background, surrounded by mist which creates a sense of

distance and mystery to the mountain. The player is situated in this open

space showing the open nature of the game. This, as a method of world

building, ensures the player experiences the right feeling with each scene

they are presented with.

Observing and experiencing the design work and mise-en-scene in God of

War, it begins to suggest comparisons to Romanticism, particularly the work

of Casper David Friedrich. This familiarity adds to the feeling of escapism or

longing that a player might experience while traveling the world of God of

War. Anjin Anhut, visual development artist, draws comparison to Friedrich’s

work and many video games in his blog “how not to suck at game design”

He identifies key themes to Friedrich’s work namely, the desire to leave the

here and now, fear/curiosity and hope for an unknown future as well as the

urge to explore and visit distant places and being nostalgic for a distant

past

. Reflecting on these themes whilst acting as the audience or player of

God of War it becomes very easy to see how these themes might influence

the design output of the game. Particularly at momentous occasions such as

Kratos and Atreus finally delivering Faye’s ashes to the highest peak in

Anhut, Anjin “Friedrich Romanticism and Games”. www.howtonotsuckatgamedesign.com.

2016. Web. 28 April 2021. Accessed 19 November 2021.

Anhut, Anjin “Friedrich Romanticism and Games”. www.howtonotsuckatgamedesign.com.

2016. Web. 28 April 2021. Accessed 19 November 2021.

Jötunheim – creating a startling resemblance to Friedrichs Wanderer above

the sea fog paining as seen below (Fig 4 and Fig 5).

Fig. 4: Kratos and Atreus on the highest peak in Jötunheim (GOW)

Fig. 5: Wanderer above the sea fog (Casper David Friedrich c1818)

The vast landscapes in each of these images give a sense of both the past

and future, of our place in the world and of being in deep thought. This is

highly important to design as it creates both a sense of conclusion and a

sense that there is more to come.

Another common theme in Fredrich’s Romantic paintings was to portray vast

landscapes that feature natural structures, something that can once again be

shown in comparison to God of War. The towering gate in the fog of Niflheim

(Fig 6 below) bears great resemblance to Friedrich’s painting The Abbey in

the Oakwood (Fig 7 below). Similar colour palette and composition lead to a

sense of foreboding. The dark lower half of both images’ contrasts with the

lighter coloured upper half/sky area and gives a sense of vastness to the

landscape beyond. The vertical, dark shapes, in the form of the statues in

God of War and the trees in Friedrich’s painting frame the image slightly and

draw the eye upwards to this vast sky above. In contrast to the previously

referenced images, these images give a sense of approaching something

rather intimidating and brings forward a sense of dread and unease, though

the brighter sky gives a sense of something beyond the fog. This, in God of

War, serves the purpose of encouraging the player forward. The curiosity of

what lies beyond the gate and the thrill of navigating through the fog makes

this area intriguing to navigate, just as viewing The Abbey in the Oakwood

captures the eye and draws the viewer to explore deeper into the scenery.

Fig. 6: Kratos in Nflheim (GOW)

Fig. 7: Abbey in the Oakwood (Casper David Friedrich (c1809-1810)

Creating these comparisons invites the viewer to investigate the design of

the gameplay experience of God of War. Key to the experience is the

navigation of the world within God of War. There are nine realms traditionally

in Norse mythology, all of which are referenced in the game. However, only

six of these realms are accessible to the player via the Bi-Frost at the centre

of Midgard. From a design standpoint this had the team at Santa Monica

Studios creating six distinctly different worlds for players to explore, with

each having a part to play in the narrative of the game. In terms of world

building this was a colossal task, though it adds to the depth of the world the

player can traverse and provides many opportunities for the narrative to

expand.

Midgard being the central point our story stems from gives the player

somewhere they can be intimately familiar with, a place they can always

return to even as they traverse the other realms of Norse mythology.

The design choice to have one central realm with a way point to the other

realms further solidifies the feeling of familiarity to Midgard, thus greatly

lending to the players feeling of immersion and belonging. I found myself, as

a player of the game, regularly craving to return “home” to Midgard after

spending extended periods of time traversing the other realms as it was

familiar territory to me.

As the story stems from this point, the player has immediate access to the

world map of Midgard. As seen in Fig 8 below, the map provides the player

with a bird’s eye view of the area. Designed by Ryan Baker, it is visually in

contrast with the realistic style of the game.

Fig. 8: The world map of Midgard (GOW)

Briar Lee Mitchell in Game Design Essentials notes that “Maps, genealogy

charts, and personal logs or diaries are designed to match the look and feel

of the worlds that are written about in the lore”

. In the case of God of War’s

map; the 3D rendered, colourful and modern style does not lend to a sense

of immersion for the player but rather takes the player out of the game and is

a jarring experience. I certainly found this throughout my own experience

playing God of War and would have preferred a map that was more coherent

with the style of other aspects of the games such as Atreus’ bestiary, seen in

Fig 9, which also acts as an important vessel for the narrative of the game,

allowing the player to delve deeper into the constructed aspects of the

gameplay experience.

Mitchell, Briar-Lee. “Game Design Essentials”. John Wiley & Sons. 2012. Print. P 48.

Fig. 9: Atreus’ Bestiary (GOW)

Chapter Two:

God of War: Narrative

Having established the importance of the world design and the role of the

designer within God of War and video games, it is then imperative to discuss

narrative and story as they are an integral part of the experience a game

provides. Sofia Papworth highlights the importance of realising that “games

provide experiences and experiences can be expressed as stories”

. This

ties into Shells idea of the game being worthless without its experience

Broadening the exploration of what makes this experience, we begin to look

at the narrative that is housed within the world that has been created for the

player to experience.

As God of War is centred around Norse mythology, I have chosen to use Neil

Gaiman’s adaptation as a reference point. I will be using this contemporary

retelling of Norse Myth to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of

each myth and the characters within. In the foreword of the book, Gaiman

maintains that the fun in myths is that they are told by word of mouth and

encourages the reader to enjoy the stories in the book and make them their

own

. This mirrors Daniel McCoy’s conclusion to his book; The Viking Spirit,

which states: “the best way to be ‘true’ to the Norse Myths and religion is to

continue to reinvent them for one’s own time and place”

Having established that the team at Santa Monica Studios used the loose

descriptions of the world that these myths are contained within as a starting

Papworth, Sofia. “Storytelling through Gameplay: Dimensions of AI design for Narrative

Purposes”. Umea University, Sweden. 2016. Print. P20.

Schell, Jesse. “The art of game design”. Elsevier, Morgan Kaufman Publishers. 2008. Print. P

10.

Gaiman, Neil. “Norse Mythology”. Bloomsbury. 2018. Print P XVI.

McCoy Daniel. “The Viking spirit”. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 2016. Print.

P 224.

point for the world they created, it becomes apparent that the game holds a

narrative set within an adaptation of Norse Myth. This allowed for the same

creative freedom as with the world building. In his journal Myth, History and

Theory, Peter Heeh’s notes that “Myth and history are often considered

antithetical modes of explanation. Those who study data of one field tend to

look down or exclude those of the other. There have always been historians

– Herodotus, Livy, Burckhardt – who think it permissible to take myth

seriously as myth, but this is not the same thing as taking it as a reliable

account of historical occurrences”

. Combining this philosophy with

experimental gameplay results in a captivating narrative that is different from

what we know to be fact within myth but is engaging through this very

concept. From this it can be gathered that while over the years these myths

and legends have been told by word of mouth and our continued discovery

regarding time and place (such as the time between the 8

and 11

centuries when the Norse people raided and settled throughout Europe)

gives us a contextual world to place these myths in. William K Ferrell in

Literature and Film and Modern Mythology notes the importance of myths for

understanding culture, including how this learning of time and place impacts

how we then study these myths and informs us of what beliefs and values

were held by cultures but also how and why beliefs may change within a

culture

. We are now beginning to see a merging of old tellings and

retellings of myth and legend blend with our modern technology. We also

begin to solidify our own versions of these tales in line with our own cultural

Heehs, Peter. Myth, History and Theory”. Wesleyan University, Wiley. 1994. P 11.

Ferrell, William K. “Literature and Film as modern Mythology”. Greenwood publishing group.

2002. Print. P 11.

views and actions through film, literature, music, and video games. This

merging allows us to unpack the difference between what is the most

historically accurate retelling of a tale and what is added for drama and effect

for the current audience’s enjoyment.

The team at Santa Monica Studios made many choices in their own merging

of Norse Myth and the existing narrative in the God of War franchise. In

many ways, this specific retelling is our current generations retelling of these

myths. Though the changes made to it are quite far-flung from what we have

heard before, the act of endeavouring to blend Norse myth into their own

franchise, rather than recreating the myths as they have become known,

created an incredibly captivating narrative. There is a crucial element to the

changes that were made to the original myth in order to support a larger

storytelling goal

in the removal of one of Norse mythologies key players:

Loki. This at first seems to be a nonsensical choice, as Loki’s actions in

Norse myth were responsible for the feuds and even deaths of many of the

Gods and Goddesses that drive these stories forward. In his book, The

Penguin Book of Norse Myths, Kevin Crossley-Holland highlights that

“without the exciting, unstable, flawed figure of Loki, there could be no

change in the fixed order of things, no quickening pules, no Ragnarök”

However, as the game progresses, we find that the character of Atreus is, in

fact, Loki (See Fig 10 below). This opens up the narrative far more than the

player could have initially anticipated. The player will then experience the

“Untangling God of War”. YouTube, uploaded by The Good Blood. Uploaded 7 Mach 2021.

Accessed 11 April 2021.

Crossley-Holland, Kevin. “Norse Myths: Tales of Odin, Thor and Loki”. Candlewick Press. 2017.

Print. N pag.

character from an unusual angle, as a child. This is far different from the

traditional interpretation of Loki (See Fig 11 below).

Fig. 10: Atreus/Loki (GOW)

Fig. 11: Loki with a fishing net (18

century Icelandic manuscript)

Whilst this change to the core of Norse Myth was drastic, the team at Santa

Monica Studios went to great lengths to not leave holes in the architecture of

the myths themselves

. During a first play through of the game, it can be

difficult to see the full weight of the Norse Myths on God of War’s narrative.

The character Mimir tells tales of the Gods as the player explores freely and

Atreus uses his knowledge and understanding of the Gods and their world to

both educate and bridge the emotional gap he feels with his father. We meet

characters from the myths and visit places from them too – but without a

wider knowledge of the traditional events that unfold within them, the game

delivers a very different experience.

Fig. 12: Kratos and Atreus meet Jörmungandr, the world serpent. (GOW)

In Fig 12 above, we see an early game interaction with Jörmungandr the

fabled “World serpent” (thrown back through time by Thor during Ragnarök).

He speaks an ancient language neither of the main characters can

“Untangling God of War”. YouTube, uploaded by The Good Blood. Uploaded 7 Mach 2021.

Accessed 11 April 2021.

understand. However, upon meeting the serpent again, this time with Mimir;

we learn that Jörmungandr finds Atreus familiar. Without additional

knowledge of Norse Myths, it would go unnoticed by the player that Atreus,

being Loki, is actually the father of Jörmungandr

. This would not become

apparent until the very end of the story when we discover Atreus’s true

nature. It is events such as these that begin to expand the narrative of God of

War far beyond a simple tale of a father and son on a quest to spread the

ashes of their wife and mother respectively. It is then possible to begin to

notice the many changes to the myths, but it can be difficult as the writing of

the story of God of War is both seamless and engaging, leaving the mind

little space to notice the changes that were made.

Sebastian Domsch delves into narrative in Storytelling, agency, and narrative

in video games, highlighting the ludologist perspective that states the

element of narrative in a video game is not necessary. A game can be still

enjoyed regardless

. Michalis Kokonis defines the opposing idea of

narratology as people who “approach games for their narrative dimension”

In the case of God of War – being a single player, story driven game; it is

apparent that it would be best observed under a narratological lens. It can be

presumed that if God of War had no narrative, then there would be no

characters, no worlds to explore and no reason for the existing as a piece of

consumable media. Domsch further explores this subject to discover that

Gaiman, Neil. “Norse Mythology”. Bloomsbury. 2018. Print. P 52.

Domsch, Sebastian. Storyplaying: Agency and Narrative in Video Games, De Gruyter, Inc.,

2013. Print. P 13.

Kokonis, Michalis. “Intermediality between games and fiction: The “Ludology vs. Narratology”

debate in computer game studies: A response to Gonzalo Frasca”. Aristotle University, Greece.

2015. Print. P 173.

“fiction itself works like a game and that games, by being something that is

not identical to reality, work like fiction”

and that “Narrative elements are

almost as ubiquitous in video games as visual elements – and their

importance and narrative complexity increases steadily”

. God of War

certainly fits into this as the narrative complexity is something that would not

have been seen ten years ago within games – mostly enabled by the

advancements in technology we have today to allow these more detailed

stories to be told as video games can contain stories that span hours of

gameplay in addition to free roaming exploration.

God of War’s main story takes approximately 22 hours to complete

giving

plenty of opportunity for the player to become invested and immersed in the

story and world. The additional side quests and collectables can begin to add

total play time of up to 53 hours

. This is where narrative and world begin to

blend; the main storyline acts as a guide through the worlds and introduces

us to the main characters within the game, but the worlds themselves lend to

their own storyline in the form of optional side quests that the player is free to

partake in if they wish.

Wrapped in this blanket of world building and adapted Norse myth lie the

main characters of God of War, Kratos, and his young son Atreus. The

Domsch, Sebastian. Storyplaying: Agency and Narrative in Video Games, De Gruyter, Inc.,

2013. Print. P 14.

Domsch, Sebastian. Story playing: Agency and Narrative in Video Games, De Gruyter, Inc.,

2013. Print. P 14.

Charpentier, Anton. “how long does it take to beat God of War?”. www.thegamer.com. Web.

August 18 2021. Accessed November 25 2021.

Charpentier, Anton. “how long does it take to beat God of War?”. www.thegamer.com. Web.

August 18 2021. Accessed November 25 2021.

position of these two characters within the game is an interesting, yet not

entirely unfamiliar one. We follow the father-son pair as they travel to spread

the ashes of Faye, Kratos’ late wife and Atreus’s mother from the highest

peak in all the realms. Those familiar with Joseph Campbell’s “monomyth”,

the hero’s journey, from his book “The hero with a thousand faces” will

recognize this as the characters call to action or departure. To follow the

formula set out by Campbell and explained by Laurence Coop; the

characters begin to experience the struggle

- the is expressed in God of

War in variety of different ways; we see a physical struggle between our

protagonists and many monsters and key antagonists such as Baldur. We

see a mental struggle in Kratos as he attempts to leave his previous life as a

Spartan Demi-God behind. We see a physical struggle in Atreus – his lack of

awareness of his status as a God leads him to develop a sickness. Above all

else we see an emotional struggle between the two characters as they

journey together and try to connect with and understand each other despite

being very different characters. This fractured relationship drives the

narrative forward. The departure of Faye, who both characters shared a

unique close bond with, leaves a hole to be filled in their relationship as

father and son. The journey they face is full of conflict, dysfunction and many

characters that provide Kratos with a comparison to his own behaviour as a

father. These act as a fulcrum at which he enacts change to become better

for his son. The following of the Hero’s journey drives the narrative of God of

War onwards and facilitates the exploration of the father-son relationship.

This relationship being as fractured as it is, brings to light Carl Jung’s

Coupe, Laurence. “The hero’s journey”. Gale Group. 2000. Print. P 1.

concept of parental archetypes. Due to his close relationship with his mother,

Atreus struggles particularly with her loss and struggles with the expectation

to create the same style of relationship with his father. It can be presumed

because of Kratos’ hyper-masculine portrayal that the traditional archetypical

roles of males and females took place in this situation – with Kratos being

referenced to being away a lot and Freya remaining at home as the primary

caregiver for Atreus. As Kratos being less involved with Atreus resulted in

him having a “shared identity”

with his mother, it then became harder for

Atreus to establish a relationship with his father, partly due to Kratos having a

terrible relationship with his own father (he kills him in a previous title in the

God of War game series). Anthony Stevens, interpreting Carl Jung’s work,

talks about the types of love parents present to their children and a lot can be

garnered from the model of Kratos and Atreus’ relationship used within the

game; A mother’s love is identified as largely unconditional (implying the

existence of the child alone is enough) whereas the fathers love is contingent

(it is conditional upon the adoption of certain values, standards, and modes

of conduct)

. This is apparent in the attitude Kratos aspects of his son,

deeming him weaker and “not ready”

for the journey ahead. He requests

Atreus hunts to prove to him that he is capable. As the narrative progresses,

we see Atreus begin to engage Kratos’ emotional side and the characters

Stevens, Anthony. “Jung: A very short introduction”. Oxford University Press. 1994. Print. P 69.

“God of War”. Dir. Cory Barlog. Developed by SIE Santa Monica Studio. Published by Sony

Interactive Entertainment. 2018.

begin to build an understanding of each other, deconstructing the typical

father-son archetypes and driving the narrative forward.

Fig. 13: Kratos and Atreus sharing a rare intimate moment. (GOW)

Chapter Three:

The experience of God of War

Upon beginning God of War, we are met immediately with scenes of Kratos

cutting down trees with golden handprints on them and transporting them to

his home. It is an impactful, thought provoking and empathetically painful

scene. This is our introduction to the main aspects that make God of War a

unique and immersive experience. In narrative we are introduced to Kratos

as a toughened character capable of carrying whole trees with one arm, and

as someone who has experienced something that has impacted them in a

deeply emotional way. Before chopping down the tree, Kratos lingers

momentarily on the golden handprint – establishing an emotional connection.

As the camera shows Kratos preparing to chop down the tree with his Axe,

we are introduced to the unique cinematic style in which God of War delivers

the blend of its narrative and world building. As the axe swings towards the

tree its motion is mimicked by the camera and we are thrown towards the

point of contact between the axe and tree, cutting through the golden

handprint. Severing the handprint, we previously saw the character so

connected with is shocking, and the involvement of the camera bring the

player directly into the action.

As we draw away from this scene the camera takes its permanent position

over Kratos’ right shoulder. The narrative begins to unravel further as the

cracks in the relationship between Kratos and Atreus begin to show and the

world begins to stretch out, showing us the Norse wilds that will become

home to our characters (Fig 14).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRMX9Rzq1AA

Tree chopping: 0:10 – 3:35

Fig. 14: Kratos and Atreus on the river (GOW)

As the elements of the world and narrative begin to merge, we begin to

establish more of the unique aspects of the game that create this individual

immersive experience. This beginning section of the game serves as a

tutorial stage in which the player gains familiarity with their surroundings,

characters, and gameplay. However, the delivery of this tutorial is different

from other games in that it is combined with the main storyline seamlessly so

as not to break the immersion a player feels; there is no loading screen

between this stage and the main game, there is no pause to the narrative or

journey the characters are on.

This is also where one of the most defining features of the game really takes

hold; the game is played entirely using the cinematic technique of continuous

shot. The player, as the camera, is presented with a single, unbroken,

tracking shot of the game and all the elements within it. We, as the player,

are required to draw our focus to a particular event in the world, we shift from

our over-the-shoulder, third person view. The camera moves in seamless

transition to what we are required to look at. The camera moves with the

characters in a distinctly cinematic and dramatic fashion as they jump and

run, beginning to give the players a sense that they are involved in

something akin to a film. The camera will then glide back to the over-the-

shoulder perspective and the game continues to progress. Due to its

immersive nature, it is difficult to notice this camera technique at first, giving

more weight to the fact that there is huge immersive value in never looking

away.

Director Cory Barlog notes that there is only “six to eight tricks”

in the whole

game that allow the immersive camera to work. This includes aspects of the

game such as when characters squeeze through a gap in a rock, allowing

the world beyond to render. It allows a unique perspective in that we see the

game from Kratos’ point of view. Being a demi-God, son of Greek God Zeus,

Kratos is large in stature and has a foreboding nature – the camera allows us

to see the magnitude of the world around him. This allows for a sense of

immediacy and connection to the characters and “an unrelenting feel to the

adventure that you can’t get in any other way”

. We experience everything in

real time as the characters do; we are only seeing the world as Kratos sees it

whether that be monsters jumping into view or Atreus running ahead to

explore – we see it all at the same time as the character

. This allows the

narrative structure and world design to progress in an individual way that is

Kuchera, Ben “God of War’s camera was a huge risk that paid off – the value in never looking

away”. www.poylgon.com April 23 2018. Web. 19 March 2021.

Kuchera, Ben “God of War’s camera was a huge risk that paid off – the value in never looking

away”. www.poylgon.com April 23 2018. Web. 19 March 2021.

Kuchera, Ben “God of War’s camera was a huge risk that paid off – the value in never looking

away”. www.poylgon.com April 23 2018. Web. 19 March 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRMX9Rzq1AA Atreus Running Ahead: 10:40 – 12:00

not seen in other games of similar budget and status. Assassins Creed:

Valhalla exists entirely in third person (see Fig 15 below), with loading

screens and cut scenes that allow for world elements to load in, even though

it is a massively open world game

. This type of delivery allows the player to

experience the full scope of the world around them as the camera is far back

from them. Other games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (Fig 16)

utilize a first-person camera to create an up-close experience to the action,

intensifying the experience. What makes God of War’s camera more

successful in its delivery of immersion is that it allows the player to

completely inhabit their role as controller of the character whilst still allowing

them to experience the full scope of the world around them.

Fig. 15: Assassins Creed Valhalla’s third-person camera (Assassins Creed: Valhalla. Dir Eric Baptizat.

Ubisoft. 2020)

MKAU Gaming. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Review”. www.mkaugaming.com. Web. November

10 2020. Accessed Jan 7 2022.

Fig. 16: Call of Duty: Black Ops cold war’s first-person camera. (Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Dir.

Corky Lehmkuhl, Dan Vondrak. Activision. 2020)

Emma Westcott highlights this core engagement as something that will

“manifest through a players representation of action in game”

. As the game

progresses, we establish the world and narrative our protagonists and

antagonists are navigating (as well as how this is visually delivered to the

player), we must now look at how the player engages with the character they

are controlling. The player is responsible for everything the character will now

“do”. Westcott likens this experience to a form of puppetry in their discussion

of how the player character acts as a preforming object. The player character

is this puppet and we, the players, control this puppet with a mouse and

keyboard or a handheld controller. Further enhancing this feeling of control

using an object is external factors such as Dualshock controller rumble (in

Westcott, Emma. “The player character as Preforming Object”. NSAMD, University of Wales.

2009. Print. P 1.

the case of the PlayStation 4

); which provides basic physical response to

events within the game via vibration within the controller in the players

hands. Even more immersive than this is the Haptic Feedback (in the case of

the PlayStation 5

controller) which uses advanced vibration technology to

provide precise vibration and even response to environmental factors such

as rain. Westcott deduces that, in digital gaming, “the player is always an

audience to their own play act”

How then does this lend to creating an

immersive experience?

From my own experience, this act of play and recognizing the player

character as an object in which to ‘play’ with creates a wonderfully well-

rounded experience in which I feel in control – as though I am choosing my

character’s actions in a way that will create the ‘performance’ I will most

engage with. This act of puppetry does not only apply to situations in which

the world and narrative create a path I can follow at my own pace; it applies

also to situations such as when the player wonders “can I get up there?”

when looking at a high ledge above. The ability to control our character and

push the limits of the world and character then creates a different experience.

While the player is still completely bound by the restrictions that the game

developers have laid out, it is their choice if they would like to spend their

time attempting to get up on the ledge. Whether this takes 30 seconds or 15

minutes to do so, regardless of result – it is their own choice as puppet

“PS4 tech specs”. www.playstation.com. Web. Website 2022. Accessed January 11 2022.

“Dualsense wireless controller” www.playstation.com. Web. Website 2022. Accessed January

11 2022.

Westcott, Emma. “The player character as Preforming Object”. NSAMD, University of Wales.

2009. Print. P 2.

master. This combined with the seamless deliverance of all these elements

in continuous shot, creates an almost water-tight experience for the player,

continuously working to draw them in and engage them in the gameplay.

Combining player character, world building, narrative structure and delivery

of these elements begins to shape what makes the gameplay of God of War

truly different and immersive. However, the gameplay itself must also be

placed under scrutiny in order to define what the player is truly being

presented with.

Establishing the type of video game that is being played has great

significance on engagement and immersion. Jesper Juul explores computer

games as a whole and identifies two key structures: Emergence and

Progression. Both of these structures create enjoyable and engaging

instances of play, but which is better for immersion? The foundation of

games of emergence relies on “a small number of rules combining to form

interesting variation”

which then results in the player needing to design

strategy to gain the best result out of the game. Juul likens this to many card

or board games though states it is also present in “most action and all

strategy games”. The concept of progression is a newer structure in which

“the player must perform a predefined set of actions in order to complete the

game”

. This style is heavily influenced and controlled by the designer; they

choose what actions the player will have to complete in order to advance in

the game. Progression has been largely made possible by advances in

Juul, Jesper. "The Open and the Closed: Games of Emergence and Games of Progression." CGDC

Conf. 2002, P 342.

Juul, Jesper. "The Open and the Closed: Games of Emergence and Games of Progression." CGDC

Conf. 2002. P 342.

technology in which developers and designers can now create games that

have hours of play time giving the opportunity for more actions and tasks

before the completion of the game. However, modern games do often hold

aspects of both. This is what makes the gameplay itself of God of War

appealing. Juul identifies this combination in relation to the game Everquest;

a massively multiplayer online role playing game. On a surface level, it is a

game of emergence. The events in the game are not explicitly determined by

the game rules but they follow certain, identifiable, patterns. However,

Everquest contains a large number of quests in which characters in the game

world give objectives for the players to complete, thus brining aspects of

progression into the game. God of War is similar to this in that, on surface

level, we are presented with a linear storyline to progress through with

certain checkpoints and events that must happen in order to advance the

game (Fig 17). In addition to this progressive gameplay, there is also optional

quests that may be completed should the player want to which lend to the

style of emergence in the form of quests such as defeating the Valkyries (Fig

18); an enclosed space for repetitive, strategy based, combat

. It is this

combination of Emergence and Progression that prompts further immersion

within the game as the player is allowed to engage in both styles of play and

is not restricted to one or the other, thus keeping gameplay diverse and

engaging.

Valkyrie fight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QqllDSuVu0 0:00-5:00

Juul, Jesper. "The Open and the Closed: Games of Emergence and Games of Progression." CGDC

Conf. 2002. P 342.

Fig. 17: Typical Gameplay within God of War (linear progression) (GOW)

Fig. 18: A Fight with a Valkyrie (Emergence gameplay) (GOW)

Within these two styles of gameplay and their combination to create

something that is beyond what is typically expected from these two structures

we begin to see the previously mentioned concept of video games exiting as

a “meta-medium” emerge. This is something that video games as a whole

can offer as an experience more so than any other medium can.

Within God of War, the Jotnar Shrines (Fig 19) provide an excellent

demonstration of how an external medium, in this case a piece of cultural

artwork, can provide depth to the world and highlight the narrative history of

that world without changing or impacting the overall immersive experience or

cohesion of the design of the game. They provide the characters with an

opportunity to delve deeper into their own world. This type of detailed

addition overall is a great contribution to the immersion and depth that the

game presents.

Fig. 19: A Jotnar shrine in the game, depicting Sköll and Hati chasing the sun. (GOW)

The same holds true for the previously referenced notes that Atreus takes

throughout the game on the various monsters and place they encounter. The

style of these notes’ ties in nicely with the world that has been created and

the interest Atreus has within this world. These are in an unfortunate

combination with the previously mentioned game menu style. Despite this,

these notes are an excellent example of another type of media being

combined with the media of a video games to provide a better well-rounded

experience for the player that provides them with more information and

context to the world they are inhabiting.

Compiling all of these aspects into one video game lends to creating a

multifaceted experience that provides the player with an intense sense of

immersion and a truly unique gameplay experience. This is a direct result of

all of the different elements that went into shaping God of War as a player

experience. The design team at Santa Monica Studios and director Cory

Barlog went to great lengths to create a game that is different from others in

its bracket at the time. The conscious decisions on design, narrative and

gameplay coupled with the innovative delivery of these elements through

camera technique and balanced gameplay have created an experience for

the player that is consciously immersive.

Conclusion

Combining all of the elements of world building, design and narrative creates

an experience of play that is truly unique. Gaining knowledge of each

different element that goes into making a game like God of War allowed me

to gain insight into what truly makes up a game and why the choices in God

of War were different from other games in the same genre. The immersive

nature of God of War derives from the decisions made to push the limits of

what games could do at the time especially regarding camera and narrative.

Creating a huge game with a highly detailed narrative that gives a fresh take

on Norse Mythology paid off.

From start to end the experience is an enjoyable one, the player quickly

forms a bond with the journey that Kratos and Atreus are on, driven forward

by the desire to see the characters mend their broken relationship. Those

knowledgeable about Norse Mythology will be faced with familiar characters

and tales while those new to the world of Norse Myth will be taken in by the

rich new world. The world of God of War supports these stories well and

provides a well thought out selection of realms for the player to explore.

As this was a unique take on what a video game could achieve at the time,

the progression of the God of War game series has a lot to live up to. Cory

Barlog shared that 40% of the team on God of War said, regarding games

being made, “this is how we should totally do this from now on”

. With the

upcoming sequel God of War: Ragnarök, there is a sense of pressure from

Kuchera, Ben “God of War’s camera was a huge risk that paid off – the value in never looking

away”. www.poylgon.com April 23 2018. Web. 19 March 2021.

the fan base of the game to produce something of similar, or better, quality.

With the technological advancements seen in the last 5 years, particularly in

the form of the PlayStation 5 and its Dualsense controller adding even more

immersive elements to gameplay, the anticipation for the release of

Ragnarök is at an all-time high. However, Barlog has stated this will be the

last in the Norse portion of the God of War Series, referring to the long

production times, that only result in “one thing”

. Considering both the time

and cost it takes to make an expansive game like God of War, it is easy to

see why Barlog and the team at Santa Monica Studios decided to restrict the

Norse narrative to two iterations – even if the games are a source of much

critical acclaim.

Beyond these two games, it will be intriguing to see where games like God of

War advance to, with so many games being released on the PlayStation

each year (980 games in 2021

) - there is a constant need for originality.

While pushing the boundaries of how the player experiences the game is

starting to become a popular approach, players bond with characters and

expect to see stories continue, and the characters to grow and change. It will

be interesting to see how the God of War fan base reacts to the conclusion of

this series arc. It will also be interesting to see where the series goes next;

will Kratos’ story end with this iteration of the game? Will Atreus become the

next God of War for us to follow even though he, at this point, does not seem

Franzese, Tomas “God of War: Ragnarök. Cory Barlog reveals why there won’t be a Norse

trilogy” www.inverse.com. Web. 16 September 2021. Accessed 1 March 2022.

Makuch, Eddie “Here’s how many video games released in 2021…” www.gamespot.com. Web. 4

January 2022. Accessed 1 March 2022.

to fit the role? Due for release in 2022

, players hope Ragnarök will bring

answers to these questions. Given the excellent delivery of God of War, I

have high hopes for this sequel and how it will be delivered. Current

information on the game shows an older Atreus, desperate to find out the

truth about himself as “Loki”. We see hints to other realms to be discovered

and even a glimpse at a young Angrboda – Loki’s wife in Norse Mythology.

Fig 20: Kratos and Atreus exploring the realms in God of War: Ragnarök. (2022)

As seen above in Fig 20, there has been significant upgrades to the

graphical quality and world building in God of War: Ragnarök. The image

above was captured on the PlayStation 5 and so can be assumed to be

making full use of the hardware’s capabilities. Beyond advanced graphics

and controllers that allow you to feel aspects of the game through it as it is

being played, there have also been advancements in Virtual Reality. Large,

story driven, single player games such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, have

been ported to Virtual Reality

, though the ability to play in first person lent

“God of War: Ragnarök” www.playstation.com. Web. 2022. Accessed 1 March 2022.

“Skyrim: VR” www.store.playstation.com. Web. Accessed 1 March 2022.

heavily to its success. It would be difficult to adapt a game like God of War to

virtual reality, as it relies so heavily on the view of the game the director

intended in order to deliver the experience that has been designed.

Therefore, I do not believe the advancements in virtual reality would be

beneficial to the God of War series, although it certainly holds great

opportunity for other games.

Overall, there is great promise for video games in the future to gain traction

in our everyday lives. Moving from our arcade parlors to our living rooms at

an alarming rate shows the need in the market for more unique and engaging

games, using each technological advancement to the fullest. Improved

graphics for beautifully designed worlds, better software allowing hours of

gameplay for rich, intricate, storylines and advanced hardware to take the

player into the gameplay as much as possible provide experiences that seem

to get better and better as time goes by.

God of War certainly stands out from other games of its time, leading the way

for a promising sequel and the continuation of video games becoming

immersive and engaging experiences.

Works Cited

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Appendix I

God of War: Story Summary

The game begins with Kratos chopping down trees that have golden

handprints on them. These are the handprints of his late wife Faye and he is

collecting these trees as per her wish for her burial pyre. He carries a tree

over his shoulder towards a small rowing boat where his son awaits him.

They return home and preform the burial ceremony for Faye, they then set

out hunting together so that Atreus can prove to Kratos he is ready for what

lies ahead. Upon returning home Kratos and Atreus are visited by the

antagonist Baldur. Atreus hides whilst Baldur and Kratos fight, Kratos

seemingly kills Baldur. Atreus and Kratos then set off on their journey to

scatter Faye’s ashes from the highest peak in all the realms.

On their journey they soon encounter the Witch of the Woods, who

recognizes Kratos as a God. They reach the lake of the 9 Realms and they

encounter the world serpent, Jörmungandr. They also encounter dwarves:

Brok and Sindri, who they frequently meet along their journey and provide

them with upgrades for their weapons and armor. They continue their journey

to the tall mountain and are met with a black mist they cannot pass. The

witch of the Woods appears and tells them to use the Bifrost to travel to the

realm of Alfheim to get its light to remove the mist. Upon their success they

reach Midgard’s peak and nearing the top, they overhear a conversation with

Baldur – confirming he is not dead. After they leave, Kratos and Atreus climb

to the peak and are met with Mimir, who tells them that the highest peak is in

fact in Jötunheim. Travel to this realm is impossible however as the giants

wanted to keep out Odin and Thor. Mimir tells Kratos and Atreus he knows of

another way and instructs Kratos to chop his head off so that he can be

brought with them as he is imprisoned in a tree. Kratos does so and takes

the head to the Witch of the Woods to revive it. Mimir then reveals the Witch

of the Woods to be Freya, God of Vanaheim. Both Freya and Mimir warn

Kratos that he should tell Atreus of his true nature, however, Kratos’ long

distrust of the Gods causes him to ignore them.

Kratos and Atreus begin their search for the components to open Jötunheims

portal. As they travel the realm they are attacked by Thors son’s (Baldur’s

Nephews) Magni and Modi. Kratos kills Magni and Modi flees. At this next

encounter Kratos fights him, but Atreus collapses, overcome by sickness.

Kratos rushes Atreus to Freya, hoping she can help him. She warns him

again that this is the result of Kratos not telling Atreus that he is, in fact, a

God. The conflict itself causing the sickness. Freya tends to Atreus and

sends Kratos to Helheim to receive the heart of a troll in Helheim she needs

to treat Atreus. Kratos returns home to retrieve his old weapons, the blades

of chaos. These weapons being fire based work in the cold realm of Helheim

as opposed to his frost-based Leviathan Axe. Traversing Helheim, Kratos

retrieves the heart of the troll, he is then haunted by a vision of his father,

Zeus. Mimir is then able to piece together Kratos’ past. Upon returning to

Freya, Atreus is successfully revived. They then continue on their journey.

Kratos finally tells Atreus of his true nature. Atreus embraces the revelation

and becomes increasingly arrogant. He then murders Modi against his

father’s wishes.

They return to Midgard’s peak, and are ambushed by Baldur, the fight that

ensues results in the Jötunheim portal being destroyed and all of the

characters falling deep into Helheim.

The time spent journeying back from Helheim and traversing its treacherous

land, provides an opportunity for Kratos and Atreus to make amends. They

observe Baldur witnessing a hallucination of Freya; they learn that she is his

mother and is responsible for placing the immortality spell on him. They

return to Midgard and try to come up with another route to Jötunheim. Mimir

comes up with another plan, but he will need his missing eye for it and this is

contained within the belly of Jörmungandr. Upon its retrieval, the group are

attacked by Baldur once again. This time Freya intervenes and attempts to

make amends with her son. During the fight, Baldur is pierced by one of

Atreus’ arrows that contains mistletoe, the one thing that can harm Baldur.

This breaks his curse and he proceeds to try and strangle Freya. Kratos

intervenes and kills Baldur, causing Freya to vow she will extract vengeance

on Kratos. When she leaves, Kratos tells Atreus of his own past and how he

killed his own father. Kratos tell Atreus it is their job to be better than what

came before them. Mimir hopes that Freya will come to understand Kratos’s

intent and forgive him with time.

Kratos and Atreus then travel to Jötunheim, leaving Mimir with Brok and

Sindri. They find a temple of the giants, and a great mural depicting the

adventures of Kratos and Atreus. They discover that Faye was a giant and

that Atreus was referred to as ‘Loki’ by his mother. Kratos and Atreus finally

spread Faye’s ashes from the highest peak in Jötunheim. Upon their return,

Mimir warns them that Fimbulwinter has begun, meaning Ragnarök will soon

follow.

Gameplay videos:

God of War full gameplay video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRMX9Rzq1AA

Tree chopping: 0:10 – 3:35

Camera and Atreus running ahead: 10:40 – 12:00

Valkyrie Fight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QqllDSuVu0

0:00-5:00