There’s good reason to believe that Atreus will lead the nextGod of Wargame, as he endsRagnarokon a mission to find the rest of the Giants with Angrboda while Kratos steps into a leadership role in the Norse realms. Even if Atreus isn’t firmly in the position of protagonist in futureGod of Warstories, Santa Monica Studios will likely try to keep him at the forefront of the narrative, and if that’s the case, then his relationship with a central character ought to be further explored.
In amajor twist at the end of the firstGod of War, it’s revealed that Atreus is actually Loki, the God of Mischief in Norse mythology. The “Fey” that the characters refer to, Atreus' mother, is actually “Laufey,” the Giantess mother of Loki in the source material. This is a clever way to threadGod of War’s main characters into the fabric of Norse mythology, and this decision winds up having significant implications inGod of War Ragnarok, which focuses heavily on the prophecies associated with Loki and Asgard. Having said that, a key corner of this vast web of character relationships is notably underdeveloped, and it would behoove Santa Monica to delve into it with future, Atreus-centric games.
A New God of War Game Should Explore Atreus and Laufey’s Relationship
God of War Never Shows Atreus and Laufey Together
Laufey is shrouded in mystery throughout 2018’sGod of War. Despite never appearing on-screen, her presence is constantly felt: it is her death that sparks Kratos and Atreus' realm-spanning journey; characters regularly talk about her in reverent tones; and the Leviathan Ax, the series' second-most iconic weapon, originally belonged to her. Through this creative decision, Santa Monica Studios lent Laufey’s character a sense of larger-than-life mysticism, making her appearance inRagnarokall the more exciting.
Though she doesn’t come back to life via some classic mythological machinations,Laufey crops up inRagnarokin the form of flashbacksand visions. However, these are all from Kratos' perspective, as he contends with the events of the game’s narrative. Notably, Atreus never interacts with his mother, despite her playing a significant role in his early development, both as a god and as a young man. Since there’s been a precedent set for Laufey appearing in protagonist visions, the nextGod of Warhas an easy way to flesh out the relationship between her and Atreus.
How and Why an Atreus-Focused God of War Could Show Atreus and Laufey Interacting
AsAtreus continues to mature, it would make sense for him to have similar visions of Laufey as his father, obtaining guidance from his mother as he moves through his own personal journey. It seems that Laufey possesses precognitive abilities of some degree, ostensibly predicting her own death and the subsequent adventure pursued by her son and child, so there’s definitely room for her to provide Atreus with insight and advice through dream sequences or quasi-flashbacks.
Atreus inherited his affinity for magic from his mother, so she could also play a role in gameplay:as Atreus learns new abilities, he could experience visions of Laufey, drawing from their shared ancestral lineage to expand his mystical powers. This would have a two-pronged benefit, as it would add an interactive, progression-based dimension to the narrative texture that comes from fleshing out these two characters.
It’s clear that Atreus has a strong connection with his mother. She died when he was very young, and in many ways, he seems to take after her more than Kratos. This is why it would be something of a missed opportunity not to pull back the curtain on their relationship, and withGod of Warleaving the door open for the deadto come back, even if it’s only through flashbacks and visions, the next game would be an opportune time to show these characters interacting.
