I agree with you, but with a caveat. God of War IS better as a series, but only because 4 and Ragnarok do so much to explore and REDEEM Kratos. It really can’t be overstated how much care was put into 4 and Ragnarok.
@@whiteking2f2 Do to original games do nothing to build upon each-other? They indeed went in the complete opposite direction that the Norse saga did, but that is to their credit and their sequels' benefit. God of War drew inspirational roots from Greek Tragedies and built a narrative of losing grip of one's self, one's hope for a better life, and one's restraint and empathy. It was rich on it's own and the Norse Saga's narrative of recovery and growth is richer for it. As a whole they tell the entire journey away from the brink of suicide and the perpetuation of homicide, manipulation, and abuse.
I feel like that quote gets a disproportionate amount of praise. It is overly simplistic in its analysis of the nature of morality. And what does it even mean to be born good? Or born evil. That is a concept that only exists in fantasy games. Nobody was born a genocidal dictator or serial killer or a healer and scientist. No hate towards you for writing it. I just think the writing quality of Bethesda isn't up to this level of video essay content.
Kratos becoming close with Mimir is probably my favorite part of the story. He pushes him to open up and behave like he never has before, making him say what he really thinks.
Also, up until this point... Kratos never had someone to truly confide in. Maybe Athena but look how she turned out. She betrayed him like everyone else. Obviously he talked to both his first wife Lysandra and His former wife Faye but he most likely only said as much as he was willing too. So it's nice in these latest games that Kratos has other adults to talk to that challenge his way of thinking... encourage him to be better. I love the dynamics between Kratos and Mimir. ❤
"No need to explain. Not to Me. Not for that." "It is the nature of a thing that matters, not it's form" Both times when Kratos was saying the perfect thing to get through their pain, he was echoing words that they themselves had spoken to him. Meaning he was listening to them, and learning from them. And finally Atreus does the same. "Don't be sorry, be better."
Let's not forget the moment in alfheim where kratos can hear Faye. Atreus has made his peace with Faye but kratos hasn't fully let go but up until then had to tune it out to protect atreus.
Kratos has/had a habit of throwing other people's words back at them. This time it was for the betterment of said people instead of a quip before he killed them lol.
And with that reconciliation with Freya, he owns what he actually did to hurt her most; he took that choice from her just as everyone else did. I think on some level, she knew Baldur was beyond redemption, that even if he did kill her, Baldur wouldn't stop. Kratos would have had to kill Baldur eventually. She didn't want to admit it because what parent wants to think that of their child? It's a deeper failure than what she'd already admitted and owned up to. Just my thoughts. I might be entirely off base.
@tylerwhims3360 also a question I'd ask her was "Your son was seeking to kill my son and atreus was defending himself and trying to protect me. Would you consider I'd lower my guard so you could have my son killed by yours? If the roles were reversed on needing to kill my son to save yours... Would you stop that or did what I did to protect your son?"
A part of the game that I dont hear people talk about is when your fighting Bjorn here you are being this god killer and then you find out its Atreus. The sheer panic and trauma that Kratos relives is so devastating.
@@bizzaroblake2519right? The fucking TERROR he experienced. The way he holds his son and tells him “i could have killed you” I fucking looked at it and could tell he heard the echoes Of Lysandra and Calliope’s screams
Christopher Judge is honestly an incredible VA. With just the way he intones his grunt at 23:40, you can already tell that he has made his mind about listening to Mimir's advice. It's incredible.
He's not a voice actor but an actual actor. All of this was mocapped. Why are people fucking this up? VA's are a whole other breed of actor, it's why Kratos' original VA was replaced, he was too flamboyant /cringy for the changes they wanted to make. This is why the character toned down to the point where he's no longer the same; you can't really act that cartoony without coming off like a crazy person.
@@NoirRavenLines of dialogue delivered while the player is in control are not mo-capped, they can’t be. Judge is not a voice actor by trade but he is clearly very accomplished at using his voice to perform. OP was merely giving a compliment to a good performance, for a voice over line probably recorded in a booth, as most voice acting is.
@@hyperdeath84 and to add to that, even for the mocapped stuff they have to re-record the voice lines in studio after the fact for curating and mastering the sound i bet, considering all of the mocap is often done is massive warehouses and to record voice lines in those places must be an absolute nightmare xD So yeah, 100% agree. CJ was amazing in all fronts on these games. well deserved award
Dad of War is legitimately the best series I've had the privilege of experiencing in the last 20 years. As much as I need so much more in this series, I hope Santa Monica calls it at Ragnarok
@@WheatDos there is. But I'll be completely fine if they completely abandon that plot thread and give me no more Dad of War. It's always been Kratos' story, and his story and redemption arc has come to a satisfying conclusion.
Maybe, *perhaps*, another time jump when we’re introduced to Hela, Loki and Angrboda’s daughter in the original Mythology (in which Fenrir and Jormangandr were also their children, but I can honestly see why Santa Monica changed that), and thus Kratos’ granddaughter, and how he can teach Atreus to be a father himself, and not make the same mistakes he made with him growing up, and how Hela could, eventually, become the new head of Helheim, and maybe inherited her grandfather’s own past *tendencies*. I don’t know, just something I thought of as of late.
I firmly believe, based on the mermaid and Kratos’ body language, that she gave the spear a blessing, and everyone but us and Brok heard it. That makes his choice to ask Brok for the blessing even cooler. He prefers the blessing of a friend, instead of some soggy wench.
I noticed this too, but I felt that Kratos didn’t prefer a blessing from Brok, but more as a gesture to him. At this moment, Brok is angry with his brother and doubting himself and Kratos sees this, and this Kratos shows empathy to him by rephrasing what Brok previously told Kratos, which also shows that he was listening and growing.
@@armaanchima9195 It really could be both. He saw that his friend is dismayed, and thought to comfort him with a nice gesture. And, he also prefers a blessing from a blacksmith that he has known for years, rather than a blacksmith he just met. It's a cool duality of Kratos' newfound empathy and his Spartan pragmatist logic working at the same time.
Kratos has become one of my favorite video game characters simply because of all the growth he's gone through. From Spartan warrior, to broken man, to a mindless killer, to a wise and calm father, and now to a hero of the nine realms.
I feel like part of his struggle with parenting is because he’s parenting from the perspective of his culture. However Atreus is neither a Spartan or grew up in the culture of Sparta. Obedience was practically beaten into children, you treat your elders like a soldier treats a superior. For so Kratos struggling to release control, saying “you are my son” as if that actually means anything, his anger at the insubordination from his son, and his response to insubordination always being to hold tighter all stems from Spartan Upbringing.
Very underrated, but very on point. What people sometimes forget is that lore-wise, Kratos IS a Spartan. The life of a Spartan is basically etched in his subconscious.
Very spot on, Specially because we know Kratos does not want to raise Atreus as a Spartan. "I did not think you should of had to." When asked why he didn't train/raise atreus as a spartan would. This is another reason Kratos probably left a lot of Atreus' rearing to Faye, because he wanted Atreus to know love as a child in a way he never received. So it is probably a significant struggle for him not to default to his Spartan ways when in these stressful and unusual situations that don't have simple solutions cause they involved people he cares about while they are very much still alive.
Overly Sarcastic Productions pointed out that Fate is being used as a metaphor for Generational Trauma. The thing that pushes Kratos to be a better person, to be a better God, to _defy fate,_ is his desire to not see his son go through the same trauma and mistakes he did.
The way I read Kratos' story about the "old man who carries his logs" is that while yes, it is about himself, it is also the point in the story, where Kratos truly realises that he does not want to die, that he is not ok with his own death. If we examine Kratos' past interactions while discussing the prophecy of his death, he is consistently shown to be almost unphased by it. This is shown no better than by his dialogue with Freya in which when questioned about the prophecy of his death, Kratos simply responds "death can have me when it has earned me". I truly think that Kratos falsely believes this sentiment, that he would be fine dying so long as his son lived. In my opinion, Kratos starts to doubt his view on his own death when he encounters the Norns. As he and Freya walk away from the Norns, Kratos seems visibly shaken from the news of not only Heimdall's plot to kill Atreus but the own, seeming inevitability of his death. By the point Kratos tells the story of the old man to Atreus, Kratos truly believes that he will die in the battle of Ragnarök. Atreus asks Kratos to finish the story later should he fall asleep to which Kratos responds "of course". I believe this is a lie Kratos tells Atreus to put him at ease, Kratos deep down does not believe that he will survive Ragnarök to tell the rest of the story to Atreus. As Kratos tells Atreus the story and he looks lovingly at his son, I believe that Kratos slowly begins to realise that he does not want to die, that he is not ready to die because that would mean leaving his son, something that he is not ready to do (permanently I mean). Kratos is no longer ok for Atreus just to be safe, Kratos wishes to continue leaving to be able to see his son grow and become his own man. The culmination of this is his dream of Faye in which Kratos realises that he must open his heart to the world and in doing so will find every reason to keep on living in it. He no longer accepts the prophecy of his death and instead rejects it in order to continue being there for his son, at least that's how I see it.
It does kinda fall flat when you remember that he died 3-4 times prior and came back but tbf he was really determined and fueled by revenge when he did that
@victory8928 I didn't think about that and that's a fair point but I think back then Kratos really didn't care about being alive, in fact, he tries killing himself at the end of the first game. Kratos craves death and when he is denied it by the gods, his only driving motivation is revenge. It's not until he meets Faye that he finds his motivation to live and its not until Ragnarök that he realises that he wants to live
Another interesting point is that the bed time story ends with the logman asking death to help him put the logs on his back so he can deliver them to the village once again. I think in this moment Kratos realised that he is not ready to die. And the dream with Faye fits perfectly with the bedtime story cus it’s literally kratos represents the logman and Faye represents death, only difference is that is Faye(death) is the one to help first the Kratos(the logman) to carry on going.
One of the things I *adored* about Laufey was that we heard a great deal about who she was as a warrior, and even saw some of the fallout, but when we experience her, it is in the archetype of wise leader figure that Kratos must grow into. We see his arc mirror hers.
@@TheParadoxGamer1 its rare but welcome to see such a matriarchal family structure. You learn very quickly that Faye was in many ways the true head of the household not only raising Atreus pretty much on her own but also helping Kratos grow and shed some of his past. She was not only a mother to Atreus and a beloved wife to Kratos, but an ideal: someone to aspire to be like and learn from and it only makes her husband and child love her even more and appreciate all that she did and kept doing even beyond the grave
@@thehermit8618 honestly this, seeing such an effect she had on the world around her was such a nice change of pace. An example that exists with Freya too, id argue.
Interesting to note that the father son relationship develops to a point where Atreus can push back, that he no longer fears his father's reaction in Ragnarok as he did in God of War 4
Kratos is in the middle of devolving to his old self- his nature has not changed. However, he now has support, and someone who he supports, so he defeats the Norn's prophecy. This symbology in it's simplest form- if you can't be better by yourself, find a circle in which you can be better via friendship. If freaking Kratos can be better, so can you. You just need the right people.
@@mywifesboyfriend5558 and those are the ones who are worst off, brother. Luckily, things hate staying the same. Stasis can only hold for as long as we force it to, and even then, eventually entropy breaks way. I know the world too well to say things will end up well for all of us. But I honestly do believe if we try, it will for most.
@@AlriikRidesAgain Rocky said it best (though in a line that utterly misses the characterization of Rocky): "Ain't nothing in life will hit you as hard as life. Life will beat you down to your knees and keep you there forever if you let it. But it's not about how hard you GET hit. It's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward."
Side note: 38:57 and the part when Kratos screams "BOY" at Atreas both made me crap myself during my playthrough of Ragnarok. Nothing is scarier than being face to face with a pissed of Kratos, even if he is your Dad of War Amazing video essay!
I absolutely love longer form content on YT, be it historical stuff, video style essays, or otherwise. Can't wait to watch this, it's gonna be a banger
That's a great habit to be into. It means you have a longer attention span then most to handle longer content rather than 5-10 second shorts. Keep honing in on that!
@@thefarlander2050it really is kind of interesting how as short form content became easier and more profitable, it became accessible in its own spaces such as tiktok, youtube shorts, and instagram, both allowing them to become more widespread while simultaneously freeing up space on places like youtube for high effort long form content to become common place. Those who dont want short form content now can simply look to youtube or twitch, and then as more of the people on these sites prefer longer content, the meta shifts towards longer content as a whole. While its undeniable the influence short content has over the internet, atleast when its secluded to specific places it is easy to avoid for those who dont want it. Pretty neat.
What I love the most about the last mural is this is *after* we've established there is no fate in the Norse world. Faye didn't see the future. Like the Norns, she saw what was to come based on the choices of others, though for giants that power seems to be more vague than the Norns. What I love is that this message from Faye shows how much she believed in him. She saw what no one else could see in Kratos, not even himself.
What no one else could see in Kratos, not even the Norns, that seemed to have everything down to a T. Something I noticed with them is they were vague about his death. “You will die.” Well duh, everything dies. Even if gods are long lived, everything dies. Then they go on to list ragnarok and whatever and like… Yea. Duh. That’s the name of the game, we all know that, fimbulwinter is happening, everybody already knows that’s happening. I think they’re just insufferable jerks with an ability to watch things at long range, otherwise how would they even know of Kratos to know what he’s like. They talk how Kratos talked before everything “intention matters not, only the consequences.” But the truth is, Kratos used to fight because he hated those who took everything from him. Now he is fighting because he loves his son and wants to stop anything that will hurt him. These simple facts make him very different, and someone operating under these two different reasonings will have very different thought processes.
I honestly think that the Norns are just asses who live to have their prophecies fulfilled. They led Freya to putting the curse on Baldur and tried to kill Kratos. They are much like the 3 witches Mimir talked about in one of his tales (the Macbeth one)
One thing I really love that this game did was all the times dialogue got mirrored back. Like when Kratos tells Freya that she doesn't have to apologize "not to me, not for that" for going on a murderous mindless rampage against the man who killed her son. Much like Freya tells Kratos the same thing about not trusting her when he realized she was a goddess. It shows how he takes lessons from the people around him and helps others, sometimes even the same people who taught him those lessons, with them. Another example is when Atreus gets angry at Kratos for messing up his shot when he goes hunting after deer, it isn't the exact same dialogue, but there Atreus sounds exactly like Kratos did at the start of the previous game for just a moment.
True bro of Kratos.What is more admirable is that the way he react to Heimdall's death.While others just saw that Ragnarok was about to happened,Brok just calmly told him like:"I do not know if it is related to fate or destiny but Heimdall is very important to Odin,and if he wants to kill your son,is a good thing that he is no longer around anymore".One of the signs that he really cares for Atreus besides the thing you say.He understands Kratos had to do what needs to be done in order to protect his son and a true friend would understand and accept that.
@@lordhorg999 To be fair, Elden ring beat GOW in other metric besides the story, and its not like Elden Ring is a shit game, its a masterpiece in its own right, its just a shame they happen at the same year :(
@@lloydlim1055 am sorry as much as i love elden ring its.story wasnt better the graphics were not better combat neither gow is the better game overall elden ring aint even the best souls game it was too easy.
@@PnCKSMTR theres is nothing unique about elden rings open world they expanded a souls game map and took out the markers gtfoh yall let the media and youtubers affect your thinking theres nothing new in any game.
1:01:26 - 1:01:51 kinda like heimdall's power. He can't see the future but he *can* read the person. See their intentions. And because he can see the person's intention, he can predict what they will do. It's like he can see *their* future.
Watching this video made me cry all over again, at the same points as I did originally - when Faye is comforting Kratos' grief, and when Kratos sees the final mural of him being worshiped. I have struggled deeply with my mistakes and failures, and have many times considered myself a monster, so I fully felt the weight of Kratos' reaction to that mural. I can't think of the last time a game moved me as much as GoW 4 & Ragnarok have. There are so many incredibly meaningful lines from this game that touch on the essence of being human. I will be holding them with me for a long time. “Our actions have consequences. To be reminded of them is not punishment.” "We are not our failures." "To grieve deeply is to have loved fully."
Kratos is a complex character, one I couldn't help but pity in the Greek Era, at the same time that I find myself disgusted by the villain he became in God of War 3. The Norse Era showed me Kratos changing for the better, little by little, and I love it. I don't know if his crimes can be forgiven, but redemption is always a choice that can be taken. I'm glad he took it.
As the eldest child of a military vet, this story does resonate with me. Growing up, I always thought my dad was kind of a hard ass, and I always felt that I had to live up to his expectations of what being a man should be. As I got older, we clashed over everything, I thought I had the world figured out when in reality I really knew nothing outside of my world view. I definitely tested his patience not knowing the personal sacrifices he truly made for his family and eventually recognizing that kind of love has made our bond as father and son even stronger.
51:02 theres also the fact Kratos understood what Fraya was experiencing, the grief, the anger, the loss. To have another interfere in your life and rip away what was most precious to you, he even says "No need to explain, not to me". Krstos has never ever been in Atreus place, he never had the freedom to choose when he was his age its a foreign concept.
"Its going to be a really long time until we see kratos's next chapter" Santa Monica Studio: AND THAT'S WERE YOU WRONG BUCKO *releases free dlc with story for kratos*
Can we all just thank Brett for the hardwork he puts into these vids for our entertainment. He doesn't have to do this, but he does. Thank you Brett. Happy Holiday's.
The people who dog on Dad Of War Kratos for being less violent and more calm are the same people who never saw him as a character, but as a power fantasy.
I played so much of this game with tears in my eyes. I went into this game fully blind. I had never played any GoW games. I never watched any recaps of the previous entries. I didn’t know what to expect- but I certainly was not expecting such a moving, deep and nuanced story. I loved every second of it.
Your channel has been such a comfort since I found it right after beating GOW:Ragnarok. Your writing is insightful, respectful to both the subject matter and to us. Thank you for what you do!
I love how Faye speech about how they are not their past gets more meaning the more you learn about how she and Kratos are more similar than anyone thought. Her we must be better is including herself considering how she used to have issues with rage just as Kratos did. So the reason she could see what he could be is because she herself walked his path. It's pretty cool and makes it a real touching and moment on multiple levels. Cause it's like she's praying for herself and for Kratos to be better.
The original GoW creator whining about the new games basically amounts to "I hate character growth because I'm an overgrown man-child and self-reflection makes me uncomfortable."
Honestly yea, I’m glad he didn’t continue with the series for how ignorant he is for the later games, you really can’t take his words seriously at that point lmao
He guy wanted to transform kratos in one of the 3 wiseman of the Christian mythos to follow his messianic figure, so he can screw himself@@xion-rosegirl8472
I don't mind admitting that a few of these scenes brought me to tears. I love your analyses of this game's story and can't thank you enough for always making them so thought-provoking and interesting. Keep up the great work.
Kratos Defender of the realms Husband of the Just Father of the Champion Bringer of hope He has found a path he never could have imagined He has changed
I always love seeing you discuss God of War, it’s one of my favourite series and this video does Kratos’ arc in Ragnarok justice. Another FatBrett masterpiece
This is prime video content, never have I seen a channel deep dive into the length of details these writers put into. Love how your analysis of videos in each characters are done with such bravado, keep it up!
One thing ive noticed is that almost every time Kratos dreams of Faye, he awakens with a start, yelling and shaking. Like he woke up from a nightmare. He was terrified of existing on without her. In his final dream with her, its the first time he awakens peacefully. He is refreshed and ready for battle with the words of encouragement from his wife. He is now ready to let her go and he can sleep and live on peacefully without her. Its so beautiful.
I wish you mentioned how kratos wanted to go out of his way to kill the bezerker king. After beating the last berserker before the king he says something like "we will face him we cannot leave a malevolent spirit to roam free" I think it shows him taking faye's lesson "a problem doesn't have to reach our doorstep for us to act if we can do something to minimize harm we should" seriously
I do feel that the conversation between Kratos and Odin glosses over the opening scene in God of War 2, where it states how he is worshipped by the Spartans and intervenes on their behalf. He was clearly worshipped in such a way as to feel the need to intervene in a war.
But that's kind of the point - Kratos is still acting like everything from his past life is a sin, a curse, something to be ashamed of. You also have to remember that if Kratos is several hundred years on from his actions in the original trilogy, that a passing thirteen year span where he might have been cautiously accepted by humanity yet still reviled by his fellow gods which ends with him tearing apart the entirety of the Greek World might as well be but a passing thought, and since he's not particularly fond of his upbringing in spite of his acceptance of it, it might shame him to be so deified by his fellow warriors as he now wishes to more than a God of War, Destruction and Death.
Yeah, Kratos being a Spartan throws a bit of a spanner in that one, I agree. They're _his_ people. Of course he's going to watch out for them; bring them victory and glory. But the randos of the world? Pfff. Not Old Kratos.
A note about Kratos reconciling with Freya, which I'm surprised you didn't mention! When Kratos says: "No need to explain. Not to me. Not for that," he's actually mirroring Freya's own words back to her - a further indicator of his growth in emotional intelligence! In the previous game when Atreus fell ill and he left to get the blades: Kratos: "Freya, when last we spoke, I was-" Freya: "No. You are right to distrust the word of a god. No need to explain. Not to me. Not for that."
GOW always has a place in my heart. Seeing Kratos's growth in GOW4/Ragnorok/Valhalla makes me emotional. They could've let the trilogy remain and not added anything. They could have made GOW4 another rage-filled bloodfest, giving Kratos with a new roster of gods to slaughter. But they didn't and I couldn't be more grateful. A lot of what I see in Kratos's journey hits home for me; he reminds me a lot of my dad, who played the OG trilogy when I was a kid. Seeing how Kratos grows ... kinda gives me hope for my old man. I should get him to play the new games soon.
One of my favorite things about the God of War games is that they clearly understand how to make a good movie and story while letting us take control of it. Like they don't sit us down and say "stuff your face with 8 hours of this! We brought in top tier actors!" They're giving us a tremendous story and not letting it get in the way. We aren't fed "decision based gameplay" which always leads to the same funnel. We get to enjoy their story and the game. They're masterful in their game design.
I absolutely adore how the animators, voice actors (and directors), writers, and artists came together to do such a phenomenal job in both of these games to convey emotion, feeling, expression, relationships, and story. I honestly don't think any game has ever done better. The sheer amount of stuff that is communicated through body language and facial expressions alone in this game is mindblowing. Thank you for pointing all of it out! This was a fantastic video to watch. Another masterpiece.
Broks blessing on the Draupnir Spear, specifically the final part "may it be put down when its job is done", always makes me think of the Master Sword and how Link always returns it to its pedistal at the end of the game after its job of slaying Ganon has beem fulfilled for the 900th time
This guy right here has found his calling for the foreseeable future. By analysing the characters in these games we reflect upon ourselves and like Kratos try to be better one step at a time.
In highschool, I hated English class and essay writing because I thought the subjective marking was unfair. Your channel has giving me appreciation for the art of the essay. Thank you for helping me enjoy something that I once hated. Keep going, Brett!
these kind of essays make me cry because it's so beautiful to see these stories we make and put out into the world. The beauty that's shared, the emotions, the lessons. Especially when you brought up the struggles of being a parent, I think about my mom, who had to struggle alone or even against family sometimes, and how hard it must've been to make the choices she made. It's so beautiful to see how someone so rage filled and troubled by their past can grow into a worthy father and god. The way you point out and notice all the details, the word usage, the emotion, what choices led these characters to these moment, it's really beautiful. You're beautiful, and I happily await the next essay.
I am glad to be one of that "less than 20% of you" that watched until the end, because your video essays on this game (and others) are so incredibly well written and in-depth. Your analyses are insanely insightful into the story and characterization of different aspects of each game you write about and this one, especially, was amazing to listen to and watch. I hope you keep on doing what you love when it comes to these essays and hope that plenty others will continue to follow you because the amount of effort you put into each video is just downright amazing
For me playthrough stories can be muddled because of gameplay, so story focused videos like this are a godsend, making me appreciate all the stuff I missed
Its so interesting and honestly beautiful to see kratos go from a god of war, THE god of war to more of a god of justice, strength, morals (even if you disagree with his), connection and change. Though i like individual games more, this might be my favorite game series of all time.
Side note: I love how Faye teases Kratos, and he's just rolling with it. It shows he was showing a little bit of growth even before the 2018 entry even started. Edit: side note 2. Kratos' attitude towards Atreus is analogous to that of Freya's overprotection of Baldur. And he's oblivious to it.
Im binge watching these podcast styles while at work. I appreciate the work going into these analyses. And I love how these retellings keep pulling onto me emotionally. It's been fun re experiencing the story of God of War4/Ragnarok all over again.
A thing to note; Kratos is a real figure in the Ancient Greek mythos. He is known as Cratos (or Cratus) so the same name but with a 'c'. The personification of Strength, like his siblings who embody other aspects of battle. It makes sense that when you are the living incarnation of Strength you get pretty darn angry.
Playing the norse duology....basically let me rewrite my childhood. I'm still living with my parents even I'm an adult, and their past abusive behaivor is why I'm still stuck with them. They could have been actually humane, but they chose to be willfuly cruel at every opportunity and should never have been allowed to raise an autistic boy with issues controlling his emotions and depression (and so was pretty much everybody else in my life). At the same time, in middle school, the vice principal and school cop called me a schoool shooter because I was autistic and liked FPS games, and used physical violence when I got angry. In addition, my state's legal system treated a suicidal mental breakdown as a failed school shooting until it became obvious that it wasn't; I'm on probation for being autistic (and have dealt with anti-autistic bigotry and torture my entire life) just because it would make the courts look better (though privately they did seem to see it as a psychiatric issue). And my father covered for this illegal prosecution and prevented my from taking further legal action. So I had to raise myself. I became my own kratos. When the original trilogy ended, i was an angry child. Playing 2018 let me let go of my adolescence. With Ragnarok, I could finally prepare to learn how to be a man.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that kind of life. I hope you were able to get out of such a situation and can cut that kind of toxicity out of your life.
@@KingSpades I have a little under a year until I can finally become human again, about 16 years since I was last. My past doesn't matter to me anymore. That's why I hate being stuck where I am now. It torments me like it torments Kratos.
Part of the 20% that made it to the end! :D Took me a few watches as I only had an hour for my lunch break, but returned to finish watching because you always make some thought provoking and interesting points that I can’t get enough of, can’t wait till your next one! :D
Something so small I just saw at 1:02:57 was the little adjusting and pat that Krato’s gives to Mimir at the dinner table. It’s - god I can’t get into why that tiny motion makes me so proud of him. It’s just, it’s just so perfect
something i notice every time i see this game is kratos' hands. that might sound very random, but they always stand out to me. his hands look ancient, they're worn and scarred and wrinkled far more than the rest of his body, and whenever they're shown in a cutscene it immediately draws attention to how much suffering he's endured and caused, and how much he's been through. he's been alive for an extremely long time, and through all of that time he has been going through so much either mentally or physically, all of that has worn him down both physically and mentally too. it shows incredible strength of character that he carries on despite all of that
I am so grateful for this. I was listening to your part one to help me fall asleep. Imagine my surprise when I wake up and theres the next part!!! After watching it all, I can say you did an amazing job at explaining and analyzing this game in a way that would take hours to do myself. I knew this game hit me hard, but I couldnt tell you anymore than the surface reason. Thank you
Man this was such a treat to watch and listen through. I really appreciate you making this, it’s especially nice to listen through since I’ve only played through it once and haven’t gone back to it yet and it’s awesome to see you pick up on things or touch on themes and ideas that went over my head on a first play through. Can’t wait to get back into this game again
I’m very pessimistic about this. The stories Santa Monica tells need more time to develop than what a MM-style spinoff would give them. GOW fans would be bothered because no Kratos, others would be bothered because the story would feel rushed. Hell, they couldn’t even avoid that problem with the 40+ hours that Ragnarok warranted for just the main story alone - a 5-10 hour game with a much weaker protagonist isn’t gonna be the solution.
Not only does this game have an absolute banging story to follow, but the music too. Notice that on some of the most deep impact scenes, the opening song is played from different spots of the song. And if you ever checked the lyrics and translations for it, I think it adds even more to the scene.
he reminds me a lot of Hades from disney's version of Hercules. just this sleaszy, greasy little slimeball trying to manipulate you with every word coming out of his mouth
And Kratos strode down from the highest mountain in all of Midgard. After centuries of suffering, centuries of endless nightmares, it would finally come to an end. Life would be his escape from madness...
1:10:52 at no point before I played this game did I suspect that “Kratos goes to bed” would be my favorite scene in the game, and possibly any game I’ve ever played
My guy, I adore your God of War content. When I found your channel I was absolutely thrilled. I've been doing a lot of cross stitching the past several months, and getting to listen to your voice and your thoughts is a genuine treat while I do it. I will sit through as many hours as you put out there, and I'll do it happily. I am so stoked to see your next video, but of course please take your time with it. It will absolutely be worth the wait.
I grew up with God of War, i also grew up largely without a father and without a good male role model. Seeing Kratos grow into a wise and loving father had me crying every time he exhibited this new behavior. You spend the whole game being proud of Kratos and enjoying his growth and forgetting about the old games. And then the battle with Heimdall comes and it is SO satisfying to beat his face into the dirt. It brings you back to the old God of War when you would kill gods without a second thought and goddamn does it feel good. and when the light leaves his eyes it's satisfying only for a second.... and then it's not. Mimir says "what have you done?" and then you realize "oh God. Shit just hit the fan." and while you absolutely were rooting for Heimdall's death, you are now faced with the consequences of his death and it takes all the glory out of it. You're no longer happy he's dead. You're fearful of it.
This is a well thought out analysis that made a long drive much more enjoyable. Idk if you'll see this comment, but id love to hear your thoughts on how the characters grapple with the themes of secrets and knowledge.
I put time aside for your uploads when they come out. Thank you very much for the work you do on these games. One thing I particularly liked about Atreus' and Kratos' conversation in Helheim is that Kratos has his hands on Laufey's axe for the whole scene. He needs her so badly - this was always her thing - so he draws strength from his connection to her, through their shared weapon. I always liked that the Leviathan, in both games, was a tangible reminder of Faye's support and impact on Kratos. Her gift of a weapon aided Kratos and Atreus every step of the way, as her guiding marks and loving words did.
Brilliant video. This just reminds me why we need the og games either remastered or remade. God of War's story becomes so much better when viewed as a series, especially the Norse games. Sure, they're great on their own,but they get enhanced so much more when you've experienced the past.
The scene where Kratos and Freya reconcile is even better, because the line; “no need to explain. Not to me, not for that” is what she says to him in the original, when he got mad at her for hiding her godhood. The fact he’d come to her out of desperation to save Atreus isn’t something he’d need to explain to her.
Three scenes I wish you included: "Don't be sorry, father. Be better". Its so crucial because Kratos gets to see his own growth and worth. He has moments of doubts constantly, and not just relating to his destructive past, but also probably on his failings as a father. Atreus effortlessly answering his apology (which in itself is huge for Kratos) with his own mantra tells him both that he hasn't failed, and that not only has he grown, he has given something valuable to his son. Second is his final confrontation with Thor. I get why you didnt put it in, but since they are so alike and because Ragnarok's story is summarized in "for the sake of pur children, we must be better." The norse duology is about Kratos partly escaping, partly outgrowing his past. Confronting it head on in Thor, and actually giving another his own lesson, is important. He tried with Baldur but failed, and here he tries again and it works. Kratos has gone through massive growth, and here he actually manages to redeem the seemingly irredeemable, and offer his lessons to someone who needs them. Third, "Loki will go, Atreus remains". Yes, 100% we already saw Kratos learn to let go. But its so beautiful that he does it like this, lets his son know that who he wants to be is who he should be, and thst he wont hold him back, and yes, we already saw that. But Kratos does something new here as well: by telling him that Atreus remains, he is signalling that he always has a home with his father, his father loves him unconditionally , and his son will stay with him even as he lives his own life, his son is so precious he will keep him in his heart forever
One thing I noticed when Fenrir died kratos didn’t want Atreus to distract himself with training the reason why he told Atreus to train was because he remembered the prophecy with Atreus looming over his dead body. He knew if Atreus was too distracted with kratos death he would perish so train so he can survive without him.
Holy shit, I’ve been meaning to watch the first video for months and decided to check it out literally today, and as soon as I finished and hoped part2 was out, I looked in your channel and sure enough it was there. Keep up the good work man, you’re a master at this and even though I was already very inspired by Kratos on how to be a better father, you help me see even more parts of the great role model he is, so thank you!!
This was so satisfying! Thanks for taking the time and care to put together such a worthy video! And the best part was you saying that you aren't through with this series! Great job!
Not only is kratos learning to be a god, but us as players are learning to be or become a father or better father, character development has been the best thing to come to this franchise, dont get me wrong, the older games are forever goated, but this.. he has come so far and has so far to go.
I haven't played any of the GOW games, but have watched videos on videos about them to absorb through cultural osmosis. These videos have been so comprehensive, not just on a lore standpoint, but also nice to see how writing techniques come in to play to show, not tell, the character growth in different ways in different characters... In saying that, you know it's masterfully done when the emotional scenes are getting to me when all I see is the scene itself. It's extremely impressive.
I have watched this entire video and all the others you did about God of War. You do an amazing job of analysing the characters, the storytelling, the lore... There were so many details I just passed by while playing and I learned them through your videos. Thank you, my friend!! Really looking forward to your next videos. Cheers from Brazil!!
Great video, man. I love seeing your insights. I haven't had the attention span to play many games lately with the little free time I have, but watching your videos allows me to experience the nuances of the characters and their growth like I'm playing the game at the same time.
God of war is really a thing where it gains value as a series rather than as individual games
Agreed
Like the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series. 🐉
I agree with you, but with a caveat. God of War IS better as a series, but only because 4 and Ragnarok do so much to explore and REDEEM Kratos. It really can’t be overstated how much care was put into 4 and Ragnarok.
@@whiteking2f2 Do to original games do nothing to build upon each-other? They indeed went in the complete opposite direction that the Norse saga did, but that is to their credit and their sequels' benefit.
God of War drew inspirational roots from Greek Tragedies and built a narrative of losing grip of one's self, one's hope for a better life, and one's restraint and empathy. It was rich on it's own and the Norse Saga's narrative of recovery and growth is richer for it.
As a whole they tell the entire journey away from the brink of suicide and the perpetuation of homicide, manipulation, and abuse.
Indeed.
"What is better, to be born good or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?” ~ Paarthurnax
Wise words
My future Dark Urge run
Also paarthurnax "eat babies"
It is the Aristotelian dilemma, isn't it?
I feel like that quote gets a disproportionate amount of praise. It is overly simplistic in its analysis of the nature of morality. And what does it even mean to be born good? Or born evil. That is a concept that only exists in fantasy games. Nobody was born a genocidal dictator or serial killer or a healer and scientist.
No hate towards you for writing it. I just think the writing quality of Bethesda isn't up to this level of video essay content.
Kratos becoming close with Mimir is probably my favorite part of the story. He pushes him to open up and behave like he never has before, making him say what he really thinks.
I also like how like Kratos Mimir is a foreigner who moved to a different pantheon. I also like his personality and how he tells stories
Also, up until this point... Kratos never had someone to truly confide in. Maybe Athena but look how she turned out. She betrayed him like everyone else.
Obviously he talked to both his first wife Lysandra and His former wife Faye but he most likely only said as much as he was willing too.
So it's nice in these latest games that Kratos has other adults to talk to that challenge his way of thinking... encourage him to be better. I love the dynamics between Kratos and Mimir. ❤
Mimir is that mich of a skilled conversationalist he can get the man of.fewest words to really talk
Omg especially with the riddle bit, I love when banter is put in these kinds of games
It’s easier to say what you want an mean when you’re already dead.
"No need to explain. Not to Me. Not for that."
"It is the nature of a thing that matters, not it's form"
Both times when Kratos was saying the perfect thing to get through their pain, he was echoing words that they themselves had spoken to him. Meaning he was listening to them, and learning from them.
And finally Atreus does the same.
"Don't be sorry, be better."
Let's not forget the moment in alfheim where kratos can hear Faye. Atreus has made his peace with Faye but kratos hasn't fully let go but up until then had to tune it out to protect atreus.
Kratos has/had a habit of throwing other people's words back at them. This time it was for the betterment of said people instead of a quip before he killed them lol.
And with that reconciliation with Freya, he owns what he actually did to hurt her most; he took that choice from her just as everyone else did. I think on some level, she knew Baldur was beyond redemption, that even if he did kill her, Baldur wouldn't stop. Kratos would have had to kill Baldur eventually. She didn't want to admit it because what parent wants to think that of their child? It's a deeper failure than what she'd already admitted and owned up to.
Just my thoughts. I might be entirely off base.
@tylerwhims3360 also a question I'd ask her was "Your son was seeking to kill my son and atreus was defending himself and trying to protect me. Would you consider I'd lower my guard so you could have my son killed by yours? If the roles were reversed on needing to kill my son to save yours... Would you stop that or did what I did to protect your son?"
*its.
Possessive pronouns do not use apostrophes. His, hers, ours, its.
The possessive form of 'it' does _not_ use an apostrophe.
A part of the game that I dont hear people talk about is when your fighting Bjorn here you are being this god killer and then you find out its Atreus. The sheer panic and trauma that Kratos relives is so devastating.
He's like: DAMN IT NOT AGAIN. WAKE UP
It would be the second time a family member turned into a monster and attacked him and almost the second time he would have had to kill them
@@bizzaroblake2519right? The fucking TERROR he experienced. The way he holds his son and tells him “i could have killed you”
I fucking looked at it and could tell he heard the echoes Of Lysandra and Calliope’s screams
@@TheParadoxGamer1not only that, but he had to kill his mother Callisto just like that as well
@@luisdonoso6154and she turned into a monster because of the curse from Zeus
Christopher Judge is honestly an incredible VA. With just the way he intones his grunt at 23:40, you can already tell that he has made his mind about listening to Mimir's advice. It's incredible.
He's not a voice actor but an actual actor. All of this was mocapped. Why are people fucking this up? VA's are a whole other breed of actor, it's why Kratos' original VA was replaced, he was too flamboyant /cringy for the changes they wanted to make. This is why the character toned down to the point where he's no longer the same; you can't really act that cartoony without coming off like a crazy person.
@@NoirRavenLines of dialogue delivered while the player is in control are not mo-capped, they can’t be. Judge is not a voice actor by trade but he is clearly very accomplished at using his voice to perform. OP was merely giving a compliment to a good performance, for a voice over line probably recorded in a booth, as most voice acting is.
@@hyperdeath84 ^
@@hyperdeath84 and to add to that, even for the mocapped stuff they have to re-record the voice lines in studio after the fact for curating and mastering the sound i bet, considering all of the mocap is often done is massive warehouses and to record voice lines in those places must be an absolute nightmare xD
So yeah, 100% agree. CJ was amazing in all fronts on these games. well deserved award
@@hyperdeath84agreed
Dad of War is legitimately the best series I've had the privilege of experiencing in the last 20 years.
As much as I need so much more in this series, I hope Santa Monica calls it at Ragnarok
I'm in the same boat. As much as I want more, Kratos' redemption had such a satisfying ending. Anything more may cheapen it?
@@balamb25 I agree completely. The story was just tied up so tightly in the run time of the game and in such a satisfying way. Sometimes less is more.
There's still the thread of Atreus looking for the Giants, and what was the mask all about.
@@WheatDos there is.
But I'll be completely fine if they completely abandon that plot thread and give me no more Dad of War. It's always been Kratos' story, and his story and redemption arc has come to a satisfying conclusion.
Maybe, *perhaps*, another time jump when we’re introduced to Hela, Loki and Angrboda’s daughter in the original Mythology (in which Fenrir and Jormangandr were also their children, but I can honestly see why Santa Monica changed that), and thus Kratos’ granddaughter, and how he can teach Atreus to be a father himself, and not make the same mistakes he made with him growing up, and how Hela could, eventually, become the new head of Helheim, and maybe inherited her grandfather’s own past *tendencies*.
I don’t know, just something I thought of as of late.
I firmly believe, based on the mermaid and Kratos’ body language, that she gave the spear a blessing, and everyone but us and Brok heard it. That makes his choice to ask Brok for the blessing even cooler. He prefers the blessing of a friend, instead of some soggy wench.
Being hit over the heab by a magic spear chucked at you by some soggy wench is no viable form of electing leadership!
She made a cupped hands gesture before she swam off. So, you might be on to something; that could've been her blessing
I noticed this too, but I felt that Kratos didn’t prefer a blessing from Brok, but more as a gesture to him. At this moment, Brok is angry with his brother and doubting himself and Kratos sees this, and this Kratos shows empathy to him by rephrasing what Brok previously told Kratos, which also shows that he was listening and growing.
@@armaanchima9195 It really could be both. He saw that his friend is dismayed, and thought to comfort him with a nice gesture. And, he also prefers a blessing from a blacksmith that he has known for years, rather than a blacksmith he just met. It's a cool duality of Kratos' newfound empathy and his Spartan pragmatist logic working at the same time.
Well, strange women lying in ponds distributing spears is no basis for a system of government
Kratos has become one of my favorite video game characters simply because of all the growth he's gone through. From Spartan warrior, to broken man, to a mindless killer, to a wise and calm father, and now to a hero of the nine realms.
Well at least 8 of them. One imagines that Asgardians have certain opinions on the matter based on personal experience
I feel like part of his struggle with parenting is because he’s parenting from the perspective of his culture. However Atreus is neither a Spartan or grew up in the culture of Sparta. Obedience was practically beaten into children, you treat your elders like a soldier treats a superior. For so Kratos struggling to release control, saying “you are my son” as if that actually means anything, his anger at the insubordination from his son, and his response to insubordination always being to hold tighter all stems from Spartan Upbringing.
Very underrated, but very on point. What people sometimes forget is that lore-wise, Kratos IS a Spartan. The life of a Spartan is basically etched in his subconscious.
Very spot on, Specially because we know Kratos does not want to raise Atreus as a Spartan. "I did not think you should of had to." When asked why he didn't train/raise atreus as a spartan would. This is another reason Kratos probably left a lot of Atreus' rearing to Faye, because he wanted Atreus to know love as a child in a way he never received. So it is probably a significant struggle for him not to default to his Spartan ways when in these stressful and unusual situations that don't have simple solutions cause they involved people he cares about while they are very much still alive.
Overly Sarcastic Productions pointed out that Fate is being used as a metaphor for Generational Trauma. The thing that pushes Kratos to be a better person, to be a better God, to _defy fate,_ is his desire to not see his son go through the same trauma and mistakes he did.
@@ericbright1742 I see you’re one of my people
The way I read Kratos' story about the "old man who carries his logs" is that while yes, it is about himself, it is also the point in the story, where Kratos truly realises that he does not want to die, that he is not ok with his own death.
If we examine Kratos' past interactions while discussing the prophecy of his death, he is consistently shown to be almost unphased by it. This is shown no better than by his dialogue with Freya in which when questioned about the prophecy of his death, Kratos simply responds "death can have me when it has earned me". I truly think that Kratos falsely believes this sentiment, that he would be fine dying so long as his son lived.
In my opinion, Kratos starts to doubt his view on his own death when he encounters the Norns. As he and Freya walk away from the Norns, Kratos seems visibly shaken from the news of not only Heimdall's plot to kill Atreus but the own, seeming inevitability of his death.
By the point Kratos tells the story of the old man to Atreus, Kratos truly believes that he will die in the battle of Ragnarök. Atreus asks Kratos to finish the story later should he fall asleep to which Kratos responds "of course". I believe this is a lie Kratos tells Atreus to put him at ease, Kratos deep down does not believe that he will survive Ragnarök to tell the rest of the story to Atreus.
As Kratos tells Atreus the story and he looks lovingly at his son, I believe that Kratos slowly begins to realise that he does not want to die, that he is not ready to die because that would mean leaving his son, something that he is not ready to do (permanently I mean).
Kratos is no longer ok for Atreus just to be safe, Kratos wishes to continue leaving to be able to see his son grow and become his own man.
The culmination of this is his dream of Faye in which Kratos realises that he must open his heart to the world and in doing so will find every reason to keep on living in it. He no longer accepts the prophecy of his death and instead rejects it in order to continue being there for his son, at least that's how I see it.
Beautifully said
It does kinda fall flat when you remember that he died 3-4 times prior and came back but tbf he was really determined and fueled by revenge when he did that
@victory8928 I didn't think about that and that's a fair point but I think back then Kratos really didn't care about being alive, in fact, he tries killing himself at the end of the first game. Kratos craves death and when he is denied it by the gods, his only driving motivation is revenge.
It's not until he meets Faye that he finds his motivation to live and its not until Ragnarök that he realises that he wants to live
Another interesting point is that the bed time story ends with the logman asking death to help him put the logs on his back so he can deliver them to the village once again.
I think in this moment Kratos realised that he is not ready to die. And the dream with Faye fits perfectly with the bedtime story cus it’s literally kratos represents the logman and Faye represents death, only difference is that is Faye(death) is the one to help first the Kratos(the logman) to carry on going.
I literally made a comment wondering if any one else noticed this.
One of the things I *adored* about Laufey was that we heard a great deal about who she was as a warrior, and even saw some of the fallout, but when we experience her, it is in the archetype of wise leader figure that Kratos must grow into. We see his arc mirror hers.
Probably why she fell for him, she saw herself, a mirror, lost in his pain from the decisions he made.
@@TheParadoxGamer1 its rare but welcome to see such a matriarchal family structure. You learn very quickly that Faye was in many ways the true head of the household not only raising Atreus pretty much on her own but also helping Kratos grow and shed some of his past. She was not only a mother to Atreus and a beloved wife to Kratos, but an ideal: someone to aspire to be like and learn from and it only makes her husband and child love her even more and appreciate all that she did and kept doing even beyond the grave
@@thehermit8618 honestly this, seeing such an effect she had on the world around her was such a nice change of pace. An example that exists with Freya too, id argue.
Interesting to note that the father son relationship develops to a point where Atreus can push back, that he no longer fears his father's reaction in Ragnarok as he did in God of War 4
that goes for most teens in general. takes guts to push back against kratos, though
He is just lucky Kratos wasn't feeling like pulling out LA Chancla del Chaos
@@Nick-Terakidan😂
GOW 2018* because this is not the 4th game
Kratos is in the middle of devolving to his old self- his nature has not changed. However, he now has support, and someone who he supports, so he defeats the Norn's prophecy. This symbology in it's simplest form- if you can't be better by yourself, find a circle in which you can be better via friendship. If freaking Kratos can be better, so can you. You just need the right people.
For some of us, there are no people, and never will be.
@@mywifesboyfriend5558 and those are the ones who are worst off, brother. Luckily, things hate staying the same. Stasis can only hold for as long as we force it to, and even then, eventually entropy breaks way. I know the world too well to say things will end up well for all of us. But I honestly do believe if we try, it will for most.
@@AlriikRidesAgain Rocky said it best (though in a line that utterly misses the characterization of Rocky): "Ain't nothing in life will hit you as hard as life. Life will beat you down to your knees and keep you there forever if you let it. But it's not about how hard you GET hit. It's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward."
😔😌
@@brennanhearn6342on God love that quote 👏
Its amazing how people ignore Faye's nickname for Kratos Grumbles its such a nice detail and says alot about their relationship
Hmmhh
Hmmmm
Lol I never noticed
Hmph
Or how she calls him "Good boy." Now really, who else could get away with that?
Side note: 38:57 and the part when Kratos screams "BOY" at Atreas both made me crap myself during my playthrough of Ragnarok. Nothing is scarier than being face to face with a pissed of Kratos, even if he is your Dad of War
Amazing video essay!
I absolutely love longer form content on YT, be it historical stuff, video style essays, or otherwise. Can't wait to watch this, it's gonna be a banger
For real
That's a great habit to be into. It means you have a longer attention span then most to handle longer content rather than 5-10 second shorts. Keep honing in on that!
@@thefarlander2050
Thanks, I never considered it from that perspective but you're absolutely right! Will do :)
@@thefarlander2050it really is kind of interesting how as short form content became easier and more profitable, it became accessible in its own spaces such as tiktok, youtube shorts, and instagram, both allowing them to become more widespread while simultaneously freeing up space on places like youtube for high effort long form content to become common place. Those who dont want short form content now can simply look to youtube or twitch, and then as more of the people on these sites prefer longer content, the meta shifts towards longer content as a whole. While its undeniable the influence short content has over the internet, atleast when its secluded to specific places it is easy to avoid for those who dont want it. Pretty neat.
My only issue is TH-cam's stupid ad space. Thank God for adblocker.
What I love the most about the last mural is this is *after* we've established there is no fate in the Norse world. Faye didn't see the future. Like the Norns, she saw what was to come based on the choices of others, though for giants that power seems to be more vague than the Norns. What I love is that this message from Faye shows how much she believed in him. She saw what no one else could see in Kratos, not even himself.
What no one else could see in Kratos, not even the Norns, that seemed to have everything down to a T.
Something I noticed with them is they were vague about his death. “You will die.”
Well duh, everything dies. Even if gods are long lived, everything dies. Then they go on to list ragnarok and whatever and like… Yea. Duh. That’s the name of the game, we all know that, fimbulwinter is happening, everybody already knows that’s happening.
I think they’re just insufferable jerks with an ability to watch things at long range, otherwise how would they even know of Kratos to know what he’s like.
They talk how Kratos talked before everything “intention matters not, only the consequences.”
But the truth is, Kratos used to fight because he hated those who took everything from him. Now he is fighting because he loves his son and wants to stop anything that will hurt him.
These simple facts make him very different, and someone operating under these two different reasonings will have very different thought processes.
I honestly think that the Norns are just asses who live to have their prophecies fulfilled. They led Freya to putting the curse on Baldur and tried to kill Kratos. They are much like the 3 witches Mimir talked about in one of his tales (the Macbeth one)
One thing I really love that this game did was all the times dialogue got mirrored back.
Like when Kratos tells Freya that she doesn't have to apologize "not to me, not for that" for going on a murderous mindless rampage against the man who killed her son.
Much like Freya tells Kratos the same thing about not trusting her when he realized she was a goddess.
It shows how he takes lessons from the people around him and helps others, sometimes even the same people who taught him those lessons, with them.
Another example is when Atreus gets angry at Kratos for messing up his shot when he goes hunting after deer, it isn't the exact same dialogue, but there Atreus sounds exactly like Kratos did at the start of the previous game for just a moment.
And you can even see the smile on Kratos face when Atreus says that
It is the nature of a thing not its form too. It was something Brok said during an explanation all monologs but Kratos found its meaning too.
Brok nodding in the background when Kratos says YOU ARE ATREUS is gold. YOU KNOW THAT AINT HIS NAME! RIP the realest dwarf to ever do it bruh
Brok was always suspicious of Tÿr but kept quiet. Mainly after the vegetables part. Only asgard has proper crops left
True bro of Kratos.What is more admirable is that the way he react to Heimdall's death.While others just saw that Ragnarok was about to happened,Brok just calmly told him like:"I do not know if it is related to fate or destiny but Heimdall is very important to Odin,and if he wants to kill your son,is a good thing that he is no longer around anymore".One of the signs that he really cares for Atreus besides the thing you say.He understands Kratos had to do what needs to be done in order to protect his son and a true friend would understand and accept that.
Wow, after months, I did not expect we were gonna get part 2, BUT IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
I know I discovered part 1 like a week ago and thought it’d be a dead end because he didn’t update for so long. But lo and behold, part 2!
@@arnoldfreeman2885same here, it showed up on my feed as a suggested video
It’s been 2 weeks guys.
Edit. I was wrong. Different series.
I can't believe part 1 was 3 months ago. Time fliiiies
I know, I would check his TH-cam channel every couple days for these last few months looking for part 2. Worth the wait!
"You have grown into a warrior worthy of your namesake" a powerful line for those who remember who Atreus is named after
Atreus?
@@editating_2614Atreus of Sparta. (GOW4)
did not realise just how true that line was until now
Yes, it maybe was a bad bedtime story, but can we all appreciate the voice and motion capture acting performance by Judge? Incredible
I'll never get tired of saying this: this game is a masterpiece.
I still cant believe elden ring beat this masterpiece for game of the year
@@lordhorg999Everyone wanted to bang the Blue doll lady.
@@lordhorg999 To be fair, Elden ring beat GOW in other metric besides the story, and its not like Elden Ring is a shit game, its a masterpiece in its own right, its just a shame they happen at the same year :(
@@lloydlim1055 am sorry as much as i love elden ring its.story wasnt better the graphics were not better combat neither gow is the better game overall elden ring aint even the best souls game it was too easy.
@@PnCKSMTR theres is nothing unique about elden rings open world they expanded a souls game map and took out the markers gtfoh yall let the media and youtubers affect your thinking theres nothing new in any game.
1:01:26 - 1:01:51 kinda like heimdall's power. He can't see the future but he *can* read the person. See their intentions. And because he can see the person's intention, he can predict what they will do. It's like he can see *their* future.
Brief future but yes
Like a watered down version of the norns?
@@fran321teclike a sharingan or at least the original version before it became magic jesus eye
@@fran321tec depends. What do you mean by watered down?
@@jebes909090 the hell's a sharingan?
Watching this video made me cry all over again, at the same points as I did originally - when Faye is comforting Kratos' grief, and when Kratos sees the final mural of him being worshiped. I have struggled deeply with my mistakes and failures, and have many times considered myself a monster, so I fully felt the weight of Kratos' reaction to that mural.
I can't think of the last time a game moved me as much as GoW 4 & Ragnarok have. There are so many incredibly meaningful lines from this game that touch on the essence of being human. I will be holding them with me for a long time.
“Our actions have consequences. To be reminded of them is not punishment.”
"We are not our failures."
"To grieve deeply is to have loved fully."
Kratos is a complex character, one I couldn't help but pity in the Greek Era, at the same time that I find myself disgusted by the villain he became in God of War 3.
The Norse Era showed me Kratos changing for the better, little by little, and I love it.
I don't know if his crimes can be forgiven, but redemption is always a choice that can be taken. I'm glad he took it.
As the eldest child of a military vet, this story does resonate with me. Growing up, I always thought my dad was kind of a hard ass, and I always felt that I had to live up to his expectations of what being a man should be. As I got older, we clashed over everything, I thought I had the world figured out when in reality I really knew nothing outside of my world view. I definitely tested his patience not knowing the personal sacrifices he truly made for his family and eventually recognizing that kind of love has made our bond as father and son even stronger.
51:02 theres also the fact Kratos understood what Fraya was experiencing, the grief, the anger, the loss. To have another interfere in your life and rip away what was most precious to you, he even says "No need to explain, not to me". Krstos has never ever been in Atreus place, he never had the freedom to choose when he was his age its a foreign concept.
Watching kratos come that close to breaking down holding Laufey’s ashes in Sindri’s house gets me every time
"Its going to be a really long time until we see kratos's next chapter"
Santa Monica Studio: AND THAT'S WERE YOU WRONG BUCKO *releases free dlc with story for kratos*
"He resists the urge to grunt"
"GRUNT"
"Aww, he fails"
Lmao :D
Can we all just thank Brett for the hardwork he puts into these vids for our entertainment. He doesn't have to do this, but he does. Thank you Brett. Happy Holiday's.
The people who dog on Dad Of War Kratos for being less violent and more calm are the same people who never saw him as a character, but as a power fantasy.
Yeah.
He's not even "less violent", he's just less stupid. He doesn't just kill because he's angry. He kills with purpose.
@@NoCluYT absolutely
I played so much of this game with tears in my eyes. I went into this game fully blind. I had never played any GoW games. I never watched any recaps of the previous entries. I didn’t know what to expect- but I certainly was not expecting such a moving, deep and nuanced story. I loved every second of it.
Your channel has been such a comfort since I found it right after beating GOW:Ragnarok. Your writing is insightful, respectful to both the subject matter and to us. Thank you for what you do!
"My son is not your key."
I love that line.
My man Brett woke up and decided to drop a 2 hour masterpiece of an analysis on us like we wouldn't notice!
I love how Faye speech about how they are not their past gets more meaning the more you learn about how she and Kratos are more similar than anyone thought. Her we must be better is including herself considering how she used to have issues with rage just as Kratos did. So the reason she could see what he could be is because she herself walked his path. It's pretty cool and makes it a real touching and moment on multiple levels. Cause it's like she's praying for herself and for Kratos to be better.
The original creator of God of War hating the direction and character development of new-gen Kratos is just a joke to me.
I think I know who you're talking about. Didn't he just work on level design for the first two games and not writing?
@@meatman585he was the lead director of the first two games and he’s whack
The original GoW creator whining about the new games basically amounts to "I hate character growth because I'm an overgrown man-child and self-reflection makes me uncomfortable."
Honestly yea, I’m glad he didn’t continue with the series for how ignorant he is for the later games, you really can’t take his words seriously at that point lmao
He guy wanted to transform kratos in one of the 3 wiseman of the Christian mythos to follow his messianic figure, so he can screw himself@@xion-rosegirl8472
This game doesn’t just hit the feels
It caps locks the heart right in the feels
I don't mind admitting that a few of these scenes brought me to tears. I love your analyses of this game's story and can't thank you enough for always making them so thought-provoking and interesting. Keep up the great work.
Seriously dude, these are the best GoW analyses and character studies on the internet. Well done and looking forward to more.
Kratos
Defender of the realms
Husband of the Just
Father of the Champion
Bringer of hope
He has found a path he never could have imagined
He has changed
He has become better.
I always love seeing you discuss God of War, it’s one of my favourite series and this video does Kratos’ arc in Ragnarok justice. Another FatBrett masterpiece
This is prime video content, never have I seen a channel deep dive into the length of details these writers put into. Love how your analysis of videos in each characters are done with such bravado, keep it up!
1:00:44 I love how the Norns knew exactly what Kratos's next word would be, so they went for a rhyme
One thing ive noticed is that almost every time Kratos dreams of Faye, he awakens with a start, yelling and shaking. Like he woke up from a nightmare. He was terrified of existing on without her.
In his final dream with her, its the first time he awakens peacefully. He is refreshed and ready for battle with the words of encouragement from his wife.
He is now ready to let her go and he can sleep and live on peacefully without her.
Its so beautiful.
I wish you mentioned how kratos wanted to go out of his way to kill the bezerker king. After beating the last berserker before the king he says something like "we will face him we cannot leave a malevolent spirit to roam free" I think it shows him taking faye's lesson "a problem doesn't have to reach our doorstep for us to act if we can do something to minimize harm we should" seriously
I do feel that the conversation between Kratos and Odin glosses over the opening scene in God of War 2, where it states how he is worshipped by the Spartans and intervenes on their behalf. He was clearly worshipped in such a way as to feel the need to intervene in a war.
But that's kind of the point - Kratos is still acting like everything from his past life is a sin, a curse, something to be ashamed of. You also have to remember that if Kratos is several hundred years on from his actions in the original trilogy, that a passing thirteen year span where he might have been cautiously accepted by humanity yet still reviled by his fellow gods which ends with him tearing apart the entirety of the Greek World might as well be but a passing thought, and since he's not particularly fond of his upbringing in spite of his acceptance of it, it might shame him to be so deified by his fellow warriors as he now wishes to more than a God of War, Destruction and Death.
Your own people asking you for help doesn't really equal to worship, in my opinion
Yeah, Kratos being a Spartan throws a bit of a spanner in that one, I agree. They're _his_ people. Of course he's going to watch out for them; bring them victory and glory.
But the randos of the world? Pfff. Not Old Kratos.
A note about Kratos reconciling with Freya, which I'm surprised you didn't mention! When Kratos says: "No need to explain. Not to me. Not for that," he's actually mirroring Freya's own words back to her - a further indicator of his growth in emotional intelligence!
In the previous game when Atreus fell ill and he left to get the blades:
Kratos: "Freya, when last we spoke, I was-"
Freya: "No. You are right to distrust the word of a god. No need to explain. Not to me. Not for that."
GOW always has a place in my heart. Seeing Kratos's growth in GOW4/Ragnorok/Valhalla makes me emotional. They could've let the trilogy remain and not added anything. They could have made GOW4 another rage-filled bloodfest, giving Kratos with a new roster of gods to slaughter. But they didn't and I couldn't be more grateful.
A lot of what I see in Kratos's journey hits home for me; he reminds me a lot of my dad, who played the OG trilogy when I was a kid. Seeing how Kratos grows ... kinda gives me hope for my old man. I should get him to play the new games soon.
One of my favorite things about the God of War games is that they clearly understand how to make a good movie and story while letting us take control of it. Like they don't sit us down and say "stuff your face with 8 hours of this! We brought in top tier actors!" They're giving us a tremendous story and not letting it get in the way. We aren't fed "decision based gameplay" which always leads to the same funnel. We get to enjoy their story and the game. They're masterful in their game design.
I absolutely adore how the animators, voice actors (and directors), writers, and artists came together to do such a phenomenal job in both of these games to convey emotion, feeling, expression, relationships, and story. I honestly don't think any game has ever done better.
The sheer amount of stuff that is communicated through body language and facial expressions alone in this game is mindblowing. Thank you for pointing all of it out!
This was a fantastic video to watch. Another masterpiece.
The old games were alot of fun, these games are masterpieces of art and story telling. Truly amazing work
Broks blessing on the Draupnir Spear, specifically the final part "may it be put down when its job is done", always makes me think of the Master Sword and how Link always returns it to its pedistal at the end of the game after its job of slaying Ganon has beem fulfilled for the 900th time
"The writers know they need to get to the gameplay as quickly as possible"
Tell that to JRPG writers lmao
This guy right here has found his calling for the foreseeable future. By analysing the characters in these games we reflect upon ourselves and like Kratos try to be better one step at a time.
The timing is insane. Yesterday and today i just rewatched a bunch of your videos and now you release this. Love the deep analytical videos you make
15 minutes into this video and the story GOW Ragnarok is already better than I remembered. Amazing
In highschool, I hated English class and essay writing because I thought the subjective marking was unfair. Your channel has giving me appreciation for the art of the essay. Thank you for helping me enjoy something that I once hated.
Keep going, Brett!
these kind of essays make me cry because it's so beautiful to see these stories we make and put out into the world. The beauty that's shared, the emotions, the lessons. Especially when you brought up the struggles of being a parent, I think about my mom, who had to struggle alone or even against family sometimes, and how hard it must've been to make the choices she made. It's so beautiful to see how someone so rage filled and troubled by their past can grow into a worthy father and god.
The way you point out and notice all the details, the word usage, the emotion, what choices led these characters to these moment, it's really beautiful. You're beautiful, and I happily await the next essay.
I am glad to be one of that "less than 20% of you" that watched until the end, because your video essays on this game (and others) are so incredibly well written and in-depth. Your analyses are insanely insightful into the story and characterization of different aspects of each game you write about and this one, especially, was amazing to listen to and watch. I hope you keep on doing what you love when it comes to these essays and hope that plenty others will continue to follow you because the amount of effort you put into each video is just downright amazing
For me playthrough stories can be muddled because of gameplay, so story focused videos like this are a godsend, making me appreciate all the stuff I missed
Its so interesting and honestly beautiful to see kratos go from a god of war, THE god of war to more of a god of justice, strength, morals (even if you disagree with his), connection and change. Though i like individual games more, this might be my favorite game series of all time.
Side note: I love how Faye teases Kratos, and he's just rolling with it. It shows he was showing a little bit of growth even before the 2018 entry even started.
Edit: side note 2. Kratos' attitude towards Atreus is analogous to that of Freya's overprotection of Baldur. And he's oblivious to it.
Im binge watching these podcast styles while at work. I appreciate the work going into these analyses. And I love how these retellings keep pulling onto me emotionally. It's been fun re experiencing the story of God of War4/Ragnarok all over again.
A thing to note; Kratos is a real figure in the Ancient Greek mythos. He is known as Cratos (or Cratus) so the same name but with a 'c'. The personification of Strength, like his siblings who embody other aspects of battle. It makes sense that when you are the living incarnation of Strength you get pretty darn angry.
Playing the norse duology....basically let me rewrite my childhood.
I'm still living with my parents even I'm an adult, and their past abusive behaivor is why I'm still stuck with them. They could have been actually humane, but they chose to be willfuly cruel at every opportunity and should never have been allowed to raise an autistic boy with issues controlling his emotions and depression (and so was pretty much everybody else in my life). At the same time, in middle school, the vice principal and school cop called me a schoool shooter because I was autistic and liked FPS games, and used physical violence when I got angry.
In addition, my state's legal system treated a suicidal mental breakdown as a failed school shooting until it became obvious that it wasn't; I'm on probation for being autistic (and have dealt with anti-autistic bigotry and torture my entire life) just because it would make the courts look better (though privately they did seem to see it as a psychiatric issue). And my father covered for this illegal prosecution and prevented my from taking further legal action.
So I had to raise myself. I became my own kratos.
When the original trilogy ended, i was an angry child. Playing 2018 let me let go of my adolescence. With Ragnarok, I could finally prepare to learn how to be a man.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that kind of life. I hope you were able to get out of such a situation and can cut that kind of toxicity out of your life.
@@SonicPrimus don't be sorry.
Be amazed.
@@allengordon6929hahaha well said. you rose above your circumstances and are forging ahead in life.
We become who we are by the lessons we learn, and we learn from not only our mistakes but our parents mistakes as well.
@@KingSpades I have a little under a year until I can finally become human again, about 16 years since I was last.
My past doesn't matter to me anymore. That's why I hate being stuck where I am now. It torments me like it torments Kratos.
Part of the 20% that made it to the end! :D
Took me a few watches as I only had an hour for my lunch break, but returned to finish watching because you always make some thought provoking and interesting points that I can’t get enough of, can’t wait till your next one! :D
Something so small I just saw at 1:02:57 was the little adjusting and pat that Krato’s gives to Mimir at the dinner table. It’s - god I can’t get into why that tiny motion makes me so proud of him. It’s just, it’s just so perfect
Who knew a game where you play as a brutal godlike being can be so emotional?
something i notice every time i see this game is kratos' hands. that might sound very random, but they always stand out to me. his hands look ancient, they're worn and scarred and wrinkled far more than the rest of his body, and whenever they're shown in a cutscene it immediately draws attention to how much suffering he's endured and caused, and how much he's been through. he's been alive for an extremely long time, and through all of that time he has been going through so much either mentally or physically, all of that has worn him down both physically and mentally too. it shows incredible strength of character that he carries on despite all of that
I am so grateful for this. I was listening to your part one to help me fall asleep. Imagine my surprise when I wake up and theres the next part!!! After watching it all, I can say you did an amazing job at explaining and analyzing this game in a way that would take hours to do myself. I knew this game hit me hard, but I couldnt tell you anymore than the surface reason. Thank you
Man this was such a treat to watch and listen through. I really appreciate you making this, it’s especially nice to listen through since I’ve only played through it once and haven’t gone back to it yet and it’s awesome to see you pick up on things or touch on themes and ideas that went over my head on a first play through. Can’t wait to get back into this game again
We should an Atreus Game, like Marvel's Spiderman: Miles Morales. A game centered on Atreus going on a journey after the events of Ragnarok.
I’m very pessimistic about this. The stories Santa Monica tells need more time to develop than what a MM-style spinoff would give them. GOW fans would be bothered because no Kratos, others would be bothered because the story would feel rushed. Hell, they couldn’t even avoid that problem with the 40+ hours that Ragnarok warranted for just the main story alone - a 5-10 hour game with a much weaker protagonist isn’t gonna be the solution.
He should travel to Greece where he learns about his sister and his larger Greek family
Nobody wants that. We want more Kratos.
I'd say 6 months after ragnorak, either that, or just a full time skip, 2-5 years later kinda game
God of War: Child of Hope
Not only does this game have an absolute banging story to follow, but the music too. Notice that on some of the most deep impact scenes, the opening song is played from different spots of the song. And if you ever checked the lyrics and translations for it, I think it adds even more to the scene.
I love the soundtracks to these two games so much I downloaded them and listen to them at the gym lol you can tell they put a lot of work into it
Giving Odin the voice of a weasely new york businessman was GENIUS
he reminds me a lot of Hades from disney's version of Hercules. just this sleaszy, greasy little slimeball trying to manipulate you with every word coming out of his mouth
And Kratos strode down from the highest mountain in all of Midgard.
After centuries of suffering, centuries of endless nightmares, it would finally come to an end.
Life would be his escape from madness...
1:10:52 at no point before I played this game did I suspect that “Kratos goes to bed” would be my favorite scene in the game, and possibly any game I’ve ever played
Protagonist alone-time is a bit of a missed opportunity for many media lol
My guy, I adore your God of War content. When I found your channel I was absolutely thrilled. I've been doing a lot of cross stitching the past several months, and getting to listen to your voice and your thoughts is a genuine treat while I do it. I will sit through as many hours as you put out there, and I'll do it happily. I am so stoked to see your next video, but of course please take your time with it. It will absolutely be worth the wait.
I grew up with God of War, i also grew up largely without a father and without a good male role model. Seeing Kratos grow into a wise and loving father had me crying every time he exhibited this new behavior. You spend the whole game being proud of Kratos and enjoying his growth and forgetting about the old games. And then the battle with Heimdall comes and it is SO satisfying to beat his face into the dirt. It brings you back to the old God of War when you would kill gods without a second thought and goddamn does it feel good. and when the light leaves his eyes it's satisfying only for a second.... and then it's not. Mimir says "what have you done?" and then you realize "oh God. Shit just hit the fan." and while you absolutely were rooting for Heimdall's death, you are now faced with the consequences of his death and it takes all the glory out of it. You're no longer happy he's dead. You're fearful of it.
This is a well thought out analysis that made a long drive much more enjoyable. Idk if you'll see this comment, but id love to hear your thoughts on how the characters grapple with the themes of secrets and knowledge.
I put time aside for your uploads when they come out. Thank you very much for the work you do on these games.
One thing I particularly liked about Atreus' and Kratos' conversation in Helheim is that Kratos has his hands on Laufey's axe for the whole scene. He needs her so badly - this was always her thing - so he draws strength from his connection to her, through their shared weapon.
I always liked that the Leviathan, in both games, was a tangible reminder of Faye's support and impact on Kratos. Her gift of a weapon aided Kratos and Atreus every step of the way, as her guiding marks and loving words did.
Finally finished! I know this took a lot of time and energy, but as a huge fan of these recent games it really is appreciated!!!
Brilliant video. This just reminds me why we need the og games either remastered or remade. God of War's story becomes so much better when viewed as a series, especially the Norse games. Sure, they're great on their own,but they get enhanced so much more when you've experienced the past.
The scene where Kratos and Freya reconcile is even better, because the line; “no need to explain. Not to me, not for that” is what she says to him in the original, when he got mad at her for hiding her godhood. The fact he’d come to her out of desperation to save Atreus isn’t something he’d need to explain to her.
Three scenes I wish you included:
"Don't be sorry, father. Be better". Its so crucial because Kratos gets to see his own growth and worth. He has moments of doubts constantly, and not just relating to his destructive past, but also probably on his failings as a father. Atreus effortlessly answering his apology (which in itself is huge for Kratos) with his own mantra tells him both that he hasn't failed, and that not only has he grown, he has given something valuable to his son.
Second is his final confrontation with Thor. I get why you didnt put it in, but since they are so alike and because Ragnarok's story is summarized in "for the sake of pur children, we must be better." The norse duology is about Kratos partly escaping, partly outgrowing his past. Confronting it head on in Thor, and actually giving another his own lesson, is important. He tried with Baldur but failed, and here he tries again and it works. Kratos has gone through massive growth, and here he actually manages to redeem the seemingly irredeemable, and offer his lessons to someone who needs them.
Third, "Loki will go, Atreus remains". Yes, 100% we already saw Kratos learn to let go. But its so beautiful that he does it like this, lets his son know that who he wants to be is who he should be, and thst he wont hold him back, and yes, we already saw that. But Kratos does something new here as well: by telling him that Atreus remains, he is signalling that he always has a home with his father, his father loves him unconditionally , and his son will stay with him even as he lives his own life, his son is so precious he will keep him in his heart forever
One thing I noticed when Fenrir died kratos didn’t want Atreus to distract himself with training the reason why he told Atreus to train was because he remembered the prophecy with Atreus looming over his dead body. He knew if Atreus was too distracted with kratos death he would perish so train so he can survive without him.
the emotional beats hit on point, I'm slowly noticing there are good emotional moments and moral lessons to be learned in games like god of war
Holy shit, I’ve been meaning to watch the first video for months and decided to check it out literally today, and as soon as I finished and hoped part2 was out, I looked in your channel and sure enough it was there. Keep up the good work man, you’re a master at this and even though I was already very inspired by Kratos on how to be a better father, you help me see even more parts of the great role model he is, so thank you!!
This is some of the best writing I’ve ever seen in a video game just wow it’s poetic
This was beautifully written and edited hats off to you man can’t wait for what’s next
This was so satisfying! Thanks for taking the time and care to put together such a worthy video! And the best part was you saying that you aren't through with this series! Great job!
Not only is kratos learning to be a god, but us as players are learning to be or become a father or better father, character development has been the best thing to come to this franchise, dont get me wrong, the older games are forever goated, but this.. he has come so far and has so far to go.
Agreed
I haven't played any of the GOW games, but have watched videos on videos about them to absorb through cultural osmosis. These videos have been so comprehensive, not just on a lore standpoint, but also nice to see how writing techniques come in to play to show, not tell, the character growth in different ways in different characters...
In saying that, you know it's masterfully done when the emotional scenes are getting to me when all I see is the scene itself. It's extremely impressive.
I have watched this entire video and all the others you did about God of War. You do an amazing job of analysing the characters, the storytelling, the lore... There were so many details I just passed by while playing and I learned them through your videos. Thank you, my friend!! Really looking forward to your next videos. Cheers from Brazil!!
It’s wonderful to relive the game through this lens.
Great video, man. I love seeing your insights. I haven't had the attention span to play many games lately with the little free time I have, but watching your videos allows me to experience the nuances of the characters and their growth like I'm playing the game at the same time.