Whether accounting for the title's major success financially, its reputation as one of the best PS4 exclusives, or simply how often the minds behind the reboot have alluded to it being on the cards, it's evident that God Of War 2 is on the way. Releasing back in 2018, God Of War was one of the defining games of this generation, being crowned by many as a masterpiece that truly showed the power of storytelling in a video game space.
The incredible narrative weaved so far is far from over, however, with the first game setting up a lot of mysteries and unanswered questions that have kept God of War fans speculating ever since. From the title's massive cliffhanger ending to some of the more under wraps enigmas that take place throughout the plot, it's worth looking forward to see which of God Of War's more puzzling mysteries need to be resolved in the heavily-rumored sequel.
What's The Nature of Atreus' True Identity?
Easily one of the bigger final stingers at the tail-end of God Of War is the reveal of Atreus' foreboding true identity. While for the entire game, it's clear that Atreus has inherited both the godly powers of his father Kratos and the attributes of the giants from his mother Faye, it turns out the sweet-natured boy isn't as entirely innocuous as it first seems. Following the scattering of Faye's ashes atop Jotunheim, Atreus asks Kratos why the inscriptions on the murals in the Giant's homeworld refer to him by a different name. Kratos reveals that Faye originally wanted to call her son Loki, inadvertently revealing the importance Atreus will seemingly play in the future of God Of War's world.
As those who are familiar with Norse mythology (or perhaps even the Marvel Cinematic Universe) will already know, Loki is the notorious trickster who goes on to cause devastating destruction upon the Norse realms by instigating Ragnarok. In mythology, his actions ultimately cause the death of all the Norse gods, with Loki giving birth to the giant World Serpent present in the first game and joining the giants in their battle against Asgard.
The name alone seems to indicate that Atreus' future could be leading down a dark and destructive path, seeing the once kind-hearted boy on a destructive crash course with Odin, Thor, and several other deities. Figuring out the nature of Atreus' true identity will almost definitely be a focus in God Of War 2, although mythology dictates it probably won't end happily.
What Does The Cryptic Final Mural In Jotunheim Depict?
Alongside the reveal that Atreus is Loki, another big question comes from a hidden final panel that Kratos silently uncovers when the two protagonists are uncovering Jotunheim's predictive murals. With the two seeing events from their past, present, and future on each of these inscribed plaques, Kratos pulls a sheet back on a final mural that seemingly depicts his grisly death. The image sees Kratos lying in Atreus' lap, with the world serpent or some other snake-like entity seemingly flowing from his son's mouth. The internet has been ablaze with theories speculating about what this mural could be showing, with many of the answers not looking good for Kratos.
With a major talking point of the game being the idea of son's killing their father's, many imagine that this final panel could depict Kratos' brutal death due to Atreus' mistakes or maybe even the ending of a fatal battle between Kratos and his son. It would certainly feel poetic, with Kratos killing his own father in God Of War 3, yet it seems more likely that the picture is a bait and switch. Perhaps Kratos falls in battle and Atreus pays the ultimate price by performing some horrific ritual to save his father from certain death. After all, other mysteries and prophecies in the game seem to indicate that Kratos won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Regardless, it seems whatever this event turns out to be, it's likely to play out in God Of War 2.
Who Will Be The Main Antagonist?
If there's one thing that Kratos and Atreus do in the first God Of War, its make a whole bunch of new enemies. From killing Baldur to murdering both of Thor's sons, it's clear that the father-son duo are going to have a lot of their mistakes catch up with them in the next game. So, with that in mind, who will be serving as the main antagonist? The easiest assumption to make would be Thor, seen as the game's final scene depicts a vision from Atreus in which he sees the God Of Thunder visit their home.
There's no denying that he'd be a worthy foe either, with Thor's strength and signature hammer Mjolnir packing enough of a punch to go up against even Kratos and the Leviathan Axe. He'd also definitely have the motivation, with both protagonists murdering his children Magni and Modi in the original game.
However, there's also Freya in God of War, one of the first game's more notable supporting characters. While the witch is a force of good throughout the entire game, her demeanor shifts significantly after Kratos and Atreus kill her son Baldur in a vicious fight to the death. She vows to have vengeance, setting off with the promise of returning to kill both the God Of War and his son.
Through the game's side quest of killing all the Valkyries in the open world, it's also revealed that Freya happens to be the actual queen of the Valkyries herself, and seen as they're without question the most difficult bosses in the game, Freya is sure to cause Kratos and Atreus a lot of trouble in the inevitable sequel. Which of these two villains will be the primary antagonist remains to be seen, although there's also the likes of Odin, Heimdall, and many more gods that could take the head honcho slot instead. Only time will tell.
What's Kratos And Atreus' Role In Ragnarok?
After scattering Faye's ashes and returning to Midgard, it instantly becomes clear that Kratos and Atreus' journey has instigated Fimbulwinter: the three-year winter that supersedes Ragnarok. As many will no doubt know, the death of Baldur has always signaled the beginning of the destructive event in Norse mythology, and with Kratos and Atreus being the ones to finish the invincible God at the tail-end of the game, it's evident their actions have cleared the way for the prophesized death of the gods to take place. However, the father-son duo's role in this cataclysmic event is far from over.
For one, Atreus' real identity as Loki no doubt means his destiny is interwoven with the battle to come, especially as key figures such as the World Serpent simply cannot exist without him. There's also the fact that having Atreus become the warrior prophesized by the Jotunheim murals was evidently incredibly important to Faye and the giants, so his eventual presence in the battle between the giants and the gods feels inevitable.
Besides, if Atreus is involved with Ragnarok, there's no way Kratos won't also be there by his side. With so many of the Jotunheim predictions seemingly depicting some harrowing events coming the pair's way, it seems wise to imagine that their presence in this world will either lead to or greatly influence the arrival of Ragnarok. Seeing how the duo fit into the event will no doubt be a focus in the sequel.
Who Called For The World Serpent?
During a high-octane setpiece in God Of War, Atreus falls wounded and needs to be brought to Freya for healing. It's a dramatic moment that sees Kratos coming to terms with the mortality of the person he loves most, however, another perplexing moment occurs during this hectic race to save Atreus' life. Reaching the Witch's home, Kratos suddenly hears the distinct horn that signals the World Serpent, indicating that somebody else is speaking to the infinitely wise giant snake. While it seems as though the identity of the mysterious caller will be cleared up, the game never actually reveals who was speaking to the Serpent, who's ancient language cannot be spoken by many.
It appears it will be an incredibly important moment in the God Of War sequel, with the game's director Cory Barlog even hinting that it's a crucial reveal that will be unveiled in "another story." While many theories have swirled about who it could be, the prevailing theory seems to hint that it could be either a future Kratos with Mimir or a future Atreus. With Norse mythology often playing fast and loose with the idea of time, it doesn't seem entirely out of the question, with many positing that the pair could be blasted back in time in a similar manner to the World Serpent.
There are even theories that Kratos could turn out to be the god Tyr who is depicted through several murals in the game, getting sent so far back into the past that he adopts a whole new mantel and finally learns to find peace within himself. Perhaps it's this version of Tyr who blew the horn? It appears only a sequel can finally give fans that answer.
Who Is Faye?
While Faye is a character that is discussed briefly throughout God Of War's various stories and reflective conversations, Kratos' wife and Atreus' mother is still something of a mystery. She clearly had a long life before even meeting the God Of War, so, in this next game, it seems getting to know more about Faye will be incredibly important.
After all, she seemingly had a lot of plans surrounding Atreus' future, with her strange foresight seeing her son become something of a savior to her people. With that in mind, it seems she will post-humously play a major role in the franchise going forward, especially as she seemingly kept many secrets from Kratos regarding the role Atreus would play in the conflict to come.
Learning that Baldur wasn't sent after Kratos but after Faye instead also implies she is deemed incredibly important in the world of the gods, hinting that there's a lot that players still have to learn about Faye going forward. Perhaps fans will get some flashbacks of Kratos and his wife going into the next game or maybe Atreus' newfound ability to see visions might allow him to summarise what she envisioned for his future.
Regardless, her plans for Atreus' role going forward seems to contradict Kratos' desire for his son to "be better" and not let vengeance consume him like it did his father. With Faye's plans seemingly pitting Atreus as a fabled warrior who will slay the gods for their crimes against the giants, perhaps Faye's new role will sew tension between Kratos and Atreus. Either way, it seems imperative fans learn more about the enigmatic character in God Of War 2.
God Of War 2 is rumored to be in development.