Kratos No Longer The Roaring Rage Machine Of Old, Calm And Cool Destruction

Fans of the original God of War trilogy and the spinoffs that came from those games will likely be familiar with the raging beast of a man that is Kratos. In the upcoming reboot, the former Greek deity seems to have developed a calmer, more controlled disposition. This sets up the story of the new God of War as a more mature and emotional journey than previous games.

As Polygon notes, the debut of the original God of War in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 introduced the world to one of the angriest video game protagonists in history. From the moment players first controlled Kratos, he was a bloodthirsty warrior who only lusted for battle, angrily dismembering enemies in his wake.

The Kratos in the 2018 God of War, however, seems to have lost that fire. Set in Norse mythology, the new game will pit the much older version of the iconic character against the Scandinavian gods and creatures. The frigid region is perhaps a reflection of Kratos’ newfound cool demeanor, where instead of yelling as he would have in the past, he now speaks with gravity and intent. Having a deep, gravelly voice helps a lot too.

In any case, reviewers were recently allowed the opportunity to try the game in its earliest stages, and it seems the impressions reflect exactly this sentiment. The protagonist isn’t the only one to have gotten the more mature treatment either. In terms of story and gameplay, the new God of War is more grownup and thoughtful than previous games in the franchise.

As The Verge notes, the upcoming game isn’t about a grand setting of epic proportions where it’s just Kratos against the world. The story is smaller, narrower in scope, and more personal. It’s basically the kind of story that has connected with gamers the most recently, with titles like Horizon: Zero Dawn and The Last of Us.

The first few hours of the game shows the depth of the emotions that Kratos carries with regards to his relationship with his son, Atreus, and the reason for their journey. This is also felt during combat, where the two form a partnership. Kratos tanks the enemies while Atreus plays support. It’s the kind of dynamic that is entirely new to the God of War franchise and the biggest sign of its growth.