GUYS THE GOW: RAGNARÖK DLC POSTER IS A REFERENCE TO GOW 2!!! I'M GONNA CRY!!! I LOVE THIS!!! LOOK HOW MUCH KRATOS HAS GROWN!!! I'M SO PROUD OF HIM!!!

God of war dlc coming out soon

atreus is 14 in gowr, since he was 11 in the previous game. i think it's disheartening to hear from adults who wanted to be understood, seen, or be able to walk their own paths as kids don't seem to hold the same compassion for children in general. 'WHY are they so impatient ugh i hate kids 🙄' like... these are children still figuring it out bro calm down maybe. you're a grown adult. also i don't think the game was implying that atreus has become an 'adult' by the end, but it signifies that he's about to become his own person during his countless journies to come. this is something that has been ordained to him, and he has to do it without his father. but to do that, kratos had to let go (a reocurring theme - letting go; think brok and sindri. gryla when confronted by angrboda. freya and her vengeance.) this is no small feat for kratos of course, like that's his only son his only blood. he had something to life for after so many years of wanting to die - and now that very thing is leaving him.

i think that in the universe of gow, the children don't have any other choice than growing up faster, getting big responsibilities on their shoulders. i'm thinking of atreus wanting finding out about the jötnar in other worlds and possibly more about faye's coup, angrboda growing up without her parents, not knowing where she's going to end up because of fate/prophecies, literally the souls of her people trusted to her. thrud who grew up with father being an alcoholic and her messed up family, now has incredibly big shoes to fill with her wielding mjolnir. skjöldr might seem like a regular guy but he and his family moved from midgard to asgard, leaving his childhood home behind. and by the end he's already delegating and started to take on the role of a leader (on par of him becoming the king of denmark in the future). you see this happen and realize they are just... children. but their world is so unforgiving, not giving them the time or space to be carefree. so i am excited to see what else santa monica is gonna cook up for the sequels. that or Bring Me My Son Back I Miss Him I Cannot Handle This Empty Nest DLC.

People's reactions to Atreus in Ragnarök were extremely telling. Of course he was going to act rash and be a bit secretive, especially since Kratos was not handling this well at all. I don't think any of the adults were except for Brok, especially when Freya and Mimir and Odin/Tyr ganged up on Atreus over Garm. He already felt bad about it and wanted to make things right. They were doing exactly what Odin wanted and that was drive Atreus to him. I was frustrated for Atreus on his behalf because I also know Kratos was being a hypocrite. You can't go on about trust and keeping secrets while not telling Atreus the actual truth about what happened in Greece.

If Kratos doesn't tell Atreus about Calliope, someone else will, and that's gonna be a disaster.

Atreus is going to make mistakes on his own, as teenagers do as they try to figure out the world. Even though Odin has a brutal lesson, he is still vulnerable to trusting people who don't have the best intentions because he's still young and on his own for the first time in his life. I think Kratos and Freya and Mimir know that and they're prepared for it because it's a natural part of growing up and they love him unconditionally. No matter what, Atreus always has a home and family. I would be disappointed if Atreus didn't make an Oppsie-Poopsie at some point and they act like his development is over. His story is really just beginning.

Now, how gamers will react to Atreus inevitably fumbling is something I worry about because they hate teenagers. Atreus is a good kid, though. He has his moments like all kids do, but he's a really good kid and a testament to how much Kratos has changed and also Faye's parenting. He's compassionate and won't stand to watch suffering, he's very intuitive and loves to learn, and confident (sometimes to a fault). He's going to encounter all sorts of people, and inevitably encounter gods, on his journey, and some will try to take advantage of him.

I'm also really worried that it will be Kratos indirectly that causes him major problems because uh... Kratos is not exactly the most liked guy. He has a bit of a deserved reputation. Now, Atreus might not think that, and the new Norse pantheon like him, but he could get in a lot of trouble for saying who his father is. Maybe I'm being overprotective, but he's literally wearing a piece of the Ghost of Sparta's loincloth as, like, sash.

Spoilers for God Of War Ragnarök and its DLC, Valhalla, below.

I've considered before that of everyone in DMC, Vergil would fit in the best for a God Of War crossover. Not just because his shunning of modern weaponry would make him the least strange to the GoW cast, but also because he and Kratos have a lot in common. They're both extremely powerful individuals who've indirectly caused the deaths of countless innocent people due to a selfish quest, for power and revenge respectively.

The recent DLC has me thinking of this again. Given Týr's generally good nature, it wouldn't be so strange for him to reach out to a stranger from an unfamiliar realm and help him master himself with the aid of Valhalla.

The logistics of it are another matter. I think if the DMC universe even existed within GoW's multiverse sort-of-deal, I'd more easily imagine Sparda's conflict with Mundus being contemporary with the events of the GoW games than anything involving Dante and company, but that's beside the point.

Of course, Valhalla would look very different to Vergil than it did to Kratos. For the latter, it took the form of the nine realms he now calls home, then later the homeland he left behind. Like Kratos, Vergil would probably see places relevant to his own life: his childhood home, Fortuna, the Temen-Ni-Gru, the Underworld, Mallet Island, Redgrave City, and the Qliphoth.

Valhalla may take on a more Norse appearance when Vergil fights enemies chosen by Valhalla rather than ones from his own memories. Speaking of whom, those would definitely include Beowulf, Arkham (in some form), Mundus, Nidhog (not to be confused with the similarly named creature in Ragnarök), Elder Geryon Knight, and Dante. Lady and Trish could appear as well, since he fought them when he was Urizen, and perhaps Nero would too. Of course, Týr would want a piece of Vergil as well, and due to his longer life and greater experience, would probably give Vergil a significant challenge.

I'm certain Malphas would also appear in some way, but not necessarily as a boss. She was hostile toward V, but she served Urizen, so her role may not be entirely hostile. Speaking of allies, I'd imagine Griffon, Shadow, Nightmare, and perhaps even Phantom would appear for similar reasons. Their status as memories alone may be ambiguous, since they originated from Vergil's memories to begin with. His time in Valhalla may present an opportunity to really process said memories (as opposed to the demonic manifestations of them being murdered in a scene Vergil isn't even in 😒).

Also like Kratos, I imagine Vergil's journey would culminate in a confrontation with himself. But while Kratos only had one stage of his life to confront, Vergil has worn many hats. His younger self who joined Arkham to open a portal to the Underworld and claim Sparda's power, the black knight who completely lost his free will, the demon king who had completely given up his humanity, and the fragile human who risked it all to right his wrong. Plus, Kratos had already come a long way by the beginning of the DLC, while Vergil has only just realized that maybe jeopardizing innocent lives in the pursuit of power isn't such a good idea. Týr has his work cut out for him.

I've also been thinking about how Vergil would play in a God Of War game, and I think his moveset would translate rather well.

I think of all the elements in the game, Yamato's would be Bifröst. The purple-blue color fits better than any other, and the energy's association with realm travel could be connected to Yamato's portal-opening powers. It's basic attacks would apply Bifröst status, which can then be detonated with a Judgement Cut (probably done by pressing the triangle button).

Given Judgement Cut being on triangle, and Beowulf having no ranged abilities at all (save for Dante's fireball from DMC3), it's hard to imagine what Vergil's ranged attacks would be. Summoned Swords would make sense, but I think those would be better placed on the square button, like Atreus's arrows, because they're meant to be used without interrupting Vergil's animations. I also think moves like Drive and Round Trip would work better as Runic Attacks. So, I think it would be best to emphasize Vergil's skills as a close-ranged fighter, and use the ranged controls to implement his teleportation abilities.

As for Beowulf, light is an element the player can use in God Of War (2018), as it's the first arrow element Atreus gets. And much like Kratos's bare-handed attacks, they are useful for applying Stun status, so that's likely what Beowulf would do to. Also, some enemies who wield light can use it to temporarily "blind" Kratos, so maybe Beowulf can do something similar to enemies.

If Kratos deals damage while avoiding hits for long enough, he can activate Permafrost, Immolation, or Malestrom by pressing L1 and triangle, buffing the melee attacks of his currently equipped weapon. I think Vergil would use Judgement Cut End in place of this, because avoiding damage is precisely the prerequisite to use that move in DMC.

On a final note, I think it would be cool if Vergil's stun grabs took inspiration from V's finishing moves.

FINALLY BEAT TYR AND AAAAAH.

I’m so glad I bought TWO health stones because he made me use both😭. Literally used one and then got a few health bars down on him (literally the SAME spot I was in the last time he killed me) AND THEN DIED AGAIN AND USED MY LAST TO FINISH HIM OFF.

Y’all my heart was racing so fast when I beat him. I was literally saying, “stop stop please stop” when he kept doing his combos. BUT YES. I DID IT. I DID IT WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING UP THE ENDING FIRST!!!

Anyways. I’ve never played the first GOW games. I’ve only played the 2018 one and Ragnarök, so I can’t say I have too much knowledge of Kratos and everything he has done, but I DO know he was pretty bad. He lost his family and got revenge, but he was also pretty bad anyway. But I like how this DLC (so wild of them to make it FREE) puts Kratos through therapy. We learn more about him (if we didn’t know it already), we see him growing and changing (even more) and realizing he’s more than what he was. He’s changing and it’s SO good and I love it so much.

I don’t have as big of an attachment to Kratos as others do since I didn’t play the games growing up, but I really like Kratos and enjoyed playing the GOW games and seeing him raise Atreus. And even once he was gone, he still grew and changed and is a good man. I love that for him.

But I also just keep thinking of how Kratos was talking to Atreus in his journal. Saying how “I’m glad you’ll never meet him,” when he wrote about Helios. He’s talking to himself in some entries, but I’m pretty sure in some he’s talking to Atreus😭😭.

BUT ALSO FIGHTING 6 OF THE MONSTERS TO GET TO TYR??? I literally hated that each time I did my runs. I looked for the blue rifts each time and would finish them easily, but THEN I’d get to the red rifts and go to like a boat and beat enemies and actually be done with the monsters. I was on 2 of 6, went into the boat or some other area, and was done when I left. I was SO relieved bc I didn’t want to use my health stones right there when I needed them for Tyr lol.

I'm not sure if you're still into GOW but I wanted to ask, have you played or watch a let's play on GOW: Ragnarök Valhalla??? Because Týr is in the DLC and I wanted to know your thoughts.

I've actually looped back around to GOW hyperfixation recently and have been playing 2018 !!! And I got Ragnarok for after :)

I HAVE seen a LP goin thru Valhalla and I love it story AND gameplay concept wise !! throwing a roguelite mode feels like SUCH a good match for the game tbh I'm surprised they didn't do it before.

Huge fan of Tyr therapizing Kratos by them kicking the shit out of each other HSDGFHK men bonding activities :) I also looove that you get to fight him and he has a bunch of different weapons from all the places he's visited. Very sexy and cool of him to show how adaptive he is with combat styles

ALSO huge fan of them bringing Helios back actually those sections were rly cool. And seeing the melding of the greek stuff with the norse !!!!!!!!!!!

Embedded and Emergent Narratives in games: God of War

The are so many different games nowadays, and there tends to be two different ways a developer builds their games: Embedded or Emergent, these two types of narratives are used in so many games but I'm going to list a few.

God of War (Series) In God of War, the game follows the well known character, Kratos, where he embarks on an adventure of anger and sorrow or regret and the search to accept his past (depending which GOW you play obviously), however, all of the God of War games that there is, there's always a set ending and set path that the player follows:

In God of War 1-3, it follows Kratos hunting down and killing all of the Greek Gods, like Zeus, Hades and Poseidon for his so called "revenge" against the death of Sparta and his army/family.

In God of War (PS4) and God of War Ragnarök, the game is based around following Kratos after the events of the first three games as he embarks on another adventure to try and move on and spread his deceased wife's ashes at the highest mounted of all the 9 realms. Finally, in God of War Ragnarök, and mainly its new DLC Valhalla, we follow Kratos trying to come to terms with the things he did in the pass and accept them as his past.

Video games of the year !

Most popular video games already released : 

Among all these games that we are going to present, we have found that most of the releases concern already well-known licenses, suites, DLCs, or even extensions of already existing video games.

We have seen this in relation to the game releases of 2022.

Among the most popular games already released in 2022, there are in particular the games “Life is Strange: Remastered Collection” (which we will discuss in more detail later in our small personal selection), “Assassin's Creed: the Ezio Collection”, “Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster”, “Grand Theft Auto V”. These games already exist and some have been improved and/or combined into a single pack, as was the case for the first three mentioned above. For “GTA V” it was mostly adapted for PS5 and XBOX Series.

For the next video games we are going to talk about, we stay in the games already released! “Pokémon Legends: Arceus” which was released on January 28, 2022 and “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” which was released on March 25, 2022. These two licenses are Nintendo video games which are not necessarily sequels but new games from a license already very well known.

This is also the case of the games “God of War: Ragnarök” and “Horizon Forbidden West” which are games of an already existing license and sequels of games that already exist. “GoW: Ragnarök” is the second part of the game of the same name which was released in 2018 based on Norse mythology and “Horizon Forbidden West” is the sequel to “Horizon Zero Dawn” whose events take place 6 months later .

To close this part on the games that have already been released this year, we are going to talk about a game that has been talked about a lot and which is not affiliated with another game: “Elden Ring”. This game is nevertheless considered as an evolution of the game “Dark Souls” even if there are some differences with it.

Most popular video games that will be released during 2022 :

Then, coming to the most anticipated video games that have been announced and are supposed to be released during the year, there is nothing new either. We will start with “Cuphead: The Delicious last course”. This is a DLC of the basic "Cuphead" game, (downloadable content) which is an addition of playable content in a game that already exists.

Then we have two other game sequels which are “Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak”, which is a direct sequel to the game “Monster Hunter Rise” and “Zelda Breath of the Wild 2”, which is also a sequel to a game from same name (and which we will discuss in more detail in the part concerning our personal selection)

We will also talk about Genshin Impact update 2.6 which, unlike the games mentioned above, is a video game playable on PC and console but also a game playable on IOS and Android. This update will introduce an expansion of the game, a new area and new quests.

Our personnal selection :

(article by Gaëlle D and Océane D)

Since this DLC seems to be exploring Kratos's past and conquering it, I wonder if we'll get a Boat Captain reference or even an appearance!!! Omg!!! What if we get a Boat Captain boss fight??? That would be hilarious!!!

I didn't originally find this myself, that credit goes to The Migard Chronicler on YouTube BUT I did want to share this because it's interesting!!! So one of the legendary chest has the Huldra Brother brand on top of it!!! If you don't know, that symbol was put on every weapon Brok and Sindri make together!!!

GUYS!!! THE CYCLOPS IN THE GOW: RAGNARÖK VALHALLA DLC TRAILER LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO THE CYCLOPS FROM GOW 3!!! LOOK AT THEIR MODELS!!! THEY BOTH USE A TREE STUMP AS A WEAPON!!! THEY BOTH HAVE A METAL BRACELET ON THEIR LEFT ARM!!! THEY BOTH WEAR SANDALS!!! THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE COLOR OF THEIR LOINCLOTH!!! PLUS IT MAKES SENSE THAT THIS CYCLOPS WOULD LOOK LIKE ONE KRATOS HAS KILLED, SINCE WE ARE FACING HIS PAST!!! LET ME COOOKKK!!!

*Valhalla making Kratos face his Greek past for some unknown reason*

(Also Mímir there for emotional support)

GOW Ragnarök: Valhalla (2023)

Details I noticed in the GOW: Ragnarök Valhalla DLC trailer

This one is obvious but there are Greek pillars in one of the fighting arenas (I believe it's in the Doric Order style). After that there's a Norse rune on top of the legendary chest, that looks like the rune Ingwaz (correct me if I'm wrong tho). So from my little bit of research, the rune symbolizes a seed/egg and means male fertility (sex mini-game confirmed?), change, growth, and a bunch of other things. Next, I saw the letter Lambda (Λ) which is a symbol that represents Sparta on the rocks. Lastly, I saw the Meander art pattern on the walls where the Cyclops is, which is a common decorative border design in Greece. Btw if you don't know the Cyclops is a common enemy type in the Greek GOW games.

This is the last interesting detail I found!!! So the chair that we see in the opening of the GOW: Ragnarök Valhalla DLC trailer is actually the same chair in the Council of Valkyries location!!! In case you don't know, in GOW 2018 you fight corrupted Vallyires and after defeating them you put their helmets on their assigned chairs. So it's awesome to see an homage to the Valkyries, especially since they yell "Valhalla!" when you fight them and they're meant to help transport souls to Valhalla.