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- While Atreus showed promise to take on the franchise’s lead role after Kratos, his character didn’t turn out as well as expected.
- Atreus was a central figure in God of War: Ragnarok, but his character lacked development and was seen as bratty, which many players found annoying.
- He may get his own spin-off game in the future, offering an opportunity for his character to mature, but Kratos should remain the series’ focus in the meantime.
While Kratos was a lone warrior in the earlier God of War days, going single-handedly against the God of Olympus, his family was massacred at his hands by the doing of Zeus and the other gods.
After avenging his family, Kratos retreated to the Norse world and started another family there. Atreus was his son and played a major role in the Ragnarok event that went down in the Norse world.
While Atreus showed much potential among the new God of War characters, his character turned out to be terrible, in my opinion. At the end of God of War: Ragnarok, Atreus goes on his own journey, implying that Kratos will take on his next expedition alone, which is a blessing in disguise for the series.
Why It Matters: Throughout the newer games, Atreus has been holding Kratos back and even annoying many players, including me. Atreus needs some personal growth before he’s capable of taking on the franchise’s lead.
God of War: Ragnarok Failed To Capitalize Off Atreus’ Character
While the seed of a protagonist was planted in Atreus in God of War (2018), which was soon to sprout in God of War Ragnarok, developer Santa Monica apparently forgot to water it.
The minor glimpse of Kratos going against the Norse Gods as he did in the earlier games in God of War (2018) was one of the best cliffhangers ever in a video game. Baldur’s death led to Fimblewinter, leading to the prophecy mainly surrounding Atreus, who was revealed to be Loki.
People find Atreus annoying and bratty, which makes sense, considering he is still a teenager. Moreover, he is the key person in Ragnarok’s major event.
Hence, the main problem isn’t Atreus himself but rather the narrative surrounding the prophecy in God of War: Ragnarok. Don’t get me wrong; God of War: Ragnarok is a great game, but the franchise is set on such a high standard that each aspect counts. However, that’s a topic for another day.
Atreus Was Put Under The Spotlight Way Too Early
Atreus, being the story’s main subject, would’ve been perfectly fine if he had enough character development, which wasn’t possible at all considering the small interval between the two games and him being the main subject of God of War: Ragnarok. I felt Atreus was too weak and underdeveloped to be spotlighted at this time.
Atreus followed the prophecy instead of going his own way and was influenced by other characters rather than walking his path. The original God of War game’s entire premise was that Kratos went against fate and rewrote it in his own favor.
It is more about the fact that Atreus’ main motive was to protect Kratos, like the man who killed most of the Greek gods needed protection. Ironically, it was Kratos who defeated Odin and Thor in the end.
Even at the end of God of War: Ragnarok, Atreus wasn’t mature and ready for the main protagonist’s title.
Atreus’ Spin-Off Game Should Mold Him Into A Better Character
The Norse saga is off to a finish for now, at least, since the Ragnarok event followed the death of the Norse god as similar to the Greek ones. We’ve already seen Atreus leaving Kratos and going with Angroboda to find the remaining giants scattered throughout the Norse world.
It’s already speculated that Atreus would likely get his own game in the future, continuing the God of War story. However, his story would be more of a spin-off and continue to build his character beyond being an annoying teenager.
Being away from his father would prove to be a perfect opportunity for his self-growth beyond being an annoying teenager. Aside from that, I’d still want a Kratos-focused God of War game that would end his story.
After all, Kratos is one of the most iconic video game characters and doesn’t deserve to be sidetracked with an underdeveloped character.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheer@tech4gamers.com
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