Summary
A year after its original release,God of War: Ragnarokhas received a hefty DLC.God of War: Ragnarok - Valhallatakes place some time after the main campaign. Kratos is invited to what’s left of Valhalla, a gauntlet meant to train the souls of warriors until they can become Einherjar. While some would undergo that process, others prefer to stay there to battle forevermore.
In terms of gameplay, Valhalla is a roguelike mode where Kratos can take on challenges, like an expanded version of Niflheim from the 2018 game. But it also has a story. Valhalla takes Kratos on a journey to the past to help him accept his present. There are plenty of references to the originalGod of Wargames, which serve as standout moments. There will be spoilers across the whole series, so watch out.
8Old Enemies
God of War 1
The game uses chunks ofthe other realmsto form its levels, or ‘Sanctuaries.’ Muspelheim, Helheim, Midgard, and more offer their own challenges and threats. One of them is even Greece itself, which uses architecture based on levels from the classic series.
It also includes some familiar faces, like the Undead Legionnaires, Harpies, annoying Wraith enemies, and even the Cyclopes. Some fans had wondered what the classic games would be like with the new over-the-shoulder camera angle.Valhallagives players a taste of what that would be like.
7Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Aeacus
God of War 3
In the early game, Kratos and Mimir come across three giant statues holding a giant chain. These areMinos, Rhadamanthys, and Aeacus, the judges of the Greek Underworld. As well as judging the dead by their deeds, they held the Chain of Balance that kept Olympus stable. Though they ultimately let Kratos move on, he would later destroy them to break the chain.
InValhalla, they return with the chain in hand. Like inGoW3, they judge Kratos by his actions. If he completes their challenges, they’ll give Kratos a memento of his past, and open the path to Valhalla’s tricky boss fights against the mystery person who invited him to the realm.
6Alrik the Barbarian King
One of those mementos is the Oath Stone, an amber image of Kratos formed by the Furies fromGod of War: Ascension. Yet, when it’s introduced, it’s dipped in a pool that revealsAlrik the Barbarian King. In the original games, he was the leader of the hordes that almost defeated the Spartans. Alrik was moments away from crushing Kratos with his hammer when Kratos pledged his life to Ares.
In return, Ares used his powers to destroy Alrik’s forces, while Kratos decapitated Alrik with his new weapons. On reclaiming the Oath Stone, Kratos gets to relive that day. Invoking Ares eventually doomed Greece, the Olympian Gods, and Kratos himself. But at that moment, he had to do it to save Sparta.
5Pandora
One of the other mementos is a small statue ofPandora. The smith-god, Hephaestus, originally made Pandora to be the key to Pandora’s Box, which held all the evils in the world. But she’d be destroyed if she was used on the box, and Hephaestus saw her as his daughter. So he suggested that Zeus hide Pandora’s Box in Cronos’ Temple.
When Kratos found it inGoW1,he opened it to gain the power to kill Ares, and unleashed the evil that corrupted the gods and the world itself. Realizing Hephaestus' plot, Zeus took Pandora away and trapped Hephaestus in the Underworld, where he spent his time trying to remake her. When Kratos needed her to reopen the box inGoW3, Hephaestus tried to protect her by fighting Kratos, only to die in the process.
4Blade of Olympus
God of War 2
Pandora went willingly to her end inGoW3, neutralizing the Flame of Olympus so Kratos could reopen the box. At first, her sacrifice seemed in vain, as the box was empty. But its last power lurked within Kratos: hope. After avenging himself on Zeus, Kratos sacrificed himself to spread it all across ruined Greece rather thanlet Athena use itfor her own ends.
He did this by stabbing himself with theBlade of Olympus, a giant broadsword Zeus used to end the war against the Titans. Kratos can actually use the Blade again inValhallaas ‘Legacy Rage.’ It’s powerful, and lasts longer than the other Rages, but it’s harder to use and doesn’t let Kratos use lifesteal.
3The Chamber of Sacrifice
To unlock Legacy Rage, players must completethe Chamber of Sacrifice. InGoW1,Kratos had to push a cage containing a soldier past a recurring horde of Legionaries into the chamber, thenpull the lever to burn them aliveand open the way.
InValhalla, Kratos first tries to sacrifice a certain annoying head, but then has to frantically try and save it when it turns back into his old friend and guide Mimir. With help from Sigrún, the two survive to try Valhalla again, and players unlock Legacy Rage. But Kratos still needs to sacrifice something in the chamber.
2Helios
God of War: Chains of Olympus
That annoying head happens to beHelios, the sun god Kratos decapitated to light the way back to Olympus, at the cost of blotting out the sun. These memories are revealed in the pool via Helios’ Shield. Kratos used this reflective weapon inGod of War: Chains of Olympus, where he had tosave Helios from Persephoneand Atlas, and bring light back to Greece.
Kratos knew the country would be plunged back into darkness when Helios died, but he pressed on. Helios still holds a grudge against Kratos for this, taunting him for his actions. Kratos is sure he’s just an illusion formed from his mind like the Sanctuaries, but it’s close to the real deal. His barbs are amusing in their bluntness, though he does make players wish he could have been toasted.
1The Throne of Ares
The story ofValhallainvolves Kratos wrestling with his past. The ending ofRagnarökshowed a prophetic painting of Kratos becoming a god of hope. Freya even offered him a place as part of the new Norse pantheon. But he has difficulty accepting the position, given what happened when Athena gave himthe Throne of Aresat the end ofGoW1.
The throne haunts Kratos throughout Valhalla. Directly or indirectly, Kratoskilled many peoplewhen he was the God of War. Taking up godhood again feels like he would be repeating history. But throughout the process ofValhalla, he recontextualizes his past, and the decisions that led him to that point. Being older and wiser, perhaps he could make better decisions as the God of Hope.
