Gaming - News
Small Details Only Big Fans Noticed In God Of War Ragnarok
By ARRON KLUZ AND NATHAN SIMMONS
Spoiler Warning!
This story contains major spoilers for "God of War Ragnarok."
PlayStation Family
Throughout “God of War Ragnarok,” players can find poems by the Norse god of travel, Kvasir, that are actually references to other PlayStation titles. Each book’s in-game cover and title references the games — “Sanguinity” for "Bloodborne" and “Trip” for "Journey," for example — and each of the books also includes a poem referencing the world and stories of the game.
Kratos’ Tournament
During Kratos’ travels in “Ragnarok,” Mimir brings up a tournament where Kratos fought against "beasts, scoundrels, princesses, the undead, automatons, and history's greatest musician." This is a reference to “PlayStation All-Stars,” a party fighting game featuring iconic PlayStation characters, including Nathan Drake, Parappa the Rappa, and of course, Kratos.
Valkyrie Queen
The Valkyrie fights were some of the hardest in all of "God of War," culminating in the game's most challenging boss fight: the Valkyrie Queen Sigrún. In “Ragnarok,” Freya notes that the Valkyries have gotten weaker because they are new recruits — all except the new Valkyrie queen Gná, a tough secret boss who seems to have gone mad from the loss of the old queen.
Jotunheim
After finishing the main story, Kratos can travel to Jotunheim with Freya, allowing her to see the realm in full for the very first time. Doing so also allows players to interact with Angrboda to learn how she and Atreus have gotten along living in the realm of the giants, along with a few extra encounters that players could easily miss after finishing the game.
Kratos' Guilt
In the very first “God of War,” Kratos kills a Hydra and enters its body to find a boat captain with a key that Kratos needs, which he takes and then lets the boat captain fall to his death. In “Ragnarok,” a reference to this can be found in a journal entry made by Kratos, in which he admits feeling regret regarding his actions in that infamous cutscene.
