Main Playable Characters
As an avid God of War fan who has eagerly awaited Ragnarök since completing its predecessor back in 2018, I can definitively state that the sequel allows players to inhabit the roles of both Kratos and his son Atreus at key moments.
However, this isn‘t a co-op experience. Ragnarök continues the franchise‘s single-player legacy by focusing on the iconic father-son duo‘s emotional journey across the Nine Realms.
Unsurprisingly, you‘ll be swinging the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos as the Ghost of Sparta himself for the majority of the estimated 30+ hour adventure. The camera sticks tight to Kratos‘s signature brooding perspective as you unleash combo chains fueled by unrestrained rage.
According to gaming industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, Ragnarök is on track to sell over 10 million copies by 2023 based on its enormous success already breaking sales records. This proves that the gaming community can‘t get enough of embodying the polarizing antihero.
That said, SIE Santa Monica Studio knew not to fix what isn‘t broken gameplay-wise. Atreus returns with his trusty bow and arrow along with new coming-of-age abilities as a budding teenager. Similar to determinant choices in Telltale titles, you‘ll need to guide Atreus‘s maturation by reacting appropriately during certain quick-time narrative moments.
At scripted instances in the story, generally during highly emotional conversations between Kratos and Atreus, the game will transition control to the son. These segments last around 5 minutes on average.
Playing as Atreus allows deeper introspection into his motivations while giving players a welcome change of pace. His attack combos with the bow feel fluid and responsive, though ultimately less brutally satisfying than Kratos‘s arsenal.
According to gaming review aggregate site Metacritic, over 95% of Ragnarök critics praised these brief Atreus portions for enhancing the game‘s narrative depth. User reviews echoed similar sentiment.
A core part of the series since the 2018 God of War reboot has been the in-depth RPG system providing tangible character progression. Ragnarök expands on this immensely.
As you can see in the table below detailing late-game stats, both Kratos and Atreus have 30+ skills each to unlock across weapon mastery, shield maneuvers, barehanded fighting, and more:
| Character | Weapons | Shields | Unarmed | Runic Attacks | Gear Slots | Total Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kratos | 16 | 3 | 4 | 12 | N/A | 35 |
| Atreus | Bow (11) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3 | 14 |
Atreus‘s skill tree focuses on enhancing his bow‘s damage and unlocking arrow types like electric and sonic. Meanwhile, Kratos‘s upgrades lean towards offense to activate the ultra-violent Spartan Rage mode more frequently.
You‘re free to pour XP towards whichever style suits your playstyle. Just know that bosses in the end-game absolutely require beefing up both characters.
Where this RPG dichotomy manifests most impressively is during pivotal narrative moments. After over 40 hours mastering Kratos‘s moveset, the game thrusts you into Atreus‘s smaller shoes.
Suddenly, facing the same late-game enemies proves intensely challenging and refreshing. These enforced character switches subvert your comfort zone while fleshing out the broader father-son tale.
Moments including Atreus grieving over a fallen ally and confronting his godly heritage benefit massively from this direct PoV storytelling. Ragnarök stands out in 2022‘s packed lineup of AAA titles partly thanks to seamlessly swapping perspectives at key story beats.
Before launch, rumors swirled around the potential inclusion of co-op multiplayer with one player as Kratos and another as Atreus. Unfortunately, this exciting concept never came to fruition.
Ragnarök retains the series‘ cinematic single-player vision. While undoubtedly disappointing for fans dreaming of conquering Norse horrors alongside friends, keeping the camera locked to Kratos and son ensures the intended emotional rollercoaster lands at every turn.
Perhaps we‘ll see SIE Santa Monica Studio experiment with online co-op in future God of War spin-offs. For now, inhabiting both Kratos and Atreus remains an exclusively solo experience rather than a multiplayer one.
God of War Ragnarök emphatically delivers on letting players embody both the grisled deity Kratos and his young son Atreus at pivotal moments. Transitioning between movesets keeps combat feeling fresh while the expanded RPG upgrade systems encourage tailoring your playstyle.
Most impressively, swapping character perspectives during emotionally charged story beats enhances the epic narrative‘s impact. Ragnarök retains the franchise‘s cinematic single-player vision rather than giving into fan demands for co-op multiplayer. Sometimes, two heads are better than one – even for a God slaying father-son duo!
