You Play as Atreus in 3 Main Missions in God of War Ragnarok
Before diving into the details, to clearly answer the title question – you play as Atreus in 3 main story missions in the latest God of War game:
- Old Friends (Mid-Game)
- The Reckoning (Climax)
- Beyond Ragnarok (Post-Game)
So while the majority of this epic 30+ hour title has you wielding Kratos‘ Leviathan Axe, these key sections mix things up by letting you utilize Atreus‘ expanding skillset directly. Let‘s break down what these Atreus missions entail.
Old Friends – Lengthy Hunt as Atreus with Sindri
The first time you take control of Kratos‘ son is in the Old Friends mission mid-way through the story. This chapter focuses on Atreus and Sindri attempting to track down the vengeful Freya in order to prevent further conflict.
You play solely as Atreus for almost all of the 2 hours this mission lasts, depending on your playstyle and exploration. It serves perfectly as a introduction for players into Atreus‘ upgrade arsenal since God of War (2018).
Table: Atreus‘ Weapon and Runic Attack Upgrades
| Weapon | Upgraded Perk | Runic Attack | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fyrd Spear | 3 new extended combos | Whirlwind Sprint | Rapid dash attack knocking back enemies |
| Talon Bow | 5 arrow types with various effects | Breath of Thamur | Icy area-of-effect attack freezing all nearby |
Sindri aids you in this mission not just through accompanying dialogue, but by directly boosting Atreus‘ attacks with an elemental buff spell you‘ve unlocked. This shows Atreus still has room to improve his skills alongside Kratos.
However, now aged 15 years old, Atreus displays far greater combat capability and confidence compared to when he was just a boy in the last game. He takes on heavy-hitting dark elves, travelers and beasts with ease using his versatile spear and bow combinations.
By the end, while you sadly don‘t take Freya down, the mission concludes with Atreus saving his dwarf friend from certain death in a scripted falling debris sequence. This cements how much more heroic he has become in his own right.
The Reckoning – Atreus Buys Time Before Kratos Deals Final Blow
Nearing the climax with Kratos and Atreus journeying to Asgard for the final confrontation, you briefly play as Atreus during The Reckoning mission‘s opening section.
After a setpiece chase sequence avoiding the sentry god Heimdallr‘s observance across the bridge, you switch to Atreus stealthily taking down Einherjar guards with his bow before the scene turns to combat.
Atreus then faces off against the Crippled King Heimdallr himself! But this isn‘t a true boss fight you need to win. Atreus uses his agility to evade and stall for time as you unload up to 1000 damage onto Heimdallr and his minions. soon the perspective shifts back to Kratos who finishes the fight with a glorious hyper beam special attack (seriously).
So in this crucial moment facing down a hardcore boss, Atreus holds his own, softening him up so Kratos can land the final death blow. Atreus is shaping up to be a true equal to his father power-wise!
Beyond Ragnarok – One Last Adventure as Atreus
After the credits roll on God of War Ragnarok‘s epic emotional finale, you unlock the Beyond Ragnarok post-game chapter. Focused on tying up loose ends, you switch between Kratos and Atreus at key moments in this extra 2-3 hour romp.
The Atreus portions are quite brief – the longest section sees you traverse icy Nilfheim terrain and battle the Crippled King‘s remaining forces. Atreus freeze blasts groups while Kratos cuts through reinforcements in tandem. The father-son duo‘s teamwork is on full display.
By the post-game‘s conclusion where the two go their separate ways, Atreus proves completely capable as a courageous warrior in his own right after his coming-of-age journey across the realms.
Atreus Playable Sections Delight Fans But Some Wanted More
In my opinion as an avid God of War fan since the Greek era, these Atreus spots provide perfect pacing shifts while allowing us insight into his transformation since his younger days.
However reactions are mixed across players debating if there should have been more Atreus gameplay and story focus:
"The brief playable Atreus parts stole the show for me!"
"Why couldn‘t they make Atreus fully playable optionally across the game?"
"Atreus‘ sections could have been longer but I‘m glad they kept focus mainly on Kratos"
"I hope the next game has you switching between them more regularly."
So while some gamers clearly wanted even more Atreus, tackling say full zones as him or alternating throughout, I found these segments timed well in their placement across the narrative‘s key moments.
In Conclusion:
To directly answer the article title – you play as Atreus across 3 memorable missions that provide a satisfying taste of his evolved skillset rather than dominating the runtime. While some may feel Atreus was still underutilized, his stellar showings prove that Kratos‘ son is now his equal both in combat and in spirit.
Let me know your thoughts on Atreus‘ playable sections! Do you wish there was more focus on Kratos‘ protégé or was the pacing just right? What abilities were your favorite to utilize directly? I‘m eager to hear fellow gamers‘ perspectives.
