God of War Ragnarok's Atreus takes the wind out of a standalone game

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One of the most gratifying and unexpected twists in God of War Ragnarok is the shift to Atreus' perspective. As the title suggests, God of war has never been a series about multiple playable protagonists – Kratos has always been at the center. With Atreus taking over part of Ragnaröks interactive content, and when he seemingly sets off on his own adventure at the end of the game, the stage is set for him to lead a solo story.

It should be noted that such an Atreus-centric sequel to God of War Ragnarok has not been confirmed or denied by Santa Monica Studios or PlayStation, but it seems like a likely next step for the series. Ragnarök and its Valhalla The DLC heavily hinted that Kratos would become more pacifist and move into a leadership role rather than being on the front lines of the war, and the man is certainly at it for years as the story concludes. It's not like Kratos is likely to be entirely absent from the future God of war game—that would be surprising indeed—but just that Atreus, being young and coming of age, has more potential for expansive storytelling.

Another “semi-sequel”. God of War Ragnarok has long been rumored, and this could be the perfect location for an Atreus story. This would reflect what Marvel's Spider-Man did with the 2020s Miles Morales game.

God of War Heimdall Fight

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The Next God of War series should not miss the chance to have another Heimdall

One of God of War's best strengths is its implementation of mythology, and Ragnarok's use of Heimdall should inspire a new character in the next saga.

An Atreus lead adventure will have less interesting gameplay thanks to Ragnarok

Atreus' Gameplay Framework was already revealed in God of War Ragnarok

Players already have a sense of how Atreus could play due to his position as the deuteragonist in God of War Ragnarok. This is actually something that has caused some concern among fans who have guessed that next God of war The game will feature Atreus, as his fighting abilities are remarkably similar to Kratos. Yes, Atreus is better suited for ranged combat, is faster, and has some unique powers like the ability to shapeshift, but these don't affect the moment-to-moment gameplay enough to make him feel remarkably distinct.

That aside, he at least feels somewhat different from Kratos, and his gameplay sections in Ragnarök is often a nice change of pace. But this means that if he's really going to be the main star of his own adventure, the change in gameplay from Kratos' games won't feel nearly as exciting as it would otherwise. There is also less room for growth, which God of War Ragnarok already featured an Atreus development path via its RPG-lite system.

The Atreus game may still surprise audiences in future God of War games

Playing as Atreus in his theorized solo adventure may not be as impactful or novel due to Ragnaröks game selection, but it can still be refreshing and exciting in different ways. Players already have a general sense of what Atreus' strengths and weaknesses are as a fighter, so perhaps his solo play could play on those expectations: Atreus can be put in situations where his typical bow strategies aren't effective for whatever reason, forcing him to adapt and master new weapons or spells that recontextualize the combat sandbox.

This way, Atreus' solo adventure can have gameplay that reflects its unique story. Atreus may be in over his head on this journey, as he is without his father, the majority of his allies, and the knowledge of his homeland. Making players feel equally discombobulated and vulnerable could elevate this game's story, as they would have to learn new skills and experience discomfort alongside the main character. There may never again be that “wow” moment playing as Atreus for the first time, but Santa Monica could benefit from the gameplay found in Ragnarök to achieve something even greater.

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