The Next God of War Needs its Own Ratatoskr

The Next God of War Needs its Own Ratatoskr

• Ratatoskr's role in God of War Ragnarok is fundamental, offering players Yggdrasil Seeds for travel between realms.
• Ratatoskr's emotional depth added humor and levity to the game.
• The next God of War game needs a side character/companion like Ratatoskr to offset somber tones and provide hope.

The God of War franchise has had a great bunch of characters, and Ratatoskr’s entry set the stage for his true personality. The immortal squirrel that guards Yggdrasil, the World Tree, became a fan-favorite soon after his proper appearance in God of War Ragnarok.

Ratatoskr did not serve as a one-off minor-league character, either. His role in Norse mythology and the game’s overall lore is quite fundamental, especially since he gives players Yggdrasil Seeds to travel between the nine realms in God of War Ragnarok. The impact that Ratatoskr has had on the title’s story and gameplay may seem minor at first glance, but that’s not so. Given this point, one fact becomes quite clear — the next God of War game needs its own Ratatoskr.

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God of War Ragnarok Sequel Needs a Side Character to Offset Somber Tones

How Ratatoskr Enriched God of War Ragnarok

Ratatoskr's role in God of War Ragnarok may seem minor or even trivial to many, but those who have been a part of the franchise for a long time know what he represents. The immortal squirrel added a very well-intentioned emotional aspect to the game. Kratos' journey since God of War 2018 has been one of fatherhood and redemption, sprinkled with some humor in places, and this is what Ratatoskr not only mirrored but also built on.

Ratatoskr also sends players on a series of side quests: the one fetching Lindwyrms showed his caring and paternal nature towards Nidhogg's brood in God of War Ragnarok while collecting the Stags of Four Seasons showed how seriously he took his upkeep of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.

Ratatoskr split his emotions into spectral units to keep himself sane and stay up to date on what was happening in Yggdrasil and the Nine Realms in God of War. These emotions also mirrored those of Kratos and Atreus'. But they went much further; Ratatoskr and his spectral units injected levity during many somber moments in the game by being present or with their stellar dialogues.

Why God of War Raganarok's Sequel Needs Its Own Ratatoskr

Currently, there is no information available on what the next God of War game may entail. There is a possibility that it may have Atreus as the primary protagonist rather than Kratos, as he did set off on a much bigger quest at the end of God of War Ragnarok. This adds to the possibility that Kratos, Mimir, and Freya may either have a smaller role or join forces with the young god a few hours into the story. Yet, this is where the journey may get even darker.

Whatever the case may be, the third installment to God of War's Norse saga is undeniably in play. It thus seems highly unlikely that the next game will not have a side character/companion that brings humor. This may be Ratatoskr once again, guarding Yggdrasil, but perhaps it’s time for another new character to take their place on the big stage. They could act just like the World Tree’s “landlord” did, send players on side missions, reward them with resources and XP, and shed more light on the wider story. They could also go beyond this and become actual full-time companions.

It falls upon Santa Monica to decide just how deeply the character is involved, but the fact remains that players will need someone to offset the game's somber tones and show hope no matter what. In doing so, the developer could benefit if the next God of War game finds a sweet spot between the Greek and Norse mythologies.

God of War: Ragnarok

Franchise God of WarPlatform(s) PS5, PS4Released November 9, 2022Developer(s) Santa Monica StudioPublisher(s) SonyGenre(s) Action, AdventureESRB M For Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong LanguageHow Long To Beat 26 HoursMetascore 94PS Plus Availability N/A See at Playstation StoreSee at WalmartSee at Best BuySee at Amazon