God of War: Ragnarok Being a Two-Parter Leaves No Time for Happy Endings

gamerant.com:

For most of God of War's history, the Spartan warrior Kratos has traveled the realms of Greek mythology, facing off against some of the mightiest gods, including his own parents. However, with 2018's God of War, Santa Monica decided to reinvent the franchise by swapping out the fixed camera for a more modern over-the-shoulder perspective and arming Kratos with the frosty Leviathan Axe. Most notably, however, Kratos is no longer in the realm of Greek mythology, and instead, he finds himself among Norse gods in the Nine Realms.

Santa Monica's latest project, God of War: Ragnarok, is expected to release in 2022, and it will be the final part of the Norse chapter of the God of War franchise. While this is exciting, as it opens up the opportunity for the series to explore other mythologies from around the world, it does mean that the Norse story will be a relatively short one. With the games drawing so heavily from the Norse Ragnarok myth, this could mean that there may not be enough time for God of War: Ragnarok to slip in a happy ending.

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As the game's title suggests, God of War: Ragnarok's inspirations include the Norse Ragnarok myth, and this is hinted at during the final scenes of 2018's God of War. When snow falls, Mimir warns Kratos and Atreus that the three-year-long Fimbulwinter has begun, meaning that Ragnarok will follow soon after. When one analyzes Ragnarok within Norse mythology, it does not paint a good picture for the heroes.

The word Ragnarok is derived from Old Norse, and it can be interpreted to mean «the doom of the gods» or «the final fate of the gods.» The myth entails a series of events foretold in Poetic Edda. Ragnarok will