God Of War 2018: 9 Subtly Genius Easter Eggs You Totally Missed
Cheeky references and throwbacks aplenty in the land of Midgard.
God of War's triumphant return to the forefront of gaming pop culture wasn't always pegged to be as such. In the earliest days of Santa Monica's revival, Kratos' most seasoned admirers were left to wonder how drastically the developer intended to depart from the franchise's original guise with the soft reboot.
Would it eschew the trilogy's entire history up to that point, only retaining the series' main star and nothing else, or revel in fan service with frequent references to Kratos' past deeds?
As it turns out, Santa Monica opted to take the best of both worlds and seamlessly weave them together to craft a tale accommodating players new and old, not just in its narrative, but via, too, a copious helping of Easter eggs hidden across Midgard.
Ranging from sly textual throwbacks to Kratos' original adventures in Ancient Greece to hidden symbols hinting at Atreus' true identity long before the official reveal, not one of Midgard's Nine Realms is devoid of secrets. Some - Atreus' arrogant verbal dismissal of the danger posed by a duo of trolls, for example - only expose their true genius in light of the revelations made at end-game.
Vague? Absolutely, but let's just say Kratos' own version of the Infinity Gauntlet isn't the only mischievous tribute to Marvel's cinematic universe tucked away in Santa Monica's masterpiece.
9. "The Cycle Ends Here"
Zeus was never going to win any Father of the Year awards for the pain and suffering he caused Kratos, but he didn't depart this mortal plane without first imparting some words of wisdom on his son. Before snapping Baldur's neck like a twig at God of War's conclusion, Kratos' bearded lips part and whisper the phrase "the cycle ends here" into his ear.
It's the very same series of choice words Zeus mutters after lodging the Blade of Sparta into Kratos' chest, but it's not in the context of fear and self-preservation that Kratos repeats the phrase. Rather, he wants to set an example to mortals - and his son - that the gods must be above such pettiness.
Of course, if the mural depicting Atreus murdering his own dad is anything to go by, the cycle is destined to repeat itself, but Kratos has literally altered the course of events before. Why not again?