Why People Love Atreus - God of War - Spoilers

[Casual Shinji]

I know there are some people that don't like Atreus due to his little ''episode'' which always struck me as weird. The kid's got a bad attitude for perhaps five whole minutes before turning into a sweetheart again.

You're also supposed to hate him in that period. It's actually the one moment in the whole game where you're actually afraid for him. When he gets sick you know he's not going to die, because they wouldn't just kill him off. That moment is primarily about Kratos being held accountable for how he's raised him up till then. And him needing to make some sort of peace with his past in order to save his son. But when he starts to become this little bastard is when he feels much more at risk of Kratos (and the player) losing him.

It also makes sense for Atreus to assume his father was acting like an asshole and treating the problems of others as beneath him because he's a god and therefor better than everyone else, prompting him to do the same especially following their moments of bonding. When actually Kratos doesn't want to bother with anyone and wants to be left alone because of his lifetime of being a god and how much he hated it. But because he refuses to open up to his son he's again leading him down a dangerous path.

I really love Atreus' shitheel phase, though I do feel it ends a bit abrupt. I think it would've been better if they'd used Kratos' past ghosts in Helheim to shock Atreus out of this mindset. As if to say 'yeah, this is where your current path is leading you to'.

 

[happyninja42]

I just realized I defaulted into spoiler text in my own thread, even after warning of spoilers.

I appreciate the courtesy, but you can just type it out. Both the title of the thread, and the first line warn of spoilers on every level.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

It’s hard to imagine the kid turning into the trickster persona that Loki is traditionally known for, because up this point we have absolutely no reason to believe he could actually possess such a “quality”.

 

[happyninja42]

It’s hard to imagine the kid turning into the trickster persona that Loki is traditionally known for, because up this point we have absolutely no reason to believe he could actually possess such a “quality”.

...why? Because you are just as clever and quick thinking as you were at 9? No growth, none whatsoever between you at 9, and whatever age you are? Just, identical in EVERY way huh? Come on.

He's quick, clever, is a polyglot, was clever enough to think about summoning the world serpent to help them against Freya, and did several other little things that showed cunning and cleverness. How is that not a good base to let someone grow into being a trickster?

Besides, the next game will most likely be when he starts to develop this, as he grows into his godly powers. In GoW, he was a side character, to what was a turning point in Kratos' story. But the end clearly indicates he's going to be way more central to the narrative as it progresses. So I find it rather silly to think he's just going to be the same person throughout.

I mean you could just as easily reframe your comment to say "It's hard to imagine Kratos turning into a caring, empathetic person and father, because up to this point we have absolutely no reason to believe he could actually possess such a "quality" " Especially if you were saying that in the very first GoW game. But hey, several games later, and lots of development, here he is.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

...why? Because you are just as clever and quick thinking as you were at 9? No growth, none whatsoever between you at 9, and whatever age you are? Just, identical in EVERY way huh? Come on.

He's quick, clever, is a polyglot, was clever enough to think about summoning the world serpent to help them against Freya, and did several other little things that showed cunning and cleverness. How is that not a good base to let someone grow into being a trickster?

Besides, the next game will most likely be when he starts to develop this, as he grows into his godly powers. In GoW, he was a side character, to what was a turning point in Kratos' story. But the end clearly indicates he's going to be way more central to the narrative as it progresses. So I find it rather silly to think he's just going to be the same person throughout.

I mean you could just as easily reframe your comment to say "It's hard to imagine Kratos turning into a caring, empathetic person and father, because up to this point we have absolutely no reason to believe he could actually possess such a "quality" " Especially if you were saying that in the very first GoW game. But hey, several games later, and lots of development, here he is.

He still has an innocence and naivety about him is all. Sure, he could change into whatever as he ages, especially if more dark secrets are revealed about Kratos’ past, but I like the kid an am not looking forward to that. What the hell though; I should know by now these things never end well.

 

[happyninja42]

He still has an innocence and naivety about him is all. Sure, he could change into whatever as he ages, especially if more dark secrets are revealed about Kratos’ past, but I like the kid an am not looking forward to that. What the hell though; I should know by now these things never end well.

He's already had several dark things happen to him, lost his mother, leaving him with a distant father, murdered a helpless man in cold blood just because he could. Has literal supernatural rage in his blood, due to his ancestry, that we see when he lashes out at various times in the game. The difference is he's been able to maintain his humanity, empathy, and compassion. He didn't let it turn him into a rage beast, like all the other people around him. Partly because he literally watched their own emotional conflicts destroy them, and learned what his own father did. But he was lucky that Kratos was there to actually point out "This isn't good, what I did was NOT good, don't do it. You are a good person, be better than me, find another way." Well, he's going to find another way, a way of cunning and deception. But remember, he's the protagonist in this setting, so him "bringing about the end of the Aesir, is GOOD. Because they are a pantheon of douchebags. I just think he's going to realize "My powers aren't beating the shit out of everything like my father. I can't punch my way to victory." But, he CAN hear thoughts, which, if that power is strengthened, would make being a trickster very lucrative. He'll know exactly what to tell them, to get them on board, let their guard down, infiltrate, and start toppling dominoes. What I think will happen, assuming we are still playing Kratos when this happens, is that Kratos won't know it's a trick, so he'll go barreling in to save his son, thinking he failed him again, and force the hand that leads to him dying in his son's arms. I don't think Atreus will kill him, just that he won't be able to prevent the death, and that it will somehow be tied to the birth of the world serpent.

And yes, I like the boy too, obviously *points at the thread title* I think he will be fine, but I mean it's a drama, we have to have conflict for that to happen. Easiest is more father/son conflict as he get's older, becomes a more rebellious teenager.