God Of War Runes Have Been Spoiling The Game In Plain Sight
The new God of War features a rich Norse world with fantastic levels of detail, so much that some pretty interesting tid-bits can be gathered in the most random of areas. Much of these not-so-hidden easter eggs take the form of runes inscribed on structures, in nature, and often tattooed on characters themselves.
As most gamers aren’t too fluent in ancient alphabets, a great majority of God of War runes were unfazing to those just wanting to slay some enemies with the Leviathan axe. Now that time has passed since release, fans have been able to uncover a great deal of messages from the game’s Old Norse texts, several of which amount to huge spoilers and tease the future waiting for Kratos and Atreus. Spoilers for God of War follow.
Players surely know of a certain overly-tattooed man initially known as “The Stranger,” but his true identity would have been obvious to those with an eye for Scandinavian language. According to translations by Reddit user “herpaderpmurkamurk,” the character’s rune-covered torso reveal a being “cursed” with death and foretells the coming “twilight of the gods,” a.k.a. Ragnarok. Those with basic knowledge of Norse lore would gather that this ink-decorated man was Odin’s ill-fated son Baldur much earlier than the in-game reveal would take place.
There’s also plenty to uncover from the game’s infamous ending, when Kratos and Atreus are confronted with a mural of numerous runes. We know from the resulting father-son exchange that Atreus’ original name was to be that of the trickster god Loki, but another survey of the area may reveal an even greater deception may be in line for the future. A few of the most notable translated words include “betrayal”, “death”, “father” and “catastrophe,” a foreboding set of phrases that seem to foretell Kratos’ eventual demise.
A falling out between Kratos and Atreus is a pretty heartbreaking idea to think about, especially as the two were able to establish a bond along their battle-laden journey. The surprising reveal would be even more so if Atreus’ role of Loki is ever fulfilled, as it could mean a villainous turn somewhere down the line. Even though so many big revelations have been uncovered, game director Cory Barlog maintains that there exists at least one major secret that has yet to be decoded.
Redditors are clearly taking the challenge seriously as a number of God of War runes continue to be analyzed in hopes of unturning every last stone. There’s even a special “Rune Translation Hotline” designated for submitting screenshots of in-game text, with Norse-fluent user “Geirvald” translating the message for modern eyes. It’s anyone’s guess what else might be hiding, but given how much interest it’s sparked in Old Norse language and mythology, it’s probably best to see this community-driven project as a win regardless of the uncovered result.
What do you think? Are you intrigued by the scope of messages hidden in God of War runes, or do you feel these details are too small to ever factor in the future of the franchise? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more from the realm of PlayStation, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
