God of War Ragnarök: ‘That really influenced the design’ on the One TV Series Which Heavily Inspired the Norse Gods

SUMMARY

• The developers of God of War Ragnarok got candid about their sources of inspiration.
• Santa Monica Studio started to think outside the box to design the Norse Gods.
• God of War Ragnarok is now available on the PC platform.

God of War Ragnarok was a massive triumph from Santa Monica Studio after it was released for the PlayStation 4 and 5 a few years ago. The game developers believed it was a game worth sharing to the PC platform and players on the said platform can now experience the Norse Saga fully with the best settings available for gaming. The Norse Saga was a major departure from what the fans were accustomed to in the Greek Saga and the developers revealed how the respective pantheons differ in design.

God of War fans can now play the Norse Saga on the PC platform. Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

The Norse Gods can be an acquired taste and the developers took inspiration from real-life biker gangs. It is worth noting that Ryan Hurst, who portrayed the God of Thunder in the video game series was also part of the cast of Sons of Anarchy which could have benefitted his performance while making the game.

The Norse Gods in God of War Ragnarok Have Unique Character Designs

The Norse Saga officially ended after Kratos and Atreus ended Odin and the Aesir Gods’ reign of tyranny across the Nine Realms. However, the Asgardians Pantheon wasn’t the real challenge in God of War Ragnarok after players discovered a new side quest featuring optional bosses called the Berserkers. These overpowered foes will give the God of War and the Aesir a run for their money for their brutal strength and deadly combos alone.

Some fans were not fully on board to invest in this new saga after seeing the retired God of War in a foreign land far from his home of Sparta at the beginning of the 2018 game without explaining how he reached Northern Scandinavia. The deities of those lands act and feel way different and more modernized than Zeus and his pantheon which is a great way to differentiate the two mythologies, and director Eric Williams revealed how bikers influenced the design of the Norse Gods in God of War Ragnarok.

mentioned the bikers, especially Ryan Hurst being from Sons of Anarchy was a huge influence for the role,

Art Director Raf Grassetti revealed how the Greek Gods were more of an acquired taste and drawn to gold whereas the Norse Gods are a stark contrast. Odin does not reside in a massive palace decorated with gold and other shiny objects and lives as if he were a mere mortal with godly abilities; meanwhile, the Olympian Gods stay on Mount Olympus overlooking his subjects.

The Greek gods had a lot of gold. We wanted to play with what [gods] would look like in Norse mythology. So they would have way less gold, and they wouldn’t care that much about their appearance.

Unfortunately for the Greek Gods, their homeland has been painted with their blood after Kratos’ bloody rampage. Some would argue that the Norse Gods got off easy during God of War Ragnarok and their fates were much more controlled and clean than their Greek counterparts.

They’re living with humans, and that really influenced the design and how they act. The tension of dealing with gangs was also something very present in how these characters interact.

Even in their manner of speaking, Thor and Odin talk as if it were modern-day, unlike Kratos’ use of contractions and his way of plainly speaking. Some of the Norse Gods in God of War Ragnarok have a habit of being overdramatic, like Thor snapping his fingers to recall his hammer for dramatic flair, which speaks volumes of his character putting on a show every time he kills.

These differences encourage the team to avoid repeating the same concepts and offer something new. The Greek Gods were far more powerful and formidable, whereas Odin is a paranoid control freak and treats his kin as his henchmen to go after those who oppose him and their reign.

Sons of Anarchy Deserves Credit for How Certain Characters Look in God of War Ragnarok

The characterizations of the Norse Gods were among the best parts of the Norse Saga. Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio

The Gods of Asgard don’t take the lives of mortals all that seriously and this can be seen in how Odin treats the Einherjar as mindless soldiers who can be resurrected whenever it is convenient. Thor is depicted as a miserable drunk reminiscent of other great characters outside the God of War franchise making this version of the Thunder God somewhat relatable.

Other gods like Baldur and Heimdall can be seen as cocky and too self-absorbed which ultimately led to their untimely demise. Their powers make them believe they are immortal but forgotten others who possess great power can end them instantly.

During the climactic battle of God of War Ragnarok, Odin did not hesitate to kill his son the moment he defied him which is a testament to his will. Zeus chooses not to interfere directly and let others do his bidding while Odin is more hands-on.

Santa Monica Studio was right to take inspiration from Sons of Anarchy. The Norse Gods felt somewhat more real and relatable than the Greek Gods.

What are your thoughts about the design of the Norse Gods in God of War Ragnarok? Let us know in the comments section below!

Written by Rouvin Josef Quirimit

Articles Published: 1030

Piqued by his interest in superheroes during the early days of Marvel movies, Rouvin fell in a rabbit hole of pop culture. His passion for movies led to video games and he fell in love with God of War, The Last of Us, Uncharted, Red Dead Redemption, and more great single-player games that paved the way for his career as a gaming writer.