Highlights
- Valhalla's roguelike DLC adds important weight to the franchise's story and sets the stage for the next chapter.
- Leaving unanswered questions from Ragnarok in Valhalla was a smart move, allowing the next God of War to tie up loose ends.
- Valhalla serves as a smooth transition between chapters, allowing players to enjoy the Norse realm while building excitement for future games.
God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC surprised fans with a mind-blowing roguelike expansion that not only offered awesome new combat encounters, but set the stage for the next chapter in the franchise. From finally getting to fight Tyr to seeing Kratos let go of his past, Valhalla held a lot of important weight for a DLC, but there are still many questions left unanswered.
Although Valhalla was branded as a roguelike DLC, the free expansion also added some great moments to the franchise's story following the events of Ragnarok. It feels as though Valhalla is a sneak peek at what's to come for God of War, and one of the best moves Valhalla makes is not answering some lingering questions left behind at the end of Ragnarok.
Ragnarok's Unanswered Questions Can Wait
Following God of War Ragnarok, there are still a lot of stories left to be told in the franchise. Not only is the planned release for the next God of War a mystery, but the narrative itself is filled with unanswered question that were left unaddressed in Valhalla.
Although some fans may have hoped that there would be some answers about how Atreus' hunt for the Giants is going or where Sindri is, leaving these story threads loose in Valhalla for the next God of War to tie them up was a smart move on Santa Monica Studios' part.
Valhalla Lets Players Revel in The Norse Saga
With God of War Ragnarok being only a little over a year old, jumping into a new setting and possibly leaving the Norse saga behind may have felt rushed. There are theories suggesting that the next God of War may feature multiple pantheons or at least venture into a new setting other than the Norse realm. The events of Ragnarok made it feel like the Norse storyline is starting to come to an end, but it's also a smart choice to not move the story forward too soon.
A Smooth Transition Between Games
Valhalla feels as though the DLC is meant to be a bridge between chapters in the franchise's story, and it does so gracefully. Despite speculation about Valhalla teasing the next main setting for God of War, the DLC allows fans to just focus on the here and now when it comes to the Norse realm and its place in the story. Transitioning between stories and settings too quickly would make the franchise feel rushed, and insuring that transition feels smooth and natural builds more excitement for future games.
When looking at Valhalla as a bridge between chapters, the main narrative of the DLC is setting Kratos up for something big, but it also makes it clear that the next phase in Kratos' life can wait for the time being, as players get to just enjoy and revel in sweat-inducing fights with Tyr and various enemies.
For now, the extra hours of story Valhalla adds to the overall narrative of the Norse saga is a great way to start gently pushing the franchise forward while still allowing players to enjoy new parts of the Norse realm that were left unexplored by its predecessors.
Valhalla drops a few potential clues about the next God of War, but it also feels firmly planted within the confines of the realm, making the DLC not seem overwhelming. More importantly, the unanswered questions and mysteries that are left to be addressed in the franchise make the wait for the next God of War entry that much more exciting.
