Is Atreus playable in God of War Ragnarok?

In the God of War Ragnarok story, Atreus, also known as Jotnar Loki, has aged by a few years. A teenager with a great deal to prove, both as a giant and as the son of Kratos, it’s been speculated for months if Atreus would be more than just an assist character in God of War Ragnarok.

Thankfully, not only is Atreus playable in Kratos’ latest adventure, but he has a powerful moveset, making him different from Kratos, while also still being enjoyable to play. He will be playable at several points in the game to break up the action and give the player a different perspective on events, and here’s what players need to know about the son of Kratos.

Note: This article contains potentially major plot spoilers for God of War Ragnarok, concerning Atreus’ activities within the game.

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Atreus will seek out Freya in God of War Ragnarok

Kratos is playable fairly early in God of War Ragnarok as well. Atreus is still a teenager. He and Kratos will be at odds occasionally, as the God of War struggles not to repeat the same mistakes he made earlier in his life.

The result will be that sometimes, Atreus simply runs away from home in order to try and solve problems on his own. In the first case of gameplay, Atreus will seek out Freya in God of War Ragnarok to try and make peace with the goddess that has been hunting them with determined fervor.

Caution: This video contains major spoilers for God of War Ragnarok

In addition, it’s made clear early in the story that Odin wants Atreus, knowing he is Loki. He’s convinced that Loki can help answer some very important questions, so he will try to recruit the young God. What this means is Atreus will occasionally leave or take center stage. Atreus will also explore who he is, which means he’ll need to come across another giant.

Several times he will go off on his own and will have his backup character aid him in combat. Like in God of War 2018, Atreus will still be an archer, capable of accurate, deadly arrows against his foes. That said, his gameplay will not feel too out of place in God of War Ragnarok.

Combat starring Atreus

He can also use his enchanted bow as a melee weapon because there will be times when he could be overwhelmed, or will simply want to get up close and personal. The young God will have several summonses as well, such as an Elk, and even summon clones of Ratatoskr, who will help the player find a Health pickup.

The overall gameplay for Atreus is smooth and satisfying, with his deadly bow and arrow. He can even charge up shots and will have two styles of enchanted arrow attacks. He unlocks Sonic Arrows, which are used to break things while controlling Kratos, and also increases the amount of stun he does. It's not as grim and gritty as Kratos but still feels fun to use.

Later in God of War Ragnarok, he’ll also get Hex Arrows, which increases the amount of strength status attacks will do. This will be critical to solving many puzzles throughout God of War Ragnarok as well.

Combat in the Ironwood

For gamers worried Atreus will not have some kind of exceptional Rage attack, as Kratos does, fear not. He will transform into a huge wolf, that leaps onto foes. Ripping and tearing with its powerful jaws, he will be able to temporarily transform and wreak havoc on the battlefield.

Atreus has his own skill system that shows up at the beginning of the game, but it takes time to improve his abilities since he only gets a little bit of XP as Kratos’ sidekick. As his own playable character, the skill tree will be enhanced, and it will be significantly easier to unlock these powers. He will gain relics to equip, and other improvements to make him stand out.

Hungry like the Wolf

In God of War Ragnarok, Atreus is a capable, mobile archer that plays differently from his father, Kratos. I was worried that he would be weak or terrible, but that was not the case. Atreus is a blast to play as, and players should look forward to seeing the world from the young God’s eyes.