Chapter 739: In the North, Cutting Until Connection is Lost

Chapter 739: In the North, Cutting Until Connection is Lost

Zhang Yi was utterly bewildered.

Compared to the fact that Kratos had grown old,

the revelation that Kratos had a son was even more of a thriller.

The bald, tough hero Kratos, who tore apart the sun god and kicked Poseidon, actually had a child—no, more accurately, another child.

After all, the previous Kratos once had a wife and daughter, and the reason the Greek gods were torn apart by Kratos was precisely because of his family’s tragic fate.

But how did Kratos get this son now?

Zhang Yi was filled with questions. And besides this suddenly appearing troublemaking child,

the more crucial point was the game’s pace and structure.

It was completely different from the previous trilogy of God of War.

In the past, the trilogy began with Kratos furiously killing the Hydra, smashing the Colossus of Rhodes, and tearing apart Poseidon—right from the start, Kratos would kill a boss to set the tone.

But now, just like Kratos himself had aged, Zhang Yi felt the pace had dramatically slowed down, acquiring the flavor of a slow-paced game like Red Dead Redemption.

Especially the interactions between Kratos and his son, which gave off a rustic, farmer-like vibe.

Chopping trees, rowing boats, splitting firewood, having simple emotional exchanges with his child, and casually burning the mother wrapped in cloth—while accidentally letting the little troublemaker burn his hand on a dagger.

If there was one thing that struck Zhang Yi as odd, it was why, with so many trees around, they had to travel so far just to chop down that one Greatwood.

And that distinctive golden handprint at the beginning—he always felt it was some kind of foreshadowing in the game.

But regardless, Kratos’s transformation was obvious.

Compared to the earlier version of Kratos—infinitely irritable, unable to control his emotions, and prone to tearing gods apart at the slightest provocation—

this Kratos had become mature and reserved.

Every detail indicated that this incarnation of the Hero was unlike any before.

"It feels like a storytelling experience, reminiscent of playing Red Dead Redemption or The Last of Us. So, is this installment of God of War primarily narrative-driven?"

Zhang Yi speculated inwardly. After all, as a player, one could immediately sense the shift in game style.

The previous Greek trilogy was the pinnacle of brutal, raw violence.

It kept players focused entirely on how to control Kratos and defeat those renowned mythological monsters and Greek gods.

Although the game thoroughly explained the related story—such as why Kratos hated the Olympians and how they had manipulated him—

it wasn’t primarily story-driven; it was action and Gameplay-focused.

Players paid far more attention to how to maneuver Kratos to slaughter every legendary Greek god, monster, and Hero.

But what about this latest installment?

After watching Kratos take his son hunting following the cremation of the boy’s mother,

Zhang Yi clearly sensed the difference—not just in gameplay style, but in Kratos himself.

In the forest, Kratos and Atreus searched for prey.

By following some traces, they quickly encountered a magnificent elk.

However, as soon as the troublemaking boy Atreus saw the elk, he eagerly drew his bow and shot. Not only did he fail to hunt it, but he also scared the animal away.

This instantly enraged Kratos, who swiftly stepped forward, snatched the bow from Atreus’s hands, and spoke with intense anger.

'What are you doing!'

'You alerted it! To shoot…'

Though visibly aged, Zhang Yi could still glimpse the old Kratos’s temperament.

Yet, just as Zhang Yi feared Kratos might slap Atreus across the head, the Kratos on screen actually took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the rage surging within him.

'To shoot, you must wait for the right moment! Learn from this. Find it first!'

Are you really Kratos!? Did you just put on Kratos’s skin!?

Is this truly the same Kratos who single-handedly slaughtered the entire pantheon of Olympus!?

Watching Kratos suppress his own fury, Zhang Yi in the game was completely stunned.

After all, throughout the trilogy, Kratos left behind a trail of blood and carnage. No matter who stood in his way—good or evil—they were all cut down without mercy.

Yet now, facing his own son Atreus, Kratos was clearly no longer that mad Hero of war.

He resembled more of a stern old father, capable of controlling his anger even when dealing with his child.

The only issue was this troublemaking kid, which left Zhang Yi somewhat dissatisfied.

"So, is this really Kratos’s son? He just doesn’t seem like it!"

Looking at the timid and submissive Atreus under Kratos’s scolding, Zhang Yi was deeply unimpressed.

As the saying goes, a tiger father has no dog sons.

Who was Kratos?

The renowned Hero who single-handedly conquered Olympus, destroyed the Greek gods, and obliterated Greek mythology—the legendary Hero of War.

In terms of personal image, Kratos was the epitome of a hard man.

His tough bald head, practical combat attire, and heavily muscled physique perfectly embodied the spirit of a Hero—never mind the socially edgy tattoos that might corrupt children.

Now, what about Atreus?

Small and Thin frame, timid demeanor, wearing a fur coat as if afraid of freezing, using a bow and arrows for hunting, and having a reckless personality.

He was an utter disgrace to the Hero of War!

No wonder Kratos kept calling Atreus "Boy."

The father-son relationship was clearly strained, but not surprising.

After all, how could a hard man father not be angry seeing his son so timid and meek?

Zhang Yi sighed with emotion.

Tracking the previously startled prey with Atreus, Zhang Yi soon encountered the game’s first battle.

A group of Undead Soldiers appeared from nowhere. Zhang Yi discovered that the troublemaking kid Atreus wasn’t completely useless—

he could assist Kratos with ranged attacks using arrows, while Kratos fought in close combat with a battle axe, though he could also perform ranged attacks.

"This axe feels a bit awkward!"

Zhang Yi muttered as he chopped the Undead Soldiers one by one.

The Combat System clearly differed from before. Kratos’s Blades of Chaos were gone, replaced by a battle axe.

The moves were more methodical, making Zhang Yi, accustomed to the chaotic slashing style of the Blades of Chaos, feel somewhat uncomfortable.

On simple difficulty, mowing grass lacked its former thrill!

But the axe returning after being thrown—that unique feature—was quite amusing to Zhang Yi.

Thrown, flies back; thrown, flies back.

Hey! That’s fun!

Moreover, many puzzles in the game required utilizing this special trait of the axe.

Additionally, the execution animations, though not as exaggerated as in previous installments, were still satisfyingly intense.

The only downside was that Atreus, this troublemaking kid, felt like dead weight, shouting loudly throughout the battle.

"After all, he’s just a griefer. How can the son of mighty Kratos be like this?"

"So maybe in the later story, the troublemaking kid angers the Norse gods, forcing Kratos to slaughter all the major deities of Norse mythology?" Based on earlier content, Zhang Yi already knew this installment of God of War was set in Norse mythology. Now, he was speculating wildly about what lay ahead.

In the North, cutting until connection is lost—he figured this would probably be the tone of this new God of War.

<>