A beautiful acknowledgment from Mr. Barlog: bit.ly/38Q5KGP Three quick amendments: 1. While indeed Snorri spent time as a leader in Norway, he was Icelandic by birth. 2. The longer the stories were being told throughout the generations, the 2 fertility gods, Frigg and Freya, began to bleed into the one goddess. In the Edda's, Baldur's mother is Frigg, but I've purposefully kept it as Freya in this video for ease of understanding. 3. I've made a typing error and wrote Alistair Sung as Alistair 'Yung' in the credits. Getting someone's name wrong is for me, the greatest crime so I am so sorry for this.

"Untangling God of War" and ends it with Kratos untangling his bandages.... Poetic indeed!

God of War removes Loki by putting him at the centre of it all.

“You honor your mother, and abandon this path that you have chosen” coming from Kratos that line is pure chills.

Since God of War Ragnarok is out, you better be making one for that too because this is completely beautiful. Take as much time as you need! This is pure art.

How about the line after Atreus kills Modi? “This knife is much better than mothers.” Acknowledging the temptation of his father’s path of wrath and violence instead of his mother’s path of kindness and peace.

This wasn't a KZfaq video. This was fucking art, and I love it

As someone who's had issues with my father, I couldn't help but choke up at the end. If/when I raise a son, I'm going to treat him like there's no other more valuable person in the world. We will be the men we choose to be. Beautiful work my friend

Videos like this are proof that, among all the fast food-like content that youtube has, true masterpieces and hidden gems are created by passionate and talented people just because they love what they do

This deserves to be a Netflix Special.

I never realised how deep it went. What a fucking masterpiece of a video. The incredible amount of work that went into the lore of the game and the work in this video is awesome.

Imagine telling people in 2005 that Kratos would be one of the most multi-layered, deep and interesting characters gaming has ever seen.

"It is never too late to reinvent the story" Time to time when i feel i down i remember this line and come back here. What a master piece.

If you’re trying to make me play god of war again for the fifth time. Well... you succeded

It’s funny how it ends with him saying “it’s never too late to reinvented the story” and cuts to a black screen where you can see yourself in the reflection of the screen. I appreciate the art and passion put into the video, thank you.

This is absolutely masterful. From the educated observational commentary, the use of typography, to the use of sound and cinema. This is truly a work of art. Never before have I been brought to tears from what is essentially an essay. I can't imagine the time and dedication it took to create this. And whether it's monetized or not, you put your heart into it. Thank you for your excellent work. Please don't stop. I'm looking forward to your essay on Ragnarok 💙

"Who I was is not what you'll be" is very poignant. Love that line

so that's what 2 years of editing looks like

"It's like being fed bad food, to remind us why we want good food" This man is speaking facts

This video will be forever in my heart it was just a piece of art it's more like a cinematic experience Kudos to the whole team keep it up guys

You know, it's something strange when I never questioned where Loki was in this story. In this entire game, until I got to the end, I never had a thought of Loki. So somehow, the writers made everything else so attention grabbing, so thought provoking, Odins evil, Thors barbarism, Baldurs Rage, that you didn't need to know where Loki is in this story, or who he was. He was with us all along.

good blood out here making literally everyone else on youtube look bad. I love it so much. Incredible work.

good lord, everything about this video is incredible

Just absolutely INCREDIBLE!

As a bit of a norse mythology nut myself, the care and attention put into this video is flippin astounding. Absolute gold! Thank you for making this, I appreciate you. We getting an "Untangling Ragnarök" too? Eh? Eeeehh??? Edit: holy shit dude(sorry for the language) but man this video is beautiful. A work of art in itself.

This video made me cry, because I realize I've been trapped in a circle of thinking I can't change, but I now see it's not like that, if Kratos who destroyed his world and everyone he loved could find a different path, I can do it too, all of us, and I believe that's beautiful, thank you.

Kratos saying "It was needless and unkind." really show how he grew a bit of a heart.

I don’t know about ya’ll but the ending piece at 35:03 hit’s close to home for me and always makes me tear up for personal reasons. I also love this new reinvented Kratos and story line from GOW. This video is pure art.

This is my comfort video. I literally watch this like once a week. There was a whole month I watched this every single day

Oh shit I never realized how Kratos said the same words to Baulder that Zeus said to him before “killing” him. “The cycle ends here” AMAZING WRITING

Atreus being Loki is the BIGGEST surprise i’ve had in a long time playing video games.

I'm literally tearing up, God of War's writing is incredible, a simple story told in a pretty complex manner. I'm amazed how well you highlighted it's bits so well building parallels with the north mythology. Thanks for an amazing essay, you are one of those people who keep the platform alive and unique

33:30 always gives me goosebumps. "A story all about the one thing the norse cosmos considers impossible. Change." So simple. The Music. The way you say the line. Just beautiful and impactful.

They knew 90% of the players wouldn't go this deep. They could've easily opted out of much of the lore, but they still did it. Fucking amazing

“It’s doesn’t matter how broken or damaged your history may be, it’s never too late to reinvent the story” wow what an amazing video

I come back to this video a whole lot. Easily my favorite video essay. The editing, the music, the script, the narration and the athmosphere it creates, everything about this video is stellar.

Always been a fan of God of War, but this story always had a special place in my heart. My father passed the year it came out, I became a dad a year before. So the story of fatherhood in general is always mixed with heartbreak and happiness. Excellent essay 👏

Norse gods, God’s of many disabilities, Odin missing an eye, tyr missing an arm, Thor missing a brain

Kratos listening to his wife's stories of Norse gods be like: "What's his name?" "What does he do?/What's his power?" "How do I kill him?"

My guy really dropped the best video essay on one of the best games and then dipped

I replay this game every now and then and more and more I realize how important and impressive it is. Passion and hard work is what lead to this

This comment section has reaffirmed my belief that not all of the internet is a giant cesspool but can actually have incredibly talented and well-meaning people congregate over the crazy dope stuff really talented people make.

Killed it. God I hope the team sees this, what a beautiful acknowledgement of their work.

I know I'm late but what a masterpiece this is. From start to the finish, tears in my eyes. I will remember this for a long time. Thank you for creating a core memory for the rest of my life.

The fact that you did it all in one game and not in separate games is actually amazing. I can only imagine how many tries this took

This man just made his own life so much harder by setting the quality expectations for his next video too high

2 years. For this very moment.

Please, do more of these types of videos! This is stunning, well thought out, and beautifully produced. I would happily watch many, many more of these! Very well done.

Man im watching a paly through of ragnarok right now and I keep thinking of things from this video and apply it to story like Loki's chaos and how he's the one that keeps the story moving foward

This is single handedly the most top tier story telling I've ever heard

I'm a father of three....a single father of three with a high school education and held multiple jobs at one time just to raise them. I made a lot of mistakes (some that could have had me locked away for a long time) in life but somehow after time recovered from those mistakes as well as raised all three of my children the best I can. At many times they all exhibited most of the behaviors that set me back for many yrs. It took time, dedication, patience, honesty and pain but it is possible, as you so eloquently put, " It's never to late to reinvent the story". Despite our story is far from over two are on their way to medical school now and my middle child is being groomed for management for the tonight show in nyc...oh, and I'm now a grandfather. Don't get me wrong, they're still nutty like their old man...just way less nutty. I've been a gamer all my life (since Atari 2600) but as I've gotten older have been really picky about what games I'd invest my time in playing due to a busy life. My youngest (20 yr old) son recommended I play the new God of War....I'm so glad I did. The themes were so deep it had me in tears many times as did you're video. Thank you and bravo. I think I'll do for my son what he did for me and now recommend this video for him to watch. This was beautiful.

I think I've watched this video like 4 times and each time it still hits different

14:43 as I like to say it: *misery exists so we can truly appreciate joy.* The biting cold of winter exists so that we can feel the warmth of the sunlight. Those who’ve been through anguish and despair know joy and happiness far better than those who’ve hardly suffered at all.

At the beginning, they are both missing parts of themselves. Towards the end, Kratos teaches his son what it is to be a god and Atreus teaches Kratos what it is to be human. Masterpiece.

The editing level. The lore explanation. The deepness. Am I on KZfaq or am I watching a documentary?! This is amazing!

Good god, that was an AMAZING video mate!!

I must say that this video has been exceptional to watch and rewatch. The deep dive you do is spectacular and now that GOW Ragnarok is out, I am extremely curious of you doing a video of this caliber on the sequel.

Corey Barlog is watching this right now and is like “yeah yeah all this was totally on purpose and my idea” 😂

Who else secretly feels bad for Baldur? As inevitable as the battle was, Baldur was a victim in all of this. Odin used him, and Freya cursed him while trying to protect him. Really a sad story within the GOW universe

It is amaizing how this video holds so well even to this day. I watched this after finishing gow 2018 and re-watched after finishing gow ragnarok and the whole video is even more on point, bullseye and right on the center story and themes of the new game. Fate and control and the dear challenge of change that Atreus aka Loki strive to in order to prove being better is possible within their narratives, his and his father's. Kratos truly grows thanks to Loki, even as flawed as Loki is in both games. It is actually his flawed nature that brings about a new way on their reality and their father and child relationships. The path they walk may lead to Ragnarok but in hopes of change and not written fate. It is truly amaizing and even if Good Blood doesn't make a follow up video to this one, everything said in this one is even more right than before. GOW Ragnarok goes as far as to change gameplay wise in order to lean on this narrative of change, with some boss battles ending with narrative beats of Kratos growth: by trying to spare his enemies in the hopes of changing his ways as God slayer to the point of being absolutely meta and doing self criticism of his behavior throughout his story on all games. This video and the games are masterpieces and complement eachother masterfully.

As someone who has issues with my father, this game taught me a great deal about forgiveness for past sins, about getting to choose our destiny

I knew my editing was mediocre but I didn't know quite how high the medium could be taken. Hot fuckin damn, GB, this rocks ass.

I guess you could say that Atreus is pretty low-key until the end of the game.

Happy to see Lowercase Noises in the sound track. Excellent choice

Since this video came out I have watched it probably a half dozen times. Every few months I come back. Excellently made across the board from the writing to the videography and everything in between. I tear up at the end every time. Thank you for making this!

When kratos got the blades of chaos again, and him accepting he was a monster and now he has to change is the definition of a redemption ark. Seeing a deplorable and vile man turn into a loving and caring father, not being able to find the right words to express his love was a unexpected but pleasant surprise. No story will ever rival the story of the god of war series in my opinion.

Quality over quantity. Something KZfaqrs don’t do much of nowadays.

i’ve been seeing this video recommended for a long time, for some reason i’ve never watched it until now, and i’m so glad i did see it now you can’t imagine why, i’ll just say that it was perfect

This has been the most immersive video I have seen in KZfaq in a very long time. I literally couldn’t wait till the end to give it a thumbs up and subscribe. Keep up the good work!

"Expect the worst ,assume nothing,anticipate an attack " Legends know this

I can't belive I'm able to watch this for free. From the bottom of my heart; thank you. This is a masterpiece.

I would love to see part 2 for Gow ragnorak

No joke, that was probably one of the most well made and enjoyable videos I've seen on KZfaq, literally ever. The music, the editing, writing, content..top notch. Thank you for this. Keep it up +sub

Masterful storytelling. Dude you are on another level!

"It's never too late to reinvent a story" this line brings so much hope to everyone who's struggling.

I can only imagine how much effort went into this video but I want the team to know that your efforts are truly appreciated. I’ve spent no less than 2.5 hours rewatching and relistening to the incredible context and insight you’ve brought to an already great story. Thank you all. Keep going.

This was so beautifully done and well choreographed. It might be one of the best things I’ve seen on KZfaq ever.

Cory Barlog needs to see this. The whole team does

The craftsmanship is evident in every frame of this production. The visual coherence and animation. The backbone of deep... DEEP research that supports the essay itself. And most of all, the ability to unpack the game from an objective standpoint and communicate all of the themes that it represents. Untangling and tying up each thread simultaneously, in a perfectly paced and exquisitely produced piece of work. And all of this by one guy. God damn. Ocarina and God of War are my favourite games of all time. Thank you so much for revealing them to me 🙏

No one can depicted a story better than you do. Listening to you makes me want to play the game over and over again. You are simply magnificent.

In Ragnarok, we see Atreus comforting a wolf named Fenrir who was dying. I thought it was just a nice reference. Then, I saw a Garm, a huge wolf chained in Hel and my immediate thought was "Damn. Looks a lot like Fenrir in Norse Myth. That's a cute nod". When I saw Atreus put Fenrir's soul inside Garm, it felt like every single piece fell perfectly into place. Fenrir was technically Loki's child in this cause he put his soul in a new body thus giving Fenrir life again

so glad to see this come out so the world can experience how incredible it is

See y'all in two years when Good Blood makes a 2 hours long video about GOW Ragnarok

Beautifully crafted video, I love the way you entwined the history of Norse mythology and how God of War reimagined it. Keep up the wonderful work, from a LudBud.

Masterpiece! Props up for the huge quality you put into this.

Loki's involvement with god of war's story has been pretty... low key...

Cool video, but you forgot to mention the story of the Dwarves being forced to make the Infinity Gauntlet for the mad titan Thanos. 9/10 essay.

Very nicely narrated, researched and edited.

wow the content, editing , execution and the amount of research gone into this video is just top notch. It's like watching a high quality budget documentary but done right

So glad Kratos found his peace. This game is basically the story of Kratos's therapy

Just an excellent essay. It feels good to watch something of this quality.

Easily one of my favorite videos on youtube. I come back to rewatch every now and then, it's so beautifully done.

Honestly one of the most beautiful videos I’ve ever seen.

This is a masterpiece and a standard for all channels to follow. I’m currently deployed in the Middle East and my first child was born while I’m away. And listening to your breakdown of Kratos and Atreus how all he wants is for Atreus to not follow his path of sorrow and only strive to be better then him. I broke down in tears thinking how this is all I want to is for my daughter to be better then me. Thank you for the peace and solace this brought to me, this game was already my favorite of all time you just helped me understand with a deeper and more profound sense as to why I loved it so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

BEST VIDEO ON GOD OF WAR, WE NEED A FOLLOW UP AFTER THE RAGNAROK TRAILER NOW

You have the best breakdowns of any subject/work you choose to focus on, on this app far none. I love coming back to them every once in a while. Thanks

This is the best story explanation i've ever watched, what a masterpiece Javed Sterritt, thank you for this, may this change humanity view on hate towards broken family ties, even if it's just a bit, it will always make a difference. "Who i was is not who you will be, we must be better"

This is genius.

The DLC nobody asked for, but everyone needed.

Every once in a while I come back to this video and am in awe at what you have done. Thank you