Kratos, meanwhile, is an emotionally distant father who projects his own issues on other people. Be better,' Kratos tells him after taking a careless shot at a deer). Atreus is determined to prove he's ready to make the journey and pressured to live up to Kratos' high standards ('Do not be sorry. It's obvious from the jump that the two aren't close.
It's not exactly a new narrative trick to pair a strong silent type with an inquisitive youngster, but unlike the developing relationship of Joel and Ellie, Atreus and Kratos already have a layered rapport that's steadily peeled back over time. Lifting big rocks wouldn't be near as fun without the back and forth banter with Atreus (or as he's often called, 'boy'). For a character that used to mostly show his toughness by killing every living thing in the room, it's nice to see Kratos throw his weight around the world itself. Where Nathan Drake looks for a chain to lift an ancient pulley, Kratos simply throws his axe at the gears so hard that they spin. It's both cool and funny how often Atreus ponders how they're going to cross a gap just as Kratos lifts a beam the size of six cars or spins an entire building like it's a windup toy. My strongest memories all revolve around one of the greatest weapons in videogames: the Leviathan Axe.
