I like talking about video games!

An account about my YouTube channel stuff and just general gaming thoughts. I am kinda a tumblr babi so, what could go wrong?

[oddbunchyeet]

Kol-Raiders

A variant of raiders that specifically hunt wolves and really love using fire. From what I can find, Kol loosely means coal or dark, typically used to describe a feature like hair. Used as a name, it is associated with strength. So "Kol-Raiders" could theoretically be called "Strong-Raiders" or, and I really like the sound of this, "Dark-Raiders." I'm going to take a guess that if there was any thought in using Kol in their name, it was to describe them as being the darker, more evil counterpart of the regular Midgardian Raiders.

Kol-Raider Scout

For comparison, I have the regular Raider Scout on the left. They're both literally darker, using blacks and blues for paint instead of reds and whites, but also stylistically darker, appearing more like fierce warriors than survivors of Fimbulwinter. The differences combat-wise with these two are sparse, though. Kol-Raiders Scouts create a pool of fire with their sling shots instead of just setting you on fire like the Raider Scout.

Finally, it's important to note that all of them will set themselves on fire after being defeated to bring themselves with you. I can't find anything about Norse tradition specifically relating to self-immolation. Though there is a classical Viking burial, burning was associated with both transformation and purification. Alternatively, they're just burning themselves so they don't rise as Hel-Raiders.

[oddbunchyeet]

Despite being the infant variant of the Grims, they don't have any basis in Norse mythology that I can find. They are an entirely unique and kinda cute creation of the GOW:R team. I have them as my wallpaper.

They also have an exploding variant that rolls around like this. Look how much fun they're having, they're just living they're lil lives.

And finally, there are the wild wretches that will grapple onto you and siphon some health away. They're really hard to tell apart from regular ones because their coloring is pretty similar. The big visual difference is their long, bony tail.

Going to be honest, the exploding ones are still my favorite, though.

[oddbunchyeet]

Draugr

Draugr exist in a lot of Nordic folklore and have come to represent many different things. The concept of Draugr that GOW seems to be based on is the undead revenants of Icelandic folklore, one of the most well-known is Glámr. Draugr were often depicted as evil, selfish, or greedy people rejecting death to remain on earth, not exactly undead as we'd understand it, more of a corporeal ghost. In saying that, in the Eyrbyggja saga, a shepherd is killed by a Draugr and rises as one himself. So they do have similarities to zombies on occasion.

In-game, they often reflect the environment they are found in, sleeping in the ground and becoming one with the earth until someone disturbs their rest. They can vary between being very weak and frail (like the image on the left) to being a little thicker (right). Draugr also seemingly show up in every realm except Helheim and Asgard, if memory serves. Which makes sense given they've rejected the whole concept of an afterlife and want to stay put.

Draugr Butcher

Outside of the normal Draugr in GOW: R, there are also several variants. The butcher is a duel axe wielding skinny Draugr the loves combo attacks. There's no mythology on them, obviously; they're just skinny axe-wielding Draugr. But they're fast and they look really cool.

Draugr Guard

Finally, we have the Draugr Guards, which wield shields, I think. It could honestly be a piece of stone or wood fused to their body. As far as the non-elite Draugr enemies go, these guys are probably the beefiest, being able to block attacks and take a few more.

[oddbunchyeet]

Gulon

Gulons do exist in Norse mythology, but aren't well documented. They do have a Wikipedia page, but it needs citations, and the links it led me to were books that don't have digital versions.

What I can find that I'm sure of is that Gulons are vaguely the size of large dogs, having features of both cats and dogs, as well as being symbols of gluttony. Why do they have beaks in GOW: R is beyond me; maybe there is a source out there where they do. If anyone knows, please let me know. Gameplay-wise, they're pretty simple wild beasts that can scream at you. Otherwise, they're not all that tough, filling a similar role that wolves filled in GOW 2018.

Cursed Gulon

They also come in a cursed variant, which replaces the scream with poison vomit and the ability to explode on death. This tracks with most cursed enemy variants and doesn't have any mythological significance from what I can find.

They also come in quite a few different colors, depending on the realm or location. This means nothing gameplay-wise, but it is pretty neat.

[oddbunchyeet]

Dark Elf Lords

Despite what you may think I can't find anything from the Prose Eda on Dökkálfar lords or royalty. Unless there is a super obscure source I'm unaware of this is yet another creation of God of War. Gameplay wise there a pain in the ass, in a good way. There tough, love flying away and firing out these dark orbs that blind you.

King Svartáljǫfurr

Despite not actually being alive in GOW:R he shows up in the Niflheim training area. As said previous there is nothing I can find on Dökkálfar leadership in actual Norse mythology. Unlike his counterpart Queen Alva, he actually had much more story presence and didn't just suddenly show up for a boss fight. Still he's ultimately not much of a character and more of a representation of all Dökkálfar. And much like Alva his attacks are a remix of Dark Elf Lord attacks, some being faster, stronger or been done in combo's. So yeah, unfortunately not a lot of mythology to go on here, but like all of GOW dark elves I love there fiery like design and dark-grey skin. It makes them look like bugs that live underground.

[oddbunchyeet]

The Light Elf Slayers

The strong and elegant leaders of the Ljósálfar (Light Elves), at least assumedly. Unlike their dark elf counterparts, they don't hold the title of lord, so they could possibly just be powerful warriors, which they certainly are. No real Norse mythology on these guys, and as for GOW: R lore, apparently, they feel more in sync when using 2 blades, but that's about it.

Queen Alva

The Light Elf Queen Alva, who, from what I can find is exclusively an invention of GOW: R. They're one of the early main game bosses and make a reappearance in the roguelike mode. They became the custodian of the Light Temple after the previous Dark Elf one was slain. Other than that, not much is known about them beyond being a supped-up Light Elf Slayer that attacks much faster. Her boss fight, both on my second playthrough and from my memory of the first, ends quite quickly, which is rather unceremonious. Would have loved her to have at least had a small amount of dialogue or characterization, but all we really get is the fight and a codex entry.

[oddbunchyeet]

Dark Elf Summoner

Light Elf Mystic

These are light and dark elf mage-type enemies. The top one is the Dark Elf Summoner, and the bottom is the Light Elf Mystic. I don't have much to say on these beyond the mystic projectiles being more difficult to deal with than you'd think, and that the summoners are underused, given how cool their ability is (to summon a dark elf) and how fun their moveset is compared to the spear charges of the other dark elves.

Oh, and of course I'm going to bring up Byggvir and Beyla. Because Byggvir is clearly a former Light Elf Mystic, as we see he still has his light sceptor, and Beyla has to be a summoner, given that those are the only female Dark Elf Soldiers we see. Now, as far as actual Norse mythology, the only thing we know about Byggvir is that he was one of Freyr's servants and husband of Beyla. The same goes for Beyla. There is nothing about them being enemies to lovers or light and dark elves in actual Norse myth, and from what little can be gleaned from their names, they seemed to represent farmers, as Byggvir vaguely relates to grains and barely. Beyla vaguely relates to cows, beans, or bees. So overall, I really like what was done with the characters given; there was basically nothing there to go off of as far as surviving written works.

[oddbunchyeet]

Dark Elf

Now, dark elves or Dökkálfar are said to dwell in the ground and deep, dark places of the world. This sounds remarkably similar to dwarfs and may mean that they are one and the same in Norse mythology. In GOW: R, however, they are definitely not dwarfs. No, they are the forefathers of the Elf race. Originally, all Elves looked like this, adorned with wings, being very similar to concepts of faeries and fairies, and nothing like the Tolkien concept of an elf that is now prevalent in pop culture. Eventually, the Elf race split, some wanting to use the light of Alfphiem more prevalently as a tool and weapon, cutting off their wings and making use of its magic to fly. So, despite their name, "Dark Elves", they're actually much more like the Hippie wood elves you've come to expect.

Dark Elf Warrior

In saying that, they are very much a warrior race and do want to wipe out the light elves and gain control of the light of Alfphiem. Most of them use spears, with their dedicated warriors using large maces and being adorned in armor.

[oddbunchyeet]

Hel-Reaver (Sword)

Hel-Reavers appear to be denizens of Helheim who have traveled through realm tears into the mortal realms. In GOW: 2018, they were possessed Reaver corpses, but given that they are coming straight from Helheim, that may not be the case anymore.

Hel-Reaver (Cleaver)

The only lore that can really be derived from their name, beyond them being denizens of Helheim, is some actual real-world history. Reaver is a word given to Vikings, along with Raider. Yeah, not very interesting.

Hel-Reaver (Duel Swords)

Despite their undead appearance, they still talk, yell, and behave like the living, nothing like Hel-Raiders' animalistic aggression. They also use a variety of weapons, which really annoys me because the GOW: R codex says there's just one enemy, but they have so many different moves available, swords and clever have rather simple attacks, but their wielders can also use shields or cast magic shockwaves, you've got duel blades for rapid attacks andddd

Hel-Reaver (Hammer and Guard)

Hammers for heavy swings. Some, like the fellow behind him, forgo weapons and just use their magic ice shockwaves, which can be done twice if you break their shield, but if you don't, they can fire an ice projectile from afar. So yeah, not a lot of lore but a really complex "enemy," or rather a set of enemies that are a joy to fight.

[oddbunchyeet]

Hel-Raider

Hel-Raiders are recently deceased raiders that come back from the dead, turning into what are basically zombies. With an added ice barrier on their health bar, which must be broken with Kratos's blades. While there is Norse and Germanic folklore on possession and bodies getting back up after death, none are directly related to Helheim from what I can find. It is unclear what exactly a Hel-walker is, but it can be assumed that the being now inhabiting the body is not the original, as that would make them a Draugr. My in-universe theory is that the moment these raiders die, because of how flooded the gates of Helheim are, a soul from Hel manages to slip into their body as the original leaves, possibly that of an animal even. That'd explain their animalistic aggression.

Hel-Raider Scouts

Hel-Raider scouts are, you guessed it, reanimated Raider scouts. Dropping the sling for an icy scream that can flash freeze whatever's in front of it. Beyond that, they behaved much the same as Hel-Raiders.

My second and final theory is directly supported by the Hel-Raider scout. The Raiders Flygia might be reanimating them after they've been sent to Helheim. This would explain the regular Hel-Raider's animalistic nature and the Hell-Raider scout's ability to scream as an attack, as their Flygia is that of an owl. I don't actually think any of this is canon; the GOW: R devs probably just thought it'd be cool to have more traditional zombies during Fimbulwinter.

[oddbunchyeet]

Björn

The first boss of GOW:R, Björn. As far as actual lore is concerned, Björn roughly translates to bear, so there's no direct mythical creature I can discuss. Though that doesn't mean there isn't any substance, spoilers ahead. The concept of Björn is remarkably similar to the many myths involving bears revealed to be men. These stories differ greatly, though the GOW:R wiki claims there is a story of a King who kills a bear that turns out to be his own son. That would make sense with Atreus being the bear and Kratos almost killing him buttttttt, but I couldn't find a source for this. As far as Atreus (Loki) being associated with transforming into bears, I can't find much there either; he's more associated with flies, salmon, mares, and snakes. So Björn is really just a creation of the GOW:R's writing team more than anything else and has very little direct mythology tied to it beyond simple inspirations such as Loki's shapeshifting ability and the trope of Werebears.

[oddbunchyeet]

Raider

The Raiders in GOW: R are the remaining survivors in Midgard, hell-bent on killing Kratos as they believe it will end Fimbulwinter. They've survived through the use of their Fylgja spirit. In Norse myth, a Flygia is a guardian spirit that often takes the form of an animal. It is speculated that, given Fylgja is an Icelandic word for afterbirth, whatever animal a baby eats after birth becomes their Fylgja. The majority of the Raiders you encounter have a Fylgja of a stag and will drink the blood of said stag out of a horn on their hip to both heal themselves and send them into a rage.

Raider Scout

Raider women appear to collectively have a Fylgja of an owl and prefer a ranged approach with a sling attached to their horn. They can heal just like their male counterparts and throw flaming debris. They claim to be able to see through the eyes of owls; however, I haven't seen a single owl in all of Midgard, so idk how helpful that would be.

[oddbunchyeet]

Light Elf

The light elves are very interesting. From what I can find in actual Norse folklore, they are pretty typical of what you'd expect from light or high elves. Called Ljósálfar, they are fairer than the sun and live on the surface of Alfheim. In GOW:R, they are a bit different. Originally, all elves were dark elves (Dökkálfar), which were blacker than pitch. You can see this in their skin, and if you take their masks off.

They're only called light elves because they use the light of Alfheim to empower themselves and wear clothes of white and gold. That, and they appear to either lack the wings of dark elves or have had them cut off. It doesn't seem to bother them, though; they can use the light of Alfheim to float.

Light Elf Warrior

The light elves also have this semi-samurai aesthetic, most obvious with their male warriors. Again, no actual folklore basis for this; the GOW:R team was just having fun with their design.

[oddbunchyeet]

Writing is hard :(

I wanna do more reviews, but script writing is really difficult to do in a way that I'm satisfied with. Then there's the actual videos themselves, the editing, getting the footage, etc. Maybe I should do shorter reviews so I can do more? There are a few games I wanna talk about a little bit, but not do a full 1 hour review on. Open to suggestions!!!

[oddbunchyeet]

Halo CE grunts: The cute and punchable enemies of gaming

These little turtle things are beyond stupid, but that's intentional design. They are not only slow firing and inaccurate but also utter cowards, likely to run away especially if you're up close and the elite leading them is dead.

What makes them strong is their numbers. They usually come in groups of 4 or 5 and follow an elite. Unlike all other alien races in Halo CE, the Grunts speak English and sound like children, making them look pathetic and adorable.

This is done to an exact science where they are not innocent enough for you not to want to shoot them but innocent enough for you to go "aww" while shooting them.

[oddbunchyeet]

The Elites of Halo combat evolved: The original intelligent enemy.

Halo CE's Elites are still really fun to fight, being able to bob and weave between shots, jump to cover, and if you land a sticky grenade on them they'll rush at you and try and take you with them. Their appearance was partially inspired by the Predator, hence the mandibles and why some of them can go invisible.

While they do use other weapons, the Plasma rifle fits them very well, its small, elegant, and accurate. They're able to wield it solely with one hand, leaving the other hand idle for pointing and various other gestures to communicate there command role. I love the design of the Elites in CE, it's got that little marathon flair which a lot of Halo CE has compared to later Halo games developed by Bungie.

[oddbunchyeet]

Grim

I have been slowly screenshotting all the enemies in god of War Ragnarok cause I can. So now you get to hear me yap about them :D Here we've got a Grim, which is, from what I can find, vaguely based on Fossegrim in Norwegian folklore, and that's very big vaguely. They're both water creatures, but these are violent fantasy monsters and, unlike the folklore, aren't known for playing the fiddle. They give more feral goblin vibes than anything else and are really weak.

Cursed Grim

This "Cursed Grim," as it's called, is just the chubby ranged variant of Grim. I wonder if they've just eaten a lot and have indigestion, or if the cursed part has something to do with seiðr magic? Given that the other main poison enemies in the game are the Reavers, corrupted by said magic, it wouldn't be out of the question