God of War Laufey: More Than a“Middle-Aged Mom”

Karina Sturdivant

The trailer for God of War Laufey just dropped and landed with a huge splash creating ripples of excitement, disappointment, and some controversy. The idea of having the continuation of such a beloved game series that has been built over the last two decades has brought a lot of attention to God of War Laufey. However, the idea of a female protagonist, despite her being Kratos’ own wife, has led opinions of how this game is going, or not going, to appeal to audiences due to her being, as some have said, “a 43-year-old, middle aged mom.”

Faye’s story is one that needs to be told. She is the unsung hero and architect for the events that set Kratos and Atreus on their journeys. As a game that is heavily driven by narrative, seeing the events unfold on the other side of the veil parallel with her family is going to give players a deeper understanding of events that happen with Kratos and Atreus and deepen our understanding of Faye as a character.

Of course, there are always going to be those who disagree. The opinion of those who are not interested in playing as Faye does not necessarily come down to her fighting capability (even Kratos holds her combat prowess in high regard, and she is a warrior giant from Jötunheim), her ability to problem-solve, or the story itself. Mostly, the concern is that the game will be in the “female” perspective, driven by the thoughts and emotions of a woman. Some commentors even saying, “I’m a man, I will not relate to any of those choices.”

However, one could argue that the choices that are made within a game are not innately male or female oriented, instead coming down to the situation versus the gender of the character. Kratos makes decisions based on the outcome for his son and family all the time. Why would Faye making these choices differ? Why is it that a player can only empathize with a male main character but not find the ability to do the same with a woman?

Female driven narratives within gaming have come up over the decades, moving away from the “damsel in distress” archetype, oversexualization, and general lack of autonomy. More often than not games with female protagonists or even as side characters are multilayered, capable, and rich characters that do more than prop up and maximize on the idea of masculinity for the male character. Laufey, I believe will do just that.

She will join a long line of strong women characters that have strong narratives to back them. Characters such as Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft, Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy, Control’s Jesse Faden, Ellie, and Abby from Last of Us II, Faith from Mirror’s Edge, and so many more. Though she is one of the few women in her lineup who is a mother, this does not make her story any less important or is an immediate indication that she will be weaker because she is “old” or driven by her maternal instincts.

I believe Faye and the story that she will reveal is going to be something that is just as resonant as the stories we have followed with Kratos. It is easy to make comments about a character that we still know so little about and for others to make quick judgments based off of archaic and chauvinistic views of what it means to be a woman. Not all warriors are men, not all heroes are men, not all good or bad people are men.

Though the world would have us believe that women have a small part to play in society or story, I would argue that without women there would hardly be stories worth telling for there wouldn’t be any ears to hear them. Therefore, narratives driven by women and told by women are just as valid. Let’s welcome Faye’s story and be open to an awesome experience that is sure come with the release of God of War Laufey.