Kratos story started out as a fully-contained Greek Tragedy that got warped into a franchise because of its success. Any and all analysis will always result in some weird unsatisfying conclusion because each new installment is stapled to the whole without a long term plan in mind. Kratos self-hate in Nordic Saga really doesn't make sense because he already did that in the original game (By the Gods! What have I become!?").
I'd say the difference between the old "what have I become" and modern is (Spoilers ahead)
"what have I become, killing my own family by accident because I got goaded into by deception and my pride by the God of War, after selling my soul to him to win in battle, and now I'm sad I killed my family, but I'm going to make him pay even if I get cast into hell itself (hades) and have to crawl back out and take him out dethroning him"
and "what have I become....a violent and unapologetically masculine man that is at odds with modern liberal values...the horror!"
Max Payne had a bit of self-loathing in his original game[s], things tinged with tragedy, his family getting killed, and reflections on if he's more of a cop or a criminal in the second game with choices he makes in terms of murder if I remember the plot, but it's a far cry from mopeyness. That key word there is "bit". It's not the predominant defining characteristic. There's a line between intentional tragedy in writing and feminine "critique on masculinity" and Max Payne and original God of War games fall squarely in the former category and things like Max Payne 3, God of War reboot, Star Wars reboots, etc fall squarely in the latter category.
Old Kratos and any Real Man and Father would have stomped Freyas head in the first time she threatened violence on him and his son.
This pussy shit of continuously allowing her to ravage you and threaten your only child is pathetic and spineless. Who gives a fuck if she was abused? Hardship isn't a license to be an evil bitch.
Kratos has never been a real man. He's always been a lapdog who mindlessly follows what others tell him, and then does the Surprised Pikachu face when they betray him. Then he takes it out on a bunch of mortals who did nothing to him.
Kratos story started out as a fully-contained Greek Tragedy that got warped into a franchise because of its success. Any and all analysis will always result in some weird unsatisfying conclusion because each new installment is stapled to the whole without a long term plan in mind. Kratos self-hate in Nordic Saga really doesn't make sense because he already did that in the original game (By the Gods! What have I become!?").
I'd say the difference between the old "what have I become" and modern is (Spoilers ahead)
"what have I become, killing my own family by accident because I got goaded into by deception and my pride by the God of War, after selling my soul to him to win in battle, and now I'm sad I killed my family, but I'm going to make him pay even if I get cast into hell itself (hades) and have to crawl back out and take him out dethroning him"
and "what have I become....a violent and unapologetically masculine man that is at odds with modern liberal values...the horror!"
Max Payne had a bit of self-loathing in his original game[s], things tinged with tragedy, his family getting killed, and reflections on if he's more of a cop or a criminal in the second game with choices he makes in terms of murder if I remember the plot, but it's a far cry from mopeyness. That key word there is "bit". It's not the predominant defining characteristic. There's a line between intentional tragedy in writing and feminine "critique on masculinity" and Max Payne and original God of War games fall squarely in the former category and things like Max Payne 3, God of War reboot, Star Wars reboots, etc fall squarely in the latter category.
Old Kratos and any Real Man and Father would have stomped Freyas head in the first time she threatened violence on him and his son.
This pussy shit of continuously allowing her to ravage you and threaten your only child is pathetic and spineless. Who gives a fuck if she was abused? Hardship isn't a license to be an evil bitch.
Kratos has never been a real man. He's always been a lapdog who mindlessly follows what others tell him, and then does the Surprised Pikachu face when they betray him. Then he takes it out on a bunch of mortals who did nothing to him.
No wonder he became such a cuck.