“God of War’s” special edition steelcase has a hidden message on its reverse cover, decipherable only by those able to read the oldest of the runic alphabets.
A Reddit user appears to have done just that, discovering developer Sony Santa Monica left a message for players about the journey they’ll be taking in “God of War.”
“This is the story of a bear and a wolf, who wandered the realms nine to fulfill a promise of one before; they walk the twilight path, destined to discower (discover) the truth that is to come,” the translation via user Wolfstrong1995 reads.
It’s probably safe to assume the bear and wolf mentioned here are in fact protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus, who spend the game wandering the nine Norse realms. As for “the truth that is to come,” this might be a reference to Atreus not knowing his father is a Greek god, and by extension himself a god.
The original text and Wolfstrong1995’s translation can be found below.
According to Wolfstrong1995, the alphabet used on the game’s cover is Elder Futhark, the oldest of the runic alphabets, believed to have been created between the first and second century. Since the alphabet is used throughout the game, too, there’s probably a lot more translations fans can do.
Originally announced at E3 2016 during Sony’s press conference, “God of War” was released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 on April 20. Though it is a continuation of the series’ story, picking up after the events of “God of War 3,” the game is a stark contrast to older entries, focusing on familial bonds and personal growth over gratuity and fetishized violence.
“God of War” has received near-unanimous critical acclaim, currently sitting at a 95% on the review aggregate site Metacritic. Read Variety’s review here.
