Before God of War Ragnarok launched, many of us had an idea in our heads of how its story would go, and how it would conclude the series' Norse saga. As is often the case with hugely popular story-driven franchises, theories were a dime a dozen about more than a few unresolved plot threads. Sure enough, some of those theories turned out to be accurate- but it's fair to say that in some of its biggest and most pivotal moments, God of War Ragnarok defies expectations. From beginning to end, its plot keeps finding ways to unfold in ways that we don't see coming, and introduces several major elements that define the narrative's flow in fundamental ways.