The God of War trailer might have revealed more than you realize

So, how about that God of War, huh? An over-the-shoulder camera view, a son, a new setting… life sure looks different for our old friend Kratos. And while our first glimpse into this sequel (and it is a sequel, despite the lack of a 4 on the end) only showed one enemy, there may be more hiding here than appears at first glance.

A NeoGAF user by the name of, uh, "Bitch Pudding" … has found three potential foes lurking in the background of Kratos' snowy romp. The first is a shadowy figure floating behind some trees, with large, curved horns protruding from its forehead:

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A popular thread on Reddit theorizes this is the Norse god Loki, which would make Kratos the man behind the myth of Odin, and his son would be Thor. Not a bad theory, especially since the young boy seems to have some sort of lightning powers - as evidenced when he fires his arrows.

The next enemy is a flying bug-creature, wielding what looks like a large staff. No idea what this thing is, but maybe it's the game's answer to the original trilogy's harpies? Who knows!

As interesting as these spooky, skittish fellows are, they're nothing compared to the biggest secret. Watch the trailer again, skip to 9:15, and pay special attention to the area just past the first line of trees. At first it looks like chunks of ice flowing in a river, but if that's the case, why are all the chunks of "ice" the same size, and why don't we see them in the other watery places?

Well, if fans are correct, it's because those are actually scales belonging to an enormous serpent: Jormungandr. Also known as The Midgard Serpent, this legendary creature is tied to the cataclysmic event known as Ragnarok, where it is destined to battle the mighty Thor. The God of War series has been known for its larger-than-life bosses, and a snake of that size would certainly be a fitting challenge for Kratos and his boy. I'm down.

Spotted any other secrets, got your own theories, or seen something newsworthy? Tell us!

Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.