You can if you are above universal
Depended on if the opponent is above-space and time by existing/ignoring the very idea/concept of space and time, while the other guy has to be part of the space-time continuum. The problem is Hermes is physical as Kratos is. Being above universal by tiering is one thing. The potency to destroy a universe (mostly the space of it) doesn´t mean you are above time. The same also counts for beings which exist in a higher dimension, since lower concepts becoming mostly irrelevant. Infinite power and infinite speed within a 4-D construct became irrelevant if someone exist one dimension above that. (Depended on the dimensional tiering and the multiverse or multi-dimensional theories which are used. )
The universe itself is an infinite space time continuum.
The universe in GoW is infinity?
Anyway, one infinite space-time continuum, doesn´t change much. It is just infinite more space and might be relevant if someone travel instantly from one point to another. There is als the question if the universe is infinite, or did it just expand infinity.
When someone destroys a universe, they aren't simply making a big area of DC. There's is no measurable "Area". The universe is infinite. And the person went ABOVE infinity to destroy it.
If someone can ignore the infinite idea, and destroy a universe like this, sure. However, no one in GoW destroyed the universe, at least not from my last knowledge. Uranus created the universe, that is all what we know. Kronos take over the universe after killing Uranus, he didn´t create or destroy it. Mostly they rule above that, the same what Zeus does. There is also the problem the no one exist above that infinite universe. They exist all within.
BTW there's very many things about infinity even in our relationship world. Look it up.
Infinity is often a term which is hard to proof, and either mostly a metaphor, or hype. However, Infinity also exist within a few universe theories, there also exist scientific theories that the universe is still expanding. But infinite expansion doesn´t mean the universe is infinite, since the process is still ongoing.
So yes, you can be above infinity if you are above universal. By definition destroying a universe directly translates to a person destroying INFINITE TIME AND SPACE. This is automatically Above Infinity.
If the verse has a infinite universe model, sure. But you aren´t automatically above the concept of time, and time becomes relevant if we talking about speed. Let´s say Kratos and the others are faster then Hermes infinite speed, they still can blitz eachother, and they never archived to exist in a higher dimension to say the infinite speed of Kratos became not relevant to Zeus for example. Scaling Infinite above infinite while using the same universe model, doesn´t make sense tbh.
Also the argument of "Zues and Kratos don't destroy planets when they fight" doesn't work because the creator Cory Barlog himself said he can't actually create a game that matches the lore of the story.
That might be a good answer, but why he can´t create a game like that? Because there are a few games which can match the powerlevel of olympic gods really well, for example Asura´s Wrath. And i doubt that game need more budged, then a good GoW. But anyway, that is only one point. Maybe he really doesn´t have the possibilities for it, we are using mostly feats in debates. If those feats match up with the statements mostly, or there are some points where we can say under special circumstances they are universal, then it is ok. But like i said, the only one who has a universal creator feat is Uranus.
He says for the sake of the game working a specific way, the physical representation of what Kratos can do in lore doesn't match the lore and he expects the players to suspend disbelief. E.g.
Then it would make sense, if he correct that in the comic, because that is a canonically source too and statements are more taken as face value.
Kratos is shown surviving getting run through by the sword of olympus yet random no name grunt enemies can kill him. Well, because it's a game.
Kratos was still hurt within cutszenes, or the story. Game mechanics are more, if i would say he was hurt by some fodder non names, but i already ignore this, because like you said: It is a game. I don´t use the game mechanics for scaling.
Let's examine this with an easy comparison in GoW4. Follow this closely
Ok.
1. The branches of the world tree are stated in lore to be above Infinite Time and space. That's why the branches can hold the 9 realms on them. Because they are beyond universal.
2. Geographically, the 9 realms are infinite distance apart given each realm is on a different branch of infinite time space. But the 9 realms also transpose onto one another acting as parallel universes if you use tyr's temple to teleport between them. The main method of travel is only via teleportation since you are covering infinite distance.
3. Only Valkyries are stated able to move from one realm to another BY SHEER MOVEMENT. By that I mean the Valkyries travel across that infinite distance between realms BY JUST FLYING ACROSS, no teleportation. It takes them a few minutes to cover infinite distance therefore once again we have ourselves INFINITE SPEED. The plain movement speed of Valkyries is infinite speed.
4. Kratos is faster than Valkyries in combat. So once again, Kratos is shown faster than infinite speed.
That sounds better, i will reread/rewatch some points. Only problem i see is that infinite speed becoming irrelevant if they move within the universe instead of the 9 realms.
So we have two characters who in lore should be moving at ridiculous speed, yet the game plays like you're fighting a dark souls boss. When you fight Valkyries, do they look like they are moving at infinite speed? No. Because the game is built to be playable so aspects of the lore aren't literally incorporated.
This is true, but what about the cutscenes from the story, Those aren´t game mechanics. If Kraos has infinite speed, he literally would be omnipresent within his universe. I mean, that guy doesn´t have shown even infinite speed when he had to take a rowboad to get Freya. Where was the infinite speed when his son was being kidnapped by dark elves and Baldur. In the battle between him and Hermes, who fought both in the same domain/dimension, no one here has displayed infinite speed, because Kratos managed to overcome Hermes his speed which has shown distance and a timeframe due the cinematics.
I think the main problem is that the word of the author take priority over feats and showings, that´s why i said that might work by inverse-logic. (Probably not even in this situation) If we argue Kratos infinite speed within his own universe, with his laws and with the WoG, then we can ignore anti-feats and say yes they are infinite fast. But if it comes to a crossbattle, there are not infinite speed arrows. Instead of infinite speed, it can be argued for abilities that ignores the concept of distance, but even that doesn´t count for everything.
See, you say Kratos is "inconsistent" yet there we have it. Kratos was faster than Helios' infinite speed attacks and he's faster than infinite speed Valkyries.
A lot of characters in fiction are inconsistent by the term of infinite speed, since they mostly don´t fulfill that concept. Being faster then that, is like i said above is only possible if both operates in complete different/higher dimensions with complete different laws. By inverse logic, sure they can be argued as universal or higher, but if it comes to crossbattles, we can´t use everything 1:1. I mean, there are people who believe Kaguya from Naruto are universal, because she can create a space-time continuum. But since we don´t know the size of that, nor the size of her dimensions she never archived the universal tiering level. Same also counts for Zeref from Fairy Tail. To affecting the entire universe, or being above that universe we need more. Existing above the universe is also different from being more powerful. You might be not bound by the laws, but you aren´t automatically more powerful then the universe.
Kratos by his feats in comparison to the infinite speed statements, or to the unviersal scaling is far away from being consistent on that level. However, i don´t say he is inconsistent at all. He has feats, so he can be put somewhere in terms of speed and of tiering level. It is just not infinite speed and universal.
Actual greek mythology >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the greek mythology of god of war. One could stretch real greek mythology as galactic leveled beings.
Yeah, they have some really special calibers. Even other fiction that includes greek mythology outclassed GoW featwise by far like Saint Seiya for example which used a huge amount of greek myth.
Kratos was only able to defeat any greek gods cuz he had the abstract power of Hope, which he lost at the conclusion of god of war 3. But even like, full blown kratos is just like, big mountain level.
Hope is a really complicated concept and can have indeed an infinite potential. However, for that there still exist rules, otherwise it would be NLF and Kratos could even beat the likes of Galactus, or Beyonder.
Top tiers in Naruto could beat him, let alone the real powerhouses of anime/manga.
Yeah, you don´t have to be universal to beat someone like Kratos. Mostly it is enough to have the right abilities.
Gods who create universes aren't all omnipotent combat gods. Defeating Uranus vaguely or something =/= defeating the sky and space.
Indeed. Omnipotence is also term which failed too often in fiction, that´s why that word and the title of god are meaningless in fiction, as long that character doesn´t have shown impressive feats or a consistent lore behind him.
You could argue that true greek mythology is like that, but the games, the characters have very definite power scale, with or without gameplay involvement.
True but greek myth, would be like Cronos cut the schlong and the balls of Uranus, to prevent him from raping Gaia again. Doesn´t sound really impressive either, but the myth works with a complete different analogy