It seems hard to believe, but the conclusion to yet another epic God of War saga is nearly upon us in God of War: Ragnarok. After smashing and bashing pretty much every god and goddess in the Greek pantheon, the ever-irate Kratos set his aim on Norse mythology, and the result was one of the series’ most significant narrative moments thus far.
The departure from the classic mindless hack-and-slash gameplay that made the previous games (God of War, God of War II, God of War: Betrayal, God of War: Chains of Olympus, God of War III, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, God of War: Ascension) so popular was a risky move on Santa Monica Studio’s part – but it was a decision that ultimately made the game even better than it ever was. The renewed focus on nuanced narrative over senseless violence has turned every character in the series into a more refined version of themselves – even Kratos sounds calmer than usual now. Settling in a new realm, he has left his gods of Olympus years behind him and put away his Blades of Chaos.
With the upcoming God of War: Ragnarok reportedly serving as the ending to Kratos’ adventures in the realm of Norse gods, fans are already wondering what might be next for the franchise, especially now that we are in the early days of a new generation of consoles (the PlayStation 5).
God of War Plans Beyond Ragnarok
Sony Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog had some interesting things to say when it came to what awaits the unforgiving world of Kratos beyond the days of God of War Ragnarok. The developer has voiced his interest in developing no less than four new God of War games after the upcoming title, but he has also admitted that such a high number would be a tall order for him and his team to achieve.
Talking to Kotaku’s Jason Schreier about 2018’s God of War (the latest PlayStation exclusive to get a PC port), Barlog said that he has five more games mapped out (that’s including the upcoming release). When asked if it would be developed over 25 years, the creative director was quick to point out that he would like to “figure out how to make these things faster”.
At the very least, a sequel or remaster of sorts could be expected to be hitting Sony’s newest generation of consoles in the coming years. Considering the PS5’s shiny new features like native 4K resolutions and ray tracing, it wouldn’t be too unthinkable to see a reimagined version of the original God of War games (7 in total across various platforms) making its way to current-gen Sony PlayStation consoles either.
One entry that’s in dire need of some love is 2013’s God of War: Ascension. The game remains as one of the only titles in the franchise that hasn’t received a port of any sort outside of its original release.
Watch the latest trailer for God of War Ragnarok below.
Everything We Know About God of War Ragnarok
God of War: Ragnarok (which will be directed by Eric Williams) is the much-anticipated sequel to the critically-acclaimed 2018 title and it’s coming to both the PS5 and PS4 sometime in 2022. The game (which was first announced back in September 2020) will pick up a few years after the last game, with Atreus now a teenager.
Fans got their first look at the next instalment in a God of War: Ragnarok trailer (which featured cinematic footage and gameplay) released during the PlayStation Showcase 2021. And as expected, the physical combat looks as violent and brutal as previous games in the franchise, while the freezing winds of Fimbulwinter make the challenges even tougher for Kratos.
The game’s marketing has highlighted the phrase “Ragnarok is coming”, a reference to the series of events that ultimately lead to the end of the world according to Norse mythology.
In a PlayStation blog post, Sony also pointed out that Atreus is very interested in who he is. “The mystery of Loki’s role in the upcoming conflict is something that Atreus cannot let go of,” the post reads. “He wants to keep his family safe, but Atreus also doesn’t want to stand by and do nothing while conflict consumes the Nine Realms.”
The God of War: Ragnarok trailer also reveals Frey and Thor, the game’s two of the main antagonists.
Santa Monica Studio has gone on to promise “new attack abilities, a new Runic Summon for Atreus, and of course, the return of Kratos’ legendary weapons.” More importantly, we can look forward to Atreus and Kratos’ relationship growing.
While the studio is yet to confirm a release date for God of War: Ragnarok, leaks are suggesting September 2022 – although some still believe that the game will be delayed to 2023.
More Mythologies
Of course, when we think of God of War games, the first thing that comes to mind is just which pantheon Kratos is going to beat up next. Hypothesis about which mythology might be the next target for Kratos abound, with many fans hoping to see an Egyptian entry sometime in the future.
Fortunately, there are still a ton of myths and legends for Santa Monica Studios to explore, so maybe we will see Kratos visiting ancient Egypt or some mythological version of Japan sooner than we think.
Just imagine him gaining new abilities in the next God of War game that open doors for him to travel to more and more realms. We could see larger enemies and more dangerous worlds. Heck, we could even have the story come full circle and see someone revenging the fallen Olympian gods. The story of Kratos is truly limitless at this point.
Pushing the Tech Boundaries
Whether you love or hate God of War’s gameplay and his new main weapon, a Leviathan Axe (a magical battle axe), the technical prowess on display by the latest entry in the series is undeniable. Graphics have never looked as good as they did in the 2018 revival, and they were made even better once the franchise made its surprising PC debut earlier this year.
The technical advantages of bringing such a graphics-intensive game as God of War (which won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2018 and 22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards) to modern PCs are simply impressive. Featuring super-high resolutions and improved framerates, seeing Kratos on a non-Sony platform is a dream come true for some die-hard PC gamers.
Now, it’s not as unthinkable to foresee the series releasing yet more titles on PC, even if it takes some years before we actually see these games leaving Sony’s ecosystem. In any case, Sony has proved time and time again that they are one of the leading studios when it comes to graphical fidelity, and we’re more than excited to see what the future of God of War might look like on modern consoles and PCs.
Could God of War Be the Next Big Netflix Show?
When it comes to action video games, it doesn’t get much bigger than the God of War franchise. Gamers love nothing more than to select Kratos and smash their way through ancient mythology. Even after eight games, the series continuously raises the bar rather than settle for complacency.
Expectedly, there’s been talk about a live-action adaption for a long time. At one stage, James Bond actor Daniel Craig was mooted for the part, while director Steven S. DeKnight stated he’d love to do an R-rated film with Dave Bautista as Kratos.
Well, how no one has contacted Jason Momoa, Gerald Butler, DeKnight or Bautista about this project is unfathomable. As the creator of Spartacus, DeKnight is the perfect person to bring God of War to life in a live-action adaptation. Essentially, he created the template for gory mythological productions that so many other showrunners and filmmakers use nowadays.
The thing is, God of War is much better suited for TV than a film. With such deep lore and intricate storytelling, a movie won’t be able to capture the essence of Kratos and all the mythology he encounters. There’s a lot of worldbuilding that would need to take place, and Hollywood has shown that it isn’t always patient with fantasy projects—unless it has the name Lord of the Rings in its title.
By focusing on serial storytelling and taking a page of The Witcher‘s playbook, God of War could become the next big TV show for Netflix. Undoubtedly, the success of Henry Cavill’s latest show bodes well for other video game adaptations, as streaming services realise that there’s a huge market for these types of productions.
But forget about the fact that God of War is one of the biggest gaming franchises on Earth for one second, and consider the potential for the story to connect with a wider audience. If Netflix has searched for its own version of Game of Thrones, this gaming franchise is closer to it than The Witcher ever was. It ties into Greek and Norse mythologies, with several twists and an abundance of blood.
The game’s synopsis on the PlayStation blog reads:
Following the death of Kratos’ second wife, and Atreus’ mother, [the god of war] must journey to fulfill her request that her ashes be spread at the highest peak of the nine realms. Living as a man outside the shadow of the gods, Kratos must adapt to unfamiliar lands, unexpected threats, and a second chance at being a father. Together with his son Atreus, the pair will venture into the brutal Norse wilds and battle to fulfil a deeply personal quest. From the marble and columns of ornate Olympus to the gritty forests, mountains and caves of Pre-Viking Norse lore, this is a distinctly new realm with its own pantheon of creatures, monsters and gods.
Doesn’t that sound like an epic TV series? And that’s not even considering the original games or God of War: Ragnarok.
After the success of The Witcher, you can bet that Netflix is shopping around for other games to adapt. There’s an obvious one right under the streaming giant’s nose and it would do well to act fast before another company scoops it up. Because let’s face it: God of War is primed to become a live-action sensation – whether that’s as a movie or a TV show.
Mythology, knowing there was already a plan to go for Egypt I guess they might go there now but I’m not so fond of that… Greek and Viking worlds are very based on big strong men and that gives the manly tone to the series. Egypt is more mysterious, good for assassin’s creed. I would really like Celtic but may be the game would lose in innovation. And for the woman, just because everything (comics, movies, ads) is under so much political influence to represent all minority as an equal percentage of the humans, please no, just let us continue open creature bodies with two manly wood cutter hands and that’s it.