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The God of War Series: A Journey Across Mythology
May
The God of War series is a set of action-adventure games from Santa Monica Studios following the story of the Spartan Warrior, Kratos, from his beginnings as a general to his place on the Nordic War Council as the God of War. Spanning 5 main games and 4 connecting games on other platforms, the series began in 2005 with the latest installment releasing in 2022. The first 3 main story games are based on Greek mythology and set up a very violent version of Kratos, while the latest 2 main story games are based on Norse mythology and develop his character greatly with his new family. Stana Monica Studios developed and published the main games, while Ready at Dawn and Javaground/SOE-LA developed the 4 side games.
These games have impacted and inspired the gaming community, becoming popular enough to have a TV show being planned. If you’re curious about these games, have only played some, or just want to learn some fun facts, check out this article and grab the games for your collection!
The Greek Storyline
The first three games, God of War (2005), God of War II (2007), and God of War III (2010), make up the main trilogy and were released on the PS2 and PS3. They’re based on Greek Mythology with creative liberties taken, but still pay respect to the original legends. Kratos, a Spartan Soldier, had previously pledged his allegiance to Ares to become the ultimate warrior and annihilate his enemies. However, Ares tricked him into killing his own family, becoming the Ghost of Sparta, and eventually went on to kill Ares, becoming the God of War, and declaring war on the other gods. Eventually, he finds out he is the son of Zeus, but is fueled by rage and destroys Olympus and kills all the gods, falling into an abyss and is presumed to be dead. These games are extremely violent and gory, but have a strong story and were executed well. God of War (2005) won the Game of the Year award and is still widely acknowledged as a huge success. All the connected games (so far) are also based on the Greek storyline and include Betrayal (2007) for mobile, Chains of Olympus (2008) and Ghost of Sparta (2010) for the PSP, and a prequel called Ascension (2013) for the PS3. There is also a comic series available and a novel trilogy based on the first three main games.
God of War III Remastered for PS4 PlayStation Hits Edition
The Norse Storyline
The next two games in the main series, God of War (2018) and God of War: Ragnarök (2022), are based on Norse Mythology and were released on the PS4 and PS5. Creative liberties were taken as well, given that Kratos is a Greek God, but the games still paid respect to the original legends and stuck to them as best as they could. Kratos, after destroying Olympus, fell into the Nine Realms and was found by a woman, Faye, with whom he fell in love and had a child, Atreus. He tried to live a peaceful life, forgetting his past and living as a man, but once Faye passed and her protection magic was lifted, Kratos was noticed by the gods. Though his goal is only to complete Faye’s final wish of returning her ash to her homeland, the Aesir are sent by Odin to intervene and Kratos is forced to reveal he is the God of War to his son and kill more gods. Eventually, Ragnarök is triggered and he is forced to take down Asgard and Odin, ushering in a new era for the Nine Realms of peace and prosperity. Atreus goes off on his own journey and Kratos joins the council as the God of War. These games are violent as well, but are more story-focused and have incredible character development. God of War (2018) won the Game of the Year award, and Ragnarök was nominated in its respective year. God of War: Ragnarok got a DLC in 2023, God of War: Ragnarök Valhalla, which served as an epilogue for Kratos and fully rounded out his character development from the violent God of War to a well-respected leader on the council led by Freya. A tabletop game, God of War: The Card Game, was released in connection with the 2018 game, where players take the role of the Norns to prevent Ragnarök. Currently, there is a TV show in development at Amazon Prime based on the Norse era of the games.
God of War: Ragnarok PS5 & PS4
God of War PS4 PlayStation Hits Edition
What’s Next for the Series?
Items and connections to Egyptian, Hindu, Japanese, and Maya mythology were included in the Norse Era games, indicating Kratos or Atreus may be journeying to those worlds next. The studio is currently working on a new project, which is hinted to be the new game, so there is a chance that in the next few years a new installment will be announced.
