Since the God of War series is turning 20 years old this year, many are hopeful that Sony will release a remastered bundle of the series’ Greek installments to commemorate this milestone. The first two God of War games, in addition to God of War: Ascension and the PSP-exclusive spin-offs, are not natively playable on modern PlayStation consoles or Windows PCs, so a compilation of these titles would make a lot of sense. Plus, given the fact that Sony launched a remaster of God of War 3 on the PS4 to celebrate the series’ 10th anniversary, an announcement like this doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility.
Over the last few months, there have been rumors pointing towards the existence of this God of War remaster collection. A few weeks ago, an insider alleged that the next God of War project would take place in Ancient Greece. Some gamers assumed that this meant that the project would be a remaster or remake of the series’ earlier entries. However, it appears that this isn’t the case. A few days ago, the reputable insider Jeff Grubb claimed that the Greek God of War project is not a collection of older titles, but rather an entirely new spin-off game that’s set in Ancient Greece and is scheduled to come out later this year.
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Why God of War Fans Are Disappointed in The Series’ 20th Anniversary Festivities
A 20th anniversary passing should be a joyous occasion for any game franchise, but God of War didn’t party nearly as hard as it could have.
God of War’s Rumored Greek Game Should Retain the Combat System from The Norse Saga
Even if fans aren’t getting a remastered bundle of the old God of War games anytime soon, the fact that the series is seemingly returning to Greece with its next installment is a huge deal. The God of War franchise has, in recent years, shifted away from the Ancient Greece setting of the original games in favor of focusing on Norse mythology. God of War (2018) and its 2022 sequel, God of War: Ragnarok, both take place in ancient Scandinavia and feature an entirely new pantheon of gods, with Kratos being one of the few returning characters.
The Norse and Greek God of War Games Have Completely Different Gameplay Styles
The Norse saga of God of War games are different not only in terms of settings, but in terms of combat systems, as well. God of War (2018) and Ragnarok feature an over-the-shoulder camera perspective and a more open-ended approach to level design compared to their predecessors. In these games, Kratos can only damage a handful of enemies at a time with the Leviathan Axe, his primary weapon of choice in the Norse saga. Since the Leviathan Axe can’t kill dozens of enemies at once like the Blades of Chaos can, combat feels more focused and personal in God of War (2018) and its sequel.
The Blades of Chaos are the main weapon that Kratos uses in the early God of War installments. Although it does appear in God of War (2018) and God of War: Ragnarok, the weapon is not as destructive as it is in the OG titles.
When it came to combat, the original Greek God of War games were far more bombastic than the recent Norse duology. They featured larger-than-life boss fights, over-the-top set pieces, and brutal, gory gameplay sequences. Thanks to their fixed cinematic camera perspectives, the combat in these titles felt very fluid and fast-paced, perhaps more so than in God of War (2018) and Ragnarok. The early God of War installments were true hack-and-slash action games at their core; they prioritized combat and spectacle more than anything else.
A Greek God of War Game With Norse-Style Combat Could Be Very Interesting
The Greek and Norse God of War games both have great combat systems, so it’s frankly hard to pick a favorite. However, if Santa Monica Studio is truly working on a new God of War game set in Ancient Greece, as rumors suggest, it may be wise for the company to use the over-the-shoulder gameplay style of the Norse God of War games instead of the one from the Greek entries. Santa Monica Studio has already released six God of War games with the traditional hack-and-slash combat system, so there’s no urgent need for more installments like this. It would be more interesting for the company to release a Greek-era God of War game with Norse-era-style combat than for it to wholeheartedly replicate the series’ past installments without making any innovations to their formula at all.
- Released
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November 9, 2022
- ESRB
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M For Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language