The God of War franchise is primed to get a boost. Kratos’ infamous rage has moved him from the slopes of Mt. Olympus to the edge of Helheim. The series obviously had a big change from the Greek Saga to the Norse Saga, which proved to be welcomed among gamers, old or new. The Norse saga touched upon the details in the Greek saga while carving its own story. Within the story being told, it also set up things to be further explored. And as some rumors may suggest, Santa Monica Studios is tempted to expand the God of War franchise. Up until now, the whole narrative of the lore has followed Kratos and only Kratos. If Santa Monica Studios took the plunge to expand the God of War universe, it’s likely stories will be told that are completely away from Kratos. How will a God of War universe look like without the Ghost of Sparta?
For a while now, the game that was expected to start this wave is a game revolving around Atreus. The ending of God of War: Ragnarok saw Atreus leave Kratos so he could go about in the world to search for the surviving Giants. With God of War: Ragnarok already creating a base for his gameplay, it seems like a logical step for Santa Monica Studios to go in this direction. Atreus even had his own side story that ran parallel – and completely separate from – the story revolving around Kratos. So, the building blocks for a game revolving around Atreus have already been set. Of course, the gameplay will have to be expanded because the mechanics exclusive to Atreus were a bit limited. But this is chance to stay in the Norse world for a little longer. Stay with Atreus a little longer. And represents a chance for Santa Monica Studios to take even more liberties when it comes to gameplay mechanics. The differences from the Greek Saga to the Norse Saga were glaringly and obviously different. The change wasn’t quite controversial but was definitely a huge departure from the familiarity of the Greek Saga. With Kratos out of the way, there isn’t a factor that Santa Monica Studios has to keep familiar. A game with Atreus is a blank canvas to allow much bolder, new and creative additions.
The hot rumor right now though is that Faye will receive the main star treatment. As the rumor suggest, a game within the God of War universe will put Faye in center stage. And this does have some merit. It was revealed in God of War (2018) that the Leviathan Axe Kratos has and uses throughout the game did in fact belong to Faye. It was hers! And it was given to her by the Dwarf Brothers, Brok and Sindri. So that’s potential right there to explore her story. Have a broader back story to that weapon especially since it was created to be the equal to Mjolnir. A game could explore in more depth to why Mjolnir needed an equal. And speaking of the hammer, Faye did cross paths with Thor. This was revealed in the side missions within the Crater in God of War: Ragnarok. Again, this is a piece of Faye’s story the game could have. Their fight is the reason to why the large crater is there in the first place. The aftermath of the fight was much larger than the ones left behind by Kratos and Thor. This fight seemed to be on a titanic level that fans only got to glimpse. If this game comes out, fans could play that. Another opportunity a game around Faye could showcase is Jotunheim. By the time fans were able to step foot into the realm, all the Giants are dead. Thor was the cause. Thor was killing them which put him and Faye at odds. The game could mostly be set in Jotunheim and explore different parts of it including lore, history, locations and characters. And of course, this game will reveal more about Faye. Although her past was alluded to, it was never in the forefront. Like Kratos, she dropped a lot of wisdom, perhaps much like Kratos again, her past is filled with pain and violence which guided her to be more passive and loving. There is a lot of potential with a Faye game.
What could be used as big jumping off point is the upcoming remake of the Greek Trilogy. It’s a safe bet to say that most of the lore Santa Monica Studios created and used in the Greek games will still be used in the remake, just with a different coating. But there might be a few things, just a few things, that will change that could possibly open the door for a spinoff that could then expand the franchise. For example, the games, particularly the first one, could mention or even have Deimos in the game. None of the console games mentioned him prior to the Norse games doing it. Deimos showed up in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, basically from thin air, had a backstory which showed his past with his brother Kratos, died in the same game and the franchise just moved on. So, if the remake does take the leap to include Deimos from the start, and if his appearance does well, a game could be on the horizon for Kratos’ brother. This game could explore the gap between the time Deimos and Kratos were separated as kids to the time Kratos had to rescue him from Thanatos. A game could have Deimos clash with other gods and monsters of Greek mythology. There were Gods that play in big part in Greek Mythology that the original games didn’t include. Some are Nyx, Artemis, Typhon, and Apollo to mention a few. If Deimos was the one that came across them first, it would explain why Kratos never did.
An intriguing direction Santa Monica Studios could take their franchise is to other mythologies. They have done so by having Kratos travel from the Greek Pantheon to the Norse Pantheon. Other mythologies have also been alluded to in some form in God of War (2018) and God of War: Ragnarok. Even in the comic book God of War: Fallen God, Kratos came across the Egyptian God, Thoth. So, other pantheons do exist. What Santa Monica Studios could do, is explore these pantheons. Have stories set within them. And who could be the main character of these games? That pantheon’s God of war. One thing that many mythologies do share is their interpretation of a God of war. This is how Santa Monica Studios could keep the spirit of the franchise without having to rely on Kratos, or Kratos adjacent characters. And by going down this path, it satisfies the curiosity among the fanbase that was set up in the Norse games. That being the reveal that other pantheons do in fact exist. A question will be answered; how do these mythologies behave within the God of War franchise? These games could be standalone adventures that have nothing to do with Kratos’ own adventure or have a direct link to Kratos. A long-standing rumor is that Kratos will go up against the Egyptian pantheon next but what if Santa Monica Studios takes their time with that game? What if, they make a God of War game that is set in Egypt but follows the Egyptian god of war. Gamers get to play as that God, get to know them and the world before something occurs that needs Kratos’ attention. If a God of War game is set in ancient Egyptian where gamers get to play as the pantheon’s God of war, that game alone could do a lot of work for Santa Monica Studios. As of now, it seems Santa Monica has a strong grip on mythological games and it would make sense if they venture into more of them.
The God of War franchise is a trademark game for PlayStation. An argument could be made that it’s PlayStation’s premier franchise. So, it’s obvious to see why PlayStation and Santa Monica Studios want to expand the franchise. As of now, it’s been sequels and prequels that have kept the franchise going. But now, spinoffs are being discussed. There have been other gaming franchises that have done a similar approach. The God of War franchise has the potential and the in-universe resources to expand into something greater and better. The next big thing for God of War is the remake of the original trilogy, but what lies beyond, could be more godly mayhem if played right.
