''God of War'' is an
action-adventure game franchise created by
David Jaffe
David Scott Jaffe (born April 13, 1971) is an American video game designer best known for creating the ''Twisted Metal'' and ''God of War'' series.
Biography
Jaffe is originally from Birmingham, Alabama and currently resides in San Diego, Cali ...
at Sony's
Santa Monica Studio
Santa Monica Studio is an American video game developer based in Los Angeles. A first-party studio for Sony Interactive Entertainment, it is best known for developing the ''God of War'' series. The studio was founded in 1999 by Allan Becker ...
. It began in 2005 on the
PlayStation 2 (PS2)
video game console
A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
and has become a flagship series for
PlayStation, consisting of nine installments across multiple platforms. Based on ancient
mythologies
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrati ...
, the story follows
Kratos, a
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
n warrior and later the Greek God of War, who was tricked into killing his family by his former master, the original Greek God of War
Ares. This sets off a series of events that leads to wars with the different mythological pantheons. The
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
-based games see Kratos follow a path of vengeance due to the machinations of the
Olympian gods, while the
Norse-based games, which introduce his son Atreus as a secondary protagonist, show Kratos on a path of redemption and inadvertently coming into conflict with the
Norse gods
Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries.
Norse may also refer to:
Culture and religion
* Nors ...
.
Santa Monica has developed all main entries, while
Ready at Dawn
Ready at Dawn Studios LLC (RAD) is an American video game developer located in Irvine, California and is composed of former members of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment. Formed in 2003, the company has primarily worked on games for the PlayS ...
and
Javaground/
Sony Online Entertainment-Los Angeles (SOE-LA) developed the three side games.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has published all games except the mobile phone installment, which was published by
Sony Pictures Digital
Sony Pictures Digital (previously known as Columbia TriStar Interactive, Sony Pictures Interactive Network, and Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment) is a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. Operating under the trade name Sony Pictures Digital ...
. The first seven games make up the Greek era of the franchise. ''
God of War
A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions.
Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been p ...
'' (2005), ''
God of War II
''God of War II'' is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). First released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) console on March 13, 2007, it is the second inst ...
'' (2007), and ''
God of War III
''God of War III'' is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released for the PlayStation 3 on March 16, 2010, it is the fifth installment in the ''God ...
'' (2010) comprise its main trilogy; the first two were released on the PS2 with the third on the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...
(PS3). A prequel, ''
Ascension'' (2013), was also released for the PS3. Other games include ''
Chains of Olympus'' (2008) and ''
Ghost of Sparta'' (2010) for the
PlayStation Portable (PSP) and ''
Betrayal
Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. ...
'' (2007) for mobile phones that supported the
Java Platform, Micro Edition
Java Platform, Micro Edition or Java ME is a computing platform for development and deployment of portable code for embedded and mobile devices (micro-controllers, sensors, gateways, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, TV set-top ...
(Java ME). The Norse era began with the 2018 game ''
God of War
A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions.
Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been p ...
'' and released for the
PlayStation 4 (PS4) and later
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ser ...
in January 2022. It was accompanied by a short prequel, ''
A Call from the Wilds'' (2018), a
text-based game
A text game or text-based game is an electronic game that uses a text-based user interface, that is, the user interface employs a set of encodable characters,
such as ASCII, instead of bitmap or vector graphics.
All text-based games have bee ...
through
Facebook Messenger
Messenger is a proprietary instant messaging app and platform developed by Meta Platforms. Originally developed as Facebook Chat in 2008, the company revamped its messaging service in 2010, released standalone iOS and Android apps in 2011, and ...
. A sequel, ''
Ragnarök'', was released in November 2022 on the PS4 and
PlayStation 5 (PS5) and concluded the Norse era.
Games in the series have been praised as some of the best action games of all time. The series has received numerous awards, including several
Game of the Year
Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given by various award events and media publications to a video game that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year.
Events and ceremonies
British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards)
...
recognitions for the 2005 and 2018 installments. Some games have also been remastered for newer PlayStation platforms. As of November 2020, the franchise has sold over 51 million games worldwide. Strong sales and support of the series led to the franchise's expansion into other media, such as three comic book series and three novels. A film adaptation of the original installment had been in development but was ultimately canceled; however, a television series adaptation of the Norse era is in development for
Amazon Prime Video. Merchandise includes artwork, clothing, toys, and
prop replica
A prop replica is a collectible recreation of a movie or television prop that is intended to accurately re-create the item as it appeared in the original media. Work on a prop replica can range from the use of resin to cast a copy of an already ...
s, as well as the games' soundtracks, including a
heavy metal album, ''
Blood & Metal'' (2010), featuring original music by various bands who were inspired by the series.
Games
First era (Greek mythology)
''
God of War
A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions.
Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been p ...
'' was first released in North America on March 22, 2005, for the
PlayStation 2. After ten years in the service of the
Olympian gods,
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
n soldier
Kratos is tasked by
Athena
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded ...
to find
Pandora's box
Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology connected with the myth of Pandora in Hesiod's c. 700 B.C. poem ''Works and Days''. Hesiod reported that curiosity led her to open a container left in the care of her husband, thus releasing physi ...
, the key to defeating
Ares, the God of War, who is running amok through
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
. A series of flashbacks reveals that Kratos was once the servant of Ares, who saved Kratos and his army from annihilation in battle, but tricked him into killing his family, which forced his metamorphosis into the "Ghost of Sparta". Kratos eventually finds Pandora's Box, and after finally killing Ares, he ascends to
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus (; el, Όλυμπος, Ólympos, also , ) is the highest mountain in Greece. It is part of the Olympus massif near the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, located in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, be ...
to become the new God of War.
''
God of War II
''God of War II'' is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). First released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) console on March 13, 2007, it is the second inst ...
'' was first released in North America on March 13, 2007, for the PlayStation 2. Angered at his fellow gods, Kratos runs amok across the city of
Rhodes
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...
.
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek reli ...
intervenes and betrays Kratos, who is saved by the
Titan Gaia. She tells him he must now find the
Sisters of Fate, who can change his fate and prevent his death at the hands of Zeus. Kratos is ultimately successful and as he is about to kill the god, Athena sacrifices herself to save Zeus and preserve Olympus, and tells Kratos that he is Zeus' son and that he betrayed Kratos out of fear. Kratos then joins forces with Gaia and the Titans to attack Olympus.
''
God of War: Betrayal'' was released on June 20, 2007, for mobile phones supporting the
Java Platform, Micro Edition
Java Platform, Micro Edition or Java ME is a computing platform for development and deployment of portable code for embedded and mobile devices (micro-controllers, sensors, gateways, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, TV set-top ...
. It is the only game in the series to be released as a
two-dimensional
In mathematics, a plane is a Euclidean ( flat), two-dimensional surface that extends indefinitely. A plane is the two-dimensional analogue of a point (zero dimensions), a line (one dimension) and three-dimensional space. Planes can arise as ...
(2D)
side-scroller
''
A side-scrolling video game (alternatively side-scroller), is a game viewed from a side-view camera angle where the screen follows the player as they move left or right. The jump from single-screen or flip-screen graphics to scrolling graphic ...
and the first that was released on a non-
PlayStation platform. The narrative of the game takes place between the events of ''Ghost of Sparta'' and ''God of War II''. Kratos is framed for murder, and rampages across Greece seeking the true assassin. Kratos succumbs to bloodlust and kills
Ceryx
In Greek mythology, Ceryx ( grc, Κῆρυξ ''Kērux'', literally "herald") was a member of the Athenian royal family as the son of Hermes by either the princesses, Pandrosus or Agraulus.
Mythology
Ceryx was, like his father, a messenger. B ...
, the son of the god
Hermes
Hermes (; grc-gre, wikt:Ἑρμῆς, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travelle ...
—an act that alienates him from his fellow gods.
''
God of War: Chains of Olympus'' was first released in North America on March 4, 2008, for the
PlayStation Portable. Its narrative takes place sometime between ''Ascension'' and ''God of War'' during Kratos' ten years of service to the gods. Kratos halts a Persian invasion of the Greek city of
Attica
Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean S ...
, and learns that the world has been plunged into darkness by the god
Morpheus
Morpheus ('Fashioner', derived from the grc, μορφή meaning 'form, shape') is a god associated with sleep and dreams. In Ovid's ''Metamorphoses'' he is the son of Somnus and appears in dreams in human form. From the Middle Ages, the name b ...
. Kratos investigates the abduction of the sun god
Helios, and prevents the Machiavellian plan of the goddess
Persephone
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone ( ; gr, Περσεφόνη, Persephónē), also called Kore or Cora ( ; gr, Κόρη, Kórē, the maiden), is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld after ...
to use the Titan
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth.
Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geograp ...
to destroy the world.
''
God of War III
''God of War III'' is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released for the PlayStation 3 on March 16, 2010, it is the fifth installment in the ''God ...
'' was first released in North America on March 16, 2010, for the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...
. Reigniting the
Great War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Kratos is soon abandoned by the Titans, who were only using him to exact their own revenge. Now seeking revenge against both the Titans and Olympian gods, he is helped by the spirit of Athena, who was elevated to a new level of understanding and instructs him to seek the Flame of Olympus in order to defeat Zeus. Kratos engages the gods and the Titans in a series of battles across the
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...
and Olympus and learns that Pandora's Box is within the Flame. He discovers that
Pandora herself is the key to pacifying the Flame and allowing him to open the Box, at the expense of her life. After finally killing Zeus and with Olympus destroyed, Kratos refuses to help Athena assume the role of new patron of mankind and disappears.
''
God of War: Ghost of Sparta'' was first released in North America on November 2, 2010, for the PlayStation Portable. Set between the events of ''God of War'' and ''Betrayal'', the God of War Kratos is still haunted by visions of his mortal past and embarks on a quest to discover his origins by finding his mother, Callisto. He learns that his brother Deimos was taken by the gods and imprisoned by the God of Death,
Thanatos
In Greek mythology, Thanatos (; grc, Θάνατος, pronounced in "Death", from θνῄσκω ''thnēskō'' "(I) die, am dying") was the personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appea ...
, and decides to find and save his sibling. Although successful, Thanatos engages the brothers in combat, and kills Deimos. Kratos then kills Thanatos and returns to Olympus, further enraged at the gods.
''
God of War: Ascension'' was first released in North America on March 12, 2013, for the PlayStation 3. It is the only game in the series to feature multiplayer, which is online-only for both competitive and
cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...
play.
Predating ''Chains of Olympus'', the game is set roughly six months after Kratos was tricked into killing his wife and daughter, and sees him imprisoned by the three
Furies
The Erinyes ( ; sing. Erinys ; grc, Ἐρινύες, pl. of ), also known as the Furies, and the Eumenides, were female chthonic deities of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes the ...
for breaking his blood oath to Ares. With the help of the oath keeper and Ares' estranged son
Orkos, Kratos learns that the God of War and the Furies plan to overthrow Mount Olympus and that Ares chose Kratos as his servant to help him for that very purpose. The Spartan escapes his imprisonment and eventually kills the Furies, as well as Orkos, who begs for release. Although free of Ares' bond, Kratos begins to suffer the nightmares that plague him for years.
Second era (Norse mythology)
''
God of War: A Call from the Wilds'' is a short
text-based game
A text game or text-based game is an electronic game that uses a text-based user interface, that is, the user interface employs a set of encodable characters,
such as ASCII, instead of bitmap or vector graphics.
All text-based games have bee ...
, released through
Facebook Messenger
Messenger is a proprietary instant messaging app and platform developed by Meta Platforms. Originally developed as Facebook Chat in 2008, the company revamped its messaging service in 2010, released standalone iOS and Android apps in 2011, and ...
on February 1, 2018. The game serves as a prequel story to 2018's ''God of War'', and follows Atreus on his first adventure in the Norse wilds. Additionally, a smartphone companion app called ''
Mimir's Vision'' released on April 17, 2018, and provides some background for the Norse setting.
''
God of War
A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions.
Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been p ...
'' was released worldwide on April 20, 2018, for the
PlayStation 4, and for
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ser ...
(PC) through
Steam on January 14, 2022, which marked the first main installment released on a non-PlayStation platform. The game was a new direction for the series, not only by its new mythological setting, but also by its gameplay. Many years after the events of ''God of War III'', Kratos has ended up in the world of
Norse mythology in ancient
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
in the realm of
Midgard
In Germanic cosmology, Midgard (an anglicised form of Old Norse ; Old English , Old Saxon , Old High German , and Gothic ''Midjun-gards''; "middle yard", "middle enclosure") is the name for Earth (equivalent in meaning to the Greek term , "inhab ...
, and has a son named Atreus. After Kratos' second wife—Atreus' mother—
Faye __NOTOC__
Faye may refer to:
Places
* Faye, Loir-et-Cher, France, a village
* Faye-d'Anjou, France, a village
* La Faye, France, a village
* Faye, Kentucky, Elliott County, Kentucky, United States
* Faye (crater), a lunar impact crater in the sout ...
passes away, the two set out on a journey to fulfill her final wish of spreading her ashes at the highest peak of the
nine realms, later revealed to be in
Jötunheim by new ally
Mímir
Mímir or Mim is a figure in Norse mythology, renowned for his knowledge and wisdom, who is beheaded during the Æsir–Vanir War. Afterward, the god Odin carries around Mímir's head and it recites secret knowledge and counsel to him.
Mímir ...
. Along their journey, they are attacked by the
Æsir
The Æsir (Old Norse: ) are the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion. They include Odin, Frigg, Höðr, Thor, and Baldr. The second Norse pantheon is the Vanir. In Norse mythology, the two pantheons wage war against each other, ...
god
Baldur
Baldr (also Balder, Baldur) is a god in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, Baldr (Old Norse: ) is a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg, and has numerous brothers, such as Thor and Váli. In wider Germanic mythology, the god was k ...
, who was sent by the Allfather
Odin to get to Faye in order to prevent
Ragnarök, unaware she had died. After Kratos eventually kills Baldur, the three-year-long
Fimbulwinter
In Norse mythology, (commonly rendered in English as Fimbulwinter), is the immediate prelude to the events of Ragnarök. It means 'great winter'.
Summary
is the harsh winter that precedes the end of the world and puts an end to all life on ...
begins, with Ragnarök soon to follow. While Baldur's mother, the
Vanir
In Norse mythology, the Vanir (; Old Norse: , singular Vanr ) are a group of gods associated with fertility, wisdom, and the ability to see the future. The Vanir are one of two groups of gods (the other being the Æsir) and are the namesake of the ...
goddess
Freya
In Norse paganism, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chario ...
, swears revenge on Kratos, he and Atreus complete their journey and discover that Faye was a
Giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
who had foreseen the future and that Atreus was originally named
Loki.
''
God of War Ragnarök
''God of War Ragnarök'' is an action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, marking the first cros ...
'' was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and the
PlayStation 5, marking the first cross-gen release in the series.
At the end of the three-year Fimbulwinter, Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir are confronted by Odin and the God of Thunder
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
. After dueling Thor, Kratos, Atreus, and Mímir set out on a journey across the nine realms in hopes of finding a way to prevent Ragnarök. Along the way, they are confronted by a vengeful Freya, but they eventually make amends. Unable to prevent Ragnarök, Kratos, Atreus, and their allies unite the realms in a war against
Asgard
In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...
. Kratos battles Thor once again, but Thor is killed by Odin for refusing to kill Kratos. Kratos, Atreus, Mímir, and Freya then engage Odin in battle and defeat the Allfather as Asgard is destroyed. Returning home to Midgard, Atreus, as Loki, decides that he needs to go and find any remaining Giants and bids a heartfelt farewell while Kratos learns that he is destined to become a revered god and along with Freya and Mímir, begins rebuilding the realms and restore peace.
Collections and remasters
''
God of War Collection
'' God of War'' is an action-adventure video game series, the first era of which was loosely based on Greek mythology. Debuting in 2005, the series became a flagship title for the PlayStation brand and the character Kratos is one of its most po ...
'' was first released in North America on November 17, 2009, for the PlayStation 3—the franchise's first appearance on the platform. It is a
remastered port of the original ''God of War ''and ''God of War II''.
The games were
ported
In software engineering, porting is the process of adapting software for the purpose of achieving some form of execution in a computing environment that is different from the one that a given program (meant for such execution) was originally desi ...
by
Bluepoint Games
Bluepoint Games Inc is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2006 by Andy O'Neil and Marco Thrush, the studio is known for video game remasters and remakes, such as '' Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection'' (201 ...
and feature high-definition
1080p
1080p (1920×1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the screen ve ...
anti-aliased graphics at 60 frames per second and
trophies
A trophy is a tangible, durable reminder of a specific achievement, and serves as a recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics. In many sports medals (or, i ...
.
Sanzaru Games
Sanzaru Games, Inc. is an American video game development company that was founded in Foster City, California in 2006. Sanzaru also has a satellite studio based in Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario called Kitazaru, as well as an office in Dublin, Califor ...
later ported the collection to the
PlayStation Vita and it was released in May 2014—the franchise's only appearance on this platform.
''
God of War: Origins Collection'' was first released in North America on September 13, 2011, for the PlayStation 3. It is a remastered port of the two PlayStation Portable installments in the series—''Chains of Olympus'' and ''Ghost of Sparta''. ''God of War Origins'' was ported by Ready at Dawn and features 1080p high-definition video, anti-aliased graphics at 60 frames per second,
DualShock 3
The DualShock (originally Dual Shock; trademarked as DUALSHOCK or DUAL SHOCK; with the PlayStation 5 version named DualSense) is a line of gamepads with vibration-feedback and analog controls developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the Pla ...
rumble features, trophies, and it is the only ''God of War'' release to feature
Stereoscopic 3D
Stereoscopy (also called stereoscopics, or stereo imaging) is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision. The word ''stereoscopy'' derives . Any stereoscopic image is ...
.
''
God of War Saga'' was released in North America on August 28, 2012. It is a collection of five of the ''God of War'' games for the PlayStation 3, released as part of Sony's
PlayStation Collections line. The collection includes the original ''God of War'', ''God of War II'', ''God of War III'', ''Chains of Olympus'', and ''Ghost of Sparta''. It features two
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
Discs—''God of War I'' and ''II'' on the first and ''III'' on the second—and a voucher to download ''Chains of Olympus'' and ''Ghost of Sparta''. The games retain the same features as their first PS3 releases.
''
God of War III Remastered
''God of War III'' is an Action-adventure game, action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. First released for the PlayStation 3 on March 16, 2010, it is the fifth ins ...
'' was first released in North America on July 14, 2015, for the PlayStation 4—the franchise's first appearance on the platform. It is a remastered version of ''God of War III'', and features full 1080p support targeted at 60 frames per second, a photo mode, and all downloadable content of the original. The game's announcement and release was in celebration of the franchise's tenth anniversary. It was ported by Wholesale Algorithms.
Gameplay
The series consists of eight
single-player-only games, and one that includes multiplayer. Throughout the first era, the games featured a
third-person,
fixed
Fixed may refer to:
* ''Fixed'' (EP), EP by Nine Inch Nails
* ''Fixed'', an upcoming 2D adult animated film directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
* Fixed (typeface), a collection of monospace bitmap fonts that is distributed with the X Window System
* ...
cinematic camera with the exception of ''Betrayal'', which is the only installment to feature a 2D side-scrolling view. For 2018's ''God of War'' and ''Ragnarök'', the camera was switched from being fixed and became an
over-the-shoulder free camera.
A
first-person camera is featured in ''God of War III''
and ''Ascension'' during certain scripted sequences. Throughout the series, the player controls the character Kratos in a combination of
hack and slash combat,
platforming, and
puzzle game
A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct or fun solution of the puzzl ...
elements to achieve goals and complete the story (platforming elements were removed from the second era games due to the camera change).
The 2018 installment added Kratos' son Atreus, and although the game is played entirely as Kratos, there are times when the player may choose to passively control Atreus (a button is dedicated to Atreus, and he will fire an arrow from his bow depending on where the camera is pointed).
While Atreus is still an accompanying character in ''Ragnarök'' (in addition to a couple of other characters), there are some story missions where the player takes full control of Atreus; his combat is similar to Kratos' but he uses a bow.
Throughout the Greek games, Kratos' main weapon is a pair of
double-chained blades that appear in three iterations: the Blades of Chaos, the Blades of Athena (or Athena's Blades), and the Blades of Exile. They each perform similarly, but differ in the types of
combo
Combo may refer to: Technology
*Combo television unit, a television with either a VCR or a DVD player built into a single unit
* Combo drive, a type of optical drive that can read CDs and DVDs
*A guitar amplifier incorporating one or more loudsp ...
s and amount of damage each yields, as well as cosmetic differences. Other weapons are also obtained during the games and vary in gameplay.
Magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
is also used, and four abilities are typically acquired. ''God of War III'' differs in that instead of separate abilities, there are four primary weapons that possess their own respective magic offensive. The game also features "Items"—additional secondary weapons with limited usage, such as the Bow of
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...
.
With each new game, most weapons and magic are lost via a plot device, and a new arsenal of weapons and abilities are acquired during gameplay. ''Ascension'' differs from the previous games in that instead of acquiring new weapons that are kept throughout the entire game, the player collects up to five World Weapons (such as a sword or a javelin) that have limited usage. When there is not a World Weapon equipped, the player can punch or kick foes as part of a new mechanic added to the game. In the Norse games, Kratos' primary weapon is a magical battle axe called the Leviathan Axe. It can be thrown and summoned back to his hand, similar to
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
's hammer
Mjölnir
Mjölnir (from Old Norse Mjǫllnir) is the hammer of the thunder god Thor in Norse mythology, used both as a devastating weapon and as a divine instrument to provide blessings. The hammer is attested in numerous sources, including the 11th cen ...
. Later on in 2018's ''God of War'', he recovers the Blades of Chaos, which is retained in ''Ragnarök''. They perform similarly as they did during the Greek games, but with different abilities. Both the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos, as well as the
Draupnir
In Norse mythology, Draupnir (Old Norse: , "the dripper"Orchard (1997:34).) is a gold ring possessed by the god Odin with the ability to multiply itself: Every ninth night, eight new rings 'drip' from Draupnir, each one of the same size and weig ...
Spear introduced in ''Ragnarök'', can be upgraded to use special magical attacks called runic attacks. Each weapon has a light and heavy runic attack, and the player can choose which runic attacks to equip on the weapons.
The series offers combo-based combat, and includes a
quick time event (QTE) feature, also called context sensitive attacks, which is initiated when the player has weakened a foe or to perform a defensive maneuver. It allows limited control of Kratos during the QTE cinematic sequence; success ends the battle, while failure usually results in damage to the player.
As well as the QTE system, ''Ascension'' features a prompt-less free-form system, allowing players the choice of when to attack or dodge based on the enemy's actions. A grab maneuver can be used on minor foes.
The Norse games changed this up; after an enemy has been weakened enough, a prompt will appear above its head, and depending on the enemy, Kratos may rip it in half or grab them and throw them into other enemies, among other possible outcomes. He will also jump on top of and ride large enemies, such as ogres, causing them to attack other enemies, similar to the cyclopes in the Greek games.
Relics, which the player can use in successive games (such as Poseidon's Trident obtained in the original ''God of War'' allowing Kratos to swim underwater for extended periods) are also found and necessary for game progression.
Kratos often has a special ability, which provides temporary invulnerability and increased attack damage. This ability has become an ongoing feature of gameplay throughout the series—Rage of the Gods in the original ''God of War'' and ''Ascension'', Rage of the Titans in ''God of War II'', Rage of Sparta in ''God of War III'', and Thera's Bane in ''Ghost of Sparta''.
This ability can be recharged by building hits on foes in combat, and gaining game-specific orbs. Thera's Bane, however, is recharged automatically.
While Kratos does not retain any relics from the Greek era in 2018's ''God of War'', he does have a rage ability, called Spartan Rage, and with this ability, Kratos uses powerful bare-handed attacks, as opposed to weapons, to greatly damage enemies.
''Ragnarök'' enhanced the Spartan Rage ability, giving two other variants, one providing health and another delivering a powerful weapon attack depending on the weapon equipped.
Gorgon
A Gorgon ( /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the te ...
Eyes and
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
Feathers, found throughout the Greek games in unmarked
chests (white chests in ''Ascension''), increase the maximum amount of
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
and
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
, respectively.
Minotaur Horns, which increase the Items and Fire meter's maximum length, are available in ''God of War III'' and ''Ghost of Sparta'', respectively. The Items meter allows the use of secondary weapons, called Items, and the Fire meter allows the use of the Thera's Bane ability. The meters are increased in increments and reach their maximum once a certain number of Eyes, Feathers, and Horns are found. Other chests contain green, blue, or red
orbs. Green orbs replenish the player's health, blue orbs replenish magic allowing further usage, and red orbs provide
experience points (XP) for upgrading weapons and magic for new, more powerful attacks, and replenish the Rage meter in the original ''God of War''. Gold orbs found in ''God of War II'' and ''Ascension'', and white orbs in ''God of War III'', replenish the Rage meter instead of red orbs; the Rage meter in ''Ascension'' is also refilled by landing attacks on foes. Chests with changing colors, which allow players to choose which meter to replenish, have also been available. Red orbs can also be collected by killing foes and destroying certain inanimate objects. Bosses and more powerful opponents release a combination of colored orbs when killed via the quick-time feature.
For the Norse games,
Apples
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
of
Iðunn
In Norse mythology, Iðunn is a goddess associated with apples and youth. Iðunn is attested in the ''Poetic Edda'', compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the ''Prose Edda'', written in the 13th century by Snorri St ...
replaced the Gorgon Eyes to increase the maximum length of the health meter, while
Horns Horns or The Horns may refer to:
* Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells
* The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain
* ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
of
Blood Mead increase the maximum length of the rage meter. While the Norse games retain green health orbs to replenish the health meter, magic is done differently. Instead of blue orbs, there is a cool down time on magical runic attacks. Once that cool down time is up, the magical runic attack can be used again. Furthermore, players accumulate different crafting resources, primarily Hacksilver, to create and purchase new
items, such as new armor or upgrading existing armor and weapons, and XP is used for learning new combat skills. Chests in the Norse games provide a variety of different items.
With the exception of ''Ascension'', each installment offers a challenge mode, which yields extra red orbs (or XP), secret costumes, and behind-the-scenes videos.
Bonus content can also be unlocked by defeating the game's difficulty levels. The Norse games also include a challenge mode, located in the realm
Muspelheim
In Norse cosmology, Muspelheim ( on, Múspellsheimr), also called Muspell ( on, Múspell), is a realm of fire.
The etymology of "Muspelheim" is uncertain, but may come from ''Mund-spilli'', "world-destroyers", "wreck of the world".
Narrative ...
, which rewards various items upon completion. Battle arenas, which allow players to set difficulty levels and choose their own opponents, are included in ''God of War II'', ''God of War III'', and ''Ghost of Sparta''. Excluding ''Betrayal'', the Greek games were known for including a quick-time sex
minigame
A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than t ...
in each installment until ''Ascension'', which dropped the mini-game.
''Ascension'' is the only installment in the series to feature multiplayer, which is
online-only for both competitive and cooperative play. Up to eight players on two teams of two to four players (or a four to eight player
deathmatch) battle for control of a map in order to earn rewards from the gods. Players can also fight each other in one-on-one matches. Players must sell their champion's soul to either Zeus, Hades, Ares, or Poseidon, which allows players to try different weapons, armor sets, and powers inspired by the god of their choice, and extras can be unlocked.
Development
Main series
PlayStation 2
After the success of their first game ''
Kinetica
''Kinetica'' is a racing video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It was released in North America only on October 14, 2001. It is the debut game of Santa Monica Studio. It w ...
'' (2001),
Santa Monica Studio
Santa Monica Studio is an American video game developer based in Los Angeles. A first-party studio for Sony Interactive Entertainment, it is best known for developing the ''God of War'' series. The studio was founded in 1999 by Allan Becker ...
began development of the original ''God of War'' in 2002, and unveiled it two years later at
SCEA Santa Monica Gamers' Day 2004. Game director and creator
David Jaffe
David Scott Jaffe (born April 13, 1971) is an American video game designer best known for creating the ''Twisted Metal'' and ''God of War'' series.
Biography
Jaffe is originally from Birmingham, Alabama and currently resides in San Diego, Cali ...
said that although the idea for ''God of War'' was his own, the concept owed a debt to
Capcom because he had played ''
Onimusha
is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom. It makes use of the historic figures that shaped Japan's history, retelling their stories with supernatural elements. Most of the games are of the action-adventure genre, a combinat ...
'' and said "let's do that with
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...
".
He was inspired in part by the 1981
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
, ''
Clash of the Titans'', saying, "the real high concept for me was ... merging it with ''
Heavy Metal'' magazine".
He said he liked both "the kids stuff ... with Greek mythology" and the idea of adding more adult themes such as sex and violence.
He was also inspired by the 1981 film ''
Raiders of the Lost Ark''. Although the game is based on Greek mythology, the development team gave themselves "lots of freedom" to modify the myths, and Jaffe said they took the "coolest aspects of the subject" and created art and story using those elements.
Director of visual development and lead concept artist, Charlie Wen, drew inspiration from these films as well as more contemporary films such as ''
Gladiator'' (2000) for tonal inspiration to lead the visual design of Kratos, other characters, and the world of ''God of War''.
The gameplay of the ''
Strider'' arcade franchise was also a vital influence on ''God of War'', and the developers described the gameplay "as merging the action of ''
Devil May Cry
is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists o ...
'' with the puzzle-solving of ''
Ico
is an action-adventure game developed by Japan Studio and Team Ico, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, released for the PlayStation 2 video game console in 2001 and 2002 in various regions. It was designed and directed by Fumito U ...
''" and noted that players would be able to "sunder enemies with a single move, such as by ripping them in half". The game uses Santa Monica's Kinetica
engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...
, which they developed for ''Kinetica''.
A sequel to ''God of War'' was first teased at the end of its credits, which stated, "Kratos Will Return". ''God of War II'' was officially announced at the 2006
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is an annual conference for video game developers. The event includes an expo, networking events, and awards shows like the Game Developers Choice Awards and Independent Games Festival, and a variety of tuto ...
(GDC). David Jaffe stepped down and became the creative director of its sequel and ''God of War''s lead animator Cory Barlog assumed the role of game director. Barlog said that in the game, players would see "a larger view of Kratos' role within the mythological world."
Like ''God of War'', the game uses Santa Monica's Kinetica engine. Magic attacks became an integral part of the combat system and it was more refined. New creatures and heroes from the mythology, and more boss battles were added. Both Jaffe and Barlog said that they did not view ''God of War II'' as a sequel, but rather a continuation of the previous game. Jaffe said that they did not want to include the
Roman numeral
Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, ea ...
number two (II) in the title for this reason, but they did not want the title to convey the impression it was an
expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game or collectible card game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, characters, or ...
. Both Jaffe and Barlog said that the reason ''God of War II'' appeared on the PlayStation 2 instead of the PlayStation 3—which was released four months prior to ''God of War II''—was because "there's a 100 million people out there that will be able to play ''God of War II'' as soon as it launches."
Barlog assured that the game would be playable on the newer platform, which originally had PlayStation 2
backwards compatibility
Backward compatibility (sometimes known as backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with input designed for such a system, especially in ...
.
PlayStation 3
''God of War III'' was first mentioned by Cory Barlog at a ''God of War II'' launch event, and it was officially announced at the 2008
Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). After serving as game director during the first eight months of development, Barlog left Santa Monica for other opportunities and
Stig Asmussen took on the role, having previously been the lead environment artist and art director on ''God of War'' and ''God of War II'', respectively. Asmussen said that one of the greatest challenges in developing ''God of War III'' for the PlayStation 3 was the "complexity of everything"; individual tasks, such as designing Helios' decapitation, could take a year because the "level of detail
hat wasexpected
asso high and intricate, it
rossedmultiple departments."
He said that the PlayStation 3's hardware capabilities allowed more flexibility in character creation and interaction with the environment.
The engine for ''God of War III'' was ported from the first two installments to the PlayStation 3. As the game was being developed, the code department swapped out PlayStation 2 components with PlayStation 3 components. They replaced the renderer, the particle system, and the collision system. Although they were re-using the engine from ''God of War II'', the core engine for ''God of War III'' was brand new. Between
E3 2009
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 (E3 2009) was the 15th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 2, 2009, and ended on June 4, 2009, with 41,000 total attendees.
Majo ...
and the time the game shipped,
morphological anti-aliasing (MLAA) was added, which graphics engineer Ben Diamand said "improved edges dramatically and saved substantial amounts of frame-rate."
Diamand also said that "depth-of-field, motion blur, crepuscular 'God' rays and refraction were either added or improved in quality and speed" during that same time period.
On April 12, 2012, Sony released a teaser image for ''Ascension'' on its official PlayStation
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
page, which was followed by the game's announcement on April 19 on
PlayStation.Blog
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divis ...
. Todd Papy, who had previously worked as a designer on ''God of War'' and ''God of War II'' and as design director on ''God of War III'', assumed the role of game director; ''God of War III'' director Stig Asmussen was busy with another project at Santa Monica and did not work on ''Ascension''. The announcement officially confirmed the game's title and Papy said it was not titled ''God of War IV'' to avoid confusion because it is a prequel, rather than a sequel, to the trilogy.
The game features a retooled ''God of War III'' engine, enabling online multiplayer battles for up to eight players.
The decision to add multiplayer came about from curiosity, according to lead combat designer Jason McDonald. The multiplayer was first tested using Kratos, and McDonald said the testers had "a lot of fun".
Seeing their reaction made the team feel that the multiplayer had value and they then began to put the "''God of War'' spin on it".
In the developmental transition from ''God of War III'' to ''Ascension'', one of the graphics engineers, Cedric Perthuis, noted that the limits of the ''God of War III'' engine restricted artist creativity, so they "tried to remove or push those limits as far as possible without losing any performance."
''Ascension'' did not have a graphical leap over its predecessor like ''God of War III'' did.
Dynamic lighting
Computer graphics lighting is the collection of techniques used to simulate light in computer graphics scenes. While lighting techniques offer flexibility in the level of detail and functionality available, they also operate at different levels of ...
was added, which allowed for development of the Life Cycle gameplay mechanic. Particle effects were also greatly improved upon from ''God of War III''.
PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
Santa Monica began work on the fifth main installment in 2014, which was confirmed by the returning Cory Barlog at the first annual
PlayStation Experience
PlayStation Experience, also known as PSX, is an annual event for the video game industry presented by Sony Interactive Entertainment used to reveal and advertise PlayStation games and game-related merchandise. The event is open to the public ...
on December 6 that year. The official announcement came at the
2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) with a gameplay demo,
which also confirmed that Barlog had returned to the series as game director.
The game was deliberately titled ''God of War'' with no numeral or subtitle because although it is a continuation of the series, "we
eimaginedeverything."
Other mythologies were also considered for the new setting, but Norse was picked to keep the focus on Kratos;
there was also consideration to use a different protagonist, but it was decided to keep Kratos as he "is intrinsically tied" to the series.
In adapting the Norse myths, Barlog said there were so many different translations and interpretations, and just like they did with Greek mythology in the previous games, they found ways to parallel path things from the myths to fit their story. Most of the development team that worked on the original ''God of War'' worked on the new installment.
They claimed that they matched the new gameplay with the same level of accessibility as the previous installments.
Some gameplay characteristics found in the previous installments were cut, such as jumping, swimming, and instant-death
platforming challenges; these were cut due to the camera being closer to Kratos.
Although ''Ascension'' had introduced multiplayer to the series, the team dropped the mode to focus on the single-player experience.
The Leviathan Axe was chosen as Kratos' new main weapon because the developers wanted a more grounded direction for the game.
Although the game never reaches this number, the enemy count was increased to be able to support up to 100 enemies on-screen; ''God of War III'' and ''Ascension'' could do up to 50.
Although the game was built for the standard PlayStation 4,
Barlog confirmed that it would "benefit from the power" of the
PlayStation 4 Pro
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in E ...
; an updated version of the PlayStation 4 that can render games in
4K resolution and was released a few months after ''God of War'' was announced. The game's story was estimated to take 25–35 hours to complete, which is significantly more than the previous four main installments, which each took an average of 10 hours to complete.
As part of Sony's larger efforts to port their first-party exclusive games to
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ser ...
, Santa Monica Studio announced in October 2021 that ''God of War'' would be released for Windows on January 14, 2022, with support for graphics options. This in turn marked the first main entry in the series to release on a non-PlayStation platform.
Following the announcement of the 2018 installment in June 2016, Cory Barlog confirmed that the 2018 game would not be Kratos' last.
The ending of the 2018 installment also teased a sequel; it ended with Ragnarök looming, as well as a secret ending that showed a vision of the Æsir god Thor confronting Kratos and Atreus at the end of Fimbulwinter. During the 2020 PlayStation 5 (PS5) Showcase event on September 16, a new ''God of War'' was officially announced for a 2021 release on the newer console. When the game was first announced, it was only announced as a PS5 title; however, in June 2021, it was confirmed that the game would release on both the PS4 and PS5, marking the first cross-gen release in the series.
Development was partly
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the game being delayed to 2022.
In September 2021, the game's title was confirmed as ''God of War Ragnarök''.
During the 2021 PlayStation Showcase event, Eric Williams, who worked on every previous installment, was confirmed as the game's director, continuing the previous era's tradition of having a different director for each game; Barlog served as a producer on ''Ragnarök''. It was also during this event that it was confirmed that ''Ragnarök'' would be the finale to the Norse era of the series. The main reason Santa Monica decided to end the Norse era with ''Ragnarök'' was due to the game's size and scale. The 2018 installment and ''Ragnarök'' each respectively took five years to develop, and they did not want to take another five years, totaling 15 years, to tell one story. The game supports options for players to run the game in either higher resolution or better performance, including 4K at 30
frames per second
A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent.
Frame and FRAME may also refer to:
Physical objects
In building construction
*Framing (con ...
(fps), 1080p resolution at 60fps, a high frame resolution mode in 4K at 40fps, and a high frame performance mode that syncs to 120
hertz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that o ...
. The latter two high frame options are only available for the PS5 version of the game and require monitors with
HDMI 2.1. Due to the game also being on PS4, it does not fully utilize the capabilities of the PS5. The PS4 version is a visual improvement over the 2018 installment while the PS5 version "is essentially an enhancement of what's already possible
n the PS4
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
. The game does, however, include several features exclusive to the PS5 hardware, such as
3D audio
3D audio effects are a group of sound effects that manipulate the sound produced by stereo speakers, surround-sound speakers, speaker-arrays, or headphones. This frequently involves the virtual placement of sound sources anywhere in three-dimensio ...
,
haptic feedback, higher frame rate, and overall better graphics.
Future
Prior to the release of the 2018 installment, Cory Barlog confirmed that after the Norse era, future games could see the series tackling either
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
or
Maya mythology
Maya or Mayan mythology is part of Mesoamerican mythology and comprises all of the Maya tales in which personified forces of nature, deities, and the heroes interacting with these play the main roles. The myths of the era have to be reconstruct ...
.
He also said that although the 2018 installment (and subsequently ''Ragnarök'') focused on Norse, it alluded to the fact that there are other mythologies co-existing in the world. Barlog also said that he liked the idea of having different directors for each game and although he may not direct another ''God of War'', he would still be at Santa Monica to work on future games.
Side games
PlayStation Portable
Game developer
Ready at Dawn
Ready at Dawn Studios LLC (RAD) is an American video game developer located in Irvine, California and is composed of former members of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment. Formed in 2003, the company has primarily worked on games for the PlayS ...
pitched the idea of a ''God of War'' game for the PlayStation Portable to Santa Monica Studio soon after the original ''God of War'' launched. Cory Barlog officially confirmed the development of ''Chains of Olympus'' at a ''God of War II'' launch event, stating "It is its own story that connects to the overall story." ''Chains of Olympus'' uses a proprietary, in-house engine referred to as the Ready at Dawn engine, which expanded on the engine created for their previous game, ''
Daxter
Daxter is a character from the ''Jak and Daxter'' video game series. First introduced in '' Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy,'' Daxter is presented as Jak's cowardly, vulgar and womanizing best friend. Daxter's accidental transformation into ...
'' (2006).
Originally designed for the PlayStation Portable's restricted 222-
megahertz (MHz) processor,
Ready at Dawn convinced Sony to increase the
clock speed
In computing, the clock rate or clock speed typically refers to the frequency at which the clock generator of a processor can generate pulses, which are used to synchronize the operations of its components, and is used as an indicator of the pro ...
of the PSP to 333-MHz, which they did in
a firmware upgrade. The faster processor allowed for more realistic blood effects, lighting effects, and shadows as well as improved enemy intelligence, but noticeably decreased battery life.
After the game's completion, game director Ru Weerasuriya stated multiplayer options and other puzzles, characters, and dialogue had to be removed due to time constraints.
''Ghost of Sparta'' was announced on May 4, 2010, on PlayStation.Blog. According to Sony, Ready at Dawn utilized "state-of-the-art visual technologies" that allowed "higher quality environments and characters."
''Ghost of Sparta'' offers "over 25% more gameplay" than ''Chains of Olympus'', while adding more enemies on screen and more boss encounters.
Development of ''Ghost of Sparta'' took 23 months to complete.
Due to Weerasuriya's schedule at Ready at Dawn, he could not return to direct; Dana Jan, the lead level designer for ''Chains of Olympus'', became director for ''Ghost of Sparta''. At
Comic-Con 2010, Jan noted that when development began in 2008, the goal was to make the game bigger than ''Chains of Olympus'', which had apparently pushed the PSP to its functional limits. Jan stated that ''Ghost of Sparta'' took the PSP to its "absolute capacity", with another feature being more on-screen foes.
The game concept was originally used as a teaser for players who obtained the
platinum trophy from ''God of War III''. The trophy revealed a site called spartansstandtall.com, which became the official site for ''Ghost of Sparta'' on May 4. Jan stated the reason they chose to have the game take place between ''God of War'' and ''God of War II'' was because "It seemed to make a lot of sense to fill in that void."
Mobile
''Betrayal'' was announced by
Sony Online Entertainment
Daybreak Game Company LLC is an American video game developer based in San Diego. The company was founded in December 1997 as Sony Online Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment, but was spun off to an independent investor in ...
at a press conference in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
in May 2007. The game utilizes a total of 110 different animations and features a 2D rendition of the series'
three-dimensional
Three-dimensional space (also: 3D space, 3-space or, rarely, tri-dimensional space) is a geometric setting in which three values (called ''parameters'') are required to determine the position of an element (i.e., point). This is the informa ...
(3D) graphics.
Game director Phil Cohen said that although the game was enjoyable to develop, the greatest challenge was creating a single tileset and palette swapping scheme that was diverse enough to portray multiple environments with only several hundred
kilobytes
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information.
The International System of Units (SI) defines the prefix '' kilo'' as 1000 (103); per this definition, one kilobyte is 1000 bytes.International Standard IEC 80000-13 Quantiti ...
, and that met Santa Monica Studio's high standards.
Cohen wrote the initial design document between September and October 2005, and revisited it in August 2006, the month development started. The versions for high-end handsets were completed in April 2007, with final versions for low-end handsets completed by June 2007. The porting team adapted the game to over 200 handsets in a matter of weeks. Both David Jaffe and Cory Barlog ensured that the ''Betrayal'' development team captured the feel of the combat and visual style, and were "helpful with feedback and positive support".
Adaptations
Live action
Unproduced feature film
A film adaptation of the first game was announced in 2005. Creator David Jaffe confirmed that a completed script had been written by
David Self
David Christopher Self (born January 8, 1970) is an American screenwriter best known as the author of the screenplays for the films '' The Haunting'', ''Road to Perdition'', and '' The Wolfman''.
Early life
David Self was born in Texas City, Tex ...
and would be sent to an unspecified director. He said that
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
was behind the making of the ''God of War'' movie, but was unaware of its status, and eventually said, "it's doubtful that the film will even be made." In September 2010, Jaffe said that the "script went out a year and a half ago to
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English-American actor who gained international fame playing the secret agent James Bond in the film series, beginning with '' Casino Royale'' (2006) and in four further instalments, up to '' ...
who plays
ames
Ames may refer to:
Places United States
* Ames, Arkansas, a place in Arkansas
* Ames, Colorado
* Ames, Illinois
* Ames, Indiana
* Ames, Iowa, the most populous city bearing this name
* Ames, Kansas
* Ames, Nebraska
* Ames, New York
* Ames, Ok ...
Bond, but he turned it down."
He also said that another actor had since been cast as Kratos; he said, "this new person is pretty good, if that ends up true."
In July 2012, ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' said that writers
Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton is an American screenwriter, producer and novelist.
Film career
In 2004, Melton won the third season of Project Greenlight, along with Marcus Dunstan and John Gulager. The television show premiered on Bravo and resulted in the ...
and
Marcus Dunstan
Marcus Dunstan is an American screenwriter and director who, along with Patrick Melton, wrote screenplay for the film ''Feast'', which was the winner of Season Three of the filmmaking competition reality TV series '' Project Greenlight''. Dunstan ...
had been hired to adapt the ''God of War'' film. The writers told IGN that they intended to "humanize" Kratos and explore his past. Melton said that they were emotionally invested and it could become a series of films, and that Ares "
ould Ould is an English surname and an Arabic name ( ar, ولد). In some Arabic dialects, particularly Hassaniya Arabic, ولد (the patronymic, meaning "son of") is transliterated as Ould. Most Mauritanians have patronymic surnames.
Notable p ...
become a more proactive villain."
A script had been "turned in" and the film had a budget of
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
150 million.
Following the release of 2018's ''God of War'', with no updates on the original game's film, rumors about a potential adaptation of the 2018 game began circulating. ''
Pacific Rim: Uprising''s (2018) director
Steven S. DeKnight stated he would like to direct an adaptation of that game and talked with Sony about making it R-rated. In May 2021, however, a Sony spokesperson confirmed that there was no ''God of War'' film adaptation in development.
Amazon Prime Video series
On March 7, 2022, ''
Deadline
Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to:
* Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished
Arts, entertainment, and media Comics
* Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain
* ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...
'' reported that a
live action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...
television (TV) series was said to be in negotiations at
Amazon Prime Video by
Mark Fergus and
Hawk Ostby, creators of ''
The Expanse
Expanse or The Expanse may refer to:
Media and entertainment
''The Expanse'' franchise
* ''The Expanse'' (novel series), a series of science fiction novels by James S. A. Corey
* ''The Expanse'' (TV series), a television adaptation of the ...
'', and
Rafe Judkins
Rafe Lee Judkins (born January 8, 1983) is an American television writer, television producer, and screenwriter. He is the showrunner for the Amazon Prime Video television series ''The Wheel of Time'' and appeared as a contestant on the 11th ...
, the
showrunner for ''
The Wheel of Time
''The Wheel of Time'' is a series of high fantasy novels by American author Robert Jordan, with Brandon Sanderson as a co-author for the final three novels. Originally planned as a six-book series, ''The Wheel of Time'' spans 14 volumes, in ad ...
''. During an investor briefing on May 26, 2022,
Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan confirmed that a ''God of War'' TV series was in development for Amazon Prime Video. The TV series was officially ordered on December 14, 2022. The adaptation is being produced by
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainme ...
and
Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...
in association with
PlayStation Productions
PlayStation Productions, LLC is an American production company owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
History
Sony Interactive Entertainment launched PlayStation Productions in 2019 with a focus on adapting the company's video game franchis ...
, and it will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. It is being written by Fergus and Ostby, with Judkins serving as showrunner, who will all also be executive producers. Other executive producers include Santa Monica Studio's Creative Director Cory Barlog, PlayStation Productions' Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan, Santa Monica Studio's Yumi Yang, and
Vertigo Entertainment
Vertigo Entertainment is an American film and television production company based in Los Angeles, founded in 2001 by Roy Lee and Doug Davison.
History
In 2001, after leaving BenderSpink, Roy Lee started Vertigo Entertainment with partner Do ...
's
Roy Lee
Roy Lee (born March 23, 1969) is an American film producer. Lee's production company, Vertigo Entertainment, has a first-look deal with Warner Bros.
Early life
Lee was born in 1969 at Wyckoff Heights Hospital, in Brooklyn, New York, to Korean ...
. Santa Monica Studio's Jeff Ketcham will serve as a co-executive producer. It was also confirmed that the Prime Video series would adapt the Norse era, beginning with the events of the 2018 installment.
Documentaries
''God of War: Unearthing the Legend'' (75 minutes, 2010) is a documentary about the ''God of War'' franchise and is hosted by
Peter Weller. The production discusses the relationship between the ''God of War'' games and Greek mythology, and features members of the ''God of War III'' development team and professional historians. It was included as part of the ''God of War III Ultimate Edition'' (North America) and ''Ultimate Trilogy Edition'' (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand) packages. On March 25, 2010, it was released on the PlayStation Store in North America to purchase.
''God of War – Game Directors Live'' (80 minutes, 2010) is a documentary featuring five game directors of the ''God of War'' series: David Jaffe (original ''God of War''), Cory Barlog (just ''God of War II'' at the time), Ru Weerasuriya (''Chains of Olympus''), Stig Asmussen (''God of War III''), and Dana Jan (''Ghost of Sparta''). The documentary takes the form of an interview panel hosted by
G4's
Alison Haislip, with the five game directors, 150 members of PlayStation.Blog, and members of ''GodofWar.com'' and ''SpartansStandTall.com''. It was filmed at the El Portal theater in Los Angeles on September 1, 2010, and was released as a pre-order bonus for ''Ghost of Sparta'' in North America on November 2, 2010, and was included with the ''Origins Collection'' and later released on the PlayStation Store.
''Raising Kratos'' is a
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
documentary of Santa Monica Studio's five-year process in making 2018's ''God of War'', showing the "herculean effort" that went into reviving the franchise. The documentary was announced on April 20, 2019, the one year anniversary of the game's launch, and was released the following month on May 10.
Comic series and novels
A six-issue comic book series titled ''
God of War
A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions.
Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been p ...
'', written by
Marv Wolfman
Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's '' The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's ''The New Te ...
with art by Andrea Sorrentino, was published by
WildStorm
Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wild ...
and
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
on a bi-monthly schedule from March 2010 to January 2011. Taking place during the Greek era, the narrative switches between Kratos' past and present; it occurs while he is a soldier of Sparta and involves his search for the Ambrosia of
Asclepius
Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis, or Arsinoe, or of Apollo alone. Asclepius represe ...
, which has legendary healing properties and eventually saved his plague-ridden daughter, Calliope. Kratos also embarks upon a quest to destroy the same elixir to deny it to the worshippers of the slain god Ares, who wish to resurrect him. The series was collected into a
trade paperback in March 2011.
In the lead up to ''Ascension''s release, Santa Monica released a graphic novel titled ''
Rise of the Warrior'' on the ''God of War'' website that featured a
social experience from October 2012 until March 2013. The graphic novel was a prequel story that tied into the single-player of ''Ascension'', and was the backstory of the player's multiplayer character.
A two-volume comic series was published by
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
and follows Kratos' journey between the events of ''God of War III'' and the 2018 installment. It was written by
Chris Roberson with art by Tony Parker. The first volume, also titled ''
God of War
A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions.
Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been p ...
'', was published monthly from November 2018 to February 2019; Issue #0 was included digitally with the three different special editions of the 2018 game and the four-issue volume serves as a direct prequel story to the game. The second volume, also four issues and subtitled ''Fallen God'', was published monthly from March to June 2021; it was originally to begin publication in June 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking place before the first volume, ''Fallen God'' covers the timespan from ''God of War III'' to that first volume. Both series were collected as trade paperbacks in May 2019 (Volume 1) and December 2021 (Volume 2), respectively.
The ''God of War'' novels recount the events of the games and offer deeper insights into their stories. ''
God of War
A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions.
Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been p ...
'', the official novelization of the first game, was written by
Matthew Stover
Matthew Woodring Stover (born 1962) is an American fantasy and science fiction novelist. He is most well known for his four '' Star Wars'' novels, including the novelization of '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith''. He has also wr ...
and
Robert E. Vardeman
Robert Edward Vardeman (sometimes called Vardebob) (born 1947) is an American science fiction fan and writer.
Career
Robert E. Vardeman was born in Mineral Wells, Texas, but is a longtime resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He graduated from ...
. It was published on May 25, 2010, by
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn, by Penguin Random House. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It ...
. ''
God of War II
''God of War II'' is an action-adventure hack and slash video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). First released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2) console on March 13, 2007, it is the second inst ...
'', the second novelization of the series, was written by Vardeman alone and was published by Del Rey Books on February 12, 2013.
The third novelization in the series, titled ''
God of War – The Official Novelization'', is of 2018's ''God of War''. It was released on August 28, 2018, by
Titan Books
Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and c ...
and was written by Cory Barlog's father, James Barlog.
Music
Seven ''God of War'' soundtracks have been commercially released and have featured several composers, including
Gerard K. Marino,
Ron Fish,
Winifred Phillips
Winifred Phillips is an American music composer and author. Her music composition credits include '' God of War'', '' Assassin's Creed III: Liberation'', and the ''LittleBigPlanet'' series.
Early life
Phillips' love of music began in childhoo ...
,
Mike Reagan
Michael Reagan is an American composer, songwriter and music producer for film, television, and video games. His TV work includes ''The Powerpuff Girls'', '' Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt'', and Bob Boyle's ''Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!''. His ...
,
Cris Velasco
Cris Velasco is an American video game and film composer. His works include the musical scores for ''Overwatch'', ''Mass Effect'', '' Borderlands'', ''God of War'', '' StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm'' and ''Bloodborne''.
Biography
He has be ...
,
Winnie Waldron
Winnie Waldron is an American music producer for video games, a producer for radio, a radio script editor / adapter, a manuscript editor and a radio host.
Career
Radio
Waldron began her professional relationship with National Public Radio via ...
, Marcello De Francisci,
Jeff Rona
Jeffrey Carl "Jeff" Rona (born March 3, 1957) is an American composer for film. He was a member of Hans Zimmer's '' MediaVentures''. His credits include ''Sharkwater'', ''Traffic'', ''God of War III'', '' Phantom'' and '' Veeram''.
Jeff Rona ...
,
Tyler Bates
Tyler Bates (born June 5, 1965) is an American musician, producer, and composer for film, television, and video game scores. Much of his work is in the action and horror film genres, with films like '' Dawn of the Dead, 300, Sucker Punch, H ...
, and
Bear McCreary
Bear McCreary (born February 17, 1979) is an American musician and composer of film, television, and video game scores based in Los Angeles, California. His work includes the scores of the television series ''Battlestar Galactica'' (2004), ''Age ...
. On March 1, 2005, ''
God of War: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game'' was released on CD by SIE as an exclusive product for the
Sony Connect Music Store. It was praised for its well-developed orchestral themes, and the creative use of ancient and ethnic instrumentation. The composers were also praised for avoiding the production of never-ending action themes. ''
God of War II: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game'' was released on CD by SIE on April 10, 2007. Praised as strong, the album features ominous orchestral pieces, and each composer's contributions are slightly more distinctive than the previous soundtrack. ''
God of War III: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game'' was released on CD by SIE and
Sumthing Else
Sumthing Distribution was an American based company started by Nile Rodgers that distributes recording artist and independent record labels. It was the largest African-American owned distribution company in America.
It was announced on January 3 ...
on March 30, 2010. It was also included as downloadable content in the ''God of War III Ultimate Edition'' and ''Ultimate Trilogy Edition'' collections.
The soundtrack was praised as an orchestral success and the best score in the series at the time.
The original scores for ''God of War'', ''God of War II'', and ''God of War III'' were nominated for Best Original Score at the 2005, 2007, and 2010
Spike Video Game Awards
The Spike Video Game Awards (in short VGAs, known as the VGX for the final show) was an annual award show hosted by American television network Spike from 2003 to 2013 that recognized the best computer and video games of the year. Produced by ...
, respectively. The ''God of War Trilogy Soundtrack'' was included with the ''God of War III Ultimate Edition'' and ''Ultimate Trilogy Edition'' collections as downloadable content. The ''Trilogy Soundtrack'' consists of the original scores for ''God of War'', ''God of War II'', and ''God of War III''. It was praised by critics as the best way to experience the series' musical development, and allows the listener to note the development of the composers during the series.
On October 18, 2010, ''
God of War: Ghost of Sparta – Original Soundtrack from the Video Game'' was released on the
iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
by SIE. It was also included as downloadable content as part of the ''Ghost of Sparta'' pre-order package and includes three previously unreleased tracks from ''Chains of Olympus''.
Several tracks were cited as being intended for purely contextual purposes, and the remaining tracks rated well in comparison to the soundtracks of the main installments in the series. ''
God of War: Ascension (Original Soundtrack)'' differed from the previously released soundtracks as it was composed by Tyler Bates alone, and is the only ''God of War'' score that he has worked on. It was released on March 5, 2013, on iTunes by SIE and La-La Land Records. It was included as downloadable content in the ''God of War: Ascension–Collector's Edition'' and ''Special Edition''. Reviewers praised it for being powerful, rich, and pulsing, though felt it was repetitive at times.
For both ''God of War'' (2018) and ''God of War Ragnarök'', famed TV series composer Bear McCreary was employed to compose the music. ''
God of War (PlayStation Soundtrack)'' was released on April 20, 2018, by
Sony Classical Records
Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by S ...
. McCreary composed completely new music for the game, not reusing any music from the Greek era. However, he was inspired by their sounds, such as "deep choirs, pounding drums, and shrieking brass", and reinvented them for the Nordic setting using Nordic ethnic instruments. The soundtrack was well received, receiving various nominations at award shows as well as winning the award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition at the
22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards
The ''22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards'' is the 22nd edition of the D.I.C.E. Awards, an annual awards event that honors the best games in the video game industry. The awards are arranged by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), and were he ...
. ''
God of War Ragnarök (Original Soundtrack)'' was released on November 9, 2022, by Sony Classical Records.
Faroese singer
Eivør was brought back to contribute to the soundtrack. Irish folk artist
Hozier was also featured on the song, "Blood Upon the Snow".
''God of War: Blood & Metal''
''God of War: Blood & Metal'' is a
heavy metal homage by various bands on the
Roadrunner Records label, and features original music inspired by the ''God of War'' video game series. The
EP was released for purchase on March 2, 2010, and is available from
ShockHound
ShockHound was an online music download site, retail store and social networking platform launched by Hot Topic in 2008. ShockHound music files were available for download in the MP3 format, making them compatible with most digital music player ...
and the iTunes Store. It was also included as downloadable content in the ''God of War III Ultimate Edition'' and ''Ultimate Trilogy Edition'' collections, which included a bonus track.
The second track, "Shattering the Skies Above" by
Trivium
The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric.
The trivium is implicit in ''De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii'' ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but t ...
,
and the bonus track, "Even Gods Cry" by The Turtlenecks, were made into music videos.
1UP.com
''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conten ...
(2.5/5) said, "it's not offensive to
heears" and "mainstream listeners may enjoy
he album
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
. Square Enix Music Online (8/10) stated the album is a "good selection of metal music" and listeners will be "surprised with the variety of music".
Track listing
Critical reception
With physical and digital copies combined, the ''God of War'' franchise has sold over 51 million games worldwide (as of November 2020). ''God of War'' (2005), ''God of War II'', ''Chains of Olympus'', ''God of War Collection'', ''God of War III'', ''God of War'' (2018), and ''Ragnarök'' each received critical acclaim from several reviewers as compiled by
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, with the 2005, 2018, and ''Ragnarök'' titles being tied for the highest score in the franchise at 94/100.
''Betrayal'' and ''Ghost of Sparta'' only received generally favorable reception.
''Ascension'' also only had a generally favorable reception and, not including the PlayStation Vita port of ''God of War Collection'', it has the lowest score in the series from Metacritic (80/100).
At the time of its release, Raymond Padilla of
GameSpy wrote that the original ''God of War'' was the "best action game ever to grace the PS2". Other critics similarly said that it was one of the best action games of all time; it received over a dozen "Game of the Year" awards. In 2009, it was named the "seventh-best" PlayStation 2 game of all time on
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's "Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time" list. ''God of War II'' was also on IGN's list, and was named the "second-best" PlayStation 2 game of all time. ''God of War II'' was similarly called one of the best action games of all time and is considered the
swan song of the PlayStation 2 era. In November 2012,
Complex.com named ''God of War II'' the best PlayStation 2 game of all time—where ''God of War'' was named the 11th best—and consider it better than its successor, ''God of War III''. ''Betrayal'' was acclaimed for its fidelity to the series in terms of gameplay, art style, and graphics.
''Chains of Olympus'' was praised for "fantastic" graphics and "tight and responsive" controls for the PSP at the time.
In 2008, IGN awarded ''Chains of Olympus'' the "Best PSP Action Game", and in September 2010, it was listed as the best PSP game by ''
GamePro''. ''God of War III'' received praise for its graphics, in particular of Kratos; at the time, IGN stated that Kratos was "perhaps the single most impressive-looking character ever in videogames."
IGN also said that, at the time, ''God of War III'' "redefines what the word 'scale' means with regards to videogames, as it throws you into scenes with Titans that are larger than entire levels in some other games."
''God of War III'' received awards for "Most Anticipated Game of 2010" and "Best PS3 Game" at the 2009 and 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, respectively.
The game also won the "Artistic Achievement" award at the 2011
BAFTA awards. ''Ghost of Sparta'' was praised for its graphics and story, with Chris Pereira of 1UP saying that it was "a more personal story than the
revious''GOW'' games." It received several awards at E3 2010, including "Best Handheld Game", "Best PSP Game", and "PSP Game of Show", and won "Best Handheld Game" at the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards.
2018's ''God of War'' received particular praise for its art direction, graphics, combat system, music, story, use of Norse mythology, characters, and cinematic feeling. Many also felt that it had successfully revitalized the series without losing the core identity of its predecessors. It won several awards, among which were "
Game of the Year
Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given by various award events and media publications to a video game that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year.
Events and ceremonies
British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards)
...
" and "Best Game Direction" at
The Game Awards 2018
The Game Awards 2018 was an award show that honored the best video games of 2018. It was produced and hosted by Geoff Keighley, creator and producer of The Game Awards, and was held to an invited audience at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angele ...
and "Best Storytelling" and "PlayStation Game of the Year" at the 2018
Golden Joystick Awards
The Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the People's Gaming Awards, is a video game award ceremony; it awards the best video games of the year, as voted for originally by the British general public, but is now a global event that can be vote ...
.
The series has also received criticism because of problems with puzzles, weapons, and technical issues. ''Chains of Olympus'' was criticized by G4, who stated that the game "occasionally suffers from screen tearing and framerate drops", and that some of the puzzles "are so maddeningly difficult to solve". The game was also criticized for its lack of variety in enemies, its continued use of puzzles that require players to move boxes,
and its relatively short story. ''God of War III'' also received some criticism.
GameFront
GameFront is a video game website that provides patches, demos, modifications, and other user generated game related content to users. In addition, the site provides editorial content around the modding community and the wider gaming industry. T ...
's Phil Hornshaw said it had an overly cruel protagonist, and the game assumed that the players reveled in the misery and violence as much as Kratos did. IGN complained about the game's weapons, and said "that two of the three additional weapons that you'll earn are extremely similar to your blades. They have unique powers and slightly different moves, but by and large, they're more of the same."
''Ghost of Sparta'' received criticism from ''Eurogamer'', which said that the "game's primary problem ... is in its in-built focus" and that "there is a sense that ''Ghost of Sparta'' is a step back for the series if you've played
'God of War III''" Some reviewers stated that ''Ascension''s story was not as compelling as previous installments, with IGN stating that in comparison to Zeus and Ares, "the Furies don't quite cut it". The multiplayer received a mixed response. Although reviewers claimed gameplay translated well into the multiplayer, they were critical of the balance and depth of combat. ''
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
'' magazine approved of the multiplayer, stating it was an "evolutionary step" with "some fine ideas ... that
ould Ould is an English surname and an Arabic name ( ar, ولد). In some Arabic dialects, particularly Hassaniya Arabic, ولد (the patronymic, meaning "son of") is transliterated as Ould. Most Mauritanians have patronymic surnames.
Notable p ...
form part of this genre's future template." 2018's ''God of War'' received some criticism, for example, a couple of reviewers disliked that the
fast travel
Fast travel or teleportation is a video game mechanic used in open world titles that allows a player character to instantaneously travel between previously discovered locations (teleport waypoints or fast travel points) without having to traverse ...
option unlocked very late into the game.
The collections have also received praise. IGN (9.4/10) awarded ''God of War Collection'' (PS3) the "Editor's Choice" Award and praised the enhanced resolutions, lower price point and smoother frame rates, and stated it was the "definitive way to play the game
. Due to the success of ''God of War Collection'', Sony announced that further titles would receive similar treatment for release under its new "Classics HD" brand.
The ''Origins Collection'' was similarly well received. IGN (9/10) stated "Sony succeeded at making good games better", although ''GamePro'' criticized it for its lack of new bonus content. ''God of War Saga'' also received praise. Ryan Fleming of
Digital Trends
Digital Trends is a Portland, Oregon-based tech news, lifestyle, and information website that publishes news, reviews, guides, how-to articles, descriptive videos and podcasts about technology and consumer electronics products. With offices i ...
wrote that the collection "is perhaps the best value buy for any console available," although the collection is not likely for fans of the series, but rather inexperienced players or newcomers.
''God of War III Remastered'' was met with generally favorable reception. Praise was given to the smoother textures and improved frame rate, though because the original already had remarkable graphics, the changes were not major, and reviewers said these changes were not a strong enough argument to rebuy the game for US$40.
See also
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Characters of God of War
*
Kratos (God of War)
Kratos ( grc, Kratos (mythology), Κράτος "strength"; Old Norse: Fárbauti "fierce striker") is a fictional character and the protagonist of Santa Monica Studio's God of War (franchise), ''God of War'' series, based on Greek mythology ...
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:God of War (Series)
Action-adventure video games by series
Hack and slash video games by series
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Sony Interactive Entertainment franchises
Video game franchises introduced in 2005
Video games adapted into comics
Video games set in antiquity
Video games set in Greece
Greek and Roman deities in fiction
Fiction about revenge