God of War is one of the most epic PlayStation franchises ever made, spanning various realms and exploring a vast range of mythology across its eight installments. The series from SIE Santa Monica Studio has sold over 27 million units worldwide and has been hugely influential in the gaming industry. It has become one of the flagship brands for PlayStation, and the creative director of the game’s development team, Cory Barlog, recently confirmed that the latest title would not be the last in the series. So what could happen next for Kratos?
The 2018 God of War title was the first offering from the long-running franchise, which began in 2005, to be released for PlayStation 4. The game was immensely successful, receiving universal acclaim from Metacritic. This made it the joint-highest rated title in the franchise along with the original, and the fourth-highest for a PlayStation 4 game. It received praise for its art direction and graphics, along with the memorable storyline. It was the fastest-selling game in the franchise, and also won numerous Game of the Year awards from publications such as The Blade, Destructoid and Empire. This is an impressive feat considering it was competing against Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 for the same accolades.
Part of God of War’s success has been down to the fact that it has always been grounded in ancient mythology. This has attracted a lot of players to the franchise, as these themes have persistently been popular in mainstream culture. Other games have gained notoriety in the same way. King of Gods, for instance, is one of the most played slots online and focuses on famous legends such as Zeus. Meanwhile, a recent console offering from Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, centred on Ancient Greek themes and was considered to be one of the best games in the series.
The most recent God of War explored Norse premises, but Barlog said there was potential to go elsewhere with future games in the series. The creative director said that the games would continue to be centred on Kratos, but could go on to deal with Egyptian or Mayan mythology. The 2018 title had already alluded to the existence of these in the wider game universe.
There has also been talk of the franchise following on from other popular games like Tomb Raider and Hitman by expanding into film. The series creator David Jaffe announced in 2005 that there was a completed script for a film, but as of now, it has not been able to get off the ground. There are no directors or actors pinned to the project, and it is still without a release date.
Because God of War has been so successful and the themes explored are constantly used in the mainstream, gamers are likely to see much more of Kratos in the future. If the movie ever gets made, it will serve to enhance the franchise further and attract a greater number of players to the games.
