Sony's recent God of War Ragnarok has been a pleasant surprise to many. It took everything that was good about the 2018 God of War soft reboot and built upon it, with a compelling and heartfelt narrative backed by solid RPG progression. God of War Ragnarok also feels as long as an RPG thanks to its Norse Saga being planned as a trilogy, but Santa Monica Studio decided otherwise. That ended up being to the game's benefit, even if that means that fans with less time on their hands are still working through it and the future of the franchise is now less clear.
Common speculation is that the next God of War title could take place in Egypt, though there's also the possibility of an Atreus spin-off. Regardless, God of War is in a great place again, and both its Norse and Greek eras can stand as some of Sony's all-time greatest first-party titles. Standing as the closest thing Sony has to a mascot franchise, it would be nice to see a little more crossover between God of War and other first-party PlayStation IPs. These need not be any more than Easter eggs, and God of War Ragnarok already has a charming template to include them.
God of War Ragnarok's Collectible Poems Are A Great Surprise
Over the course of God of War Ragnarok, Kratos and his party will have all kinds of side adventures, completing quests and finding various collectibles. Many of these come with rewards, but pursuing one particular line could be considered its own reward. Sometimes, Kratos will come across the collectible poems of Kvasir in God of War Ragnarok, and all fourteen of them are references to other PlayStation franchises. More specifically, they refer to other first-party titles that are available on the PlayStation 4. Games like Bloodborne, Concrete Genie, The Last of Us Part 2, and more are all given shoutouts with equal enthusiasm.
It's nice to see one of Sony's biggest IPs pay lip service to its peers. These Easter eggs feel rewarding to veteran PlayStation fans, and their inclusion speaks to God of War Ragnarok's willingness to add extra touches to its already enormous runtime. Seeing an updated set in the next God of War, perhaps with simple artwork or figurines instead of poems, would have the same effect. Considering that a conversation between Kratos and Mimir references Kratos’ appearance in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, the sky's the limit for these sorts of references.
Future God of War Entries Should Shout Out More PlayStation Games
The fun doesn't need to stop at idle collectibles, either. If God of War continues in its current direction, it should still use RPG mechanics and gear in the future. Much of what Kratos and his allies can equip appear on the character models, allowing the player some measure of control over their appearances. Ragnarok's New Game Plus update reinforced this, with some new equipment made for both style and transformative playthroughs. However, cosmetic items, with or without stats, make great crossover material.
Costumes based on other PlayStation franchises would feel right at home in God of War. There may need to be restrictions on chosen properties, as something like the modern clothing of The Last of Us would look silly in an ancient setting, but Destiny 2’s recent PlayStation crossover promotion shows ways it could work. Outfits and weapons with referential names and appearances roughly based on main characters are ideal, and they could make great rewards for quests that also reference their source material. Despite its success, God of War shouldn't forget its roots as a flagship PlayStation title and could take its family with it as it strives for greater heights.
God of War Ragnarok is available now on PS4, and PS5.