Summary
PlayStation has a handful of first-party franchises that it has leaned on in recent years to sell hardware units and keep players entertained.Horizon,Spider-Man,The Last of Us, andGod of Warhave become pillars of Sony’s gaming division, and have given the brand a sense of identity over the last decade. All are respected in their own right, but none have quite delivered a one-two punch that has resonated with audiences quite like the latter series.
God of Warbegan three console generations ago, and thus has a storied history up to this point, going from a frantic hack-and-slash affair to a deeply emotional story that digs into the nuances of family, responsibility, and destiny. It’s a changed series in 2024, and while it may seem like a good idea to remaster the series' early entries, the stark differences today may suggest that it could do more harm than good.
Kratos is a Changed Man in the Norse God of War Saga
TheGreek saga ofGod of Wargames are essential building blocks for the series itself and go a long way to helping Kratos feel like a complex, storied character. Seeing him shed his unrelenting rage and replace it with a tranquil life in Midgard shows that he’s healed significantly from being someone who was so fueled by vengeance. When he is asked to go back to his god-slaying ways, it feels begrudging and subject to happenstance rather than him tracking down those who have wronged him. There’s little denying that Kratos is a far more interesting character in the Norse portion of his life.
The development of 2018’sGod of Warwas chronicled in the 2019 documentary,Raising Kratos, which was released on the PlayStation YouTube Channel.
Seeing that development is one of the reasons the 2018God of Warand itssequel,God of War: Ragnarokhad such an emotional impact on players. Those returning saw the different man Kratos had become, and so looking back on his time in Greece by remaking the initial trilogy or its PSP spin-offs would only serve to remind players of Kratos' tougher, and less interesting side. He wasn’t a particularly compelling protagonist on the PlayStation 2 and 3, and one-to-one remakes would remind people of his shortcomings.
God of War Set a New Standard on PlayStation 4
The fixed-camera, hack-and-slash gameplay of the first three titles did well to keep the gameplay fun and engaging for their duration and helped the series to compete with the likes ofBayonettaandDevil May Cryat the time. It was smart and functional but asGod of War: Ascensionwas released with a whimper, it was clear that the format was living on borrowed time.God of War’s switch to Norse mythology brought with it an over-the-shoulder view which is more in-keeping with modern third-person AAA titles, but it amazingly managed to keep the spirit of the hack-and-slash genre with weapons and attacks that felt fast, intentional, and impactful.
God of War: Ascensionwas released in 2013, selling 570,000 units in the first month of its release, significantly lower thanGod of War 3just three years earlier.
God of Warhas struck gold with its philosophy in recent years, and it’d be wise to expect developer Sony Santa Monica to keep using it moving forward.Remaking or remastering the olderGod of Wargameswould only serve to show their age and pull players away from a combat system that is both incredibly refined, but also shows so much promise for future iterations.God of Warwas a big deal when the first game launched on the PlayStation 2, and caught itself from the brink of non-existence with the 2018 title. Seeing as the future remains bright, going back and remaking what has come before could feel like a big misplacement of resources.
