God of War Fans Should Keep an Eye on Morbid

Summary

Morbid: The Lords of Ire offers intense combat akin to God of War.
The game features cosmic horror elements and giant bosses reminiscent of the God of War franchise.
As a promising indie title, Morbid serves as a great alternative for God of War fans eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series.

With the God of War franchise now in a lull following last year's Valhalla DLC, fans of the franchise may have the perfect game to keep them occupied with Morbid: The Lords of Ire. God of War boasts some great action that Morbid seems to have taken inspiration from, and many fans of the former will want to keep an eye out for the indie title's upcoming release.

First introduced in 2020 as an isometric soulslike with Morbid: The Seven Acolytes, developer Still Running has taken a bold new approach to its follow-up with a 3D point-of-view that promises even more intense combat. The game focuses on facing bosses possessed by demonic deities known as Gahars, and with the new 3D perspective The Lords of Ire is taking, the game resembles what it would look like if FromSoftware developed a God of War game.

Morbid Feels Like A God of War Horror Game

Although Still Running's Morbid games are clearly inspired by many Soulslike titles, much of the combat seen in The Lords of Ire trailer is reminiscent of the most recent God of War games. After God of War Ragnarok received a free DLC last year with Valhalla, the future of the franchise has been a bit of a mystery as Santa Monica works on the series in secret, but The Lords of Ire presents a new opportunity to revisit some of the features that made Ragnarok and Valhalla so much fun.

Morbid Promises Intense, Horror-Filled Combat

Footage from The Lords of Ire's most recent trailer gives an exciting look at combat that pits players against enemies taken straight out of a cosmic horror nightmare. The game feels like a strange, yet awesome, crossover that throws Kratos into the world of Bloodborne. Combat in God of War has always been a cornerstone of the franchise, and seeing similar combat in a cosmic horror setting is exciting. A horror-focused God of War is fun to think about, and The Lords of Ire brings this concept to life.

God-Like Bosses

A big detail that The Lords of Ire shares with the God of War franchise is fighting larger-than-life bosses. Throughout the God of War franchise, Kratos has faced some of the most notable gods and monsters from both the Greek and Norse pantheon, and The Lords of Ire puts its own spin on god-like combat. One of the main points of Morbid's lore is found in Gahars, evil deities who inhabit powerful beings, and The Lords of Ire has its protagonist facing the five titular Lords of Ire in order to release these Gahars from their hosts.

The Perfect Indie Title To Sustain God of War Fans

With the future of God of War being uncertain, Morbid: The Lords of Ire is the perfect indie substitution for anyone waiting for the next chapter in Kratos' journey. From the art design to the combat, developer Still Running promises something unique with The Lords of Ire with enough familiarity to win over fans of gaming's biggest heavy hitters.

The game's planned release of May 23, 2024, puts it only a few months away and it will be available on both PC and current consoles.

It's fascinating to see Still Running take such a drastic leap from Morbid: The Seven Acolytes, but the change in direction looks like it has a lot of potential to be an amazing 3D combat experience. There are some great indie titles perfect for God of War fans that have come out this year, and it looks like Morbid: The Lords of Ire is setting itself up to be another addition to that list that may just break through and have something to offer as its own unique IP.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image