God of War sits among Sony's most storied first-party franchises. From the no-holds-barred action and Shakespearean drama of the original Greek saga to the intimate and measured action-adventure of the Norse games, God of War has undergone a number of permutations, morphing into something very different over time.
Just as modern audiences are starting to grow accustomed to the bearded, wizened Kratos entrenched in Scandinavian myth, rumors have emerged about the classic God of War games getting remastered for a PS5 release. Sony has garnered a reputation recently, for better or worse, for remaking and remastering games that are just a few years old, so a sprucing up of the classic GOW games, some of which are rather dated by contemporary standards, definitely seems plausible. Only time will determine the full veracity of these rumors, but assuming that these games are indeed on the way, it's worth theorizing about what they could, and should, borrow from the Norse games that succeeded them.
God of War Shows That Older PlayStation IPs May Only Have One Chance at a Second Wind
There are many old PlayStation IPs that deserve to return, and God of War demonstrates that there may be only one way to do so.
How the Classic God of War Games Could Adapt Features from the Norse Saga
Even if these re-releases are in the works, it seems highly unlikely that they would be full remakes in the vein of something like the Silent Hill 2 remake. The following speculation will reflect that.
Accessibility Features
The newer God of War games have been prized for their smart accessibility features, with God of War Ragnarok even winning the Innovation in Accessibility award at 2022's The Game Awards. Modern accessibility staples like text-to-speech are present in Ragnarok, but Santa Monica went the extra mile with thoughtful, practical options like audio cues, full controller remapping, and granular subtitle customization.
These features help make the modern games more approachable for players with cognitive, mobility, vision, and hearing difficulties, but also for those lacking experience with action games, or video games in general. Since a driving force behind the rumored God of War remastered trilogy is, presumably, to get the games in the hands of new players, learning from the Norse saga to make them more accessible seems like a no-brainer.
Haptics and Subtle Attack Animation Changes
This might seem like an oddly specific point, but the older God of War games could definitely learn a lot from the Norse saga's more tangible combat sandbox. There are obviously a lot of major changes that God of War 2018 implements to make its combat distinct, but two of its unsung heroes are haptic feedback and nuanced attack animations, which would be relatively easy to add to these rumored remakes.
Advanced haptic feedback feels like a given: Sony never seems to pass up the chance to show off the power of the DualSense controller. But the Norse games also add a slight "drag" to Kratos' attacks, slowing animations down slightly when a melee attack connects with an enemy, which lends combat a more brutal feel; such an animation choice makes it feel like the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos are actually ripping through flesh and viscera of the enemies, making the combat of newer God of War games feel much more brutal, immediate, and gripping, in contrast to the spectacle-driven combat of the older games, where the player tears through enemies like a hot knife through butter. The combination of engaging haptics and smart combat animations could greatly elevate the older GOW experiences.
The God of War Remakes Should Be Made With a Deft Touch
Whatever changes the rumored GOW remakes introduce, they probably shouldn't exceed the scope of the aforementioned ideas. Fundamental changes to presentation or, even worse, narrative would be erasing not only gaming history, but the history of the God of War narrative itself. There is definitely a lot of potential for quality-of-life and graphical improvements, but they should serve to highlight the games' existing strengths, not replace them with something else.
God of War Ragnarok
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- November 9, 2022
- ESRB
- M For Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an epic and heartfelt journey as Kratos and Atreus struggle with holding on and letting go
From Santa Monica Studio comes the sequel to the critically acclaimed God of War (2018). Fimbulwinter is well underway. Kratos and Atreus must journey to each of the Nine Realms in search of answers as Asgardian forces prepare for a prophesied battle that will end the world. Along the way they will explore stunning, mythical landscapes, and face fearsome enemies in the form of Norse gods and monsters. The threat of Ragnarök grows ever closer. Kratos and Atreus must choose between their own safety and the safety of the realms.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Franchise
- God of War
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
