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Tag: God of War Ragnarok

  • Amazon’s ‘God of War’ Live-Action Series Should Adapt 2018’s Original Pitch

    Amazon’s ‘God of War’ Live-Action Series Should Adapt 2018’s Original Pitch

    God of War Ragnarok has just recently released and the withdrawal is already setting in. Who knows when we can expect a new entry into the franchise, especially with how little direct teases there are of what a future entry might bring. Many believe we’re about to visit another pantheon, though the question remains if our Greek former God of War will remain the series’ sole focus. There are a lot of questions, but one thing is for certain: we have a live-action series in some form of production heading our way at some point in the future.

    In early 2021, we had our own theories on how they could simply retell the original God of War trilogy with the many subplots from the spinoffs sprinkled throughout. An official announcement wouldn’t follow until March of 2022, where it was revealed that Amazon has been eyeing the chance to adapt the franchise themselves. We haven’t heard anything on the project since, not even news on if they might already be pitching for a showrunner to tackle the adaptation based on Santa Monica Studio’sgaming series.

    While we continue our wait for any hint at God of War‘s future, it’s the perfect time to revisit what may have been.Going down the rabbit hole of Cory Balrog‘s initial pitch of potentially setting the story in Egypt with Kratos stumbling upon a boy that he’d start building a connection with. Eventually, they would go with Norse mythology and scrapped the original plans. Atreus would end up becoming his actual son and Santa Monica offered a heartwarming storyline about coming to grips with one being more than the sum of your mistakes.

    While we may visit Egypt in the next God of War game, it sparked the idea that this unexplored story would be perfect for the live-action adaptation.While many would want to explore Kratos’ journey starting in Greece, there’s something interesting about exploring what may have been through a new adaptation. Not only would it help the live-action series stand out from what came before, but it could even be a way to focus on Kratos’ most interesting story arc without simply retracing the same ground as the 2018 game did.

    Kratos was quite a one-note yet badass character in the original Greek Saga. So, he may not be as enthralling as a main character by just going on his usual revenge-filled path. Yet, using a new setting with an ash-covered stranger may open the door to catching an audience that has no idea what God of War actually is. Most adaptations are dependent on making changes to adapt to the new medium while also easing in viewers to pre-existing stories.

    Exploring Kratos’ exhausting travels and desperate of leaving his mistakes in Greece creates a curious mystery for new viewers. Sprinkled as flashbacks throughout the series’ run, we see what exactly transpired between the Ghost of Sparta and the Greek pantheon. While players might know the exact events, it creates an interesting mystery for newbies of the franchise. We also get a more human element in him trying to build a connection with the boy he found lost in the desert’s sands.

    Their journey forces them to survive in a location that barely gives them resources, putting the former god in a position where even he needs time to truly embrace his former strength. The young boy has no idea who the stranger is that found him, but sees his best chance of survival alongside the man with the red tattoos. Even as they have their disagreements, once the Egyptian pantheon catches on that a God Killer has entered their realm and they won’t just rest to let him do whatever he wants.

    Unlike the Norse Saga, they don’t have a pre-existing bond as father and child, which means that there’s even more distrust to whoever the stranger might be and what his intentions are. Perhaps they may build upon a similar twist of the first games’ Loki reveal with the kid having a connection to the pantheon. Perhaps a young exiled god that was hoping to find his purpose but one mistake led to him alone in the desert.

    Little did Kratos know, he may have a fellow God of War by his side as the young boy reveals to be named Montu. At least he has that role in the original mythology and given Kratos’ arrival he ends up pushed into a new direction. The franchise’s modern interpretations have focused on discovering the meaning of war and its many facets. Plus, it would end up as a fun twist on the title being not only about the man that arrived in the deserts but also the fate of the boy from the dune’s of godhood.

    Of course, whoever may end up getting the chance to develop a series based on God of War will likely stick to its Greek origins as it gives them the chance to explore Kratos at his peak. Any adaptation similar to the game will get a lot of eyes on it, especially with how impressive the set pieces were. Yet, there’s something so special about the modern take that offers a strong emotional core. Plus, just retreading old ground seems like a waste if you have someone like Kratos that can travel from one pantheon to the next by just repeating what the games have already done.

  • From Egypt to Japan: Exploring ‘God of War’s Future Beyond ‘Ragnarok’

    From Egypt to Japan: Exploring ‘God of War’s Future Beyond ‘Ragnarok’

    The Norse saga of the long-running franchise God of War has come to an end with God of War: Ragnarok. Kratos and his son Atreus have faced down the Norse gods, taken down Odin and seemingly freed a land under his iron fist. Yet, the second entry in this revival hasn’t truly answered every question that was left open from the events in this new duology of games. We still don’t know who blew the horn in 2018’s entry, what exactly the mask was all about or even if there’s more to that bizarre tear that rippled through reality. Kratos’ vision leaves us wondering if his story is truly over, or it’s just only begun. Luckily, there are some hints on what could be in store for players.

    God of War‘s return was originally conceived quite a bit differently. Cory Barlog, who directed the first entry that released in 2018, actually wasn’t sure which direction to go with the new entry. It seems he wanted to explore different pantheons but couldn’t decide between Norse mythology or Egypt. Interesting enough, the fact that Kratos would have a son that uses a bow and arrow was the one concept that carried over. While we now know which direction he went, it’s still interesting that concept art exists of that original concept. We even have a tease during the exploration of Tyr’s treasure room in that same game.

    Speaking of, a mural of Tyr’s travels in that same area also includes various symbols of Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythology. What stands out is that there’s also a fourth in the form of a Japanese Shinto symbol that opens up the question if perhaps the team at Santa Monica Studio wanted to keep the door open to explore different pantheons depending on where the story leads them. While Egypt would seem like the more natural fit given just how close the original game almost turned into that story, there’s still a lot to explore moving forwared.

    Still, the question remains on how exactly these pantheons will be explored. Kratos’ journey leads him through Ragnarok and saying goodbye to his son as he ventured out on his own adventure. So, it would seem easy to assume that whatever Atreus’ search leads to may be the cause of him wandering through other pantheons. We get to play as him throughout the game at different occasions, though it would be weird not to play the character that the entire franchise has been about throughout six console games and two portable spinoffs. It simply wouldn’t be the same without Kratos. While the final scene of the story could work as a way to cap off his journey, it also could be a guide for his own personal path moving forward.

    A tweet by director Cory Barlog may have hinted that whatever story we’re set to explore will not fully move away from the Norse setting. One of the big moments during Ragnarok was when Jormungandr was hit by Thor and transported back in time to eventually grow into the version we meet in the first of the Norse saga entries. Yet, Barlog seems to imply thatthere’s actually more story to tell and we could find out what exactly was the true cause for Thor suddenly hitting someone through time and space. Perhaps it is something connected to Mjolnir?

    https://twitter.com/corybarlog/status/1593335257905844225

    Either way, it does seem like we’re not fully done with the Norse setting. Perhaps the eventual sequel still starts off in the setting that Kratos has called home and leads to an unexpected discovery. Whatever that crack in reality was, it could also act as a gateway that ends up dragging Kratos into a different place and forces him to face a new pantheon. We’ve seen word spread about what Kratos has done in Greece. So, any of the remaining gods out there would be worried that a man that took down two would eventually desire to reach out and do the same elsewhere. Wouldn’t it seem fitting that gods end up becoming their own demise by getting involved with those they should’ve just left alone?

    Director Eric Williams, who took over from Barlog who took on a producing role for God of War: Ragnarok, has also hinted that there are active hints in the game about where they’ll go next. After you finished the main story, you can actually discover a prison from asgard that housed the real God of War Tyr, who ends up taking some personal time to travel the Nine Realms. The quest to find him sadly doesn’t really yield any benefits in Ragnarok, but Williams has pointed out that his actions may be our biggest clue to what’s to come.

    The biggest hint might be the fact that you can find Tyr in Vanaheim doing something akin to Tai chi. We know that he’s traveled to other places on Midgard (if these pantheons even exist in the exact same realm, something the series is very vague on) and could become the bridge in the next story. Instead of a full-on invasion, perhaps someone is seeking Tyr’s help and he resides in Kratos to join him due to his own experiences from a different home. It would create an interesting dynamic and also help further explore a new dynamic between to Gods of War.

    Of course, Santa Monica Studio isn’t bound to producing a singular franchise but Williams seems quite open to dedicating his career to doing just that, as revealed in a quote with the LA Times.

    I remember talking to someone from another game company, where they were trying to get me to leave. The said, ‘Do you just want to be known as the “God of War” guy for the rest of your life?’ That was your big pitch to dissuade me? Because yes, I kind of do

    Eric Williams

    There hasn’t been an official announcement for a sequel, but any franchise that decides to use the wording “saga” is definitely not going to wrap it up anytime soon; the Marvel Cinematic Universe made sure of that very sentiment. If they are working on other unannounced projects, perhaps we’ll get a Spider-Man: Miles Morales type spinoff focused on Atreus as he seeks out the missing giants that now reside in other realms. Perhaps his actions in that game could lead to Kratos having to seek him out, setting up the next mainline sequel. For now, we can only speculate and it looks like we’ll have to wait quite a bit until we get any real news on a sequel.

    Source: Destructoid, LA Times, YouTube

  • ‘God of War: Ragnarok’ Director on Potential DLC

    ‘God of War: Ragnarok’ Director on Potential DLC

    God of War Ragnarok has just been released on shelves and has seemingly already become a massive hit for PlayStation, as it now dethroned The Last of Us Part 2 to become the console’s fastest-selling first-party game. Of course, quite a few have already played through the game’s massive and ambitious story, as Kratos and his son Atreus take on Fimbulwinter and the Norse Gods, but there’s always that question in the back of our heads wondering if there might be more in the near future.

    As it turns out, that might be very unlikely. Director Eric Williams has revealed on the Kinda Funny Games SpoilerCast that we shouldn’t expect any DLC. It seems they worked on the game as a full package and seemingly put any theories to rest that more might be on the horizon. Of course, he doesn’t say anything about a potential sequel, which has been teased in the past especially as this film ends the Norse saga of the franchise.

    I don’t know, man, that game is big. I think we put everything we had into it, so I wouldn’t count on it.

    Eric Williams

    It’s a shame we’ll have to wait quite a bit longer until we see more of this story given it took them around 4 years to release the second entry since the first’s debut. There are a lot of potential stories to explore still in this unique take on classic mythology, especially with how the first entry teased many more pantheons beyond the ones we already have witnessed directly. So, here’s hoping that we’ll get a tease of some kind about what the future has in store for Kratos and Atreus’ future.

    Source: YouTube via EuroGamer

  • ‘God of War Ragnarok’ Dethrones ‘The Last of Us Part II’ as PlayStation’s Fastest-Selling Debut

    ‘God of War Ragnarok’ Dethrones ‘The Last of Us Part II’ as PlayStation’s Fastest-Selling Debut

    God of War was already a huge game when it sold 3.1M copies in three days back in 2018 rivaled by Marvel’s Spider-Man‘s 3.3M. It took until The Last of Us: Part 2 two years later to take the top spot with four million copies sold in three days. Well, it seems that the franchise has taken the top spot away, as God of War: Ragnarok has managed to sell 5.1M copies in its launch week and has been announced as PlayStation’s fastest-selling first-party launch ever. These sales are a combination of both PlayStation 4 and 5 entries as of its launch on November 13th. Sadly, we can’t give a direct comparison with no further details shared on how they performed throughout the full week.

    Still, the game has been doing numbers and it definitely looks like Santa Monica Studio might have to start working on the third entry soon. The game had some of PlayStation#s biggest marketing campaigns, such as an ad featuring Ben Stiller, John Travolta, LeBron James, and more in a room to promote the game. God of War is a rare continuation of a classic trilogy that managed to use familiar elements but still stands out as a very distinct game. Instead of his usual revenge-filled path, Kratos is responsible for his son after the passing of his wife Faye and finds himself on a journey that forces him to face Norse gods. Ragnarok signals the end of the Norse saga with teases of the future entries exploring other pantheons still making the rounds.

    Source: Twitter, GameSpot

  • Korean Rating of ‘God of War Ragnarok’ Hints at Upcoming Release

    Korean Rating of ‘God of War Ragnarok’ Hints at Upcoming Release

    2022 is slowly turning into a big year for gaming, as we’re anticipating some massive game releases, and Summer of Gaming promises to give us a look at what the future has to offer. One of this year’s most anticipated titles might be the sequel to 2018’s God of War with God of War Ragnarok. Fimbulwinter is almost upon us and it looks like the game received a rating from the Korean Rating Board.

    This commonly means that the game is in its final stages and that a release date is imminent. While it won’t release this summer, it does seem possible that it could be arriving around September. A fall release has been rumored for a while and while we haven’t gotten an update on the game in some time, there was recently a showcase of its new accessibility features. So, it does seem like Santa Monica Studios is wrapping up work on the game for its release.

    God of War reintroduced Kratos to players, as he has found himself in the North raising a child after the tragic passing of his wife. In their journey to respect her last wish, they cross paths with a powerful god that is seeking the one to free him from his curse. The sequel will continue as the Fimbulwinter has been unleashed upon the North and he has to ensure his son survives whatever threats head their way.

    Source: Korean Rating Board via Twitter

  • RUMOR: ‘God of War Ragnarok’ Leak Hints at a Late September Release

    RUMOR: ‘God of War Ragnarok’ Leak Hints at a Late September Release

    We’ve all been wondering what the future holds for God of War Ragnarok, as we continue to await its release. The story of Kratos and his son Atreus continues, as Fimbulwinter has arrived to change their lives potentially forever. We were quite excited when we got a glimpse of the sequel’s gameplay and a confirmation it would end the franchise’s Norse storyline. Sadly, the game’s release did get pushed back into 2022 after originally eyeing a release this year, but it seems a new leak may have given us a hint at when to expect it.

    In a post by PlayStation Game Size on Twitter, it seems that the PlayStation Database has accidentally leaked the release date slot for the game for September 30th of 2022. As they point out, there’s a chance it is just a placeholder, but it falls on a Friday which is in line with previous releases. If a placeholder is already set, it could be a hint that the next trailer would offer us a clear indicator of when it might release.

    September seems like a fitting time to release the game, as it’ll be a big seller for Sony’s PlayStation. Of course, releasing closer to the holidays will make it on the top list for many. Plus, there’s something fun about playing a game that takes place during an endless Winter as of September. Of course, we still need to take this news with a grain of salt, and it’ll be interesting to see if we get an official release confirmation early in the new year.

    Source: Twitter