God of War Ragnarok still has the impressive reimagining of god of war series brilliantly, but it has made the original trilogy look far more dated. While many gamers love the adventures of Kratos and Atreus through Norse mythology, some wish Santa Monica Studio would take a trip back to Greek mythology after God of War Ragnarok ends its run. The origins of Kratos deserve to shine, and recreating them might be the best way to do that.
The New Norse god of war series is very different from the original trilogy, and going back to the games that started it all can feel a little jarring. Not only are they very different graphically, but they are in a completely different genre. This has given some players little reason to return to Kratos’ origins, but Santa Monica Studio can fix that. The games could shine once more if they were given a new coat of paint in the style of God of War Ragnarok.
The Original God of War trilogy tells the origin of Kratos
The original god of war the trilogy started in 2005 with the appropriate title god of war. Players watched as Kratos became the servant of the Greek god of war Ares and witnessed the war he waged in the service of the gods. Players joined Kratos as he set out to destroy Ares at the behest of Athena, and they watched as he crowned himself the new God of War at the end. It was a wild story filled to the brim with Greek mythology fun, and is fondly remembered to this day for starting this iconic PlayStation franchise.
God of War 2 continued the story of Kratos through Greek mythology. This time, Kratos is betrayed by Zeus and stripped of his new godly powers. He ends up making a deal with the Titan Gaia, and he sets out to find the Sisters of Fate to change time and prevent his death. The game took everything good at first and made it better. It is often referred to as one of the best games ever made, and it further cemented it god of war as a staple in the PlayStation.
God of War 3 concluded the original trilogy and is considered one of the best PS3 games ever made. The game follows Kratos as he tries to destroy Zeus and end the reign of the Olympian gods once and for all. Players ascend Olympus, destroying all manner of powerful enemies as they go. Filled with high-stakes battles and intense moments, the game serves as a fantastic conclusion to this iconic trilogy.
The God of War Norse series completely changed the game
The original god of war trilogy was a series of hack-and-slash action-adventure titles where the focus of the games was less on the narrative and more on the combat. Players used the Blades of Chaos to slice through all manner of enemies as they journeyed through Greek mythology. They would also use various magical abilities to beat their enemies, often completing a series of quick events to finish off the bosses. This battle was combo-based, and the camera was in a fixed position, giving the games an old-school arcade feel.
On their journey through the original god of war trilogy, players would collect all kinds of different colored orbs that would help Kratos up. Once they were done with the main story, the games would give them challenge modes that would test their mettle with all sorts of new rulesets. These gameplay elements and combat proved to be a lot of fun, but the series went in a completely different direction for the Norse Mythology games.
The 2018 century god of war took the hack-and-slash out of the series and put much more emphasis on the action-adventure aspect. The twin blades were replaced by the Leviathan Ax, and the camera was moved to an over-the-shoulder view. The hack-and-slash gameplay was replaced with more RPG-like combat and mechanics that make the game feel completely different from its predecessors. There is also a much deeper focus on telling a reasoned story within the framework of god of war series, which worked great. These new elements were transferred to God of War Ragnarok and has helped redefine what the series can be.
The God of War trilogy deserves to shine
The big changes like the Norse god of war series brought to the franchise is impressive and has helped draw in a whole new fan base. The games are nothing like their predecessors and tell some of the best stories in gaming right now. While this is wonderful to see, it has done so god of war the trilogy looks even more dated. Going from the RPG adventures to hack-and-slash roots can be very jarring, but that can be fixed if Santa Monica Studio would put in some work.
The original god of war trilogy tells the origin of Kratos, and players should be able to experience the early days with a more modern feel. Specifically, the original god of war the trilogy deserves to be recreated in the same style as the Norse duology. The Greek mythology adventures of Kratos would translate wonderfully to this new style and would shine with a fresh coat of paint. Fans of the new series would have more reason to go back and revisit the original trilogy, and it would help make the series far more cohesive in style.
Restore the original god of war trilogy in the form of the new duology is probably out of the question for now, as it would take a huge amount of resources to pull off, but it would be pretty cool if Santa Monica Studio actually did it. It can serve as a great way to fill the time in between God of War Ragnarok and what the studio has planned next for Kratos, and it would just be a lot of fun to play.
God of War Ragnarok is now available on PS4 and PS5.