20 years ago,God of Wararrived with a bloody quest for revenge against the Greek pantheon.
The first handful of releases shared a somewhat juvenile approach to its story and portrayal of certain characters.
In recent times, the series has been painstakingly flagellating itself for the past.
Kratos in ‘God of War HD’ (2009)Sony Interactive Entertainment
But looking back, many feel a longing for theGod of Warof old.
The story introduces Kratos as a renowned Spartan warrior who, after many confrontations, was defeated in battle.
Outside of the story, the protagonists anger is intertwined with the game mechanically.
Aside from the occasional cutscene, the game asked players to kill, tirelessly, over and over.
But it wasnt without its problems.
But the shift started even earlier.
There are some things weve pulled back from, Hewitt said.
For years, Kratos was one of the prominent faces of the PlayStation catalog.
But by 2018, the standard of AAA games had changed drastically for Sony.
But the desire for a palette cleanser was evident.
The Kratos of old was dead.
A new era ofGod of Warhad arrived, and with it, the franchise rose to new heights.
The latter results in a setting thats more somber, and less gratuitous in its violence and sex.
From whats been shown, next yearsOnimusha: Way of the Swordseems to be following suit.
Theyre games embedded in modernity.
Without spoiling what happens at the end,Valhallasees Kratos turning the page.
Some ghosts are best left in the past.
We might be due again for that old God of War.
