Summary
After the massive success of HBO’sThe Last of Us, video game fans are excited about the doors the series opened for future video game adaptations. Viewers can get ready for shows likeFallout,Bioshock,Tomb Raider, and evenBorderlands. One upcoming show that has die-hard fans especially excited is the newGod of Warseries set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video.
The highly anticipated series has no official release date as of yet, but having been announced in late 2022, fans can expect to tune in to the first episode in either later 2024 or early 2025. Officially, the plot will be set starting in the Norse Saga of the franchise, akaGod of War(2018).
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But that doesn’t mean they’ll stick entirely to how the story plays out in the video game. With eight games in the franchise spanning over two separate timelines telling stories with entirely different mythologies, there’s a lot of freedom on the part of the writers for the newGod of Warseries. So, what are some ways they could go about telling the story of Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta?
Where to (Eventually) Watch
Prime Video
TheGod of Warfranchise follows two separate sagas: the Greek Saga and the Norse Saga, with the latter taking place after the first in terms of the storyline. So, one way to tell the story ofGod of Warwould be to tell it chronologically. This would mean starting from the very first game, where Kratos' mission is to find Pandora’s Box so that he may have the means ofdefeating the Greek god of war, Ares. Plot wise, although there are six games in the Greek Saga, only three of them hold crucial story elements (God of WarI,II, andIII). The other three can easily be told through conversations or brief flashbacks within the series.
A big advantage this option provides is the given source material to have five seasons off the bat, if the writers choose to tell each of the main games in each season. And with athird installment of the Norse Sagabeing inevitable (and possibly the conclusion of the franchise), they’ll have plenty of time to wait for the video game’s release while still pumping out season after season.
However, a concerning aspect to this method of storytelling is the fact that the Greek Saga ofGod of Warhas a lot to unpack. There is so much story within the Greek Saga and, at times, an overwhelming number of characters to be introduced if they had decided to go this route. Sure, it would set a good baseline for casual or new fans of the franchise tuning in to watch the series to understand who Kratos is and why he is on the journey he’s on, but it may force the show to move at too fast a pace for viewers to keep up with.
Option 2: Start With the Norse Saga and Flashback
Starting with the Norse Saga would mean starting from the story told inGod of War(2018), which follows Kratos and his son Atreus as they travel through theNine Realms of Norse mythology, finding the highest peak to spread the ashes of Faye, Kratos' late wife (Atreus' mother). In this storyline, Atreus has no knowledge of Kratos' past life as the Ghost of Sparta and the Greek god of war. So, a lot of the Greek Saga is filled in with conversations and flashbacks.
This is already a perfect blueprint for a series, because the video games in the Norse Saga already follow just one timeline while filling in both the player and the other characters in whom Kratos was in the past, little by little. For many, whenGod of War(2018) came out, they were first timeGod of Warplayers, and they were able to understand the gist of the Greek Saga as the game progressed. But even for the lifetime fans,the callbacks were awesomeand the parallels drawn between each story were presented to perfection, giving those fans both a sense of freshness and nostalgia.
A slight disadvantage to this option, though, is trying to properly pace the information given about the Greek Saga via flashbacks and dialogue. With so much plot to unpack, it can easily be overwhelming for first-time viewers and turn them off quickly. The writers have to be selective about what they choose to include and omit from the original franchise in order for viewers to be able to follow along and get a good sense of each character, especially the mysterious protagonist Kratos.
Which Option Is Better?
Honestly, either option is totally viable. They could take their time and write out the entire storyline of Kratos up until this point in the franchise, or they can utilize mystery to keep the viewers intrigued about who Kratos was before he arrived in Midgard, and tell his story as the show progresses. But after weighing the options, it seems option 2 – starting with the Norse Saga – may be the better route to take.
For one, the storytelling and pace in the Norse Saga is immensely better than the Greek Saga. As good as the original games were, they’re a bit dated in how the story progresses, with a lot of fillers and just ridiculous scenarios that could only work in a PlayStation 2-style game, not a contemporary television series. There would just be so much needed to be cut that the story might feel like it’s missing something. Also, there’s so much more emotion in the Norse Saga, between Kratos trying again at being a father, andAtreus discovering who he isand is meant to be, all while unpacking the secrets Faye kept from both of them while she still lived.
Luckily, it seems like starting from the Norse Saga is the option the writers for the Prime VideoGod of Warseries are taking. But again, that doesn’t mean they have to totally follow how the story is told in the games. Thewriters have a lot of freedom, seeing as though there is so much history to Kratos and his past life that they can bounce around as much as they see fit, telling the summary of the events that unfolded in the Greek Saga as fast or as spread out as they’d like.
God of War
God of War is an action game created by David Jaffe and Sony’s Santa Monica Studio. The series is considered a flagship franchise for PlayStation consoles with nine mainline games, with the first launching in 2005 for the PlayStation 2. The series revolves around a Spartan warrior named Kratos, who was tricked into killing his family by Ares, the Greek God of War. Kratos follows a path of vengeance against the Gods, eventually attempting to settle down in ancient Norway, though he soon crosses paths with the many Norse Gods.OVERRIDE
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