With the release of 2022’s God of War Ragnarok Santa Monica Studio closed the book on Kratos’ adventures through the Nine Realms of Norse mythology, marking an end to the latest chapter of the long-running series. With fans already speculating about what the developer has in store for the next God of War, one bold choice would be for Santa Monica Studio to revisit Kratos’ past with a prequel. A prequel story for Kratos would not only help to flesh out the Ghost of Sparta’s past, but could potentially bring back players who preferred the franchise’s over-the-top earlier entries.
The 8-year gap between the release of God of War 3 and 2018’s God of War saw a dramatic shift in the portrayal of series protagonist, Kratos. Whereas Kratos had been consumed by his grief and anger throughout the original games, God of War 2018 introduced players to a more world-weary, but still deadly, version of the Ghost of Sparta. A prequel set between the two titles could fill in the gaps in Kratos’ saga and pay homage to the original God of War games, similar to Ubisoft’s throwback Assassin’s Creed Mirage, while fleshing out his transformation from a rage-filled force of nature to the more subdued presence seen in his latest outings.
A God of War Prequel Should Take a Page from Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s Playbook
Just as Ubisoft is using Assassin’s Creed Mirage to fill in the events happening between mainline games and deliver a gameplay experience more in line with the series’ roots, Santa Monica Studio could do the same with a God of War prequel. The God of War: Fallen God comic series, which was set between the conclusion of God of War 3 and the 2018 God of War and sees Kratos exploring ancient Egypt, even provides a perfect setting and setup for a prequel game.
A prequel game set in ancient Egypt would help mix things up after the franchise’s detour to the snowy realms of Norse mythology while also serving as a final farewell to the more animalistic Kratos of the original God of War trilogy. Staying true to the series’ roots, a prequel could emphasize action and over-the-top set pieces as Kratos fights his way through the desert. That’s not to say that a God of War prequel would need to abandon the emotionally resonant narrative that has become a hallmark of recent entries, though, as it could also flesh out Kratos’ character arc ahead of the next mainline game.
A Prequel Could Flesh Out Kratos’ Character Arc Before the Next God of War
The story of God of War: Fallen God is centered around Kratos trying to escape from the fate determined for him by the gods after the end of God of War 3, even though it becomes increasingly clear he knows this is impossible. Expanding on the events of the comic, which were primarily concerned with Kratos’ fight with a hippo-shaped Chaos Beast, a prequel game could explore more of Kratos’ adventures as he wandered through the desert coming into contact with - and likely engaging in combat with - Egyptian gods that didn’t make an appearance in the comic.
Letting players experience Kratos’ journey through ancient Egypt and his slow transformation from a man consumed by rage to someone who has begrudgingly accepted his role in larger cosmic events would almost certainly appeal to fans who enjoyed the strong narrative of the most recent God of War games. Because of its setting closer to the original trilogy in the timeline, a God of War prequel could also draw in fans of those games by serving as a visceral, violent, and action-packed send-off to Kratos’ earlier, angrier incarnation.
The closure of Kratos’ Norse saga has given Santa Monica Studio the opportunity to reinvent its acclaimed franchise yet again. And while moving forward in the timeline to Kratos’ next adventure seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, making one more trip to the past before that could be a great move for God of War’s future.
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.
