God of War ‘Forgetting’ About Two Major Olympians Seems Like an Intelligent Choice Despite What Fans Think

God of War’s Greek saga titles are often considered the most important part of PlayStation’s history. These were, after all, hardware-pushing titles known for their brutal combat, breathtaking actions, intense quick-time event sequences, and unbelievable-for-its-time scale.

However, whenever these games are discussed, it is difficult not to ponder one particular game design choice that Santa Monica made, starting with the first game. As many would be aware, it was the developer’s somewhat calculated move to underutilize its mythical and well-renowned cast of characters.

God of War’s Greek Era Intentionally Underutilized Its Legendary Characters

Open up any retrospective on the Greek era of God of War. You’ll notice that those games are best remembered for their high-octane and gory combat, impressive spectacles. These titles wished to replicate the thrill of other prestige media and keep players in awe, serving one set piece after another at an exhilarating pace.

However, the developers knew from the start that this would result in some compromises. The lack of exploration aside, the biggest hits these games took were in narrative depth and character development.

For instance, many major players of the overarching narrative could have been utilized better. Instead, they were reduced to mere obstacles for Kratos to destroy and move on from as quickly as possible. To this day, people continue to discuss why even figures like Poseidon and Hades ended up receiving this treatment.

Anyone else think it’s weird how we never saw “more” of these two?
byu/Phraixus inGodofWar

Talking about rage-fuelled, though, perhaps it’s no surprise that even Kratos himself comes across as somewhat one-dimensional in these games, with only hints of other emotions that emerge when his past is put front and center in the story.

Many fans have a problem with this, especially after 2018, because the character’s motivation was clear: revenge no matter the cost. However, there was little room for introspection or deeper storytelling, and if Santa Monica were to change things around in a remake of sorts, we’re not sure if it would feel a hundred percent right either.

Santa Monica Completely Fixed the Problem With 2018’s God of War

To counter the compromise they’d been struggling with since the second God of War, Santa Monica understood that they’d need to destroy the series and rebuild it from the ground up.

This meant developing not only a narrative and mechanical reboot but also a philosophical one with 2018’s God of War. The change, after all, was brought to craft a more thoughtful and mature narrative that only showed hints of its existence in the past games.

Our main character was no longer an instrument of destruction to be used by other gods—he became an experienced soul and a father who is constantly haunted by his violent past while trying his best to raise a son.

All of this stands in quite stark contrast with the Greek Saga. While some argue that gameplay was severely harmed in achieving the objective, it should be considered as a good balance that Santa Monica was able to with the Norse duology.

With all that said, though, what are your thoughts on God of War’s Greek Saga? Do you think the earlier games could’ve used more fleshed-out characters? Let us know in the comments below.