Throwback Thursday: God Of War – The Quest To Kill A God (VIDEO)
Let’s throw back to March 22nd, 2005, when God of War released for PlayStation 2. Santa Monica Studio’s violent hack-and-slasher splashed plenty of Greek mythology as well as a fair share of blood when it hit the Sony console, presenting audiences with the angry, vengeance-obsessed character of Kratos. God of War not only went on to become a worldwide success, but set a continuing bar of quality for the action-adventure genre.
Background
The Ancient Greek mythology that permeates God of War was inspired by game director David Jaffe and his longtime fascination with the lore. His continued enthusiasm for potential game mechanics and character ideas made building a full game around the subject essentially a no-brainer. Development soon went wild rolling with the general premise of mashing up the film Clash of the Titans and the style of heavy metal, allowing for much more violent, stylish, and overall creative interpretation.
One of the game’s initial designs was the main character of Kratos, which was pursued from the get-go as a personification of rage and brutality. As the character had an unconventional attitude, Jaffe wanted Kratos’ look to be represented in kind, foregoing any traditional Greek armor or heroic archetypes. In pursuit of this unique appearance, a great number of concept art was made featuring vastly different, but ultimately unused variations of Kratos. The team found that as designs grew simpler and more animalistic, the greater visual impact the character would have on players.
Gameplay
The game follows Spartan warrior Kratos as his lust for power eventually leads him to become slave to the Greek god Ares. The deity’s hold on him becomes so great that Kratos accidentally kills his own wife and daughter, leading him to renounce his allegiances to the god forever. Wielding the Blades of Chaos, Kratos sets out on an impossible quest for vengeance; to murder the god of war Ares avenge the death of his family.
On his path to obtain the power to kill a god, Kratos is given aid by a several of the Olympians in the form of various powers and abilities. In addition to the combo-friendly Blades of Chaos, players can eventually receive the ability to turn enemies to stone as well as hurl bolts of lightning. Some of the larger enemies also integrate quick-time events in between bouts of combat, making bosses that much more difficult to defeat.
Numerous creatures make Kratos’ journey harder over the course of the game, all of which are based on monsters from Greek mythology. Cyclopses, gorgons, centaurs, and much more are regularly seen throughout God of War and are pretty formidable in large numbers. Towering foes such as the Hydra are able to deal some swift damage and can vastly deplete health and magic if one isn’t careful. In cases where that happens, chests are presented throughout the game that contain colored orbs that can readily refill those waning bar levels.
Legacy
God of War ascended to become a massive gaming series and one of the PlayStation brand’s most recognisable figures. A mainline sequel continued to chronicle Kratos’ increasingly bloody bouts of vengeance which culminated in the series’ eventual threequel on PlayStation 3. Several spin-offs have shed light on other areas of the Spartan’s life, with titles like the portable Ghost of Sparta revealing Kratos’ long lost brother and Ascension reenacting his initial betrayal of Ares. God of War receives a Norse mythology reboot in April 2018, beginning an all-new era for the now much more reserved character.
What’s your opinion of God of War? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! Also, be on the lookout for the next Throwback Thursday where we’ll highlight yet another title from gaming past. For entries from previous weeks, check out these next few links below:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
