‘God of War’ Is the Edgelord Game of the 2000s — But It’s Still Great

20 years ago, God of War arrived with a bloody quest for revenge against the Greek pantheon. Taking cues from foundational action-adventure games like the Onimusha and Devil May Cry series in the years prior, it introduced the world to one of PlayStation’s most iconic characters: the ultimate 2000s-era edgelord, Kratos. With a setting influenced by Greek myths navigated by a character dead set on tearing it down, Kratos’ odyssey is as gleefully violent as it is memorably cringey.

Since then, the franchise originated by Sony’s Santa Monica Studio has spanned a total of ten games, spread across home consoles, portable devices and mobile phones, and even Facebook Messenger. As of November 2023, it has sold more than 66 million games worldwide, establishing itself as one of PlayStation‘s most profitable first-party franchises.

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. Both God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök (2022) depict a too-old-for-this-shit version of Kratos, one that’s older, more world-weary, and grounded by the responsibilities of fatherhood. 

While this new saga of games retains pockets of the wanton violence the franchise was originally known for, the presentation and overall direction couldn’t be more different, mired in the first-party Sony game prestige and AAA trends of mirroring the visual language of film and introducing worlds with dozens of menial tasks to tackle.

But looking back, many feel a longing for the God of War of old. Playing the game today, it harkens back to an older era of gaming, where characters’ stories were told with their fists, and desperate need to elevate gaming was nowhere to be found.

Smells like teen spirit

As bloody and grim as Greek myths have always been, Santa Monica Studio established even darker trappings with 2005’s God of War. The story introduces Kratos as a renowned Spartan warrior who, after many confrontations, was defeated in battle. In his final moments, he called for the support of the God of War, Ares, to give him a second chance and the power to enact revenge. Kratos became his predilect killing machine, until the god tricked him into murdering his own wife and daughter during an attack on a village.

The village oracle cursed Kratos by literally bonding the ashes of his deceased family to his body, earning him the Ghost of Sparta nickname for his ghostly white visage. He then pledged to serve the Greek gods under Zeus’ oversight, a task that lasted for a decade, right until the moment players took command of him in the game.

As you might have guessed by now, Kratos’ path of revenge only grows more arduous and bloodier from there, seeking retribution for Ares’ trickery before setting on a larger mission to kill every god in the Greek pantheon in subsequent games. At times, you get retellings of old myths, such as using Medusa’s head as a weapon to petrify enemies or encountering Prometheus being eaten by an eagle. For the most part, though, the story is a showcase of the horrific nature of the gods as they respond to Kratos’ insolence.

Outside of the story, the protagonist’s anger is intertwined with the game mechanically. Wielding the emblem “Blades of Chaos,” two chained swords wrapped around Kratos’ arms, the hack-and-slash presentation allows for chaining together attacks with ease, fighting hordes of enemies at once thanks to the agile nature of the blades. Kratos took lessons from the combat mechanics of Capcom’s franchises, most notably the Onimusha games, which also inspired the decision to pursue mythology as a video game setting (opting for Greek myth instead of Japanese) and placed bets on a more aggressive approach. It rewarded button mash speed and let players execute enemies in increasingly vicious spectacles, such as twisting and ripping Medusa’s head from her body using their bare hands.

God of War’s structure was broken down in enemy arenas, boss fights, and the odd platforming sequence, the latter which then gained more presence in subsequent games. Aside from the occasional cutscene, the game asked players to kill, tirelessly, over and over. It served as a microcosm of the early 2000s when big studios favored an arcade-era ethos around gameplay — Kratos’ actions in gameplay gave the game its tone and story more weight than narrative-driven cutscenes.

But it wasn’t without its problems.

Aside from a remedial story that wouldn’t impress anyone over the age of 15, a big issue that permeated God of War, as well as several of its sequels and prequels, was its treatment of women. Key characters, like the Queen of the Underworld Persephone, inexplicably appear half-naked during story moments, and most releases have had a version of the infamous sex minigames. 

It’s impossible not to look back at the first impression of God of War, fighting against a hydra on top of a boat with a heavy storm setting the ambiance, only to be diminished by a misogynist moment right after where Kratos can have off-screen sex with two comely twins. It plays out as a ludicrous subversion of Mario Party, where you have to mash buttons (as Kratos having sex) in pursuit of the sole “reward” of red orbs, which are used to upgrade his combat skills. 

In a way, it seems emblematic of what the games used to embody: Rockstar Games introduced the cheap interactions with sex workers back in 2001 with Grand Theft Auto III, which were iterated in subsequent releases to the point of adding a strip club in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) where you can pay for private dances, as well as its own sex minigame, known as “Hot Coffee,” that was removed from the actual release and later rediscovered by modders. 

Santa Monica Studio was one of many studios that joined the desperate sprint to earn an M-Rating on the cover of its flagship series, providing a 20-minute rundown of who Kratos is and what he represents; slaying a massive beast in one moment and treating women as objects for egregious male fantasies the next.

Cory Balrog, who worked on seven God of War games, starting as lead animator and eventually becoming game and creative director of the last two entries, respectively, has spoken at length in interviews about toxic masculinity and why Kratos was overdue for a change of heart. But the shift started even earlier. In a 2012 interview with IGN, Sony Santa Monica design manager David Hewitt spoke about where the team was drawing the line on violence for the prequel game God of War: Ascension (2013) while reflecting on Kratos as a character. 

“There are some things we’ve pulled back from,” Hewitt said. “I think where this has been an issue is with violence against women — the team’s pulled back from some of that and assessed that a little more carefully.”

The face of console generations

When God of War came out in 2005, it managed to carve its own space amidst the established legacies of series like Onimusha and Devil May Cry by doing things differently. Leaning into the tropes that had emerged around Western games, in recent years provided — for better or worse — a clear distinction from other hack-and-slash games. Centering the action with gore and gratuitous violence up front gave it an identity that was then doubled down upon in every subsequent release .

The direction adopted by Santa Monica Studio ushered an absurd amount of games that prioritized violence and gritty proclivities. Dante’s Inferno, Darksiders, and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow all came out three years after 2007’s God of War II. While games like Dante’s Inferno stick too closely to their inspiration, recreating a myth through an even darker lens (one that also featured unnecessary nudity for shock value), any release that pushed for new ideas had to contend with the God of War shadow cast upon it.

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. After the success of titles like The Last of Us in 2013, which mixed gameplay with story-driven moments of emotional heft and mirrored the visual language of film, this so-called prestige permeated the direction of many games, including the soft-reboot of the God of War series. 

These new God of War games retained certain aspects, such as the executions with quick-time events, in which the player has to follow button inputs on screen in order, the presence of chests, platforming sections, and more. But the desire for a palette cleanser was evident.

The Kratos of old was dead. A new era of God of War had arrived, and with it, the franchise rose to new heights.

Longing for the next hat trick

By and large, the pivot worked for both Sony and Santa Monica Studio. 2018’s God of War sold 23 million copies by November 2022, while its sequel Ragnarök accrued 11 million copies within its first three months. The change in presentation — with a camera that’s closer to the protagonist for a more intimate effect, all done in a single take — as well as slower combat were paired up with a more melancholic Kratos who is trying to leave his past behind, to the point of relocating to the Norse mythology realm to start anew. The latter results in a setting that’s more somber, and less gratuitous in its violence and sex. Even when the ghosts of his past return to haunt him, he’s shown reflective, and by all accounts, mature — the polar opposite of the first few games.

In 2025, it’s intriguing to see just how much the pursuit of “prestige” has changed action-adventure franchises that started out as sloppier, arcade-fueled experiences. Devil May Cry 5 (2019) retained the basis of the classic combat, but not without betting on a bigger role for its story, while pushing for a more realistic presentation all around. Monster Hunter Wilds, released in February of this year, is another example of a series that changed its arcade-y spirit for a more photo mode-worthy presentation, while streamlining the obtuse friction that the original games were known for. From what’s been shown, next year’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword seems to be following suit.

The latest two God of War games not only catered to the perception of prestige, but also the surrounding trendy elements of the industry of the past few years. The role-playing influence has players collecting experience points for Kratos to level up, coming up with strategic character builds around abilities and magic, and crafting armor pieces while keeping in mind stats and resistances. The push for more open-world areas also changed the structure considerably, offering side quests and a myriad of activities to tick to-do lists. They’re games embedded in modernity.

God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, a free DLC released in late 2023, was a surprising throwback to a more classic foundation. Turning the experience into a roguelite akin to the modern indie classic, Hades (2020), Kratos goes on a therapy session of sorts in Valhalla where he completes trials of increasingly harder battles. Whenever he dies, he’s sent back at the beginning, but the overarching story moves forward with new interactions and answers to his questions.

It’s not a coincidence that this separate story chapter, which acts as an epilogue to the events of Ragnarök, is based on his past in Greece. A returning character, Helios, Greek era-inspired areas, and even one of his iconic weapons all make a comeback while he reckons with his past deeds, and retells the events to his new-found companions through shame and introspection. Without spoiling what happens at the end, Valhalla sees Kratos turning the page.

Yet, while playing the Valhalla expansion, it’s hard not to reminisce about the older days of the series. Valhalla‘s more arcade structure is a surprisingly perfect fit, away from the bloat of exposition dumps and dozens of icon markers to fetch on a map.

20 years later, the next shift for video games remains a mystery. It’s good to see that Kratos has grown out of his worst habits, and that video games, for the most part, have moved away from cheap misogyny to garner attention. Some ghosts are best left in the past. 

Some memories however, should stick around as reminders of where some of the biggest games of today originated from, allowing developers to recall a time when protagonists were allowed to rage without having to ask for forgiveness afterward. Amid all the suppressed tension of today, perhaps it’d be therapeutic to let Kratos off leash to tear down the powers that be just one more time. We might be due again for that old God of War.