There aren’t many games which have released so far this year which can claim to have a better written story than that of God of War. The latest game from Santa Monica Studios received stellar reviews and smashed record after record. Although the game has now been out for several months, the studio has released a new trailer for God of War to celebrate Father’s Day.
A Story of Parenthood
The God of War series has traditionally been about over-the-top destruction and revenge as Kratos slaughtered his way through the Greek pantheon. After a five-year break, the latest game returns to the franchise with a far more mature and emotional story. God of War is a story about parenthood more than it is a story about Norse mythology; Kratos’ relationship with his son Atreus will likely be remembered as one of the best-written stories in video game history. Certainly, the impact of its success is practically guaranteed to be far-reaching. After its release, Christopher Judge, the actor who voiced Kratos, commented that the perception of games was changing for the better among actors. Similarly, many analysts pointed to the game’s remarkable success as evidence that single-player, story-driven games were not a dead genre.
Father’s Day seems a perfect choice to promote the game. The new “Father and Son” trailer highlights Kratos and Atreus’ relationship, and the troubles they overcome throughout the story. As a celebration of parenthood, and fatherhood in particular, God of War’s story resonates all the more on a day associated with that same thing.
Thus far, Santa Monica Studios have not announced any DLC or post-launch content for God of War. They have released several free updates, such as Photo Mode, and the upcoming New Game+ Mode; however, the studio is likely to be laying out plans for the inevitable sequel. The game’s creative director, Cory Barlog, once commented that he had ideas for another five games. After God of War’s tremendous success, it seems likely that he’ll get to produce plenty more.