Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming live-action adaptation ofGod of Warcould make a huge mistake by choosing to start with the wrong part of Kratos' story.Every game in theGod of Warfranchisecan essentially be split into two eras: the Greek era, which is when the original games that follow Kratos as he attacks the Greek pantheon are set, and the Norse era, when the newest games that follow Kratos and his son, Atreus, are set. Now thatAmazon Prime Video is making a live-actionGod of Warshow, it has to decide which era to focus on, which could present a major problem.
Amazon’sGod of Warshow has already gone through some trouble, even though it’s still early in production. TheGod of Warshow already switched showrunnersfrom Rafe Judkins to Ronald Moore. There’s no telling exactly how Moore is planning to change the show’s creative direction, or if he’ll change it in any major way at all, but the shift in showrunners could be a sign that theGod of Warshow will be taking a different approach. If Moore decides to start with the Norse era ofGod of War’s timelineinstead of the Greek era, however, it would be a huge mistake.
God Of War’s Live-Action Show Should Not Skip The First Three Games
God Of War’s Early Games Provide Important Kratos Characterization & Great Stories
No matter what, Amazon’s live-actionGod of Warshow cannot skip over the original Greek era of video games. The first threeGod of Wargames, as well as their various spinoffs, are an essential part of Kratos' story.They explain how he went from a mortal soldier to the Greek god of war, how he killed his own wife and daughter due to Ares' manipulation, and all the atrocities he committed in the name of anger and revenge. It would simply be wrong to start an adaptation ofGod of Waranywhere else, even though the original games aren’t as new or popular anymore.
It would be a shame if the live-action God of War show didn’t use all the backstabbing, manipulation, mythology, drama, tragedy, action, and Kratos' best quotes that the earlier games had.
On top of being an integral part of Kratos' story, the earlierGod of Wargames are also just great stories on their own. It would be a shame if the live-actionGod of Warshow didn’t use all the backstabbing, manipulation, mythology, drama, tragedy, action, andKratos' best quotesthat the earlier games had.The first threeGod of Wargames and their spinoffs told a tremendous tale about Kratos' revenge and fight against fate, and they deserve to be adapted. If that isn’t enough reason to include the Greek era, skipping over the original games would also weaken the Norse era.
God Of War 2018 Revitalized The Franchise (But Isn’t The Start Of Kratos’ Story)
The Newer God Of War Games Are Popular, But They Built Off The Originals
Starting the live-action show with the events ofGod of War (2018)may be tempting, due to the Norse era’s recent popularity, but it would be a mistake. The Norse era ofGod of Warwas a revival for the franchise, but it wasn’t a reboot. The newer games used Kratos' characterization from the Greek era and gave him a chance to reflect on his past mistakes and choose to be better.Without seeing the horrible man Kratos was when he was the Ghost of Sparta, his redemption inGod of War (2018)andGod of War Ragnaröksimply won’t be as compelling in the live-action show.
Amazon’s God Of War TV Show Should Make This Game Character Its Hero (Not Kratos)
Kratos has led every God of War game in the series so far, but Amazon’s TV adaptation would benefit by anointing a different protagonist.
IfAmazon’sGod of Warshow doesn’t start from the beginning, however, there would still be a way to fix such a mistake.The live-actionGod of Warshow could start with Kratos and Atreus at Faye’s funeral, introduce the idea that Kratos has a dark past, and then begin revealing what happened in the originalGod of Wargames through flashbacks. That would let Amazon’sGod of Warshow capitalize on the popularity of the Norse era while maintaining the incredibly important parts of Kratos' backstory. Whatever order it’s presented in, however, Amazon needs to adapt the story of the originalGod of Wargames.
God of War
Adapted from the PlayStation video game franchise, God of War is an action-adventure drama series in development under Amazon. The series will center on series protagonist Kratos, but no other information on the series has been divulged.
