Sony's State of Play is approaching, and the atmosphere is thick with anticipation for livestreaming. The gamers are buzzing, and one of the loudest whispers concerns a possible return to the world of God of War but perhaps not in the mode we are expecting. Are we at the brink of an all-new, yet strangely different Greek adventure
Insider Tom Henderson, a name often associated with credible leaks, suggests that we might get an announcement about God of War. But wait, if you're hoping for the next big, third-person epic, don't hold your breath: the word on the street is that it will be a 2.5D Metroidvania-style game set in Ancient Greece with Kratos himself. Henderson goes on to indicate that the scope is smaller than initially thought, implying this might not be a huge, sprawling kind of experience after all.
This notion isn't completely out of left field. Think about Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. That title, much like the God of War one, was a 2.5D Metroidvania, critically well received (with high scores, including a 9 from us here at Wccftech) and plenty of love from the fans. While its sales might not have been great enough to warrant a sequel, the formula was certainly appealing. Could Sony be looking along similar lines for God of War, possibly as a creative breather while the other main teams of Santa Monica are busy with larger undertakings
Santa Monica is a hive of activity, and we aren't the least bit surprised. Multiple teams work on different projects within the studio. Supposedly, Cory Barlog's team is engaged in a new IP that perhaps has some sci-fi elements to it. Obviously, another God of War experience would at least somewhat likely eventually see the light of day. Considering, however, that AAA development times are only getting longer, it wouldn't be the biggest surprise if Kratos's next big saga actually showed up on the PlayStation 6.
This new Metroidvania rumor throws a stranger twist on earlier chatter about Santa Monica working on remakes of the original Greek trilogy. Could it be insiders misunderstood their sources, and the project in question was really about this Metroidvania spin-off Or did both projects get a little attention at one point or another We shouldn't be long to find out.
Beyond the digital realm, the God of War universe is expanding. A live-action TV series based on the Norse saga is in development with Amazon Prime Video. Though production faced a hiccup with a showrunner change (Rafe Judkins out, Ronald D. Moore of Star Trek: Next Generation and Battlestar Galactica fame in), it shows Sony's commitment to the franchise.
State of Play, thus far, has been confirmed for just over 40 minutes of "news and updates on must-play games coming to PS5". With that, the stage is set. While the official announcement does not mention God of War, both Tom Henderson and Jeff Grubb from Giant Bomb seem to agree on the 2.5D Metroidvania angle, which would make it something on the scale of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Whether the endeavor is being housed at Santa Monica Studio or a third-party partner remains to be seen.
Rumors have been swirling around this one, and the seemingly late release date of this year can only fuel the speculations. One thing is for sure: the world will be watching the State of Play livestream now. Will Kratos set out on a new side-view excursion across Greece Only time will tell.
