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God Of War 4 art leaks (Norse setting, Kratos w/ beard) [Up2: Polygon says real]
- Thread starter Nibel
- Start date
Game was also confirmed by Corey Barlog 1+ years ago.
God of War becoming an action RPG actually would make a lot of sense yeah. Not necessarily open-world but with a few big interconnected maps like in Nier.
SolidSnakex
Member
I kinda expect the game itself to go in the direction that Jaffe said he'd take it into. Which is one that's more like Zelda than a traditional linear GoW. I think that direction makes a lot of sense for the franchise. It would allow them to keep all the things that people love about the games. The big boss battles and setpiece moments, while making the adventure aspect a lot meatier than before. It'd be a great way to refresh the brand in the same way that Uncharted 4 is refreshing it by opening up the maps a lot more instead of there just being a single path to take everywhere.
It's supposed to be a commentary on gamers and how they love extreme violence but won't embrace that side of themselves.
But seriously I'm not really sure it matters either way seeing as he's committing atrocities regardless.
I'm indifferent to be honest.
DC1
Member
Kratos became a much deeper character as demonstrated in the last two games. There has always been motivation. SM simply attempted to build better lineage around his unceasing torment.
Lastly (In the world of game writing), how was the motivarion of Kratos crappy?
Yes, some people dont actually understand why they have to make a Norse Mythology game and just plaster the God of War and Kratos name in there...
GOW was about greek mythology, now they want to marry that shit with Norse Mythology.
Whatever.
They run out of decent ideas and just decided to go bananas with the franchise.
I guess the next step for GOW6 would be to go full Tolkien mode as well. Cant wait to have Kratos fight Uruk Hai in Mordor side by side with Thor and Athena.
AWESOME /s
DerZuhälter
Member
Are people shitting up Zelda threads too on a constant basis asking for a Link replacement?
The protagonist of the series is unchangable. Even if they do a reboot it still has to be Kratos. Same goes for a mythology / setting change and a continuation of Kratos story. Maybe he'll just be an incarnation of Kratos never resting soul instilled into a new host or some shit. Point is. It doesn't matter how Kratos is involved as long as he is in it. If you attach God of War to the title you automatically attach Kratos to it or you might as well start a new IP. People need to fucking accept this, or start looking for a new franchise. Here try this instead:
The protagonist of the series is unchangable. Even if they do a reboot it still has to be Kratos. Same goes for a mythology / setting change and a continuation of Kratos story. Maybe he'll just be an incarnation of Kratos never resting soul instilled into a new host or some shit. Point is. It doesn't matter how Kratos is involved as long as he is in it. If you attach God of War to the title you automatically attach Kratos to it or you might as well start a new IP. People need to fucking accept this, or start looking for a new franchise. Here try this instead:
Kratos's 1 dimensional, rage fueld, gamer gate on steroids persona is extremely fresh in the landscape of "Grey" characters. He stands out from the bunch because of his unique personality.
The protoganist in this series does not need to be complicated and have various shades of grey. 1 Dimensional is fine. Not everything has to be grey -.-
I agree. We have a metric crap ton of these morally grey characters now across indie and AAA games. It's the new norm.
A character like Kratos is now unique and fresh in this landscape imo.
Now I'm I asking for a dude like in that Hatred game? Hell no, but I'm all good with a Kratos that is not morally ambiguous and just ready to kick ass.
DerZuhälter;200191042 said:
I dont play Zelda games but if something similar happens there, yeah you can count on me shitting on this.
And no. Just because a franchise has a main character that doesn mean that you have to have this damn character in every way possible...
Kratos's story is already overdone... why the fuck do you need to have his sorry ass in a Norse mythology game. It makes zero sense and whatever explanation they try to come up with it will be just a stupid, idiotic reason.
A lot of games have ditched their main characters and we fine games on their own. Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect will do the same , Deus Ex did, literally HUNDREDS of games.
The rest is like I said excuses to have a Kratos/Thor duel...might as well throw a Jedi in there too...
I think it's cuz in a sense gamers try to project themselves on characters whereas with a character like Kratos it's hard for a lot of people to do so because you question his motivation. Me personally I never really gave what he was doing any real thought. Just played through honestly.OléGunner;200191224 said:
64bitbros
Member
I don't actually care if Kratos is the main protagonist or not. I do want the new GoW to be a next gen spectacle like GoW3 was. But i find these art pics kind of underwhelming. Its all pretty barren and lack of scope. Lacking any detail really. I want big ass norse statues and stuff. This is.. humble. If this was concept art of Lords of the Fallen i'd believe it too. But this is just a small sample so i'll have to wait and see. I can't image SSM making a GoW and not have it be a spectacle. But first impressions aren't that great.
pixelation
Member
*getoutgifgoeshere*
Wait, is this actually supposed to be Kratos?
If so, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm perfectly fine with the idea of SSM taking on Norse mythology, but I don't really approve of mixing mythologies. There are very few instances in film/T.V./video games where such a thing was competently done.
If so, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm perfectly fine with the idea of SSM taking on Norse mythology, but I don't really approve of mixing mythologies. There are very few instances in film/T.V./video games where such a thing was competently done.
Coulomb_Barrier
Member
New setting = very good.
Old Kratos = Boring. Should have been a new protag.
Old Kratos = Boring. Should have been a new protag.
I get that yeah. But at the same time would the series be as popular for Playstation if people couldn't stand Kratos to get through the game..Sales speak the truth here.
I feel like a lot of the mainstream have been ok with the character but I have no hard data so tales from my ass and all that..
Like with Naughty Dog, you know SSM are going to take the PS hardware to the limit and then some.
GoW III still melts my face and puts some PS4 games to shame.
That was released 6 years ago!
PLASTICA-MAN
Member
It is not supposed to be Kratos. He is Kratos.
Why don't you like mixing mythologies and civilisations? Civilisations and mythologies interact with each others and borrow from each others. Almost all of you forgot that Persians were connected to greeks and had wars against each others and this was portrayed even in GOW Chains Of Olympus and Kratos even went to kill the persian king and got his powers and fought their mythological monsters (Basilik) in COO and even in Ascension (Manticore and Eelephantaur). I even expected (like many) the setting to be in persian mythology (the most relevent and logical one to GOW and Kratos). I really don't see why many of you want the greek universe and Kratos to be so isolated from the whole world.
How are we certain Kratos will just be same ole, same ole? I mean I'm not dismissing the possibility but its not like SSM is deaf and blind. I think it is pretty clear that most fans have felt Kratos has been sort of empty from a character development perspective after the first game.
However the iconic status of Kratos is difficult to abandon. Financially it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense.
Insumatposa
Member
Artworks generally give a glimpse of what to expect in the final game and in many cases they tend to morph exactly from art to 3D (like with many Sony games: U4, The Order 1886 etc).
Looking how lush and detailed the forest is (plants and leaves have so much detail) I expect the game to be mindblowing and very demanding (hence the need for PS4K).
Disappear in terms of notability.
PLASTICA-MAN
Member
Some people grant a gratuitous hatred for Kratos while characters like Gordon Freeman who is not seen, doesn't even talk and isn't even modeled (no need to talk about his non existent mood or personality) got the award of the best video game character in history in 2010. Nuff said!
matrix-cat
Member
This would definitely get me back into the series. I like the spectacle, I like the bossfights, but the meat and potatoes of God-of-War-ing is just so uninteresting after all these years. You start off in a level, the fixed camera telling you exactly where you need to go, you go the other way to find a secret chest, then you just run down the corridor and mash away at enemies.
It's not that linearity is inherently bad, it's just that all six God of War games are pretty much exactly the same and I don't feel like I need to play a seventh. I'd love to see something less linear, with a player-controlled camera and more open level design.
Shadax the wizard
Member
Freja's kitten carriage will look so cute in 4K!
I would've preferred a new hero but have no problems with Kratos. I'm more conflicted with the art direction as it almost looks too sci fi to me, like an alien planet or something.
I would've preferred a new hero but have no problems with Kratos. I'm more conflicted with the art direction as it almost looks too sci fi to me, like an alien planet or something.
Pyramid head
Banned
It's not about being 'morally grey', it's about decent characterisation. Of which, Kratos has zero.OléGunner;200191224 said:
Also, is there anything the protagonist from that 'Hatred' game does which happens to be particularly more repellent than Kratos's love of torturing and brutally slaughtering innocent bystanders? I saw nothing in the trailer for Hatred which indicated that was the case.
Coulomb_Barrier
Member
Wouldn't go that far but he is so one dimensional and I find little to like about him. Far from a hero archetype, the writers/designers have lost that aspect so you never root for him in the storyline. He just kills everything. Really stupid. Good protag's have a little humanity in them at least, Kratos has zero.
I think there's something to be said about the difference of having a semi realistic setting with a murderous maniac slaughtering everyone in his path and having the same kind of character on a fantasy game based on a hyper violent and amoral, by our current standards, mythology.
Candescence
Member
Yeah, I'd rather have someone else rather than Kratos, his story has run its course, though, really, they should've just stopped with the greek tragedy that was the first game, Kratos just got flanderized with each instalment (granted, he's not far removed from many 'heroes' in classical myth, many of them, such as Jason and Achilles, were huge assholes, some heroes simply had some bad habits including Hercules (though the dude wrestled death to bring back a friend's wife), and there were more noble heroes like Perseus). Also, they need to use this chance to change up the structure rather than just make another hyper-linear beat-em-up, we already have Platinum for those.
That being said, SSM look like they're doing something unique with the environmental aesthetic, it's quite refreshing.
That being said, SSM look like they're doing something unique with the environmental aesthetic, it's quite refreshing.
Pretty happy with this
I wouldn't have been upset if Kratos was gone but I'm not disappointed that he is still in the game, and at least they've tried to make him look a little Norse
Another game set in Greek mythology would have been really dull at this point, even if it looked insane graphically
Maybe Kratos isn't playable anyway, maybe he's the antagonist, who knows
It's hard to find a just reason for someone murdering every single God they can find, I mean, yeah he lost his wife and child but even then, tearing the heavens asunder and ridding the world of all deities is a little bit of an over reaction
Kratos is an asshole but if you want a game in which you brutally murder every single God in a mythology then you're pretty much stuck with playing someone who is an asshole
I wouldn't have been upset if Kratos was gone but I'm not disappointed that he is still in the game, and at least they've tried to make him look a little Norse
Another game set in Greek mythology would have been really dull at this point, even if it looked insane graphically
Maybe Kratos isn't playable anyway, maybe he's the antagonist, who knows
It's hard to find a just reason for someone murdering every single God they can find, I mean, yeah he lost his wife and child but even then, tearing the heavens asunder and ridding the world of all deities is a little bit of an over reaction
Kratos is an asshole but if you want a game in which you brutally murder every single God in a mythology then you're pretty much stuck with playing someone who is an asshole
Magicgamer101
Member
Good to see Kratos back. I play God of War for the stories they tell involving him.
I mean lets be clear, Kratos has characterization, though almost exclusively in the first game, it's just he really hasn't done anything interesting since.
TBH none of the stories have particularly been good since the first game either. I'm not sure changing the protagonist would have saved much.
Give SSM the chance to add more depth with this game. We haven't seen anything in motion yet.
They can satisfy both sides of the fence, keep Kratos in but with more characterisation.
Tbf, I totally get where you coming from, Kratos can be a quite one note so I hope we get deeper and more interesting/complex with the character in tandem with the new mythology
but angry Kratos still rears his head 
As for the Hatred guy, he killed innocent civilians for no reason whereas at least Kratos had the motivation of being fucked over by the Gods for the first couple games.
Not perfect motivation for 3 games but at least its something in comparison to Hatred imo.
Kwansu Dudes
Member
This makes a lot of sense and probably explains why people hate Kratos and would rather have a "argh!!! I cannot keep on killing these people but I must for the sake of the world!" type of character. I don't think people enjoyed God of War for its commentary on societal issues and the struggle of Man vs Beast.
PLASTICA-MAN
Member
Keep faith people. Kratos regaining health from fruits from spiky plants and no longer by absorbing the souls of killed enemies is a good sign that the game has changed its level design and gameplay mechanics. There must be surely much deeper changes for the whole package which will make the game shine.
God...... guys, if you want a RPG then buy a RPG. God of War is not a role-playing game.
So look somewhere else. God of War is God of War.
Insumatposa
Member
GoW 1 had a genuinely solid story and Kratos as a character was genuinely interesting in that simple but effective story.
It's just they sort of took the character and hamfisted him into a bunch more games without really doing much with him. So he just sort of became angry guy killing gods because he is angry.
Pyramid head
Banned
Kratos's 'motivation' for chaining a young, naked girl to a cog and having her slowly ripped in half was to open a fucking door. That is certainly something, I guess.OléGunner;200192428 said:Give SSM the chance to add more depth with this game. We haven't seen anything in motion yet.
They can satisfy both sides of the fence, keep Kratos in but with more characterisation.
Tbf, I totally get where you coming from, Kratos can be a quite one note so I hope we get deeper and more interesting/complex with the character in tandem with the new mythologybut angry Kratos still rears his head
As for the Hatred guy, he killed innocent civilians for no reason whereas at least Kratos had the motivation of being fucked over by the Gods for the first couple games.
Not perfect motivation for 3 games but at least its something in comparison to Hatred imo.
Coulomb_Barrier
Member
Spot on. People have morals. Playing some murdering asshole that has never ever shown a good side is off putting.
Well Kratos in GOW1 did kill the boat captain and he didn't have to .. it was kinda funny but let's not pretend he wasn't an asshole before GOW2.
who knows. i like the idea it's the original same kratos on a war against gods and it's now crossed over to a different mythology. but i would want him to be weary and subtle and less "shout at the sky angry dude" i think it would work if he's been imprisoned for a long time.
but i'm fine with him simply being a version of kratos from a different mythological era. essentially a reboot of the god of war story but fighting norse gods and monsters. but again, more subtle performances and less sky shouting.
either way, a new voice actor is a must.
to be fair god of war 3 is essentially god of war 2 part 2. You cant expect to have any character growth when 3 literally takes place where 2 left us, and the game pretty much takes place in a day or two.OléGunner;200192428 said:Give SSM the chance to add more depth with this game. We haven't seen anything in motion yet.
They can satisfy both sides of the fence, keep Kratos in but with more characterisation.
Tbf, I totally get where you coming from, Kratos can be a quite one note so I hope we get deeper and more interesting/complex with the character in tandem with the new mythologybut angry Kratos still rears his head
As for the Hatred guy, he killed innocent civilians for no reason whereas at least Kratos had the motivation of being fucked over by the Gods for the first couple games.
Not perfect motivation for 3 games but at least its something in comparison to Hatred imo.
You cant just add characteristics in these types of scenarios.
