God of War (series)
Encyclopedia
God of War is a series of action-adventure
video games based on Greek mythology
.
The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed
by Sony Computer Entertainment
's Santa Monica
division (PS2 and PS3), with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP (Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta) and Javaground
the mobile phone installment (Betrayal) respectively.
Debuting in , the series has featured on the PlayStation 2
, mobile phone
, PlayStation Portable
, and PlayStation 3
. The character Kratos has been associated with merchandise including artwork
, clothing
, comic book
s, a novel
, toys
and cell phone skins.
The central character of the series is Kratos
, a Sparta
n warrior eventually revealed to be a demigod
. The success of the first game, God of War has allowed for the development of five additional games, with each chapter forming part of a saga
with vengeance as a central theme. Each new installment provides additional information on Kratos' origins and relationship with his family and the gods. A convoluted series of attempts to free himself from the influence of the gods (and eventually the Titan
s) and exact revenge follow, with the series becoming darker in tone with each game.
A third-person camera game (first-person camera component in God of War III), the player controls the character Kratos in a combination of combat, platforming and puzzle game elements. The player typically has to navigate Kratos through a long series of tests, trials and mazes to reach goals.
Kratos' main weapons throughout the series are a pair of double-chained blades, with various other secondary weapons (e.g. the Blade of Artemis from God of War) acquired with each game. Magic is also used, with four different abilities usually acquired (e.g. Poseidon
's Rage, Medusa
's Gaze, Zeus
' Fury and Army of Hades
from God of War). With each new game, most weapons and magic are typically lost, with a new arsenal and abilities being found through the course of gameplay.
Relics can also be acquired and are an exception to this rule, as the player is able to use each in successive games (i.e. Poseidon's Trident, the Golden Fleece
and Icarus
' wings).
Kratos often also has a "special" ability, which provides temporary invulnerability and increased attack damage (i.e. "Rage of the Gods" or "Rage of the Titans"). It can be recharged by building "hits" (damage) on foes in combat.
Health and Magic upgrades- Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers respectively -are found throughout the game in uncolored chests (Minotaur Horns are added in God of War III). A certain number of each are needed to upgrade the Health and Magic bars respectively. Other chests found in the game, containing orbs, are marked with a corresponding color for the orbs (green, blue, and red). Green Orbs replenish health, blue orbs replenish magic and red orbs provide experience (and can also replenish the Rage meter).
Red orbs may also be collected by killing foes and destroying certain inanimate objects. Combat includes a quick-time feature, which is initiated when the player has weakened a stronger foe and an icon (the circle button on the controller) appears above them. The player then presses the corresponding button commands appearing on screen, with success ending the battle, and failure usually resulting in damage. A "grab" maneuver is also available for use on minor foes that yields a higher proportion of experience points in the form of red orbs.
A quick-time sex mini-game and Challenge mode are also included, which yield bonus red orbs and secret costumes and behind-the-scenes videos, respectively.
with finding Pandora's Box
, the key to defeating Ares
, the God of War. Through a series of flashbacks it is revealed that Kratos was once the servant of Ares (who saved the Spartan and his army from annihilation) in battle, and tricked him into killing his family, forcing his metamorphosis into the "Ghost of Sparta." Kratos eventually locates the Box, and after finally killing Ares, ascends to Olympus
to become the new God of War.
, Kratos is saved by the Titan
Gaia
, who states Kratos must now find the Sisters of Fate
. The Sisters can change his fate and prevent his death at the hands of Zeus. Kratos is ultimately successful, and learns from a dying Athena (who sacrificed herself to save Zeus and thereby preserve Olympus) that he is the son of Zeus. Kratos then joins forces with Gaia and the Titans in an attack on Olympus.
, the son of the god Hermes
- an act that alienates him from his fellow gods.
bundle pack released in June. Set in the time of Kratos' ten years of service to the gods, Kratos halts a Persian invasion of the Greek city of Attica
, and learns that the world has been plunged into darkness by the god Morpheus
. Learning that the sun god Helios
has been abducted, Kratos investigates and prevents the machiavellian plan of the goddess Persephone
to use the Titan Atlas
to destroy the world and as a result Olympus.
(the first Classics HD release) of God of War and God of War II for the PlayStation 3
on a single Blu-ray Disc
.
Initially scheduled for release in North America on November 10, 2009; the game was delayed until November 17, 2009.
On December 17, 2009 on the European PlayStation Blog, it was announced that the God of War Collection will be included in the God of War III: Ultimate Trilogy Edition. This "Ultimate Trilogy Edition" was released in limited quantities in conjunction with God of War III (March 18, 2010 in Australia and New Zealand; March 19, 2010 in Europe).
The Collection was released in Japan as a standalone on March 18, 2010 and was published by Capcom
. A God of War III Trilogy Edition which included God of War III and God of War Collection was also released on March 25, 2010. The game was released in Australia on April 29, 2010. and in the UK on April 30, 2010.
The original God of War and God of War II were ported by Bluepoint Games
and use the features of the PlayStation 3
, including high-definition
resolutions (720p
), anti-aliased
graphics locked in at 60 frames per second and Trophies. The bonus materials contained on the second disc of the original two-disc PS2 version of God of War II are included with the Blu-ray version of the collection. The port was derived from feedback of fans of the series and was viewed as a means of introducing new players to the series prior to the release of God of War III.
In a PlayStation Blog post on September 23, 2009, it was revealed that the God of War III game demo from E3 2009
was included with early copies of the game. The official gameplay trailer was unveiled on October 16, 2009. The trailer was shown in PlayStation Home
's virtual theater and as an advertising poster on the side of the virtual mall.
There are a total of 71 trophies between the two games - 36 for God of War and 35 for God of War II respectively - including a platinum trophy for each game.
On November 24, 2009, SCE Santa Monica Studio began a sweepstakes in celebration of the release of God of War Collection. The grand prize was an autographed "Gold" disc (a first pressing of the game created when assets were finalized and reached "Gold" status), exclusive artwork created and signed by a God of War team member, a Limited Edition Kratos T-shirt, and a never before released Limited Edition 10" Figurine of Kratos. First place prize was a copy of God of War Collection signed by the Development Team. Winners were announced on the PlayStation Blog and on God of War.com on December 24, 2009.
On November 2, 2010, God of War Collection was released as a digital download on the PlayStation Store
(God of War and God of War II being the first PS2 games to receive this treatment). PlayStation Plus subscribers may also download a one hour trial of each game and for a limited time receive a God of War III skin with the purchase of each game: "Phantom of Chaos" (God of War) and "Forgotten Warrior" (God of War II) respectively. The bonus materials for God of War II are not included with the digital download version.
Upon releasing God of War Collection various freezing issues were reported. All issues seemed to originate from people who owned PlayStation 3 systems that included backwards compatibility. The company that ported both games, Bluepoint Games, and it's original developer, Santa Monica, never issued a statement acknowledging the issues and have yet to rectify the situation with a patch. Setting video output on the PlayStation 3 to run only in 480p seems to remove most periodic freezing though it can still occur randomly throughout the game.
and Olympus. Aided by the spirit of a revived Athena and Pandora
herself, Kratos eventually defeats the gods and opposing Titans. After killing Zeus, Kratos refuses to aid Athena assume the role of new patron of mankind and disappears, his final fate unknown.
, Kratos decides to find and save his sibling. Although successful, Thanatos engages the brothers in combat, and kills Deimos. Kratos then kills Thanatos in turn, and returns to Olympus, now enraged at the gods.
installments in the series - God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta - for the PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray Disc. The collection was first announced at the Sony press conference at E3 2011. The collection was released by Ready at Dawn
on September 13 and 16, 2011 in North America and Europe respectively, and on October 6, 2011 in Japan. God of War: Origins Collection was also released in North America as a digital download (including full game trials of both games) on the PlayStation Store
on September 13, 2011.
God of War Origins features high-definition
resolutions (720p
), Stereoscopic 3D (the first God of War release with this feature), anti-aliased
graphics locked in at 60 frames per second, DualShock 3 rumble features and Trophies. The God of War - Game Directors Live documentary, Kratos Legionnaire bonus skin, and Forest of the Forgotten combat arena (previously included with the Ghost of Sparta preorder package) is also included with the God of War: Origins Collection.
that "while God of War III will conclude the trilogy, it won't spell the end of the franchise", and claimed "We're going to be really careful about what we do next."
and would be sent to an unspecified "huge-name director". Jaffe also confirmed that Universal Studios
is behind the making of the God of War movie but was unaware of its current status, and eventually stated that "it's doubtful that the film will even be made."
During the God of War - Game Directors Live documentary (filmed on September 1, 2010), David Jaffe stated that an agent had called him a few weeks ago and said "[the agent] just told me who signed on to play Kratos." Jaffe also stated that the "script went out a year and a half ago to Daniel Craig
who plays Bond
, but he turned it down." Jaffe wouldn't say who the actor was that has been signed on to play Kratos, however, he did state that he believes "this new person is pretty good, if that ends up true."
and Robert E. Vardeman
was released on May 25, 2010 by Del Ray Books.
with art by Andrea Sorrentino was published on a bi-monthly schedule by Wildstorm
from March 2010 to January 2011 (a collected edition was released March 2011). The story takes place shortly after the events of God of War (and before Ghost of Sparta) with Kratos seeking the Ambrosia of Asclepius
(first to save his plague-ridden daughter Calliope, and later to destroy it to prevent the worshippers of Ares from resurrecting their god), which has legendary healing properties.
, Ron Fish
, Winifred Phillips
, Mike Reagan
, Cris Velasco
and Winnie Waldron
- was released on CD
(58 minutes and 55 seconds in length) by SCEI
as an exclusive product for the Sony Connect Music Store
.
On April 10, 2007, God of War II: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game - composed by
Gerard K. Marino, Ron Fish, Mike Reagan and Cris Velasco - was released on CD
(66 minutes and 41 seconds in length) by SCEI
.
God of War: Chains of Olympus - Original Soundtrack from the Video Game was composed by Gerard K. Marino but has not been commercially released. Marino composed roughly 13 minutes of new music for the game.
On March 16, 2010, God of War III: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game - composed by Gerard K. Marino, Ron Fish, Mike Reagan, Jeff Rona
, and Cris Velasco - was released as downloadable content
(58 minutes and 42 seconds in length) through the God of War III: Ultimate Edition by SCEI
. It was also released as downloadable content via the Ultimate Trilogy Edition which was released in SCEE territories in March and April 2010. It was released on CD
on March 30, 2010.
The God of War Trilogy Soundtrack was released with the God of War III: Ultimate Edition (North America) and Ultimate Trilogy Edition (Europe, Australia, & New Zealand) as downloadable content. The Trilogy Soundtrack consists of the scores for God of War, God of War II and God of War III respectively.
On November 2, 2010, God of War: Ghost of Sparta - Original Soundtrack from the Video Game - composed by Gerard K. Marino and Mike Reagan - was released as downloadable content (41 minutes and 8 seconds in length) by SCEI
via the God of War: Ghost of Sparta pre-order package. It includes three bonus tracks from God of War: Chains of Olympus.
is a heavy metal
homage by various bands from the Roadrunner Records
label, and features original music inspired by the God of War video game series. The EP was released for purchase on March 2, 2010 (36 minutes and 56 seconds in length).
A six-track version was also released via ShockHound
on the same date and is available from the iTunes Store
. The EP was also released as downloadable content via the God of War III Ultimate Edition (North America) and Ultimate Trilogy Edition (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand) and includes an additional seventh track. The additional seventh track - called "Even Gods Cry" by band The Turtlenecks - was made into a music video
.
. The production discusses the relationship between the God of War games and actual Greek mythology, and features members of the God of War III development team and professional historians. It was released in the God of War III: Ultimate Edition (North America) and Ultimate Trilogy Edition (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand). On March 24, 2010, it was released on the PlayStation Store
to purchase.
God of War - Game Directors Live (80 minutes, 2010) is a documentary featuring five of the game directors (excluding Betrayal) from the God of War series. The documentary takes the form of an interview panel hosted by G4
's Alison Haislip
, with the five game directors and 150 members of PlayStation.Blog
and members of GodofWar.com and SpartansStandTall.com. The production was filmed at the El Portal theater in North Hollywood, Los Angeles on September 1, 2010. It was released as a pre-order bonus for God of War: Ghost of Sparta in North America on November 2, 2010 and was included with the God of War: Origins Collection released on September 13, 2011 in North America (also released to purchase on the PlayStation Store on the same day).
respectively.
(9.4/10) awarded the game the "Editor's Choice" Award and praised the enhanced resolutions, lower price point and smoother frame rates, stating it was a "definitive way to play the game".
1up.com
("A" rating) praised the tremendous increase in visuals but noted that although insignificant the in-engine cut-scenes appeared blurry.
GamePro
(5/5) stated the collection is "two fantastic games on one disc for a low price; puts you in the right mindset for God of War 3."
PlayStation LifeStyle (5/5) noted that for those who are "familiar with Kratos will enjoy the extra polish the Collection brings to two of the best games from the PS2 era."
(9/10) stated "Sony succeeded at making good games better" and also stated that the game "acts as a time lapse experiment for players to get a really good look at how a developer evolves from one game to another." GamePro
(8/10) noted the lack of new bonus content, and claimed "3D doesn't necessarily radically redefine the experience. It does, however, make things like boss fights and magical effects much more mesmerizing..." although "all of the in-game cinematics are not in 3D, which is...unfortunate considering how cutscenes are such an integral part of the storytelling in any God of War game".
(also included appearances by minor Kratos foes Medusa
and a Minotaur
), Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds (with his "Clubs of Chaos"), Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
, ModNation Racers
(with "Kart of Chaos"), and the PS3 version of the fighting game Mortal Kombat (including own stage with three stage fatalities).
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
video games based on Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
.
The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
's Santa Monica
SCE Studios Santa Monica
Santa Monica Studio is a video game developer, part of SCE Worldwide Studios which is owned by Sony Computer Entertainment. As implied by its name, it is based in Santa Monica, California and was established in 1999. It is mostly responsible for the development on the God of War series...
division (PS2 and PS3), with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP (Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta) and Javaground
Javaground
Javaground is the provider of a suite of development and porting tools for the mobile games industry called the Xpress Suite. The company is also a developer of mobile games...
the mobile phone installment (Betrayal) respectively.
Debuting in , the series has featured on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. The character Kratos has been associated with merchandise including artwork
Work of art
A work of art, artwork, art piece, or art object is an aesthetic item or artistic creation.The term "a work of art" can apply to:*an example of fine art, such as a painting or sculpture*a fine work of architecture or landscape design...
, clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
, comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s, a novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, toys
Toys
Toys is a 1992 comedy film directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robin Williams, Michael Gambon, Joan Cusack, Robin Wright, LL Cool J, and introducing Jamie Foxx as Baker. The film failed at the box office at the time of its release, despite its impressive cast and lavish filmmaking. Levinson was...
and cell phone skins.
The central character of the series is Kratos
Kratos (God of War)
Kratos is a video game character from Sony Computer Entertainment'sGod of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War , which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist...
, a Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
n warrior eventually revealed to be a demigod
Demigod
The term "demigod" , meaning "half-god", is commonly used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human; as such, demigods are human-god hybrids...
. The success of the first game, God of War has allowed for the development of five additional games, with each chapter forming part of a saga
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
with vengeance as a central theme. Each new installment provides additional information on Kratos' origins and relationship with his family and the gods. A convoluted series of attempts to free himself from the influence of the gods (and eventually the Titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
s) and exact revenge follow, with the series becoming darker in tone with each game.
Gameplay
Kratos' main weapons throughout the series are a pair of double-chained blades, with various other secondary weapons (e.g. the Blade of Artemis from God of War) acquired with each game. Magic is also used, with four different abilities usually acquired (e.g. Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
's Rage, Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
's Gaze, Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
' Fury and Army of Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
from God of War). With each new game, most weapons and magic are typically lost, with a new arsenal and abilities being found through the course of gameplay.
Relics can also be acquired and are an exception to this rule, as the player is able to use each in successive games (i.e. Poseidon's Trident, the Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
and Icarus
Icarus
-Space and astronomy:* Icarus , on the Moon* Icarus , a planetary science journal* 1566 Icarus, an asteroid* IKAROS, a interplanetary unmanned spacecraft...
' wings).
Kratos often also has a "special" ability, which provides temporary invulnerability and increased attack damage (i.e. "Rage of the Gods" or "Rage of the Titans"). It can be recharged by building "hits" (damage) on foes in combat.
Health and Magic upgrades- Gorgon Eyes and Phoenix Feathers respectively -are found throughout the game in uncolored chests (Minotaur Horns are added in God of War III). A certain number of each are needed to upgrade the Health and Magic bars respectively. Other chests found in the game, containing orbs, are marked with a corresponding color for the orbs (green, blue, and red). Green Orbs replenish health, blue orbs replenish magic and red orbs provide experience (and can also replenish the Rage meter).
Red orbs may also be collected by killing foes and destroying certain inanimate objects. Combat includes a quick-time feature, which is initiated when the player has weakened a stronger foe and an icon (the circle button on the controller) appears above them. The player then presses the corresponding button commands appearing on screen, with success ending the battle, and failure usually resulting in damage. A "grab" maneuver is also available for use on minor foes that yields a higher proportion of experience points in the form of red orbs.
A quick-time sex mini-game and Challenge mode are also included, which yield bonus red orbs and secret costumes and behind-the-scenes videos, respectively.
God of War
God of War was first released in North America on March 22, 2005. Kratos is introduced as having been the servant of the gods for ten years, and is tasked by AthenaAthena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
with finding Pandora's Box
Pandora's box
Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation around line 60 of Hesiod's Works and Days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora , which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item...
, the key to defeating Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
, the God of War. Through a series of flashbacks it is revealed that Kratos was once the servant of Ares (who saved the Spartan and his army from annihilation) in battle, and tricked him into killing his family, forcing his metamorphosis into the "Ghost of Sparta." Kratos eventually locates the Box, and after finally killing Ares, ascends to Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
to become the new God of War.
God of War II
God of War II was first released in North America on March 13, 2007. Betrayed by ZeusZeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
, Kratos is saved by the Titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
Gaia
Gaia (mythology)
Gaia was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. Gaia was the great mother of all: the heavenly gods and Titans were descended from her union with Uranus , the sea-gods from her union with Pontus , the Giants from her mating with Tartarus and mortal creatures were sprung or born...
, who states Kratos must now find the Sisters of Fate
Moirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
. The Sisters can change his fate and prevent his death at the hands of Zeus. Kratos is ultimately successful, and learns from a dying Athena (who sacrificed herself to save Zeus and thereby preserve Olympus) that he is the son of Zeus. Kratos then joins forces with Gaia and the Titans in an attack on Olympus.
God of War: Betrayal
God of War: Betrayal was released on June 20, 2007. Taking place between the events of God of War: Ghost of Sparta and God of War II, Kratos is framed for murder and rampages across Greece, seeking the true assassin. Kratos succumbs to bloodlust and kills CeryxCeryx
In Greek mythology, Ceryx or Keryx was a son of Hermes and either Pandrosus or Agraulus. He was, like his father, a messenger of the gods....
, the son of the god Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
- an act that alienates him from his fellow gods.
God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Chains of Olympus was first released in North America on March 4, 2008 followed by a limited edition PSPPSP
PSP most commonly refers to the PlayStation Portable, a handheld game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment.PSP may also refer to:-Computing and programming:*Corel Paint Shop Pro, a graphics editor...
bundle pack released in June. Set in the time of Kratos' ten years of service to the gods, Kratos halts a Persian invasion of the Greek city of Attica
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
, and learns that the world has been plunged into darkness by the god Morpheus
Morpheus (mythology)
Morpheus in Greek mythology is the god of dreams, leader of the Oneiroi. Morpheus has the ability to take any human form and appear in dreams...
. Learning that the sun god Helios
Helios
Helios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
has been abducted, Kratos investigates and prevents the machiavellian plan of the goddess Persephone
Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld....
to use the Titan Atlas
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
to destroy the world and as a result Olympus.
God of War Collection
God of War Collection is a remastered portClassics HD
Sony's High-definition remasters are a series of video games originally released on the PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable video game consoles, re-released for Sony's PlayStation 3 and Playstation Vita. A number of related programs exist, the most prominent two being "Classics HD" and "PSP...
(the first Classics HD release) of God of War and God of War II for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on a single Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
.
Initially scheduled for release in North America on November 10, 2009; the game was delayed until November 17, 2009.
On December 17, 2009 on the European PlayStation Blog, it was announced that the God of War Collection will be included in the God of War III: Ultimate Trilogy Edition. This "Ultimate Trilogy Edition" was released in limited quantities in conjunction with God of War III (March 18, 2010 in Australia and New Zealand; March 19, 2010 in Europe).
The Collection was released in Japan as a standalone on March 18, 2010 and was published by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. A God of War III Trilogy Edition which included God of War III and God of War Collection was also released on March 25, 2010. The game was released in Australia on April 29, 2010. and in the UK on April 30, 2010.
The original God of War and God of War II were ported by Bluepoint Games
Bluepoint Games
Bluepoint Games, Inc. is an independent video game developer located in Austin, Texas. Their management team includes gaming industry veterans who have worked on multi-million selling titles...
and use the features of the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, including high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
resolutions (720p
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
), anti-aliased
Anti-aliasing
In digital signal processing, spatial anti-aliasing is the technique of minimizing the distortion artifacts known as aliasing when representing a high-resolution image at a lower resolution...
graphics locked in at 60 frames per second and Trophies. The bonus materials contained on the second disc of the original two-disc PS2 version of God of War II are included with the Blu-ray version of the collection. The port was derived from feedback of fans of the series and was viewed as a means of introducing new players to the series prior to the release of God of War III.
In a PlayStation Blog post on September 23, 2009, it was revealed that the God of War III game demo from E3 2009
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009, commonly known as the E3 2009, was the 15th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. The event took place on June 2, 3, and 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment...
was included with early copies of the game. The official gameplay trailer was unveiled on October 16, 2009. The trailer was shown in PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
's virtual theater and as an advertising poster on the side of the virtual mall.
There are a total of 71 trophies between the two games - 36 for God of War and 35 for God of War II respectively - including a platinum trophy for each game.
On November 24, 2009, SCE Santa Monica Studio began a sweepstakes in celebration of the release of God of War Collection. The grand prize was an autographed "Gold" disc (a first pressing of the game created when assets were finalized and reached "Gold" status), exclusive artwork created and signed by a God of War team member, a Limited Edition Kratos T-shirt, and a never before released Limited Edition 10" Figurine of Kratos. First place prize was a copy of God of War Collection signed by the Development Team. Winners were announced on the PlayStation Blog and on God of War.com on December 24, 2009.
On November 2, 2010, God of War Collection was released as a digital download on the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
(God of War and God of War II being the first PS2 games to receive this treatment). PlayStation Plus subscribers may also download a one hour trial of each game and for a limited time receive a God of War III skin with the purchase of each game: "Phantom of Chaos" (God of War) and "Forgotten Warrior" (God of War II) respectively. The bonus materials for God of War II are not included with the digital download version.
Upon releasing God of War Collection various freezing issues were reported. All issues seemed to originate from people who owned PlayStation 3 systems that included backwards compatibility. The company that ported both games, Bluepoint Games, and it's original developer, Santa Monica, never issued a statement acknowledging the issues and have yet to rectify the situation with a patch. Setting video output on the PlayStation 3 to run only in 480p seems to remove most periodic freezing though it can still occur randomly throughout the game.
God of War III
God of War III was first released in North America on March 16, 2010 with an "Ultimate Edition" available for pre-order with exclusive content. Kratos engages both the gods and former allies the Titans in an epic series of battles across the UnderworldUnderworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
and Olympus. Aided by the spirit of a revived Athena and Pandora
Pandora
In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. As Hesiod related it, each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts...
herself, Kratos eventually defeats the gods and opposing Titans. After killing Zeus, Kratos refuses to aid Athena assume the role of new patron of mankind and disappears, his final fate unknown.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Ghost of Sparta was first released in North America on November 2, 2010 with a limited edition PSP bundle and an exclusive pre-order offer released simultaneously. Set after the events of the original God of War and prior to God of War: Betrayal, Kratos, the God of War, is still haunted by visions of his mortal past and embarks on a quest to discover his origins by finding his mother, Callisto. Learning that his brother Deimos was taken by the gods and then imprisoned by the God of Death, ThanatosThanatos
In Greek mythology, Thanatos was the daemon personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person...
, Kratos decides to find and save his sibling. Although successful, Thanatos engages the brothers in combat, and kills Deimos. Kratos then kills Thanatos in turn, and returns to Olympus, now enraged at the gods.
God of War: Origins Collection
God of War: Origins Collection (called God of War Collection – Volume II in Europe and commonly referred to as God of War Origins) is a remastered port of the two PlayStation PortablePlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
installments in the series - God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta - for the PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray Disc. The collection was first announced at the Sony press conference at E3 2011. The collection was released by Ready at Dawn
Ready at Dawn
Ready at Dawn Studios LLC is a video game developer located in Irvine, California and is composed of some former members of Naughty Dog and Blizzard Entertainment...
on September 13 and 16, 2011 in North America and Europe respectively, and on October 6, 2011 in Japan. God of War: Origins Collection was also released in North America as a digital download (including full game trials of both games) on the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
on September 13, 2011.
God of War Origins features high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
resolutions (720p
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
), Stereoscopic 3D (the first God of War release with this feature), anti-aliased
Anti-aliasing
In digital signal processing, spatial anti-aliasing is the technique of minimizing the distortion artifacts known as aliasing when representing a high-resolution image at a lower resolution...
graphics locked in at 60 frames per second, DualShock 3 rumble features and Trophies. The God of War - Game Directors Live documentary, Kratos Legionnaire bonus skin, and Forest of the Forgotten combat arena (previously included with the Ghost of Sparta preorder package) is also included with the God of War: Origins Collection.
Future
John Hight, studio director at Santa Monica, advised JoystiqJoystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
that "while God of War III will conclude the trilogy, it won't spell the end of the franchise", and claimed "We're going to be really careful about what we do next."
Recurring characters
- KratosKratos (God of War)Kratos is a video game character from Sony Computer Entertainment'sGod of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War , which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist...
: Kratos is the protagonist of the God of War series. First appearing in God of War, the character is a power-hungry Spartan who, to save his life, is eventually forced to serve the OlympianTwelve OlympiansThe Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
god AresAresAres is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
. During one murderous rampage, Kratos accidentally kills his wife and child. Renouncing Ares and becoming a tormented soul, Kratos serves the gods for ten years (eventually becoming the God of War) until betrayed by ZeusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
.
- AthenaAthenaIn Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
: The Goddess of Wisdom and Kratos' mentor and ally. First appearing in God of War, Athena charges Kratos with the murder of Ares (as Zeus has forbidden the gods to wage war on each other) and is instrumental in allowing Kratos to become the new God of War. Although lying to Kratos about his brother Deimos, Athena is still sympathetic towards Kratos even after he renounces the gods and is betrayed by Zeus. Although dying trying to protect Zeus from Kratos, Athena is resurrected and elevated to a new level of understanding. Guided by ulterior motives, Athena becomes Kratos' ally once more and guides him to Pandora's BoxPandora's boxPandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation around line 60 of Hesiod's Works and Days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora , which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item...
, which will allow Kratos to kill Zeus and end the reign of Mount OlympusMount OlympusMount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
.
- GaiaGaia (mythology)Gaia was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. Gaia was the great mother of all: the heavenly gods and Titans were descended from her union with Uranus , the sea-gods from her union with Pontus , the Giants from her mating with Tartarus and mortal creatures were sprung or born...
: First appearing in God of War II (she also acts as the narrator in the first God of War), the mother of the TitansTitan (mythology)In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
, Gaia was banished with her fellow Titans at the conclusion of the Great WarTitanomachyIn Greek mythology, the Titanomachy or War of the Titans , was the ten-year series of battles fought in Thessaly between the two camps of deities long before the existence of mankind: the Titans, based on Mount Othrys, and the Olympians, who would come to reign on Mount Olympus...
. Gaia saves Kratos from the UnderworldUnderworldThe Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
after a disastrous encounter with Zeus, and directs the Spartan to find the Sisters of FateMoiraeThe Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
in order to change his fate. A successful Kratos plucks Gaia and the Titans from time to launch an abortive attack on Olympus. Wounded in the attempt, Gaia abandons Kratos, who eventually finds the injured Titan. Kratos cripples Gaia, but the Titan eventually returns to interrupt a final battle between the Spartan and Zeus. Kratos and Zeus enter Gaia, where the Spartan kills the Titan by destroying her heart.
- ZeusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
: The King of Olympus. First appearing in God of War, Zeus initially aids Kratos. Revealed in Ghost of Sparta to have ordered the imprisonment of Kratos' brother Deimos, thinking (incorrectly) that the sibling would be responsible for the demise of Olympus. Many years later, Zeus aids Kratos against Ares, who kills the God of War and takes his place. Zeus, however, is infected by fear and eventually tricks Kratos into draining his godly powers into the Blade of Olympus, stating it is necessary so as to deal with a new threat (actually created by Zeus). Kratos, stripped of his power, is mortally wounded while human, and killed by Zeus. With the help of the Titan Gaia, Kratos uses the power of the Sisters of Fate to return to the moment Zeus betrayed him and after extensive combat defeats the King of Gods. Zeus is saved by Athena, who sacrifices herself to preserve Olympus. Before dying, Athena reveals that Kratos is in fact Zeus' son, and that he fears a perpetuation of the son-killing-father cycle (as he himself imprisoned his father CronosCronusIn Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...
). This is confirmed when Kratos discovers that Zeus was infected with fear when Kratos opened Pandora's Box and used its power to kill Ares. After an enlightening encounter with PandoraPandoraIn Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. As Hesiod related it, each god helped create her by giving her unique gifts...
, Kratos finally kills Zeus.
Film
A film adaptation of the first game was announced in 2005. Creator David Jaffe confirmed that a completed script had been written by David SelfDavid Self
-Current projects:David Self is writing two separate screenplays for films based on superheroes Deathlok and Captain America. The screenwriter also wrote an early draft based on another superhero, Namor...
and would be sent to an unspecified "huge-name director". Jaffe also confirmed that Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
is behind the making of the God of War movie but was unaware of its current status, and eventually stated that "it's doubtful that the film will even be made."
During the God of War - Game Directors Live documentary (filmed on September 1, 2010), David Jaffe stated that an agent had called him a few weeks ago and said "[the agent] just told me who signed on to play Kratos." Jaffe also stated that the "script went out a year and a half ago to Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
who plays Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
, but he turned it down." Jaffe wouldn't say who the actor was that has been signed on to play Kratos, however, he did state that he believes "this new person is pretty good, if that ends up true."
Novel
A novelization of the first game written by Matthew StoverMatthew Stover
Matthew Woodring Stover is an American fantasy and science fiction novelist. He is perhaps best known for his four Star Wars novels, including the novelization of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He has also written several fantasy novels, including Iron Dawn and Jericho Moon...
and Robert E. Vardeman
Robert E. Vardeman
Robert Edward Vardeman is an American science fiction fan and writer. He got his start in writing by writing for science fiction fanzines, and was nominated for the 1972 Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. Vardeman is one of the founders of Bubonicon, a science fiction convention in Albuquerque, New...
was released on May 25, 2010 by Del Ray Books.
Comic book series
A six issue comic book series written by Marv WolfmanMarv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
with art by Andrea Sorrentino was published on a bi-monthly schedule by Wildstorm
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
from March 2010 to January 2011 (a collected edition was released March 2011). The story takes place shortly after the events of God of War (and before Ghost of Sparta) with Kratos seeking the Ambrosia of Asclepius
Asclepius
Asclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia , Iaso , Aceso , Aglæa/Ægle , and Panacea...
(first to save his plague-ridden daughter Calliope, and later to destroy it to prevent the worshippers of Ares from resurrecting their god), which has legendary healing properties.
Soundtrack
On March 1, 2005, God of War: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game - composed by Gerard K. MarinoGerard Marino
Gerard K. Marino is a film and video game score composer, most notably contributing heavily to the God of War series. He is featured prominently on the soundtracks for the original God of War and its sequel God of War II for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award. He also worked on Activision...
, Ron Fish
Ron Fish
Ron Fish is an American musician and recording artist. He was drummer for Dick Dale, a surf guitarist of the 1960s. He was one of four composers to contribute songs to the soundtrack of video game God of War.-References:...
, Winifred Phillips
Winifred Phillips
Winifred Phillips is an American music composer for video games and radio, a published fantasy author, and a radio producer and actress.-Video games:...
, Mike Reagan
Mike Reagan
Mike Reagan is a composer, songwriter and music producer whose music has been featured in multiple videogames, TV commercials, and various film projects, including Any Given Sunday, and Elmo in Grouchland, which garnered a Grammy Award for Best Children’s Soundtrack.He is most recognized for his...
, Cris Velasco
Cris Velasco
Cris Velasco is an American video game and film composer. He has been featured in the God of War video game series, with four tracks on the God of War, four on the God of War II, and five on the God of War III soundtracks...
and Winnie Waldron
Winnie Waldron
Winnie Waldron is an American music producer for video games, a producer for radio, a radio script editor / adapter and a radio host.- Radio :...
- was released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
(58 minutes and 55 seconds in length) by SCEI
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
as an exclusive product for the Sony Connect Music Store
Sony Connect
The CONNECT Music Store was Sony's music store built within the SonicStage music management application for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers. It was one of the world’s largest online music download stores with over 2.5 million tracks to preview and purchase, with over 10,000 new songs...
.
On April 10, 2007, God of War II: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game - composed by
Gerard K. Marino, Ron Fish, Mike Reagan and Cris Velasco - was released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
(66 minutes and 41 seconds in length) by SCEI
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
.
God of War: Chains of Olympus - Original Soundtrack from the Video Game was composed by Gerard K. Marino but has not been commercially released. Marino composed roughly 13 minutes of new music for the game.
On March 16, 2010, God of War III: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game - composed by Gerard K. Marino, Ron Fish, Mike Reagan, Jeff Rona
Jeff Rona
Jeffrey Carl “Jeff” Rona is an American composer for film. He was a member of Hans Zimmer's Media Ventures. His credits include Sharkwater, Slow Burn and Whisper.-Biography:...
, and Cris Velasco - was released as downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
(58 minutes and 42 seconds in length) through the God of War III: Ultimate Edition by SCEI
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
. It was also released as downloadable content via the Ultimate Trilogy Edition which was released in SCEE territories in March and April 2010. It was released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
on March 30, 2010.
The God of War Trilogy Soundtrack was released with the God of War III: Ultimate Edition (North America) and Ultimate Trilogy Edition (Europe, Australia, & New Zealand) as downloadable content. The Trilogy Soundtrack consists of the scores for God of War, God of War II and God of War III respectively.
On November 2, 2010, God of War: Ghost of Sparta - Original Soundtrack from the Video Game - composed by Gerard K. Marino and Mike Reagan - was released as downloadable content (41 minutes and 8 seconds in length) by SCEI
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
via the God of War: Ghost of Sparta pre-order package. It includes three bonus tracks from God of War: Chains of Olympus.
God of War: Blood & Metal
The God of War: Blood & Metal EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
is a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
homage by various bands from the Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
label, and features original music inspired by the God of War video game series. The EP was released for purchase on March 2, 2010 (36 minutes and 56 seconds in length).
A six-track version was also released via ShockHound
ShockHound
ShockHound was an online music download site, retail store and social networking platform launched by Hot Topic in 2008. ShockHound music files are available for download in the MP3 format, making them compatible with most digital music players, and free from digital rights management software...
on the same date and is available from the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. The EP was also released as downloadable content via the God of War III Ultimate Edition (North America) and Ultimate Trilogy Edition (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand) and includes an additional seventh track. The additional seventh track - called "Even Gods Cry" by band The Turtlenecks - was made into a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
.
Documentaries
God of War: Unearthing the Legend (75 minutes, 2010) is a documentary about the God of War video game franchise and is hosted by Peter WellerPeter Weller
Peter Frederick Weller is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension...
. The production discusses the relationship between the God of War games and actual Greek mythology, and features members of the God of War III development team and professional historians. It was released in the God of War III: Ultimate Edition (North America) and Ultimate Trilogy Edition (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand). On March 24, 2010, it was released on the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
to purchase.
God of War - Game Directors Live (80 minutes, 2010) is a documentary featuring five of the game directors (excluding Betrayal) from the God of War series. The documentary takes the form of an interview panel hosted by G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
's Alison Haislip
Alison Haislip
Alison Fesq Haislip is an American actress and former TV correspondent for Attack of the Show! on G4 and NBC's The Voice. She resides in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
, with the five game directors and 150 members of PlayStation.Blog
PlayStation.Blog
The PlayStation Blog, also styled as PlayStation.Blog, is a PlayStation focused blog. It is a part of the PlayStation Network and was launched on June 11, 2007...
and members of GodofWar.com and SpartansStandTall.com. The production was filmed at the El Portal theater in North Hollywood, Los Angeles on September 1, 2010. It was released as a pre-order bonus for God of War: Ghost of Sparta in North America on November 2, 2010 and was included with the God of War: Origins Collection released on September 13, 2011 in North America (also released to purchase on the PlayStation Store on the same day).
God of War
God of War has received a score of 93% and 94/100 from review aggragators GameRankings and MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
respectively.
God of War II
God of War II has received a score of 92.84% and 93/100 from review aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic respecively.God of War: Betrayal
God of War: Betrayal has been critically acclaimed for its fidelity to the series in terms of gameplay, art style and graphics.God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Chains of Olympus has received a score of 91.10% and 91/100 from review aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic respectively.God of War Collection
God of War Collection has been well received. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
(9.4/10) awarded the game the "Editor's Choice" Award and praised the enhanced resolutions, lower price point and smoother frame rates, stating it was a "definitive way to play the game".
1up.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
("A" rating) praised the tremendous increase in visuals but noted that although insignificant the in-engine cut-scenes appeared blurry.
GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
(5/5) stated the collection is "two fantastic games on one disc for a low price; puts you in the right mindset for God of War 3."
PlayStation LifeStyle (5/5) noted that for those who are "familiar with Kratos will enjoy the extra polish the Collection brings to two of the best games from the PS2 era."
God of War III
God of War III has received a score of 92.07% and 92/100 from review aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic respectively.God of War: Ghost of Sparta
God of War: Ghost of Sparta has received a score of 86.83% and 86/100 from review aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic respectively.God of War: Origins Collection
God of War: Origins Collection has been well received. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
(9/10) stated "Sony succeeded at making good games better" and also stated that the game "acts as a time lapse experiment for players to get a really good look at how a developer evolves from one game to another." GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
(8/10) noted the lack of new bonus content, and claimed "3D doesn't necessarily radically redefine the experience. It does, however, make things like boss fights and magical effects much more mesmerizing..." although "all of the in-game cinematics are not in 3D, which is...unfortunate considering how cutscenes are such an integral part of the storytelling in any God of War game".
Game merchandise
Kratos has also been featured as a playable character in five other PlayStation games outside the God of War series: LittleBigPlanetLittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP, is a puzzle platformer video game, based on user-generated content, for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California...
(also included appearances by minor Kratos foes Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
and a Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
), Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds (with his "Clubs of Chaos"), Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny is a fighting video game in the Soul series for PlayStation Portable . It was announced by Namco Bandai on April 28, 2009. It uses many of the features of Soulcalibur IV, including its character customization mode...
, ModNation Racers
ModNation Racers
ModNation Racers is a kart racing game developed by United Front Games for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. User generated content will be a central aspect of the game, such that it uses the same "Play, Create, Share." adage as LittleBigPlanet to convey its basis in online user-generated...
(with "Kart of Chaos"), and the PS3 version of the fighting game Mortal Kombat (including own stage with three stage fatalities).