Realms of Mythology that Kratos and the God of War Series Should Explore Next

To say that God of War Ragnarök was a massive success would be an understatement. Within its first week of release, the concluding chapter of the Norse duology sold 5.1 million copies, becoming the fastest-selling first-party PlayStation game of all time. That’s 5.1 million copies while being a single-console exclusive. Undoubtedly, Ragnarök also helped to ship even more PlayStation 5 consoles.

Obviously, Sony will return to its golden goose in a few years – as the development process is very long and worthwhile – but the question for the once Greek-held God of War is, where will Kratos go next? We did get some clues in the first game of this leg, or the fourth mainline game, with Týr’s Lost Prophecy. So, drawing from the symbols on that board, these are the realms of mythology that Kratos should visit next.

Celtic creatures to defeat and meet

 

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This may not be the most prevalent in pop culture right now, but the lack of games that draw from Celtic myths and folklore would, perhaps, make the next God of War game even more of a stand-out. Best of all, there are some superb beings in the lore for Kratos to encounter. There’s the Dearg Due, which many see as the origin of the vampire, the wailing ghosts known as the Banshee, and Balor, the demon king.

The best-known creature of the bunch, though, is the leprechaun, which can be found dancing around its pot of gold in one area of gaming entertainment in particular. The most popular leprechaun creation out there right now is Rainbow Riches. While the cheeky leprechaun on the reels and in bonuses does make for a fun character, the game’s Wishing Well, Pots of Gold, and Road to Riches bonuses are what made it such an appealing game. In a God of War game, leprechauns could be evil greedy beings, or helpful magical chaps, like Brok and Sindri.

Iconic gods and stories in Egyptian mythology

 

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Ancient Egyptian mythology is one of the best-known around the world beyond that of the ancient Greeks, predominantly because of how well-preserved the civilization’s structures and scriptures are. It’s said that the Norse saga of God of War came down to a tie-breaker decision from director Cory Barlog; otherwise, it would have been set in Egyptian mythology.

There are many great stories that span the ages of Egyptian myth, with the battle between Horus and his uncle, Seth, perhaps being the most famous. It’s a brutal story, and one that would fit perfectly in a God of War game. Strangely, Egyptian myth is fairly neglected as the basis of a whole game. Assassin’s Creed Origins sets you in the time period, showing the importance of the gods of the time, but a true myth-set, triple-A game is needed.

The horror of Japanese mythology

 

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One element that makes Japanese mythology stand out above other mythologies is its depiction of dark and terrifying beings. There are exceptions, like the mythical fox Kitsune, but then there’s the collection of Yokai, including the turtle-like Kappa, monstrous Tengu, and the murderous Shikigami. Of course, these myths and folklore have also seeped into modern Japanese entertainment, explaining why Japanese horrors are just so good.

In gaming, there’s been a resurgence of creations that take gamers back to the days of the Samurai and to when these myths were so prevalent in Japanese society. Another Sony game, Ghost of Tsushima, was a huge success but quite lightly stepped into the darkness of myths. One of the better games for a myth-driven game is Okami HD. The remastered classic has you play as the sun goddess, Amaterasu, to save Nippon from impending danger.  

Based on Týr’s prophecy, Kratos will next be going to realms of the Celtic, Japanese, or Egyptian mythologies. Popular preference would almost certainly lean towards the North African setting, but heading west from Norse to Celtic would make for a distinct experience.