Amazon's God Of War Show Skips Original Games, Focuses On...

Why Amazon's God Of War Show Is Skipping The Original Games The Jormungandr looking at Atreus in God of War.

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Amazon's God of War will not be covering the original run of games, instead focusing on the second segment. God of War is coming to television, carried away by the recent tide of video game adaptations like The Last of Us, Fallout, Arcane, and more. With such an expansive game story, some are wondering what the show will tackle.

The first God of War came out in 2005, introducing Kratos, a Spartan soldier who becomes the God of War of Olympus and spends the next two major games and multiple minor games beating the pantheon to a pulp. In 2018, the series had a soft reboot, and it seems that it's this storyline the Amazon show will be adapting.

Amazon's God Of War Will Be Based On The 2018 Game

Kratos and Atreus stand together against a snowy landscape in God of War Ragnarok

God of War: Ragnarök promo art featuring Kratos and Atreus in the snowy lands of ancient Scandinavia.

Amazon's God of War will be based on the 2018 God of War game, which is titled God of War just like the 2005 game. However, they tell vastly different stories. The 2018 game and its 2022 sequel, God of War Ragnarök, take place many years after the Greek myth-inspired God of War games.

In these games, Kratos is much older. He has a son (and a beard), and he's resolved to end his violent ways. That's easier said than done in his new locale, which is inhabited by the warlike Norse pantheon. Kratos and his fiery son Atreus set off on a quest to learn the truth of Atreus' parentage and stop Ragnarök.

Why God Of War Won't Cover The First Three Games

God of War screenshot with Kratos holding Atreus's arm during a discussion

God of War's showrunner, Ronald D. Moore, had a tricky decision when it came to deciding on which set of games to adapt. Eventually, he concluded, the Norse games had a richer story, saying, "It was just when I started watching it [God of War (2018)], I started looking at the cutscenes together, and there's so much material there."

He continued, "...I kept coming back to this story of father and son, and it was just emotional and it was different." Those Greek games do feel more arcade-y, whereas the Norse games have longer cutscenes and give Kratos more character. However, Moore hasn't counted out the older games appearing in the series (via IGN).

Will Amazon's God Of War Live Up To The Game?

An image of Kratos preparing his Leviathan Axe in God of War (2018)

At one point in time, the answer to this question may have been a definitive "No!", but we are in a golden age of video game adaptations. Amazon has even already proven it's capable, debuting Fallout in 2024. Now, it's not crazy to assume that God of War is going to be an excellent TV show.

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Still, living up to the God of War games is a high bar. Back to front, the God of War series is one of the most acclaimed video game series of all time. Amazon's show is going to have to be pretty special to satiate both new fans and legions of gamers who have grown up with the video games.