Should We Be Mad at God of War?

Malcolm Spinedi of The Geek Link writes: God of War: Ascension is not even out yet, and it’s already surrounded in controversy. The God of War franchise, known for being so violent that it’s almost torture porn, has a upset a large chunk of the gaming community thanks to a trophy.

[bicfitness]

As a long time God of War fan, I'm more concerned with the aimlessness of this title. I just don't understand the point of yet another prequel. Perhaps there's something that I'm missing, and I'm sure I'll find out what that is when I'm playing the game. However, this title would have been much better arranged and received if it paved the road for the NEXT iteration and direction of the franchise. Kratos has killed every God and cosmic entity in the Greek Pantheon at this point. The game should have set the stage for where the series goes from there. He needs to pass the torch to a brother > son > daughter (don't laugh, could be cool) or jump mythologies altogether, because every immortal in Greece has officially been eviscerated by now.

A good game, I'm sure, but it feels like a filler product and not something truly worthy of the series. The multi-player is certainly an interesting aspect though, so kudos to them for integrating that into the game.

[rpd123]

I agree with you. Switching mythologies would be cool, but I doubt they want to ditch Kratos. Even so, they could show the rise of Roman gods (even though they are essentially the same as Greek ones). But Norse or Egyptian mythology would be cool.

[Yi-Long]

... I guess people get mad about pretty much anything these days.

Anyway, if you don't like it, don't buy. Simple.

For most gamers it's just another fun fantastic game.

People get so upset and offended over the tiniest of things these days, which is quite sad, considering there are much bigger and worse things going on in the real world, which ARE actually worth getting upset about.

[smikey1123]

@Yi-Long If people didn't write about the trophy and say that you could be offended by it, then how would people know in advance? Therefore the "If you don't like it then don't buy it" argument would be invalid. Can't have it both ways. You want people to not complain, but also expect them to magically know everything in the game in advance.

[rezzah]

A sequel might really end the series.

The 3rd already ended in such a way that it can be closed and never looked back on again.

However if there is to be a fourth, then it will be based on that final act at the end of 3. This means the basis for a sequel is open to almost anything. While this is great news for creativity, it is also very dangerous as a new story may seem forced.

If there is a sequel to the events of 3, then it has to be so huge that no previous GOW title can match it. Otherwise it would just look like a cheap attempt at making an extra buck off a popular name (COD).

GOW4, a prequel, is the safe attempt at making money. This also provides time for ideas to grow for a true sequel to GOW3.

If there is a sequel, it may or should be the last GOW for Kratos (if it is Kratos at all). Also it will be on the PS4! :D

[Irishguy95]

How about a 'new' game. And leave God of war alone? Japanese mythology, Christianity etc...all have cool stories in them too.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

A game involving Christianity would be quite original. Although all "hell" would brake lose if it wasn't a hundred percent with what the catholic church would want.

[Yi-Long]

.... pretty sure they've got more important stuff to worry about, like poverty, the recent scandals, the new pope, and the fact that more and more people are starting to brighten up about this whole religion-thingy they've been brainwashing us with the last 1800 years orso, and are starting to think for themselves ....

If you can use the bible or any other book, holy or not, as a good inspiration for entertainment or art, you should just go ahead and do it. It's certainly better to use it for video games, movies, books, and/or paintings, than it is to use it to justify wars, to justify restricting and denying other people's rights, freedoms, etc.

[jeeves86]

@ Yi-Long - you act like Christianity and Catholicism are the only ones who peddle religion. Last time I checked, there are a bunch of them, and religion, belief in a higher being, has been around for a lot longer than 1800 years.

[smikey1123]

@Yi-Long You seem to think that it would be the Vatican that would be up in arms over a game about Catholicism. It would be the millions of people that follow the religion that would be upset.

[ShaunCameron]

@ HarryMasonHerpderp

Dante's Inferno?

[Derekvinyard13]

I agree with you dude! Gow 3 feels like it was needed to end the story, not feeling that with this one

[jakmckratos]

I whole-heartedly agree. I have posted several thoughts on this. I do NOT feel he even has to pass the torch. Though it would be great if he ended up having a son that found him much like he found Zeus since Kratos has legit screwed more women than any other character I know.

The time has come Sony Santa Monica. You have two AMAZING sources of mythologies right next to Greece. Seeing as Roman is pretty much the same thing but different names you have Egyptian and you have Norse mythology. You're scraping the bottom of the barrel here with Greek mythology. I would SO love to fight Ra and Thor or Fenrir or a giant Nile Crocodile beast. THe best part is those mythologies are so untouched! You have wide access to so many awesome things. THe combat will always be awesome in GoW but David Jaffe imagined Kratos as the bringer of Death in multiple mythologies after he realized Greek mythology would be used up.

I think Norse would be an easier and more logical way to go especially because there's so many different realms to go and because the movie Thor has made it somewhat relevant. HOWEVER Egyptian would be awesome too because it's such a diverse setting from Europe and the mythology there is incredibly diverse.

But please a prequel was unwanted. Of course everyone will still play it but if you want people to be in awe again it's time to bring out the big guns in GOW4

[jakmckratos]

And I wouldn't want Christianity in a game that's all about killing. Im not a very religious person but that'd just be boring as hell. Are they gonna give Kratos a son and have him sacrifice him but then there's a QTE where you press the button when God says not to do it? I would love to fight demons but they can legit do that with ANY other mythology.
Japanese would be cool. They could have the tiger, turtle, dragon, phoenix guardians myth and the one about the koi who turns into the dragon when he gets to the top of the waterfall(yes this is where they got Magikarp-Gyrados from!) where Kratos at first calls the carp as pathetic and then later in the game he actually gets to the waterfall, turns into a dragon and tries to murder Kratos.

There are legitimately so many other cool things in mythologies to explore and they can make them so visceral and beautiful for this game!!

[showtimefolks]

It's gaming community/media so they will complain about everything.

It's a fantastic GOW game with a very interesting online structure so if you don't like it don't buy it.

Also for some of you hoping for new GOW without Kratos that's not gonna happen. Kratos is GOW

[jakmckratos]

I honestly don't think it'd work without him. I'll still play it because it's a well-made game and GoW is epic but I hope they move on so the next game has meaningful enemies

[TwoMinTy]

@ bicfitness

Actually this is a part of Kratos's story that i've wondered about since the first game. How do you just break an oath to Ares? I've always wondered how that went down. there had to have been more than "Hey Ares, i'm upset that you tricked me into murdering my family, so, this isn't working for me. i know i swore an oath to you and all, but yeah.... I'm gonna set my goal to killing you." "oh, okay Kratos i understand.". It's KILLED me wondering how this all went down.

[Xaphy]

nope I'm actually happy because I just picked it up.

[kingmushroom]

haha same here, picked up the collectors.

[MrWonderful]

do you live in the states because i thought this came out on the 12th?

[neoMAXMLC]

There are always ways to get games early. I could pick a copy up right this instant as well but lack the funds to do so. :(

[Xaphy]

I live in Paraguay and actually got it for only 53$ :)

[Majin-vegeta]

Ok enough with this crap.If you get your panties in a bunch over a freaking virtual trophy then you need to rethink your life.Freaking morons.

[axerated]

Bros before ho's. funny, and who cares about the violence, it's gow, if you react badly to violent games you wouldn't likely be playing it

[BigBoss1964]

I can't believe how blown out of proportion this has been, no women have been speaking out against this so why is a "'man" offended?

[rezzah]

Same reason why heterosexuals speak out against oppression of homosexuals.

You might be confused because you limit the capability of humans to just "man" and "woman". Also it is doubtful for all woman in the world to accept the title of the trophy, they don't have to speak out to disagree.

[BigBoss1964]

That's a poor example this is controversy over the name of a trophy in a video game there's been tophys/acheivments like this before like dastardly I'n Red Dead where you tie up a woman and put her on a train track, nobody flipped out then or recently Tomb Raider where you get a trophy called widow maker by killing 40 men, point is if your gonna call out GoW for this stuff and not have double standards then your argument is invalid in this case Sessler

[Philoctetes]

I honestly doubt that there's a single person anywhere who is sincerely offended by this. It's not like Sony Santa Monica came up with this expression all by themselves -- it's been around for at least two decades.

This is just a case of some people looking for an opportunity to express some faux-outrage. That's all.

[jeeves86]

Question - who has actually been outraged by this? This is the first time I've heard about it and it seems pretty weak.

It's God of War - the same God of War that tasked players with beating your father's skull in and even allowed you to do it so long as you pleased. The same God of War that lets players rip off Medusa heads and jam swords into the eye-sockets of Minotaurs. The same God of War that went through a slow animation of Helios' head being ripped off. Of course it's violent, of course it's crude. Is this just surprising people now?

[FunAndGun]

Maybe we should change it to

"male comrades before women who sell their bodies for money."

- Sheldon Cooper

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[rezzah]

I wasn't questioning the title of the trophy.

I was pointing out that anyone could be offended, even if what they may speak against is not a category they are apart of.

In terms of this title, the word "ho" is similar to the word "nigger"; even if they may not share similar origins. It is based on the perception of the giver and the receiver.

If the developers want to avoid controversy, in terms of sexism in this case, they should not assume the acceptance of the word "ho" to be universally seen as non-sexist. However, the case may not be as simple as this. I won't go further into possible details, but I would offer this: they should apologies regardless of their intentional meaning because the effect is still there. They should also use this as an example to think twice before using certain words for future trophies.

At the same time those who make the accusation of sexism should understand that the devs may not have or did not mean to harm anyone. And following a letter of apology they should accept it, and realize the point of view from the devs perspective.

The whole point of this is to resolve the issue or come to some sort of understanding. It is not meant to stop all sexist interpretations around the world.

Besides if these people want to stop the use of the word "ho" in this medium they should attack all other mediums. Also they should analyze it in its totality, and provide reasons as to why it shouldn't be used.

[CowardDuck]

I have to disagree with you as "ho" being on par with the "N-word". The latter has a few years more history than the former. It's not even close.

[MagneticDeath2]

No.

[younglj01]

Seriously you are mad about any freaking trophy? I'm sorry if any man or woman is offended by an trophy then I hate for you too enter the real world bc you will be upset 24/7 365...

[SnakeCQC]

no

[2pacalypsenow]

So the word Ho in a trophy is hurting reviews? where are those reviewers when GTA came out i don't think it affected that game and you get money for killing hoes

[Enigma_2099]

Where were they? How did you miss them? Remember Jack Thompson?

And there's a slight difference between killing a prostitute and GRAPHICALLY KILLING A WOMAN AND THEN MAKING A JOKE OF IT WITH A TROPHY.

BTW, not everybody goes around killing prostitutes.

[jeeves86]

Not a regular woman. A monster woman. Come on, how many one-liners have you heard in action movies where people get their heads blown off?

[Enigma_2099]

Know what? They were cheesy then, too. This was just in poor taste.

[imt558]

Just try to be mad on Kratos. If you dare.:p You will be killed by Kratos Blades Of Chaos. Respect him.

[Williamson]

Its not a big deal IMO, if your offended then don't play the game. It just seems like people are just trying to troll the game, but then again just like in sports,movies and TV shows the media always make a big deal just to have something to talk about.

[Evil_Ryu]

you maaaaaaaad bro!