God of War's Future: What We Want - Kinda Funny Gamescast

Summary

Podcast Summary: God of War's Future: What We Want

Kinda Funny Gamescast
Date: February 20, 2026
Hosts: Greg Miller, Blessing Adeoye Jr., Barrett Courtney
Main Theme: The crew dives deep into the current state and possible future directions of the God of War franchise, examining the recent releases, franchise spin-offs, announced remakes, and what they hope to see in coming years.

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Episode Overview

The panel discusses the twin God of War bombshells dropped at the latest PlayStation State of Play:

• The shadow drop of God of War: Sons of Sparta (a new Metroidvania-style spin-off)
• The announcement of a God of War Greek Trilogy Remake
  They analyze Sons of Sparta’s gameplay, story, and value, debate what makes a worthy God of War experience, and speculate about the roadmap for Kratos, Atreus, and Norse myth in PlayStation's future.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening Banter & Context

(03:36–05:04; 00:44 non-essential chatter omitted)

• Light banter about the hosts' ages and hoodies vs. sweatshirts leads into the real topic: The significance of the recent PlayStation State of Play announcements for God of War.
• Greg summarizes:

  "There was a PlayStation State of Play that had not one, but two big God of War announcements in it... First off, that 2D Metroidvania God of War game... God of War, Sons of Sparta. Shadow dropped... And secondly, they are working, of course, on remaking the God of War Greek Trilogy." (05:12)

2. God of War: Sons of Sparta Deep Dive

Gameplay, Length, and First Impressions

(06:18–26:08)
Barrett played and completed Sons of Sparta (~20 hours, 53% completion):

• The game is a surprisingly meaty Metroidvania spin-off, centered on a young Kratos and his brother Deimos.
• Story Framing:
  "The story framing at the very beginning is Kratos is sitting under a tree and he's talking to his daughter Calliope... he's like, hey, let me tell you about this story of me as a young man who went through a similar struggle..." (08:51)
• Sons of Sparta explores Kratos’ early years, giving players a rare look at him "just as a kid" before the events of the original series.
• For God of War fans:
  If the Greek era games matter to you, there's "a nice added layer of marination" here. It's not a revelation, but it deepens Kratos' background. (09:56-11:59)

Metroidvania Mechanics and Combat

(12:17-17:11)

• The game "[knows] what notes to hit for a Metroidvania, but doesn't hit those notes as naturally or as soulfully as its contemporaries like Hollow Knight or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown." (12:21)
• Classic power progression (double jumps, skill unlocks) is satisfying, but systems like the photo/map marker feature unlock late ("nine hours in"), which is inconvenient for the format.
• Combat blends modern God of War's methodical feel with the original's arsenal approach but "doesn't blow me away or elevate [the formula]."
• Notably buggy, especially in the latter half ("gets buggier and buggier... really unfortunate"). Bugs affect boss fights—with Deimos failing to fight alongside the player, resulting in harder-than-intended encounters. (15:19)

Art Direction & Critique

(16:08, 26:32)

• Barrett likes the pixel art style, noting a nostalgic 90s PC game vibe: "It makes me feel nostalgic... works for this game that is Kratos telling a story about his childhood."
• Others find the style mixed: characters look good, some bosses less so.

Verdict & Value Discussion

• Barrett’s Score: "A baseline 7 out of 10." (17:18)
• The game is "good," not great, and has uninspired elements but nothing "so boring or so frustrating."
• Length: At 20 hours, it can feel lengthy for its design—a Metroidvania “should” be ~13+ hours but this might overstay its welcome for some. (19:17)
• Would it work as a new IP?
  "The God of War IP is the high point. It probably would have scored worse as a generic Spartan game; the best parts are the lore and Kratos connection." (21:25)
• Price Point: At $30, debate whether it’s worth it when other Metroidvanias (like Hollow Knight: Silksong at $20) are considered genre high points.

  "I don't know if it's worth $30, but... if you're a God of War fan you'll get your money's worth." (24:08)

• Blessing isn't motivated to play despite positive elements, mostly because "Metroidvania" doesn't call to him and the art/genre don't appeal:

  "I'm so happy this game exists... giving people an additional option to learn more about Kratos... but that's not something that makes me jump out of my seat." (25:06)

Notable Quotes

• "I would have preferred to play a game where Kratos manages a Burger King than this middling Metroidvania." – Super chat from Banderas (23:26)

3. God of War’s Future: The Big Questions

Recap of Announcements

• The OG Greek trilogy is being remade (not just remastered), with original voice of Kratos, T.C. Carson, returning.
• Early in development—timing and scope are unclear.
• Bless asks, “What do you want out of the future of God of War?” (35:35)

Core Debate: Where Does Kratos Go From Here?

• God of War Ragnarok provided such a satisfying sense of closure for Kratos that the hosts question whether more of his story is needed.

  "If we never saw New God of War again, I mean, I would be sad, but... These characters all are kind of satisfied in their story arcs." – Blessing (36:04)
  Barrett: "Kratos’s journey is complete... he’s a god who actually fights for others and gets appreciated for that." (36:55)

• Speculation whether the franchise should branch to side characters (Atreus, Freya, Thrud) or mythological settings (Egyptian, Japanese, Chinese).

Spoiler Segment: Potential Directions

(Spoiler warning invoked ~36:47)

• Atreus as protagonist (“his burden to bear” regarding leftover plotlines like Sindri, the giant spheres, Tyr) could be logical, but concerns exist about carrying the franchise’s iconography.

• The "Kratos moves on to new mythologies" idea is floated but seen as played out post-Norse saga.

• Some chat feedback:

  • "I just don’t see Atreus bolstering a franchise. Kratos is iconic and I don't want to play as anyone else." – Irwin (45:37)
  • Hosts counter: It could work if Atreus is reinvented with distinct powers, style, and narrative arc.

    "If you’re gonna make Atreus the main character, you gotta almost make it a transformative thing... akin to the Blades of Chaos, a look that people are gonna look at and go, 'holy shit, he looks cool.'" – Blessing (46:55)

• Barrett suggests a “sequel series” or handoff, evoking Avatar/Korra or Naruto/Boruto, with Atreus in a more central, mature role. (39:55)

• Some want Kratos to revisit his Greek past for atonement, but others feel Valhalla already provided sufficient closure.

  "I just don't know if there's any atoning for Kratos. I think Valhalla did all it could... nothing he can do to truly atone." – Blessing (50:13)

Industry Leaks/Reveals & What They Mean

• Jason Schreier (Shry Guy) quote: Sony Santa Monica's next game is “not a new IP, but it might feel like one.”
  (see 43:03–43:55 for full context; possibly signaling an Atreus-centric game)
• Christopher Judge claims the trilogy remakes will have a new fighting system (details unclear, possibly just a modernization).

  "He’s not the one doing the remakes...so I don’t know how much he knows or what ‘new fighting system’ really means." – Barrett (53:20)

Remake Philosophy: How Modernized Should They Be?

(51:00–56:49)

• Should the remakes stick to the classic hack-and-slash or update to modern mechanics?
  • Barrett: "The combat feels good, but after a while gets monotonous... sprucing up is fine but don’t go full tilt into modern God of War."
  • Blessing: "I wouldn't mind improvements...but I don't want them to throw out that classic style."
• Debated whether all three games will come at once (like Crash N. Sane Trilogy) or be stretched out.

4. Broader Franchise Musings

• Revival of PS2/PSP era God of War spin-offs discussed; panel would love more experimental projects, possibly by third parties—as was done in the PSP era.

  "I would love to see more...not watering down the franchise, but more world-building by other developers." – Barrett (58:47)

• With the God of War TV show coming, crossover between game releases and show debuts is likely (mirroring The Last of Us strategy). (60:45)
• Blessing: "I think we'll see more God of War spin-offs...I don’t know what they’ll look like, but PlayStation is not going to let this IP go inactive."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Kratos’s arc:

  "Kratos’s journey is told. I think for the future...maybe we follow Atreus...not a rebrand, but a sequel series." – Barrett (39:55)

• On franchise fatigue:

  "Maybe not to the point where...we’re watering down the franchise with too much...but let’s see some more interpretations and unpacking, whether Kratos early on or other characters." – Barrett (58:59)

• On remake combat direction:

  "The solution is just improving the classic hack and slash combat, not retooling it to feel like the modern God of War games." – Blessing (52:53)

• Fan review of Sons of Sparta:

  "I would have preferred to play a game where Kratos manages a Burger King than this middling Metroidvania." – Banderas, via Super Chat (23:26)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• (05:12) – Setup and Recap: Two big God of War announcements from State of Play
• (06:18) – Sons of Sparta: First impressions and game length
• (08:51) – Sons of Sparta: Story focus and Kratos as a character
• (12:21) – Metroidvania mechanics, comparisons, genre strengths
• (16:08–17:11) – Art style debate and technical issues
• (17:18) – Verdict: 7/10 for Sons of Sparta
• (19:17) – Is the game too long?
• (21:25) – Would this work as another IP?
• (23:26) – Funny fan review (Burger King Kratos)
• (24:08) – Is it worth $30?
• (35:35) – Main topic: What’s next for God of War?
• (36:04) – The closure of Kratos's saga in Ragnarok; speculation on future protagonists/settings
• (43:03–43:55) – Jason Schreier leak: "Not a new IP, but might feel like one"
• (45:37, 46:55, 47:19) – Atreus's viability as a protagonist, iconography, and character transformation
• (51:00–56:49) – Greek trilogy remakes: modernization, combat, timeline
• (58:47) – Should third parties handle more God of War spin-offs?
• (60:45) – The synergy between new games and the upcoming TV show

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Closing Thoughts

• The team is happy to see God of War experiment with genre and storytelling, even if Sons of Sparta is a "good, not great" entry.
• Collectively, they want the franchise to shift focus to Atreus, new side characters, and possibly other mythologies—but agree Kratos's arc should not be forced beyond its satisfying conclusion.
• All concur that the Greek trilogy remakes should modernize but not erase the series’ classic roots.
• The coming years promise a wave of God of War content—from remakes to spin-offs to TV—that will test the franchise’s elasticity and iconography.

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TL;DR

Sons of Sparta is a solid Metroidvania best for lore fans, not a genre standout. The franchise’s future? Let Kratos rest, explore Atreus and new mythological ground, modernize the classics carefully, and keep the franchise meaningful, not overdone.

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End of summary.

Transcript

[Greg Miller]

Go to boot.dev and use code kinda funny to get 25% off your entire first year on the annual plan. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com kindafunny if you

[Barrett]

want to get our shows ad free and our exclusive shows go to patreon.com kinda funny.

[Greg Miller]

What's up everybody? Welcome to the Kind of Funny Games cast for Friday, February 20, 2026. I'm one of your hosts, Greg Miller alongside Forbes. 30 under 30, aka how much are you still under 30? When do you turn 30? How far away?

[Blessing]

I'm 31. I turned 32 this year.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah, I was gonna say it's funny that we still say it. You know, Tim's oldest, but you can't

[Barrett]

take away the title.

[Blessing]

Yeah, it's the title.

[Barrett]

I mean like you still talk about your game award.

[Greg Miller]

Oh, it's weird.

[Blessing]

From 11 years ago.

[Greg Miller]

Well, when something's attached to an age, it's different. Well, like I'm just trending game Tim's still. I'm an Oscar winner. You know what I mean?

[Blessing]

Cuz like people get 30 under 30 at 29. That doesn't mean it gets taken away.

[Greg Miller]

I'm not. I'm not.

[Blessing]

To be clear, you watch your mouth.

[Greg Miller]

To be clear.

[Blessing]

I like watch.

[Barrett]

I want dirty mouth.

[Greg Miller]

You at home, I want you youngin. I want Megalodon to go over there.

[Barrett]

All right, 32, 31.

[Greg Miller]

It wasn't about taking away your title. I was just like, wait, is he still. I. I wasn't sure if you were still under.

[Blessing]

I appreciate it. No problem. I look young.

[Barrett]

Yeah, you do look young.

[Greg Miller]

You're looking better every day.

[Blessing]

Thank you. I appreciate it. I'm trying. Hello, Good day.

[Greg Miller]

Hello. Good day. How are you?

[Blessing]

I'm doing good. How you doing?

[Greg Miller]

I'm great.

[Blessing]

It's great.

[Greg Miller]

Happy to be here alongside a man who's never on this desk.

[Barrett]

Never.

[Greg Miller]

You know, he's never here. His rare appearance.

[Barrett]

Yeah, rare.

[Greg Miller]

Courtney, how are you doing?

[Barrett]

Well, Greggy, lovely one piece sweater. Thank you. Alyssa got this for me for as a late birthday present. Just because it took a while to get here, but yeah, Love it on the back. For those wondering, it's the end of Alabasta where the straw hats are raising up their arms to tell Vivi, hey, we fuck with you, we care about you, but we don't want to implicate you in our crimes.

[Blessing]

Direct quote.

[Greg Miller]

I appreciate that. I'm glad they took care of.

[Blessing]

Direct quote.

[Greg Miller]

Direct quote. Hey, everybody. We just don't want to we're doing the thing. But hey, how you doing? Of course, everybody, this is the kind of funny gamescast. Each and every weekday we get together to talk about the biggest topics in gaming. We whether they be reviews, previews or just things we need to talk about. We couldn't do without you, of course. Be part of this episode with your super chats. Go to YouTube.com kindafunnygames just like bander sn already did with a stinging, stinging super chat about Sons of Sparta. But we'll get there in a second. Of course. Thank you to our Patreon producers over on patreon.com kindafunny Karl Jacobs, Omega Buster and Delaney the Psalm Twining for now, let's begin with what is and forever will be topic of the show.

[Blessing]

I like this one from bdubs93 in chat. Do Americans call hoodies sweatshirts? I think they're just interchangeable to us. Right. We just use both.

[Greg Miller]

Well, it's a hooded sweatshirt.

[Blessing]

Yeah.

[Greg Miller]

So now if I.

[Blessing]

Because I would call this a sweatshirt.

[Greg Miller]

Exactly.

[Barrett]

I put it.

[Greg Miller]

I put all my sweatshirts together. But like I'm currently. If you're an audio listener or just not from here, I'm wearing a crew neck sweatshirt. You're wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

[Blessing]

See that's funny because I've never heard

[Barrett]

anybody say hooded sweatshirt.

[Blessing]

Yeah, yeah.

[Barrett]

I usually hear the them say hoodie

[Blessing]

but I also never hear people say crew neck sweatshirt. I just see.

[Greg Miller]

I mean you go to our thing where we sell the crew necks. Yeah. But I get. I as. I don't know what is going on lately where I've been saying a lot of stuff and you guys like, that's not a turn of phrase. I'm like, yes, what do you want?

[Blessing]

You know?

[Greg Miller]

But like there, I mean it's coming up. Hooded sweatshirt. It's like right there. I'm not making.

[Barrett]

You're also.

[Blessing]

Oh yeah, this is actually, I would

[Greg Miller]

say yeah, this is put a sweatshirts right there on custom ink.

[Blessing]

But I always associate sweatshirts with hoods. But I know that's probably wrong. Oh yeah. Like if you had asked me what you're wearing, I probably would have said a sweater. But that's probably. I guess sweaters are what, more knitted? Is that what we would say?

[Greg Miller]

Again, this is where you get into your own personal biases and nomenclature and everything else. For me. Yes. If you were saying, oh, I'm going to get a sweater, I would expect you to come back. This is like the burger conversation with like a knitted heavier. This Is like something you got from a nice store.

[Barrett]

Yeah.

[Greg Miller]

Like all our shirts, it's got kind of funny. This Marvel Liquid thing that got sent to us. A very nice one piece thing. But no, they're all. They're all in the same thing. Like, I keep my sweatshirts, which includes hoodies and crewnecks and occasionally a nice

[Blessing]

100 boy says, that's a jumper. What's the jumper?

[Greg Miller]

Jumper is now very much. We are Tundra Boy has given away that they are British.

[Barrett]

British, yeah.

[Greg Miller]

Over there they call it jumper.

[Barrett]

Jumper, man.

[Blessing]

Jumper.

[Greg Miller]

I had a quick second where I almost turned the car over on the road today because I forgot how they say aluminum. I was listening to they're so cute

[Barrett]

with Lucy for that, like, for so long.

[Greg Miller]

It's just, you know, God, she was. Every day. It's like living with a Pokemon. You're gonna see what you're gonna do. What are you getting up to?

[Blessing]

Remember when we threw all their tea off a boat in Boston? Come on, that was a party.

[Barrett]

Do that again.

[Greg Miller]

Remember when they arrested their sex offender?

[Barrett]

Rest of the world is doing that.

[Greg Miller]

We just keep redacting names. I digress. Time of the show is God future.

[Barrett]

How's that cough doing, Greg?

[Greg Miller]

We want to talk about God. It's good. I was talking about in Greg way. We're down the slope, but it's still when I laugh, when I. It kicks up and I can't stop. We're here to talk about God of War's future and what we want. Of course, everybody. Last week, I killed it hosting the DICE Awards. But more importantly, thank you very much, There was a PlayStation State of Play that had not one, but two big God of War announcements in it. All right, first off, that 2D metroidvania God of War game we had heard rumored forever from Jeff Grubb. God of War, Sons of Sparta. Shadow dropped. Bam. There it was. And secondly, they are working, of course, on remaking the God of War Greek trilogy. We of course, earmarked this to get together to talk about things from the showcase PlayStation in general. But then yesterday, PlayStation decided to kill one of its studios. We're like, we gotta talk about that right away. Which gives us just more of a God of War take on it. Because as somebody who's globetrotten but not headshot and then playing redacted game after redacted game, I haven't had the chance to touch Sons of Sparta yet. Blessing, have you?

[Blessing]

No.

[Greg Miller]

Barrett, have you?

[Barrett]

Yes, I have. I was sick on Thursday and Friday, so I watched the State of Play from home, watched the crew react to it, and I was going to immediately download Sons of Sparta since it was announced and you know, with the big out today reveal. But right after State of Play, I fell back asleep. Cuz I was that. That's how sick I was. But I spent like all pretty much all my day on Friday playing Sons of Sparta and then went back to it throughout the weekend and finished it over the weekend at about 20 hours.

[Greg Miller]

20 hours.

[Barrett]

Oh, yeah, it's. There's a lot. It's a beefier game than I was expecting it to be, especially with, like, it being a shadow drop and, you know, being rumored for a while. It was like, oh, man, this is taking as long as it would take to play. You know, your first time through playing God of War 2018, which I was not expecting. And I think at only. I think I finished it at only like 53% completion.

[Greg Miller]

Oh, wow.

[Barrett]

Wrapped up the story, the. The main story, at least for God of War, Sons of Sparta.

[Greg Miller]

And before you get into all that, I want your personal context. But if you don't know God of War, Sons of Sparta, as I said, is a Metroidvania game that's out right now. $30 on PSN. The description reads, join young Kratos and Dem Sons of Sparta on a Greek odyssey as they discover the meaning of duty and honor. I feel like, you know, I think you and I have had this conversation on shows before. I'm like, oh, you're a Metroidvania guy. And you're like, not really, but it was like, I think of you so much with Hollow Knight now and so many things of that. I think. Would you. Where do you put yourself now on that spectrum? Are you.

[Barrett]

I've been like, I'm not a sicko for Metroidvanias like so many out there, but there are a lot of games that I do really love and appreciate that are Metroidvanias. Right. Metroid Dread from a few years ago, Guacamole, Melee, both of those games I truly adore recently with Hollow Knight, but it's not like a guaranteed. If this game's a Metroidvania, I'm gonna be like, head over heels for it type of thing.

[Greg Miller]

Okay, yeah, fair enough.

[Barrett]

But I am a God of War fan.

[Greg Miller]

You are a God of War fan. That there's no doubt about.

[Barrett]

Yes.

[Greg Miller]

You've played them all. You love them all. You're out there.

[Barrett]

Ascension. I. I still haven't touched.

[Greg Miller]

Sure. But I mean, especially with this new school. Cory Barlogadore you and I nerd out about both Ragnarok and 2018 all the time. Yeah. Blessings. Never even heard of them.

[Blessing]

Never played him.

[Greg Miller]

So bear, you're sick, but you're playing. You're 20 hours on the other side of it. What do you think? Where are you going to put it on the kind of funny review scale? God of War, Sons of Sparta.

[Barrett]

Sons of Sparta is an interesting one. And I think it, what it offers as a whole package is a lot of different things that I don't think fully add up to this huge revolutionary experience in God of War. But what it offers to people who might be interested in Kratos his entire journey, not just the modern games, but thinking back at what Kratos was going through in the original games in his homeland in Greece, right. If you've ever like, if that means something to you, I think there is something interesting to get out of this, right. The story framing at the very beginning is Kratos is sitting under a tree and he's talking to his daughter Calliope. Calliope who is struggling with this idea of duty as a young woman in Sparta. And so he's like, hey, let me tell you about this story of me as a young man who went through a similar struggle of what duty mean meant to me.

[Greg Miller]

Okay.

[Barrett]

And I think God of War, the series has not given us too much of Kratos just as a dude, right. Just as a kid. But. And like, I think this is like a rare kind of time where we get to see him before he goes through all these struggles of being working under Aries, being betrayed by Aries, going on this like vengeance quest. I, I think it's really fascinating and cool to get a story of him just being, being a kid dealing with, you know, growing up in Sparta and thinking about his personal aspirations as just a man. And I really think that's like a, a cool way to, you know, frame this story. Especially getting to have that alongside Deimos who, you know, slight spoilers for God of War, Ghost of Sparta, like with that's where Deimos was originally introduced is this concept of Kratos having a brother. And I think it's cool that we get a bit more seeing their relationship build out and then seeing a bit more of Kratos with Calliope and being a father to her and you know, trying to be this guiding light for her, you know. And that's always the most human we ever see Kratos in the original games. I think the story overall it again, not this. Oh my God, there's big revelatory things and unpacking that happens in here that gives me complete new perspective on Kratos in the original Greek trilogy in the newer games. But I think it's like a nice added layer of marination where you think a bit more of where he started just as a kid. And I really enjoyed it at the end of the day. And you know, it's not, It's. It's a nice small little story that's compact, adds a. Adds a little bit more. And you know, for those who are newer to the God of War games, maybe haven't gone back, haven't been able to go back to the original. Original Greek games.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

When you hear about Calliope and demos in God of War Ragnarok, I think this might be a nice little appetizer for when we get the God of War remake and you get to see a bit more of where Kratos originally came from. Sons of Sparta as a Metroidvania.

[Greg Miller]

Here we go. I was gonna say I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop because you're just talking story.

[Barrett]

Yeah. And I have to because, you know, I, I did that whole video essay. I. I'm so fascinated by Kratos as a character and his journey as a. As a character study. Right. So that was a lot of the. The framework I was thinking about in playing this game. But yeah. God of War, Sons of Sparta as a Metroidvania, I think knows what notes to hit for a Metroidvania, but doesn't hit those notes as naturally or as souls soulfully as its contemporaries. Like a hollow knight, silksong, like a Prince of Persia, the lost crown. It knows the ways of. Early on you have like a very basic skill set, moveset item set. But then you keep running into things, you're like, man, like, how do I get past this thing? Or how do I get up to that ledge? And then slowly throughout, you know, you're hitting your. Oh man, here's a double jump. And like it's still satisfying and it still works. And I think that's, you know, Jeff Grubb had a great post on BS That's Blue Sky Tim. Last week, the. I think the day the game came out and he was saying like, I can't tell if Sons of War is a really good Metroidvania game or maybe if it's just cheating by being a Metroidvania game just because the fundamental Metroidvania design is going to be satisfying. It is hard to mess up I think there are some cool aspects of the combat that I think are cool on paper, of combining. Combining the more methodical paced combat from the modern God of War games mixed with the more item based, you know, having a whole tool set of combat abilities from the original games married into this like 2D space that we haven't seen God of War really play in. But I don't think none of it really like blows me away or elevates. And I think that's really apparent in like kind of Enemy mixed with world design, where at some points, you know, like the combat is satisfying enough, where there are challenge rooms where you're using, you're going through challenge rooms to unlock, you know, abilities or, you know, leveling up your health bar, your magic meter, your. I forget the fighter spirit meter or whatever it is. And that is satisfying enough and I think it's fun enough. But when you're thinking about the. What Metroidvanias are so good at is the combination of traversal and combat and those married to each other. And I don't think Sons of Sparta quite hits that in any sort of interesting way. I think also as well, especially in the later parts of the game, the game just gets buggier and buggier throughout, which is like really unfortunate there. You know, a lot of the times, you know, you're going on this adventure with Deimos and so there are boss fights where Deimos will join you and be like, hey, I'm going to fight alongside you.

[Greg Miller]

This is this whole thing, right, of once you beat it, you can come back and play it as two player, not the campaign.

[Barrett]

There's like a, from what I believe, there is a. Like I went into this mode that I unlocked, but the game didn't tell me that I unlocked. I had to like actually look at the main menu and be like, oh, that's a new option. Is like a fight gauntlet type of thing you can do to mode like two players with. But in the main campaign demos will join you and he'll, you know, he has like your same move set and he's helping you along and all this stuff. But for like half the boss fights he would just get bugged out and not do anything. So I had to like fight a lot of boss fights on like true hard mode where like I'm the only person doing damage to boss designs that are definitely designed for a second player to be helping you a little bit.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

Which got really, really frustrating. I know one big gripe a lot of people have is the art style I personally fuck with it. Like I don't think it's the prettiest thing ever, but there's something about the specific like pixel animation that really rings of like kind of crappy 90s PC games. Like there's some like animations with it as well where like it weirdly takes me back. It makes me feel nostalgic, which I think works for this game. That is Kratos telling a story about his childhood in a way. And I think the art style works for like the backdrops and the environment. I understand for you know, the, the main characters, the human characters doesn't look great, but there's some like enemy designs, like boss fights specifically where I'm like, oh, this is, this is rad. And I see the vision here, but I think they almost like based it too much on like what they wanted the like bad guys and enemies to look like and then didn't quite think about like does this actually work with a lot of like everything else that's going on in the game as a

[Greg Miller]

whole package bring together story?

[Barrett]

I know I go online, but oh

[Greg Miller]

no, no, no, no, no, don't do that. You're been killing it. I've been listening intently. I'm excited to see where we land.

[Barrett]

God of War, Sons of Sparta. I think as a whole package, as a God of War fan, as you know, not a sicko of Metroidvanias, but an appreciator, you know, an enjoyer of Metroidvanias. I think God of War, Sons of Sparta is a baseline. Seven out of 10. Okay, good. I don't think it's bad. I think there are some bad and uninspired elements of the game. But I was never like, oh my God, like I'm banging my head against the wall. This is either so boring or so frustrating in any like meaningful way. Like I was never doing that. I was enjoying my time throughout it, but still thinking of in the back of my head of like it's tough to have this come out so close to so many fantastic Metroidvanias. Like this even it takes from Prince of Persia the picture taking system. Or like that was like a big thing for modern Metroidvanias. Where in Prince of the Lost Crown you could like take a picture in game and it would place that picture on the map. So like when you're thinking about all of these new abilities that you're unlocking, you could look at the map and be like, oh yes, this specific area. I see the, you know, obstacle that was in my way and I know what to use back then. They have that here and you unlock that ability like nine hours into the game. It's like, okay, well so far I'd been using like little like item stickers to kind of mark obstacles that I've had in the past. And I really would have liked to have that in the first nine hours. Right. And so I think there's just like some weird structural issues there as well. But again, didn't hate my time with it. I think it's good overall.

[Greg Miller]

Did it stick around too long? That was my thing when I saw it. And I mean this is my interpretation of Sony Santa Monica making a spin off God of War. Metroidvania Saw the stuff, I was like, oh, that looks like it could be a good 7 to 10. And then when it was like 20, I was like, oh, I'm not, I'm not in the mood for that much time with Kratos as a boy.

[Barrett]

I. It's weird if I don't know if I am the best person to answer if it sticks around too long. Especially because the first half of the game I was definitely still in kind of like a sick haze where I'm just sure, sure, sure laying in bed. And that's all I did for a day. And it felt like nothing to me, at least y. And so I could imagine like for a lot of people it's six round long. But I also think with Metroidvanias like this, for it to like really click in or at least try to click in its fundamental design, I do think there's a bit of like it's got to be roughly in that like at least 13 hour like Mark for things to really build on itself and like have a tool set that is satisfying to use for like several hours after having such a like fundamental like basic moveset. Right.

[Greg Miller]

So yeah, okay. And they're correcting me. Of course. I misspoke. Sorry. I said Sony Santa Monica. I meant approved. I know they're working alongside Mega Cat.

[Barrett]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, and that was like also when it got announced that it was, you know, outsourced because I think the idea was, you know, this 2D metroidvania might be coming from Sony Santa Monica themselves. Especially because we had Eric here a few years ago to you know, do a ragnarok spoiler and he talked about, I think it was something about, you know, whenever he's in like this waiting game to wait for reviews to pop his kind of like focus, turn off, turn off the world around him is to sit in his Office and play Castlevania. Symphony of the Night.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

And so I think when rumors were starting to like go around about this game a year ago is like, oh, is Eric making a Castlevania game? And so, you know when it was like at that announcement last week where it was like, oh, this is kind of being outsourced to a different studio, I think there was a bit of like a. Okay, my expectations are going down for this a little bit for sure. So. But I, I'm, I'm glad it exists in it. I think having this here, I think is a great entryway into our larger topic of the show of what we want from the future of God of War, because I'm excited that they have opened up the IP outside of Sony Santa Monica for the first time since the PSP games.

[Greg Miller]

Sure, sure, sure.

[Barrett]

Ready?

[Greg Miller]

Don't never forget.

[Barrett]

Yeah.

[Greg Miller]

Before we fully transition, I want to get some super chats in here and there's one that I think just came in that is. Was on my mind as well. Mike, like music said, would Sons of Sparta work if it was a different ip? And that was not. I almost think it the opposite. Do you think this game would have scored better? Because right now it's a 66 on Metacritic.

[Barrett]

Shit.

[Greg Miller]

Do you think this would have scored better if it was a not God of War game sell? Of course no. It would have done worse probably, but if this was just a Spartan, whatever we're, you know, you're going through and we're talking about duty and yada yada, yada.

[Barrett]

You're saying like, if people didn't have the expectation of God of War. Yeah, no, just because I think what it does as a game in the God of like using the God of War ip, I think are the highest highs of the game. Yeah, I think it like, fundamentally like just doesn't hit on the Metroidvania mark. So I, I don't think it's one of those, like, it would have scored worse or better if it wasn't God of War, maybe slightly worse. Because I think the, the writing and, you know, the, the little character things that we get throughout this game I think are solid and again, not, you know, big revolutionary things for God of War, but like a nice added layer. So. Yeah.

[Greg Miller]

Okay, fair enough. Let's get a couple reviews in here. Currently working, super chats and says almost done. Quick review. Very buggy, annoying choices, annoying dialog and characters, decent combat, decent exploration and collectibles. 6.5 out of 10. There's choices in the game, annoying choices. Is like choosing weapons, choosing dialogue.

[Barrett]

I don't remember like dialog choices in the game. So I'm not entirely sure what they mean by. By choices in that respect.

[Greg Miller]

Maybe developer choices they made. But I do annoying dialogue characters. Is it Jack Quaid? Is he phone? And he's no.

[Barrett]

Shout out to Jack Quaid who plays. Who voices Ice or Ace. Ace in the game. Highlight character for sure.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah, for sure.

[Barrett]

You only bring in Jack Quaid to play a highlight character.

[Greg Miller]

That's true. That's true. That's right. Banderas and review reads. I would have preferred to play a game where Kratos manages a Burger King than this middling Metroidvania.

[Barrett]

Wow.

[Greg Miller]

And I think that then speaks to a question that isn't about. It isn't about the review score. It isn't about the review score. He says, how do you feel about the price 30 bucks for this? Of course, as you pointed and I think somebody in the chat called out too, of like, there's so many great Metroidvanias. I think the chat was like, it's a golden age for Metroidvanias right now. Obviously you can turn and look at Hollow Knight silksong. That was $20.

[Barrett]

Right?

[Greg Miller]

And pitch Perfect, right?

[Blessing]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

Yeah. I, I don't know if it's worth 30.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

But that again, that, that is in the eye the, the beholder there. So that's. That. That's always a tough one to kind of like assume for a plethora of people. Right?

[Greg Miller]

Sure.

[Barrett]

Again, I, I think if we did not get a review code for this review provided by PlayStation hashtag, I think I probably still would have paid the 30 bucks just because, you know, I'm a big fan of Kratos, like throughout the entire God of War saga. And I don't think at the end of it I would have like, I was expecting to actually like pay the 30 bucks for this. And I, I don't think I would have been upset by the end of it. Of, oh, I wasted this 30 bucks. Like, I, I still enjoyed my time with it, but again, that's in the eye of the beholder.

[Greg Miller]

God of war, Sons of Sparta. A 7 out of 10 on the kind of funny scale. A good game according to a bear. According to plus are you going to go and play?

[Blessing]

No. And that's not the case against them. I'm so happy this game exists.

[Barrett]

Right.

[Blessing]

I think it's wonderful even to the question of would this game still work if it was a different ip. I think as long as this game is doing Service to what it is as a God of War game. And every single thing that Barrett has said in his review makes me think that this is doing service. As far as painting that backstory of Kratos and giving people an additional option to learn more about Kratos, learn more about the characters around Kratos, and learn more about the world, then I think that's a good thing. Even if it's a 7 out of 10, 6 out of 10, like, no matter depending on who's reviewing it. I think that's really cool. I just don't care about it because, like, I'm just not a Metroidvanias in general. I'm kind of with Barrett as far as, like, if you say Metroidvania, that doesn't make me go, damn, I gotta play this thing. Yeah. For me, it's like the same as saying open world kind of thing, you know, and, like, God of War, Metroidvania, in this art style. Like, I don't know. For me, that's not something that makes me jump out my seat and go, oh, I gotta play that thing. But this, I'm happy it exists.

[Greg Miller]

I don't know if it's just my twisted brain or if it's whatever. I look at this and I go, no, no, I won't. I wouldn't play this on PlayStation, but I would on Switch.

[Barrett]

I, like, that's like. That is the thing where I was. You know, I like playing handheld because, you know, I hate taking up the TV because, you know, there's so much to listen, I want to watch and stuff. But I was kind of aiming to have this beat over the weekend just in case we wanted to do a review, which worked out right. And so I felt guilty of taking up the tv. And the entire time, I was like, man, I would love to have this on a handheld.

[Greg Miller]

And it's this weird thing of portal if it's just because, of course, my inroad to God of War was, of course, I was concurrent. And I played one and I played two. I was working. I got hired at IGN right before two came out, but I never loved them. And I dropped off of each of them. But it was the PSP ones. Like, I loved Ghost of Sparta. I loved Chains of Olympus. And so it was like, damn, that is what got me into God of War. So there's something about a spin off God of War feeling like I should be holding and playing it that way. Just the look of it. Yeah. Like, I don't. I don't. I hate when People like ding and reviews art styles because I think it's such an eye of the beholder thing. Right? Unless it's really, really ugly. Yeah, this one works for me. And then it doesn't. Like for me it's the opposite where when I see him and Demios running, I'm like, oh, they look great. And I like that. Then I see some of the bosses come in. Like that purple snake thing that came in, I was like, I don't know if I like how that looks, but I like the character.

[Barrett]

Yeah, that one is like one of the lesser ones. But there's like, there's like a red boss in that trailer that's like. That was really when it like started to click for me of like, oh, this was the, like, this is the vision. This is like one of like the key, key arts that they had like early on that they were kind of basing this idea off of.

[Greg Miller]

So yeah, maybe it'll be a portal game eventually. But I also am the guy who feels guilty every time I turn on my switch and I scroll. My God, there's Metroid Dread. I like four enough that I was like, I need to play all the Metro. I need to go back to remaster, I need to do Dread. And I see it, I'm like, ah, I haven't started that one. So I don't know when I would go jump into this.

[Barrett]

Yeah, you should play Dread more so than this game.

[Greg Miller]

We should talk about the future of God of War as a franchise and ip. But before then, I'll talk about the future of Kind of Funny. It's bright because of your support. Pick up that Kind offunny membership. Patreon.com kind of funny YouTube.com kind of funny games Apple, Spotify get all of our shows ad free. Get the ability to watch my 15 to 20 minutes of podcasting all by myself each and every weekday. And of course get good karma for supporting an 11 person 11 year old small business. Also, stick it to Tim. He doesn't think you'll do it anyways. Pick up a membership and you have a lot of great stuff. But right now you're not using your membership. So here are some ads. This episode is brought to you by boot.dev. ready to learn a new skill and become a software developer? Kevin is. And that's why he's been using boot.dev to learn to code.

[Blessing]

My favorite feature is that you could

[Barrett]

find a solution that works, but then afterwards you can hit solution and see the way that they were trying to

[Blessing]

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[Barrett]

That's really cool.

[Greg Miller]

Boot.dev takes you from beginner to expert the fun way through a hands on RPG like experience. Plus boot.dev just launched the training grounds, a place where you can grind infinite challenges to give you as much practice as you need before you forge ahead in your own coursework. All content is free to read and watch. A paid membership unlocks interactive features like hands on coding, progress tracking and game mechanics. Bored learners quit. Smart learners never get bored. Learn to code by doing what you'll actually be doing at a job building real projects. Go to boot.dev and use code kinda funny to get 25% off your entire first year on the annual plan. That's boot.dev and use code kinda Funny to get 25% off this episode is brought to you by Shopify. You know what I hate trying to remember my payment info when I get to the checkout page on all the websites I visit. You know what makes that a breeze? That big beautiful purple pay button that has all my info stored. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world world and 10% of all E commerce in the United States. From household names like Chubby's and Mattel to brands just getting started. Get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand style. Get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling. See less carts go abandoned and more sales go with Shopify and their Shop pay button. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com kindafunny go to shopify.com kinda funny monster energy everybody knows white monster zero ultra.

[Barrett]

That's the OG.

[Greg Miller]

It kicked off this whole zero sugar energy drink thing.

[Barrett]

But Ultra is a whole lineup now.

[Greg Miller]

You've got Strawberry Dreams, Blue Hawaiian Sunrise and Vice Guava. And they all bring the Monster Energy punch.

[Blessing]

So if you've been living in the

[Greg Miller]

white can branch out. Ultra's got a flavor for every vibe. And every single one is Zero Sugar. Tap the banner to learn more. Are you dreaming of the perfect prom? But there's just one thing holding you back. Speak English, Mom. Welcome to Ethnosync Ethnic Modification.

[Blessing]

What is this place?

[Greg Miller]

We help you reach your true potential. How are you feeling? It's good to be white.

[Blessing]

Hey new girl.

[Greg Miller]

Hey. Look at what you've done to yourself.

[Barrett]

For a new plant to grow the

[Greg Miller]

Seed has to die. Slanted. Rated R Only in theaters March 13th.

[Barrett]

Side effects may occur.

[Greg Miller]

Hold on, everybody.

[Blessing]

Holding.

[Greg Miller]

Sometimes you gotta make sure when Kevin asks you to do something, you do it. All right?

[Blessing]

Okay.

[Barrett]

Okay. Yeah. Yep.

[Blessing]

Oh, God.

[Barrett]

You're calling.

[Blessing]

Oh, you're calling. Okay.

[Greg Miller]

What am I gonna do? Hello, wife. You're on the kind of funny games cast. How are you?

[Blessing]

I figured as much.

[Greg Miller]

I'm good. How are you? I'm great. I just. I've said this before on content, but I've never said it, I think directly to you. And Kevin says you need to be told so that he doesn't get in trouble one day if it ever happens. Okay. But if I die on camera, they are to keep the stream rolling and they are to use that footage so they are a successful business. Do you understand? Yes.

[Blessing]

We have. Remember we have that estate planning meeting next week. You can add that.

[Greg Miller]

I don't know. I don't know if we added to the. Will you formalize it? Jen, you can't get mad at Kevin. But we will be adding in that you have to bury me in the Ghostbuster uniform. But I know you know that.

[Blessing]

Okay. Yeah, I do. All right.

[Greg Miller]

I love you.

[Blessing]

I love you. Bye.

[Greg Miller]

Bye. Bye. There you go.

[Barrett]

Reminds me of my. My grandpa. Whenever he passes, he is told my cousin and I that we have to give out cake donuts at his funeral because he loves cake donuts.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

And then all of his Star Trek figures. Oh, that's really cool.

[Blessing]

Yeah.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah. Like, I. I'm not big on the burial. You know what I mean? Like, I don't care. Whatever. So I sell my body to science, too. But if we're doing something with it, sell me. Well, don't sell me my body in the Ghostbusters uniform. If Jen feels like she has to bury me, bury me in it. And then. And if. If we're. If we are just gonna cremate me and, like, there's not. Like, you have my ashes there, then don't worry so much because then Ben should. You know, Ben should have that suit for his life.

[Blessing]

Okay, can you add a stipulation that, like, if someone can steal a pinky at the viewing from you, keep it. Well, no, that.

[Barrett]

Like, we get a car or something. Like your car.

[Greg Miller]

Oh, Jesus.

[Barrett]

Well, you've got two cars.

[Blessing]

You steal the. Well, you have three. Well, yeah, I don't.

[Barrett]

I'm not going to.

[Blessing]

Well, I probably will steal it.

[Barrett]

I'll give the car to someone else.

[Greg Miller]

That's polite.

[Barrett]

Yeah.

[Greg Miller]

I don't love that one as much. We'll come up with something.

[Blessing]

Yeah, like steal his pinky off of. Yeah.

[Barrett]

Game. Yeah, yeah, like a game of like,

[Blessing]

you know, you can steal the picnic without getting caught.

[Greg Miller]

I can't imagine my memorial is going to be like a. Like a traditional wake.

[Blessing]

You know, I mean, whatever.

[Barrett]

I'm sure that whatever it is, it'll

[Greg Miller]

be easier to steal the pinky four if I'm ash. You know what I mean?

[Blessing]

No, you're not gonna do a viewing.

[Greg Miller]

I don't think you do that before

[Blessing]

everyone takes one last selfie.

[Greg Miller]

That's good, actually.

[Barrett]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Blessing]

You're sitting in like a chair and we turn it into a kind of funny meeting.

[Greg Miller]

See, now I've got an idea. Now you've got a. That's awesome too. Now you got. Now we're cooking. So, yeah, again, I think for my memorial, again, I would just say whatever you burn the body, be done with it, sell it to the thing, who cares? But I do like the idea and this would require probably you, Kevin and Tim or whoever, Andy for sure of. Take using a photo of me, but make it ghostly, Print it full size and have a standing that. Get your last picture with Greg. Get your last selfie with Greg. That's cool. That's cool. Let's talk about the future of God of War. This is who we are. This is why it's great. We've talked about, of course, Sons of Sparta already. And if you don't remember, of course, God of War Greek trilogy remake in development over at. Is it Sony Santa Monica? This is the blog every day.

[Blessing]

Yeah, it's not Blue Point.

[Barrett]

No, we're thrilled to confirm.

[Greg Miller]

Last week, we're thrilled to confirm that the original God of War trilogy is being remade. And what better way to announce it than with the legendary T.C. carson, who brought Kratos to life in the Greek saga. That's what you're going to be watching here as he comes out and talks about it a bit. This project is still very early in development, so we ask for your patience as it will be a while before anything else can be shared. When we can come back with an update, we aim to make it a big one. You're getting one, two and three remastered. Remade. I'm reminiscent. I'm sorry, Remade. It's always confusing. Beyond that, bless.

[Blessing]

Yes.

[Greg Miller]

Or with that included, bless. What do you want out of the

[Blessing]

future of God of War with this included? It's funny because I don't. I don't think about the future of God of War much. And I think that's because Ragnarok left me on such a satisfying. Yeah.

[Barrett]

Almost like this is it.

[Blessing]

Spoilers. No spoilers.

[Barrett]

Right.

[Blessing]

Like, they tease a little bit of what the future could be, but there's no. There's nothing definitive enough in that game to go, this is what the future is.

[Greg Miller]

Sure.

[Blessing]

And so we're left in this place where these characters all are kind of satisfied in their story arcs. Yeah, we have potential. But also, if we never saw New God of War again, I mean, I would be sad, but I wouldn't be, like, what the. Like, we got more story to tell.

[Greg Miller]

Right.

[Blessing]

And so we're in such an interesting place where you could go off with side characters. There's, like, more than one side character I can think of, though, where you could take the story and kind of follow them a little bit.

[Greg Miller]

Chat. Are we fine with spoilers for God of War, Ragnarok? Where are we? That's what I think. Feel like I. I don't think we need to beat around the bush.

[Blessing]

Yeah. To be fair, the headline of this episode is God of War's future. So if you're listening to this and don't want to hear about God of War's future, you're in the wrong place.

[Barrett]

Ragnarok feels like we're in a spoiler.

[Greg Miller]

The spoilers are on. But I think we're to go into the fact of, like, you know, Kratos got a big dick. We're not.

[Barrett]

Yeah, exactly.

[Blessing]

Huge.

[Barrett]

Kratos's journey ends in Ragnarok as, like, character complete. Right. Like, my whole video essay that I put out, I think, like, a week before Ragnarok came out was about, like, you know, he's so close to getting to this change that we. We want to see in him. And Ragnarok was all about, like, yes, he was so close at the end of 2018. And now here's the satisfying conclusion of him getting to end his journey as being a God who actually fights for others and gets appreciated for that.

[Blessing]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

And that's what his journey has always kind of felt like it was building up to. And so, yeah, I'm right there with you for, like, the future of Kratos in the timeline of past Ragnarok, I don't think there's anything else I would want. Like, I would almost Kratos being a main character, because, yeah, his journey is told.

[Blessing]

Like, I would almost want them to go the Atreus route and be like, you're the main character. Angry Boda is maybe a companion. Kratos is A character in the background that you meet and talk to you that is still this mental.

[Barrett]

Every once in a while has a hype entrance, you know, that you see

[Blessing]

even if you cut off Kratos his head and he's been here now, like, I, I, you know, I'm fine with if. With Kratos taking a side character role. That said, like, we can go there. I once suggested the idea of what if you follow through its character? Because I think I find that character so interesting as far as her and Thor and what you can do if you hammer and all that stuff. I think that could be super fun. You could go the. All right, let's jump from Norse mythology to a different mythology and continue to see what that looks like with Kratos or Atreus or I would say with Kratos. But again, you'd have to, I feel. Yeah, it would have to be something worthwhile.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah, I feel like that trick's been played. Yeah, we can't do that again.

[Barrett]

Yeah. Kratos Journey has been told. And I think, you know, we've. I forget if this was a Schreier report or something. Shy guy report. If what Cory Barlog is working on, you know, there's been theories of, like, what it's been for the longest time. Someone has said at one point that it's not a new ip, but it's going to be made to feel like a new IP or something along those lines. And then with the recent Christopher Judge thing that was reported on by IGN and a few other outlets of, you know, you know, something's being revealed this summer. Christopher Judge coincidentally being in a different Sony Santa. Sony Santa Monica IP in their next big Cory Barlog game. Or is it we're taking the God of War universe and making it feel like a new franchise. Because God of War, that title evokes Kratos. Whereas from here on out, maybe we're following Atreus because. And this is just my crazy. Yeah. Kind of hole that I've been thinking about the, the last couple days. Like Corey Barlog crazy hole, too. Love that dude. He's a very, like, sentimental man and he, you know, he has his heart on his sleeve, especially about what God of War 2018 was, which felt like this message to his child about, you know, about learning from each other and all this stuff. And I do wonder if there's a little bit of him that doesn't quite want to let that go because, you know, he still is a father and still going through all these things. So I do wonder if there's a little bit of like, there's more things I want to explore with Atreus as, you know, as my child also grows up.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

And so I do wonder if there's a little bit of like, not a rebrand, but like almost like a sequel series. Right. You know, you've got your Avatar, the Last Airbender versus the Legend of Corey. You got your Naruto and Boruto kind of thing.

[Blessing]

You think God of War could exist without any of these characters? Like, what if we just went all new characters?

[Greg Miller]

I think that is the way to get to what people are always talking about. Right. There's one over here and I'm. I'm. I'm jumping in without fully reading it. Right. But Onus prime says God of War's third act felt rushed and had loose ends. The rift, Cindri the horn. Oh God of a Ragnarok.

[Blessing]

Sorry.

[Greg Miller]

Third act felt rushed. I think we could continue the story about Kratos follows tears footsteps to Egypt, Japan, etc. It's less reboot and more organic transition. What I would say jumping off of that, not 100% agreeing with it would be, I think, taking God of War and setting it in a new place. And we are tackling Egyptian, we are tackling Japanese, whatever it is. And then inevitably in that story, we cross paths with an Atreus or a Kratos who's on their own journey or whatever. They help you for some reason. I think that would be a way to tell those stories and not have it be Kratos is in a different religion, Atreus is in a different religion.

[Barrett]

I think for me, all of those things that Chat brought up feel like Atreus's burden to bear, especially Sindri, you know, even though Sindri, you know, the epilogue, extra cutscene, whatever you get with Brok's funeral at the very end, you know, you see Sindri there. And there's a moment with Sindri in Kratos and it ends with that great quote with Mimir where it's like a hole and he's solving the riddle that Brock told him like hours and hours and hours ago. Right. To me, the. The main relationship there that was splintered was not Kratos and Cindri because they didn't really have that much of like a. A close relationship. It's Sindri and Atreus. And so I do think there's more to explore there with Atreus's side. And that's the same thing with Tyr, you know, Atreus leaning into his background as a giant. And also learning that there are more of these balls that have the souls of giants that might be in other realms that aren't, you know, ours. And so to me, all of those threads lead to, you know, threads that are unraveled and are left unraveled for the sake of maybe exploring more with Atreus and less so of Kratos, because especially Valhalla really feels like the solidified epilogue. Kratos is working through his past struggles and coming to terms with possibly being serving under Freya in this new regime. The Norse gods, right?

[Blessing]

So yeah, I do have the quote from Jason Schreier. We talked about the from Shry Guy, thank you. Talked about what Sony Santa Monica is working on. I'm pulling from Eurogamer, who wrote Sony Santa Monica, the studio behind God of War is working on a new game, but reportedly it won't be a new ip, though it might feel like one. There's been plenty of speculation. They talk and then they say. Now Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, AKA the Shry Guy, has addressed the speculation on Reset Era, calling Barlog's game Sony Santa Monica's Next Big Thing in that it was going well at least a couple months ago. For context, this is from 7-20-25 in later. In a later response, Shrier added that it won't be a new IP and it certainly won't be a sci fi game. I'll put it this way, it's not a new ip, but it might feel like one. Shry Guy said. Maybe that's why people are confused. Please don't ask me more questions about this. If I wind up reporting more information at any point in the future, it'll be in an article, not a forum.

[Barrett]

So that that serves into like my crazy theory of like, maybe they're going to treat like this next game as like a sequel series and have it feel, and have it like completely feel different from even the modern Kratos games in terms of gameplay and design because they want to explore something different with Atreus. Or it could just be they're reviving some different like PlayStation IP or something like that. Right?

[Blessing]

So yeah, I think God of War is the most interesting one to talk about because I, I do think that there's so many, so many interesting possibilities with it. I think the biggest one is the one you're talking about, Bear, where we're talking about Atreus and continuing on that story. But yeah, I think like even when I look at a character, character like Tyr, we're talking about a franchise called God of War. You know, I wonder if there's more with that character as far as story can tell, maybe from his past or maybe if you want to pick up from post Valhalla or something like that. But yeah, I mean like the other thing with it on the other side of that. I also don't know what other PlayStation IP that Sony Santa Monica would take and revive. There's plenty, of course, Parasite Eve, but which would they choose?

[Greg Miller]

Medieval. Medieval. Kevin would be stoked. Daniel Fortescue and his son have to go do something. Lots of super chats coming that are interesting. I think DeShawn Fortune912 says Atreus in China working alongside his fellow God of mischief. If Sun Wukong is my ideal game, call it God of Chaos.

[Blessing]

I think the. The only thing there is that black myth. Wukong I think kind of throws that for a loop because that I. That game was so popular, so big and also so I'm not gonna say so similar, but it occupies that similar big action adventure, big budget space.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

That. I don't know if you want to

[Blessing]

make something that's so close to that.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Blessing]

But that would. That'd be sick.

[Greg Miller]

Awesome, right? Irwin comes in and says, I just don't see Atreus bolstering a franchise. Kratos is iconic and I don't want to play as anyone else. Even if the story could be cool.

[Blessing]

I. I disagree with the last part. I think you can find another character to occupy that Kratos space that feels exciting and worthwhile. I might agree a little bit with the Atreus part of it.

[Greg Miller]

That's my thing about it too, where it's like, I feel like even though this isn't exactly apples to apples, picking up as Atreus kind of feels like picking up as Clementine in Walking Dead season 2, where it's just like, this doesn't hit the same way. Being that character. I cared for you. You were my son, your family, whatever you want to, you know, character in a video game. And I know we played as him in Ragnarok a little bit, but it's just that idea of like, I feel like that's just a. It's close enough that you're always going to be going, I wish it was Kratos.

[Blessing]

For me, it's the thing of like when a record label signs a new artist and it is, we gotta make you iconic now. Like, we gotta change your look, we gotta upgrade your style. We gotta make you from an artist to a superstar. I almost feel like if you're gonna make atreus the main character of a God of war, like a full God of war game. You gotta almost make it a transformative thing of. We are giving you something that is akin to the Blades of Chaos. We're giving you a look that people are gonna look at and be like, damn, holy shit, he looks cool.

[Barrett]

Cause in my head like an Atreus follow up, he's not even a teenager. And like we're like, yeah, he is a man. Like, he's a man like young adult. Like we're, we're talking like twenties or something like that. Like we've, we've transcended that. Like kind of like awkward, like whatever teen phase that he's had that we've seen. And like we're getting into an era, like an era of his life where we could kind of like, you know, bolster him up a little bit.

[Greg Miller]

And this is me spitballing and as it's forming my head, I guess it's just Last was part two. So it's not that good of an idea. But if it was to open the game, he's older, Kratos is there, Kratos gets killed and then he has a golf club, he puts on the blades, right? And it is like feeling how they roll out.

[Blessing]

See, I would almost have to. You'd almost have to lean more into the low key aspect of it. I think that's how you get. Because people know Loki. People love Loki, of course, like in the last 20 years of Norse mythology becoming more, more like pop culture, right? Like, yeah, I think you lean into that and find those like God of mischief vibes. But I think you would almost need like what is that central weapon? Because I don't think it's the bow and arrow.

[Greg Miller]

No, no, I don't think it's the bow and arrow. Sky does not agree with us though as we've been going back first as the resident God of war sicko in chat. I would like an aged up Atreus to start in a new game. Love you so much. Bye bye Sky.

[Blessing]

I mean, I don't, I don't fully disagree with that.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah, okay, fair enough.

[Blessing]

As long as you have to just make him dope is the thing. Because I like to try. I, I know a lot of people hate on Atreus in God of War, but I like that character. I even liked playing as Atreus.

[Barrett]

Right.

[Blessing]

I think, I think those bits are fun. But if you're gonna carry a game. Yeah, I do want to see that character take steps forward as far as making and I guess not even Me, I think we would have to do as a studio to make that appeal as far as like sellability and like, hey, this is the new character that's starring in this storied franchise. You just have to bring him up as far as what he's bringing as far as style combat.

[Greg Miller]

Sure, sure.

[Barrett]

And I think, you know, he had that relationship with that sword, Freya's brother's sword in Ragnarok. Like I think that could like, maybe throughout his like growing up he's become more accustomed to that sword and get more into some, some sort of gameplay like that mixed with, you know, more of the mischief, magical, the stuff that, you know, we, we got to see a little bit with Atreus.

[Greg Miller]

OMGLX super chats and says the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Atreus taking Kratos in his twilight years to the duat to weigh his heart, confirming once and for all that the good he's done outweighs the bad. And in a similar vein, Storm of Stories says hot take. Kratos became a better God in Ragnarok, but his arc isn't truly complete until he takes full accountability of his actions and returns to Greece to help rebuild what he destroyed.

[Barrett]

That's a great point because that was like a big sticking point with me in my analysis of the original games is that, you know, he kind of gives hope back to the people but it takes no accountability for like helping the people rebuild like what he's destroyed. And so yeah, I could see that maybe a little bit of maybe in Atreus, his big adventure through other worlds. Maybe he, he goes back to his dad's homeland where he sees everything that's messed up and is like, hey, we need to, I need to bring you back here to, you know, maybe help the people out here.

[Blessing]

I just don't know if there's any atoning for Kratos. I think Valhalla did all it could have done to have Kratos reflect and almost like therapies him and have him kind of like look back at his own actions and come to terms with it.

[Barrett]

Yes.

[Blessing]

I don't know if there's anything that Kratos can actually do as far as actions to atone for his sins that were committed in Greece.

[Barrett]

I don't think it's atoning for his sins, but I think it's maybe a little bit of atoning for his. I think there's a level of accountability he can still hold himself to. Yes, he went through therapy to kind of of work through his struggles of what he has done. But I think there are still like viable actions he could take to, to help a possible struggling Grease.

[Greg Miller]

You know, let's stay in Greece for one hot second and let's talk specifically about these remakes we're going to be getting. All right, Uncle Death says at the top, why the hell did they not get Blue Point to do the trilogy remakes? Fuck you, Sony. I hope they don't make it too much like modern God of War and ruin the classic. Then in that same feel conversation, Eka Bakath says, playing God of War one right now, I think we look back at the combat with rose colored glasses for the remakes. I think a combat change might be fresh a la dmc. Wow. I've never heard somebody say combat didn't hold up.

[Blessing]

Yeah, the combat from God of War didn't hold up.

[Barrett]

I think it's one of those like, the combat feels good, but the design around the combat, the enemies you're fighting, like it does after a while get a little bit monotonous. And maybe that's just because I played all of those original games back to back to back for a video essay, but I think there's like some sprucing up you could do but still keep that like kind of more action, kind of like like crazy momentum the original games evoked and less so of the more methodical, slower paced stuff from the modern games. So yeah, I wouldn't want them to go full let's rework the modern stuff into here. Which is why I think it was interesting that they kind of did a combination of the feeling of the modern games with like, like the feeling of the classic games and Sons of Sparta. So I wonder if like, I do hope there's a little bit of like, hey, like let's not go full tilt into, into.

[Blessing]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind improvements because even as you talk about it, when I think back to when I played God of Wars 1 and 2, I guess I do remember of like a little bit of monotony or a little bit of like, okay, yeah, I'm just fucking hacking and slashing. But I don't want them to throw that out, you know what I mean? I don't want them to go, all right, we're going to retool this to feel like the modern God of war games. Because I, I don't think that's the solution. I think the solution is just improving that classic hack and slash combat that you had in the originals.

[Barrett]

The.

[Blessing]

Greg, did you see the quote yesterday from Christopher Judge.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah. You guys talked about in Games Daily, right?

[Blessing]

Yes.

[Greg Miller]

The back and forth about like he said the thing of he's working on something but then the set follow up was that's not. I, you know, I don't only work with Sony Santa Monica.

[Blessing]

One of the things he said was that they're doing a new fighting system for the trilogy remakes which I want to know what that means.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Blessing]

Do you have any, do you guys have any thoughts of what that could even be, even be?

[Barrett]

I don't. I also think it's like because he's not the one doing the remakes. Right. Like they're bringing tt back specifically for this. So. Yeah, I don't know like to the fullest extent. Like what he knows and what he's heard of, you know, like they're different combat system meaning just like we're updating it to not make it feel like like the PS2 slash PS3 games. Right. And I think the biggest way to do that is like changing camera perspective to not do like especially like the original game not do that like constant like top down kind of feel for a lot of it.

[Blessing]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

You know, change that change like enemy balancing and design and interactivity to have it kind of have that mo like fun momentum that you think of when, like especially when I think of a lot of the enemy design designs in Ragnarok and I think they're playing like they were. It seems like they were wanting to play around with that of like how do we bring in these old enemies into a modern setting with Valhalla. Right. Because that, that was like one of the coolest things about Valhalla is like, oh, we're fighting like some of the OG enemies here, but with this modern combat system.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah. That would be my question. Right. Of like, you know, you pick up the blades in 2018, we go out there and swing them around and do that. Like and it felt good. Like I, I think for these remakes I, I don't imagine they'd go that far back. Right. Like and put it into. All right, cool. It's the God of war 2018 Blades of Chaos combat that you're doing as you then set off on to redo these because and my other question with this in remaking these, let me open up before I even ask, like it's being remade. Is it one game or is it going to be we're doing three over the next 30 years.

[Blessing]

That's my beef on how they announced it.

[Greg Miller]

My.

[Blessing]

The place that I've settled on is I what I'm expecting is a crash insane trilogy style thing.

[Barrett]

Yeah.

[Blessing]

Where it is. We've layered this with a brand new coat of paint. I made the game but it's going to be three games in one. But yeah, like if they were to go crazy with it, they could go the Final Fantasy 7 Remake route.

[Greg Miller]

I just can't imagine they do that.

[Barrett]

Yeah.

[Greg Miller]

You know what I mean? I just. I mean more power to them if they do. But that is the next 20 years of making games. Like that'd be fucking crazy.

[Barrett]

And that's why like it someone posted last week as well when it got announced of like this really feels like like especially hearing that it's early in development when like we've been. Fans have been asking for these remakes for a long time. There were rumors about these. These remakes for a while, you know, especially with like the possibility of. Of Blue Point moving on to doing this trilogy instead of that weird God of War multiplayer game or whatever. Right. To hear like oh we're early in development feels like a pull this lever after all of the live service shit didn't work and we really gotta like do something to make.

[Greg Miller]

Let's try to insp our confidence that we're still making the games you want. But yeah, I. Is this a PS6 game? You know what I mean?

[Blessing]

Yeah, for me. So the thing I think is like hey, let's announce this before we announce Corey Barlog's next game so we, so we can let people know that God of War is still in the ether. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Barrett]

And especially with the sun. And like that's another thing with like the Sons of Sparta game is I would have. And again we don't know how. How far out the trilogy remake is though. But like like to me Sons of Sparta serves as a, a nice little appetizer for the trilogy remake. But like okay, you've had your appetizer but now the main course is going to take like three hours. Yeah, it's like all right, cool man. Yeah, for sure.

[Greg Miller]

For sure. Street Shadow says I agree with Bless in a super chat. Valhalla was re was resolution and acceptance of Greek trilogy. Kratos becomes the God of hope. I don't think he needs to backtrack. And I. I'm in that vein too of where we are especially with him. Like I think of you know, the God of war two games here, 2018 and Ragnarok. Right. But how powerful it was for him to open up those wooden doors and see him like celebrate and the way his Voice caught in his. You know what I mean? Like, it was like the power of seeing himself loved. You know what I mean? Like, that is such a fucking moment from that character.

[Barrett]

And the power of seeing himself at the end of Valhalla where he looks back at himself from the end. At the end of God of War one.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

It's so good. Yeah.

[Blessing]

I think the. If we were a good character, if we were to take Kratos and put him back into like, all right, we're whatever. I would almost think that you would have to end that on a sad note of like realizing that there's nothing you can do to truly atone here. Like, there's nothing you can do to truly make it all the way. I think Valhalla kind of ends us in a place that's a bit more hopeful because it's that personal reflection. But like, if I go back to a city that I fucking blew up, like, it's like, okay, cool. I can try to build a building

[Greg Miller]

here and there, but the people of Omegaton are never going to forgive you.

[Barrett]

Yeah.

[Greg Miller]

Storm of Stories says also important note, Cory Barlog said the identity of who blew the horn in God of War 2018 would be revealed in the follow up to Ragnarok and teased a five game plan for God of After God of War 2018.

[Blessing]

I mean, devs be teasing.

[Greg Miller]

Then he remember he was also like, we're going to do two games because I don't want to do this the rest of my life.

[Barrett]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. You know, Andor was supposed to be five seasons and then they made it to, you know.

[Greg Miller]

Damn, you hate to see it.

[Blessing]

I came playing. I don't remember that.

[Greg Miller]

I remember him talking so long ago. That's a long time ago. Yeah.

[Blessing]

You know how it's different time.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah. You change, man. It's how it's going to go.

[Blessing]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

I think.

[Greg Miller]

Closing thoughts.

[Barrett]

Closing thoughts. Yeah, I would love with Sons of Sparta being given out to like, it's God of War being given to another developer. I would love to see more of that as well.

[Greg Miller]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

Maybe not to the point where, you know, we're like, I hate to use this term, but like watering down the franchise with like, like overbearing too much releases of. Of this universe and of this world. That feels still so special. But yeah, like, I would. I would love to see a third game maybe. Maybe not by Santa Monica, but like someone else. I. I also think about. About other like early Kratos journeys. You know, Like, I think of him as an adult Spartan before You know, he swears his allegiance to Aries and gets by Aries. Like I, I think there's cool possibilities there as well.

[Blessing]

Yeah.

[Barrett]

And yeah, just playing Sons of Sparta like really reminded me of like man, the Ready at Dawn games were so good and I would love to see other people outside of Sony Sony Santa Monica like, like build on ideas and give their own interpretations and unpacking of either Kratos early on or other characters in the franchise.

[Blessing]

Did those get remade Ready at Dawn games?

[Barrett]

Man, the fact that they say trilogy, it's like okay, it's just the three games but I, I think like if Trilogy is successful, if Trilogy is successful, I could also see them like not fully integrating those games into a trilogy remake, but maybe like, like bringing some of the context of those games into a trilogy remake and like, like bringing those stories up in some way, shape or form in a trilogy remake I think could be interesting. And then maybe that sparks like a similar to just bringing up Calliope and demos. Ragnarok. It's like oh, like what happened with Persephone in Chains of Olympus? And what happened? Like, all right, we learn a little bit more about demos and what happened to him. But like what's that story?

[Blessing]

So, so yeah, yeah, I think we're in such an interesting place for God of War, but then also some of the bigger PlayStation IP when it comes to what they're trying to do with making TV shows and expanding these things. Because Last of Us, we talked about how, man, okay, Last of Us TV show is out and when's the next new Last of Us game? We don't know. But they'll go back and they'll remaster the ones which I'm sure plays a part in. Why they're doing this God of War trilogy also is you have the TV show coming up and you want to

[Greg Miller]

have something, maybe by season four we'll have game one, right?

[Blessing]

But like, like I, I think we will see more God of War spin offs. Like I don't, I, I don't know what they'll look like. I don't know if they're going to be mainline style games. I could see more things that are along the lines of this Metroidvania that they just put out but in, in different forms. Because I don't think God of War is going to stop being an important IP for, for PlayStation with that being the case. Like if, if Sony Santa Monica is too busy doing something else, I'm sure PlayStation is going to be like, be like yo, hey Sony Ben Yeah. Somebody like do something. Blue point.

[Greg Miller]

Hey, Blue.

[Blessing]

Oh.

[Barrett]

Do you think a different. Different track of thought here, but like we got like kind of a tease of something uncharted. Remembering that live action like thing from years ago. Working on something. Is Ben working on something like what's going on with that man?

[Blessing]

Surely somebody's working on an uncharted.

[Barrett]

No, probably not.

[Greg Miller]

Who the knows what's happening at PlayStation? But you can know that we'll always be paying attention. Talking about icon of funny games daily. Kind of funny games ca. And of course all your kind of funny properties. Keep up with us. YouTube.com kind of funny games, podcast services around the globe, Twitch TV kind of funny games where we are all about live programming. Of course, we're not done here. We are about to stream a video game.

[Barrett]

Roadside.

[Greg Miller]

I know it's Joey. It's Joey and Nick.

[Barrett]

Joey and Nick are going to be roadside assistance disguised as aliens or aliens disguised as roadside assistants.

[Greg Miller]

Excellent. Yeah, okay, I like that. Of course we ask you to super chat. We have one here to close it out. Bluto abstains said. Had to say goodbye to my cat Kubo this week. Poor little guy just turned 5. Sorry to be a downer. Just wanted to say shout out to Greg and his party content for helping me through this. God of War's quote on grief has been particularly comforting as well. You guys rock. Heart. Heart to you, Bluto. Sorry to hear about Kubo. I know how much that sucks. But I hope this weekend you watch Joey and Nick be stupid, you play some video games, you have a pizza. I. I texted Jen. I'm like, we gotta have pizza tonight. I haven't had pizza nearly enough in my life. I need pizza. You should have came through.

[Blessing]

Where were you when me and Andy ordered the Pizza Hut?

[Greg Miller]

I think I was at Dice. I had pizza, but again, I just need pizza. You know what I mean? And then over the weekend, Jen made pizza. But now it's time for more pizza.

[Blessing]

Stop all the dice. Just stay here. Send me in your stead. I got you.

[Barrett]

Yeah.

[Greg Miller]

Okay, everybody. This has been the kind of funny games cat podcast. Like subscribe, share and know that until next time, it's been our pleasure to serve you.