Upcoming God of War: Sons of Sparta Initially Planned to Explore Classic Greek Era, But Developers Chose to Focus on Young Kratos for Greater Impact

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Sony and Mega Cat are taking us back to Kratos’s early days in God of War: Sons of Sparta, a new 2D platformer that explores the youth of him and his brother, Deimos. As a prequel, it dives deeper into the character’s backstory than any previous installment, offering a fresh perspective on the iconic warrior.

“Initially, we considered making the story closer to the events of the Greek saga that fans know,” said Zack Manko, game director at Mega Cat Studios. “The writers at Santa Monica Studio felt it was essential to explore Kratos as a boy, as it resonates throughout the series.”

Atreus serves as a guiding light, illustrating how fatherhood shapes Kratos and his unique parenting style. In the Greek saga, he’s portrayed as a ruthless warrior, while the Norse games depict him navigating the challenges of fatherhood, a role he struggles with.

“These formative years of Kratos reveal the influences that shape him, adding depth to a character fans have come to know throughout the series,” Manko added.

It’s impressive how much complexity Santa Monica Studio and other contributors have infused into Kratos, a character once seen as one-dimensional and whose games often leaned towards the juvenile. Now, he embodies the struggles of a grieving, emotionally distant father trying to shed his old ways—all while still taking down hordes of enemies.

He’s a multi-dimensional character, and Sons of Sparta aims to showcase that evolution. And even if that narrative doesn’t appeal to you, there’s still the thrill of battling a Cyclops. After all, he’s still the god of war.

God of War: Sons of Sparta’s easiest difficulty pays homage to the 2018 reboot, and fans are loving it: “Whoever came up with that should get a raise.”