Hindu
Hinduism in games isn’t something that’s really been touched on before. The only other title to do so was Asura’s Wrath in 2012, but otherwise, nothing else has hit the AAA space since then. This would be the perfect opportunity for AAA gaming to explore an untapped mythology.
Because there are multiple gods of war in Hinduism, the lead character wouldn’t have to be an ordinary human like Kratos was. In Hindu mythology, the god of creation Brahma is said to have created demonic creatures called Rakshasas in his sleep before Vishnu came to his aid and banished them all to Earth. In the two major Hindu epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana, the Rakshasas were a populous race and were divided up into good and evil, with some fighting alongside armies on each sides. Some were powerful warriors, others were magicians and illusionists. It’s also said that they were able to assume physical forms, but it wasn’t always clear if they even had a real form.
Given the obvious divide between good and evil, playing as a Rakshasa born into slavery and battle on either side would be ideal. Playing as a god would basically just be like that one scene from Wrath of the Titans, and we’ve already played as a human going up against monstrous demons in the previous titles. There could even be a midpoint alliance switch. The gods would be fine with the shapeshifter taking their appearance so long as the Rakshasa doesn’t try to escape the conflict or kill them. With the Rakshasa being shapeshifters, it’d be easy to justify the player character having the abilities of the gods. God of War Ascension’s multiplayer played around with the idea of choosing your allegiance to a god as a “team”, and that could return here in the single-player campaign, with bonuses provided dependent on your specialty of warrior or mage. Unlike Kratos, however, you probably won’t end up brutally murdering these gods. It could be more like the other way around…
Aztec
Legend states that when the Mexicans arrived in the Anahuac Valley around Lake Texcoco, the Mexica/Aztec decided to learn what they could from the other people who judged them for being the least civilized. Since the Aztecs adopted and merged several traditions with their earlier ones, they had multiple creation myths.
One such myth is the Five Suns, where four great ages before the present world each ended with destruction at the hands of the leading deity figures. Think the Reapers in Mass Effect, but instead of giant death robots, the inhabitants of the world were done away by jaguars, hurricanes, fire, and a flood. In one variation of the Five Suns myth, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, was born from his mother Coatlicue and immediately started his war with the Tzitzimitl, gods of the Southern stars. And you thought you had trouble with your siblings.
In the legend, Huitzilopochtli straight up kills the Tzitzimitl literally the moment he leaves the womb. That’d make for a short game, so the three siblings would flee just before you can deliver the killing blow to them. Not exactly keen on being nearly killed before being born, Huitzilopochtli decides to hunt them down and make them pay for their failed assassination attempt. You’d be playing as a newly born god, one who doesn’t have his full powers yet. In mythology, Huitzilopochtli is the god of fire and sun and human sacrifice. So fighting monsters and saving humans from them would add followers to your count who would gladly sacrifice themselves for you. The sacrifices would be currency you could use to upgrade your powers or the source of a last minute, no takebacks save before you die, like the Gold Orb in Devil May Cry. While you weigh that decision, go on and burn your enemies to dust, sun boy!
Chinese
In Chinese mythology, the god of war is Chiyou. Chiyou was described as cruel, greedy, and tyrannical, with 81 clans (supposedly) in his kingdom. Dragons in Chinese mythology are considered to be the most powerful and divine mythical creatures. Not only did they symbolize great power, but they were very supportive of gods and heroes. A power-mad Chiyou could easily enlist the help of the trickster Monkey King to sway some of the dragons – Dilong, the Earth Dragon; Jiaolong, Dragon of Floods and Sea; and one of the Dragon Kings. Using their power, Chiyou has been able to rule over his kingdom with an iron fist, warding off any potential invaders and rescuers with powerful floods or devastating earthquakes. The Dragon King is basically his last resort weapon, a symbol of power for the people in the kingdom who defy him and any dragon stupid enough to try and free their brethren.
Of course, the rest of the world won’t be happy with this. In the outside world, a young soldier comes across a dragon, who tells them about Chiyou’s mistreatment of their kind and imbues the human with their elemental power (each element unlocks a new melee weapon as well). Eager at the prospect of more power, the human devises a plan to free the Earth and Sea Dragons, the remaining dragons will help assault Chiyou’s fortress and end his reign of terror. It won’t be easy, but taking on the god of war rarely is, especially when he’s got a dragon under his command. But if the human does their job right, they’ll have an army of dragons to help them.
Japanese
Everyone knows Japan for the feudal warlords (well, that and ninjas), and a God of War set in feudal Japan would be pretty awesome. The time period is something that hasn’t really been explored aside from the Dynasty Warrior games, and Japanese mythology has plenty of creatures for the player to brutalize that it feels like a no-brainer. There aren’t just dragons, there’s serpents, ghosts, and fox spirits. Who wouldn’t want to go up against those guys?
Instead of stopping a god or being a god, like we’ve suggested on the previous pages, what about sucking up to a god? What’s to stop a soldier from killing their warlord and striking out to make their own destiny? After all, at some point, you have to make your own luck, and that’s what this soldier would do. In their eyes, killing the other warlords would bring the attention of the gods to them, perhaps enough to make them into a god. Of course, the other warlords won’t be too happy that someone’s going around picking them off. This is where something similar to Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system comes into play, and you could even wear the armor of fallen enemies to trick other warlords into doing battle with each other. After all, the game is called God of War, and sometimes, a god has to get their hands dirty.
Norse (Who Wouldn’t Want a Norse God of War?)
In Norse mythology, there’s nothing that Vikings love more than to die. To die in battle is an honor, because it means that they get to go to Valhalla afterwards and feast. A Norse God of War title would have to feature Valhalla at some point realistically. Unfortunately for our hypothetical hero, they would be arriving in Valhalla just moments before the entire world goes to hell.
Ragnarok kicks off just a few minutes after our hero arrives in the afterlife, but it’s ahead of schedule. Several millennia ahead of schedule, in fact, but it doesn’t matter because the Nine Realms are in danger. The other Gods are going out and protecting the other realms, the forces of Valhalla are repelling ground attacks, and Odin is about to enter the Odinsleep. As it stands, the Viking must figure out just what the hell is causing the end of the world so soon, and the only real thread given to him is Odin’s trickster son: Loki. Try not to get distracted by his silver tongue.
Like our suggestions? Disagree? Got any other mythologies you think would be perfect for a new God of War? Let us know in the comments below.
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