Of all the PlayStation franchises, God of War is best suited for the Horizon treatment

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There seems to be pressure to Horizon franchises into other industries, media and genres as evidenced by the likes LEGO Horizon Adventures and Horizon: Call of the Mountain. It's not clear exactly how far Sony and Guerilla Games are willing to go with this kind of diversification, or if similar plans are in the works for other IPs, but if so, then there might be an obvious candidate.




God of War has morphed into something quite different from its early days on the PlayStation 2. While the franchise has always favored emotional, epic, and high-stakes storytelling, the mode and method of that narrative approach has been wildly subverted in 2018. God of Warwhich saw Kratos paired with an all-new cast of characters. The 2018 release is widely considered to be something of a soft reboot, although its story is still based on the events of the older games. As part of this soft reboot God of War it now has a very different kind of identity, defined by its supporting characters and blending of Norse and Greek mythological elements. All of these disparate pieces could make him an effective pick Horizon-esque spin-offs in the future, with different genres and locations that will be used to complement other aspects of the series' world.

Baldur and Kratos go head to head with Baldur from God of War

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The next God of War game could benefit from another “Baldur” villain.

God of War's Baldur is one of the series' most complex antagonists, and future games would be remiss if they didn't use a similar villain at some point.

God of War's potential for Horizon-style spin-off projects


How the world of God of War could expand beyond the core games

For better or worse, the value of modern, big-budget IPs is often measured by iconography, which in many cases boils down to recognizable characters. You only have to look at the wild success of crossover media like the MCU to see how legacy characters can be a franchise's biggest currency. Contemporary media is defined by recognition, so a strong, memorable cast of characters that can be rooted in the zeitgeist is naturally compelling to IP holders and a prime motivator for spin-offs of all kinds.

God of War definitely has an iconic cast of characters. Newcomers like Freya, Thor, and Tyr could lead their own standalone games that could be prequels or some other flavor of side story (eg Thor fighting his way through Valhalla). LEGO Horizon Adventure swhile it's not the whirlwind of success that Gobo Studios was probably hoping for, it's nothing when it comes to a novel within a larger franchise, assuming an entirely new genre. Maybe something similar could be done within God of War universe, with characters like Brok and Sindri running their own crafting or management title.


It's also easy to see how VR
God of War
game, like
Horizon: Call of the Mountain
would get a lot of positive attention.

Just because God of War can spawn endless spin-offs doesn't mean it should

Spin-offs and multimedia projects require a difficult balance, and not every IP or developer can do it. One of the problems with LEGO Horizon Adventures a spin-off is the way it arguably undermines and devalues ​​the main games' narratives, commoditizing their characters, conflicts and landmarks, and ultimately trivializing them. In other words, it does Horizon more a product than a work of art.

If God of War getting a similar side effect, one where the tone is much more cheerful and kid-friendly, would risk diluting the series' more mature and compelling story. Sneaky continuity issues aside, a cozy building game with Brok and Sindri, or a LEGO adaptation with an entire cast would be horribly at odds with the rest of the franchise's tone and character. If God of War sometimes get unique spin-offs, this broader issue of integrity needs to be kept in mind so that the game doesn't become anything more than a 'media brand' from a moving work of art.


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