Five years ago, Santa Monica Studios managed to reviveGod of War, a franchise that hadn’t received a mainline entry in almost a decade. Not afraid to take risks and drop fans into a completely new setting with a much more stoicKratos,God of War2018was the mature revitalization that the franchise needed, and it makes for the perfect source material to be adapted into a TV show format.
Announced after the major success that wasGod of War Ragnarok’s launch, theGod of WarNorse sagawill be getting a live-action TV adaptation over at Amazon. Video game adaptations are undergoing a bit of a renaissance at the minute, with theSuper Mario Bros. Movie,The Witcher,Dungeons and Dragons, and of course,The Last of Usall proving that the jump between mediums doesn’t need to be all that daunting anymore. And much likeThe Last of Us,God of Warmay even be able to prove that video game adaptations can sometimes lead to some of the best content in the entire franchise.
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Amazon’s God of War Series Should Dive Into Unseen Elements of the Lore
HBO’sThe Last of Uswas, by all accounts, an excellent TV show. Superb casting, first-class acting, great visual effects, and a definitive sense of authenticity ran through every moment ofThe Last of Us. But whileHBO’sThe Last of Usdid remain extremely faithful to its source material, with the show following the same beats as the first game almost play-by-play, it wasn’t afraid to experiment with some elements of the lore, and those experiments led to not only one of the greatest moments inThe Last of Usshow, but one of the best in the entire franchise - and maybe even one of the best stories in TV history.
Episode three of HBO’sThe Last of Us, titled “A Long, Long Time,” completelychanges Bill and Frank’s role in the larger narrativefrom the source material, and it’s definitely for the better. In the original game, players seek out Bill to find a method of transportation, and along the way, they learn that he’s a survivalist who used to work with a partner named Frank, who they eventually discover has committed suicide after being infected. Though the two were clearly friends and partners, Bill has a lot of resentment for Frank, and that’s whereThe Last of Us Part 1leaves it.
HBO’sThe Last of Us, however, spends an entire hour-long episode diving into Bill and Frank’s entire relationship, and it’s widely considered to be one of the best love stories ever told on TV. Though the episode makes some sizable changes to Bill and Frank’s characters, it’s all absolutely worth it, and the necessary departure from the source material here makes for some of the best content in the entire show, catching even the most die-hardLast of Usfans off-guard. Hopefully, Amazon’sGod of Warmight be able to do the same.
While it’s imperative thatAmazon’sGod of Warseriesstays faithful to the source material, it shouldn’t be afraid of taking a few experimental risks every now and then. After all, experimental risks are what led to some ofThe Last of Us' best moments, and the same can be done forGod of War. Flashback episodes, like “A Long, Long Time,” are a great way to deliver these moments, not straying too far from the story fans know but giving enough extra bits of lore and character development that otherwise wasn’t present in the games. For instance, a Brok and Sindri flashback episode that fleshes out their relationship more could be an excellent way to build toward their relationship’s eventual emotional payoff. And the same can be done with just about any character relationship inGod of War, ranging from Kratos and Faye to Thor and his sons.
A live-actionGod of Warseries is in development for Amazon Prime.
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