Forgive me for being a positive, happy person among the obviously miserable stable, but I finally saw Christopher Nolan's Odyssey at the cinema and absolutely loved it. Homer Odyssey has always been one of my favorite stories, and while I've seen plenty of adaptations of it in my lifetime, Nolan's, in my opinion, ranks among the best of them all. Everything from the scope and physicality of the filmmaking to the film's star-studded ensemble had me enthralled from start to finish, so much so that I left the theater saying I was ready to see it again. But as much as I loved watching The OdysseyI couldn't stop thinking about how much I would love to play a modern video game adaptation of it too. And for me, the developer best suited for the job is none other than Santa Monica Studio – the team behind the acclaimed God of war franchise.
At first I actually thought Kingdom Come: Deliverance developer Warhorse Studios would be a solid choice for one Odyssey video games, but I quickly realized that it was just my own prejudice kicking in. Warhorse has become one of my favorite game developers over the last 8 years for offering me the ultimate medieval fantasy with Kingdom Come: Deliveranceand its work with and success with the sequel strengthened it all the more. However, Warhorse's approach to game development is far too grounded at the moment for it to be a good fit The Odyssey and its mythological roots. Of course, that could change with its upcoming Middle-earth RPG, but that remains to be seen. God of war's Santa Monica, on the other hand, has already shown it has what it takes to make a modern one Odyssey game worth playing, especially when you look at the natural parallels that already exist between God of war and The Odyssey.
First, there's the whole Greek thing
The simplest, most basic parallel that can be drawn between God of war and The Odyssey is that they are both rooted in Greek mythology. Sure enough, it rebooted God of war The series leans towards Norse mythology, but it never forgot or outright dismissed the franchise's past, especially when it comes to Kratos' character arc. Originally, God of war was heavily based on Greek mythology, just like Homer Odyssey is. Perhaps the biggest difference is that while Kratos was an original creation for God of war Odysseus was an established mythological figure long before Homer even wrote Odyssey.
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Yet they both draw heavily from Greek mythology for their world-building, characters and stories. What this means for Santa Monica, especially in terms of its ability to create one Odyssey video game, is that it has already done the research required to at least get the basics right in Greek mythology. Across the original God of war Games, the studio transformed Olympus, the underworld, ancient cities, legendary temples and countless mythological creatures into places and creatures that felt convincing in the world it had created. Santa Monica obviously took a lot of liberties with the source material, but these changes were made with a clear understanding of the mythos it drew from rather than a superficial familiarity with a few famous names.
The Odyssey was first composed in Homeric Greek around the 8th or 7th century BC, and in the mid-6th century BC. had it become part of the Greek literary canon.
That experience would give Santa Monica a huge edge with The Odyssey. Odysseus' journey is packed with gods, monsters, cursed islands, prophetic warnings and journeys into the land of the dead, all of which would fit naturally into the studio's established wheelhouse. Cyclops, Circe, Calypso, Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and even Poseidon himself wouldn't be unfamiliar territory for a developer who has spent years translating Greek mythology into interactive worlds. In other words, Santa Monica wouldn't have to figure out how to make ancient myths feel believable as a video game, because it's already proven it can do just that.
Then there's the whole Guilt-Laden Protagonist Thing
But Greek mythology is only part of the reason why Santa Monica would be perfect for one Odyssey video game. Transitions to the studio being restarted God of war series, and given Nolan's interpretation of Homer's original work, Santa Monica has already given us an incredible tale of a warrior haunted by his past, which runs parallel to Nolan's Odyssey. I know not everyone liked how Nolan basically made Odysseus into a man that some have called “whiny” and “weak”, but I'd argue that we just have different interpretations of what strength looks like. Also, Odysseus was always an anti-hero, just like Kratos was for quite some time, and such characters have been known to be the ones who at some point in their lives are burdened with guilt for the sins they believe they have committed.
I know not everyone liked how Nolan basically made Odysseus into a man that some have called “whiny” and “weak”, but I'd argue that we just have different interpretations of what strength looks like.
More importantly, Santa Monica has already shown that it knows how to build an entire story around that kind of burden without reducing its protagonist to someone who simply spends all his time feeling sorry for himself. Kratos' guilt in the newer God of war Gaming informs nearly every decision he makes, but it never robs him of his strength, competence, or capacity for violence. Instead, it gives these traits more meaning by forcing him to confront the person he was and decide if he is capable of becoming someone better. A Odyssey A game focusing on Nolan's interpretation of Odysseus could benefit from the same approach, allowing him to remain cunning, dangerous, and larger than life while still deeply affected by the war, the men he's lost, and the choices that keep pulling him further from home.
Nolan has already proven that The Odyssey can still feel vast, intimate and emotionally relevant without losing the mythological wonder that has kept it alive for thousands of years. Santa Monica Studio has spent much of its own history working with the same ingredients, from Greek gods and monsters to warriors trying to live with the consequences of their past. None of this means the studio is secretly making one Odyssey games, of course, but after seeing what Nolan accomplished on the big screen, I can't think of another developer better equipped to bring the story to equally ambitious life in video game form.
- Released
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November 9, 2022
- ESRB
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M for blood and gore, intense violence, strong language
