God of warThe announcement of the original trilogy remake should have been a moment of celebration. Sure, you could say it's frustrating that it's only in early development considering how long God of war There have been rumors of remakes, but the fact that these classics are getting a new coat of paint after two decades is still exciting. Amazon's God of war series jumping into the Norse saga may see casual fans wanting to learn Kratos' backstory, but a large part of that story tied to some visually dated games from the PS2 era may put off newer players. These remakes are a boon to this new audience, while existing fans are looking for a reason to replay God of wars older entries will soon have one. But despite this undeniably good news, I roll my eyes God of war community.
Kind of like there's a valid reason to fear Grand Theft Auto 6 is part of the culture war, there is now good reason to worry that God of war remakes will be swept up in the ever-frustrating complaints about “vigilance”. I'm very familiar with pathetic players lashing out over things that shouldn't be a problem to begin with; regardless of whether it's MJ's face model from Marvel's Spider-Man comics that are harassed, the despicable Last of us 2 hate the subreddit, or the constant “fixed this” posts where characters like Horizon's Aloy gets make-up to 'look prettier', there's no shortage of childish snaps online from the same crowd that worshiped Stellar Blade for anything other than its satisfying combat. Add Nicole from the Dead Space remake looking “too old”, or the likes of Asmongold crying over female soldiers in Battlefield 6and the list of gross complaints goes on and on. And unfortunately it seems God of wars remakes are next in line, all because of a sex minigame that is literally irrelevant.
Every God Of War Game, Ranked
Santa Monica Studios God of War has produced many great games. Of course, some of Kratos' gory PlayStation adventures are better than others.
I really don't care if the God of Wars remakes keep the sex minigame
The approach Santa Monica takes with this absurd little mechanic really doesn't matter, because in a series that boasts epic battles, grand environments, and satisfying combat, there are much higher priorities to consider. The God of war remakes need to nail character models, mechanics, and visuals, while eliminating pain points like inconsistent frame rates and load times. These are the things fans of the series should actually be talking about; there are interesting discussions to be had, such as whether the remakes should embrace the newer Nordic combat style and camera perspective or remain hack-and-slash titles. Potential cameos, new dialogue to add depth to Kratos and if all the games are combined into one package are other interesting topics to discuss. Still, for whatever reason, the debate is about whether or not players will get to “press circle to smash.”
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
For those not familiar with Greek God of war the sex minigames of the saga, they were about as 2000s as you could get. Players would press a button to initiate the act, the camera would pan away, and then one or more women would moan louder the better players performed in a QTE. At the end, players would mash a button to match the climax, and a bunch of XP orbs would appear on the ground (and a PlayStation Trophy would be unlocked in the PS3 remaster). For such small scenes that are likely to be forgotten by the time the credits roll, it's frustrating that they're suddenly the most common talking point in the days since the remakes were revealed.
There have always been two camps when it comes to these scenes. There is the first, which has deemed them a cheesy product of their time at best and misogynistic at worst. The other camp, as original God of war director David Jaffe is a part of, defends them as something crucial to the narrative. According to Jaffe, the scenes were meant to show how Kratos numbs himself through meaningless sex and keeps away from the loss of his family. And while this makes sense in theory, the way the scenes were framed and how the players interacted with them went against the idea, coming across as crude humor and extra edginess more than anything else.
There's a healthy middle ground to God of War's sex scenes, even if they ultimately don't matter
The obvious solution is to emphasize that Kratos uses pointless sex to distract from his trauma through better writing and by removing player interaction from the cutscenes. If they were truly meant to serve a narrative purpose, there's no need for topless women running into a room one by one for an orgy while players mash a button. Removing that element of the male gaze from the scenes and recasting them as an actual part of the story can help them work better. Kratos had the depth of a puddle in the original trilogy, was little more than a rage monster, and felt like a Zack Snyder “cool guy” more than the nuanced character of the Norse saga. Giving him a little more depth by polishing the weirdest aspect of the original trilogy wouldn't be the worst approach.
But then again, I personally don't mind either. If Santa Monica wants to leave the scenes as they are to satisfy purists and emphasize how horrible a person Kratos is, then that's a valid approach to take. And if it wants to cut them entirely because of the baggage attached, and how childish they look by today's standards, that's fine by me too (although hopefully we'd get an extra red orb chest to make up for the lost XP). I just can't believe we're getting a new version of God of War 3s epic Poseidon battle and the giant Ares battle from the first game, and all the internet can seem to talk about is a cheesy mini-game that means so little in the grand scheme of themes.
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With God of War's Remakes Still Years Away, I'm Dreading The Road to Release “There is a way to do sex scenes in a mature way, which they critically acclaimed Baldur's Gate 3especially if the intention was really to show them as a coping mechanism for Kratos.”
Giving minigame defenders years to settle into the potentially cut feature is just asking for trouble. Not only is God of war fans like me will have to deal with post after post of “will they keep this”, but the potential explosion if remakes are released without the scenes is likely to be massive given all the culture war arguments that have already started. Hopefully Santa Monica makes its position on the scenes clear as soon as possible so that the “will they, won't they” debates can end before they get worse. Grifters are already complaining that the younger Kratos are potentially made “softer” like the Norse version if these scenes are removed, and it's so tiring to watch play out.
Would I personally prefer the scenes to change if I had to take sides? Yes, I would. There is a way to do sex scenes in a mature way, which they critically acclaimed Baldur's Gate 3especially if the intention was really to show them as a coping mechanism for Kratos. I'd drop the QTE aspect, make sure the women aren't treated as objects and “rewards” for Kratos and the player, and I'd avoid panning the camera in a way that feels like “oh, we know this is naughty, wink.” If users are actually worried about censorship and not just the weird interaction element or seeing naked women, then the scene that shows more, but frames it in a more respectful way, would definitely be ideal. But ultimately it's not up to me or any other player; it is up to Santa Monica to change or leave any of its own content as is.
If God of wars six mini-games make the cut, then anyone who thinks they're crude and dated simply can't engage with them; they are optional, after all. And if they are scrapped, then frankly, anyone who bothers should get over it. It's pathetic to be devastated and waste energy complaining about a gross QTE full of off-screen moaning and grunting that might end up on the cutting room floor. No matter what happens, I'll be looking forward to the parts God of war that actually matter. It's just a shame that in order to find proper discussions about these remakes, I have to keep digging through pages of arguments about a minigame that has no impact whatsoever on the quality of the experience.
