As the 20th anniversary of the God of War games draws closer, there are rumors that the Sony title could return to PlayStation, specifically PS Plus Premium after becoming less accessible from PlayStation 2 in 2005 (God of War) and its sequel, God of War II in 2007.
The God of War Series
The God of War franchise began with the introduction of God of War into the mainstream gaming world in 2005. By the end of the year, it had sold over 1 million copies worldwide, prompting the release of its sequel, God of War II.
God of War II was just as successful as its prequel, encouraging Santa Monica Studio (the developer), which is a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, to further the releases of this flagship franchise through PSP and PS3.
What is The Rumour About?
According to recent leaks, PlayStation has been making updates to its PS Plus service, hinting at the potential return of older titles. For instance, players noticed an old Greek-era Kratos icon under the PS2 section on the PS Plus Premium platform.
This raised the dust that both God of War (2005) and God of War II (2007), the original PlayStation 2 games, may soon be available on PS5 and PS Plus Premium.
While modern titles such as God of War (2018) and God of War: Ragnarok have taken the story into Norse mythology, the return of the original Greek saga would offer newer players a chance to experience the old gameplay that dominated the PlayStation 2 era.
Currently, PS Plus Premium already features some remastered versions, such as God of War III Remastered and God of War: Ascension, both of which are available to subscribers of the higher-tier service. Adding the original PS2 games to this lineup would further enhance the appeal of the Premium membership, especially for longtime fans looking to relive Kratos’ early journey.
What is the PS5 Plus Premium?
The PS5 Plus Premium is the highest tier of PlayStation Plus, and Sony's subscription service for PlayStation consoles. It is like Netflix's premium plan but for PlayStation consoles instead.
This means that it has all the benefits of the lower tiers (Essential and Extra) but with additional perks such as monthly free games, access to online multiplayer and cloud storage to save games.
What Other Games Have Been Recently Added To The PS Plus Premium?
Other games available on both PS4 and PS5 which have been added in the past week (from the 15th of October) include:
- Dead Island 2
- Firefighting Simulator The Squad
- Ghostbbusters: Spirits Unleashed
- Gris
- Overpass 2
- Return to Monkey Island
- The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PS4 only)
- Tour de France 2023
- Two Point Campus
Closing Note
Although PlayStation and Santa Monica are yet to respond to the leak, it makes sense that a re-release would be the perfect tribute to one of PlayStation most widely accepted franchises.
Not only would it appeal to old gamers, it would also introduce the new generation of gamers to first-hand experience of the franchise they've grown to love.