GAME · 2005 · USA
God of War
- Developer
- Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Platforms
- PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3
62 archived facts 7 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Nov 2026
62 Interesting Facts About God of War
Interesting Facts (24)
- #001
The armor Kratos wears in the CGI cutscenes was originally intended to be his armor throughout the game. However, the PS2 lacked the power to make the armor look realistic enough on Kratos in-game, so it was cut.
- #002
Kratos went through numerous incarnations that ostensibly included a lot of armor. However, the designers felt that the more armor they removed from him, the more ruthless he ultimately became.
- #003
The Gorgons were initially designed with legs, but it was found impossible to animate all of a Gorgon's parts simultaneously on the PS2, so the legs were cut.
- #004
There are two secret phone numbers you can call by completing two tasks: the number needed to finish God Mode: 1-800-613-8840; to destroy the statues in the throne room: 1-888-447-5594. Kratos will speak to you in a recorded message.
- #005
WILHELM SCREAM: The Athenian soldier guarding the bridge key at the end of the game's Rooftops of Athens section, who is killed by Kratos.
- #006
Some of the concepts introduced in the game's unlockable bonus videos were used in God of War: Ghost of Sparta, such as the video about Kratos searching for his mother or about what happened to his brother. However, they differ somewhat in Ghost of Sparta.
- #007
One of the first scenes shown to the press involved what was intended to be part of the Temple of Pandora, in which Kratos had to remain in a magical elevator in an open environment as a roaring sandstorm prepared to strike. The game mechanics were finished and the level was almost entirely complete, but the sandstorm effects turned out to be impossible, and the entire sequence was cut.
- #008
This game was re-released for the PS3 in 2009 together with God of War II in the God of War Collection.
- #009
Although multiple composers are credited for the music, an old news article about Rip Tide Music stated that Gerard K. Marino composed over hundreds of minutes of orchestral music, indicating that most of the music is his.
- #010
Customers who bought God of War could obtain the soundtrack for free using a voucher code packaged with the game. Some tracks on the release include voice-over passages taken from the video game.
- #011
Contains a major spoiler — show
The God of War novel omits Hades, since Kratos never meets him or gains his magic, and also omits Kratos receiving a new set of blades from Athena; it reveals that the Blades of Chaos were forged by Hephaestus in Tartarus.
- #012
The armor Kratos wears in the game's CGI cutscenes was actually the design planned for use throughout the game. However, the PS2's hardware did not have the power to make the armor look realistic enough in-game, and the idea was shelved.
- #013
Kratos's appearance changed many times, and most of these designs included armor. The designers noticed that as they reduced the armor on him, the character took on a more savage and primitive air.
- #014
One of David Jaffe's inspirations for the game was the 1981 film Clash of the Titans. The mythological atmosphere and epic conflicts formed the cornerstones of the game.
- #015
The Gorgons were initially designed with legs. But because animating all limbs simultaneously was impossible on the PS2, the legs were removed from the model.
- #016
The game contains two hidden phone numbers: 1-800-613-8840 when you finish God Mode, and 1-888-447-5594 when you destroy the statues in the throne room. When you call these numbers, you listen to a recorded message from Kratos.
- #017
In Greek mythology, Kratos is the god of strength and power and serves as an executioner at Zeus's command. His name means "strength" or "power" in Greek.
- #018
Kratos killing his family under Ares's influence actually recalls the story of Heracles. Zeus's wife Hera, enraged by her husband's infidelity, drove Heracles mad and caused him to kill his own wife and children.
- #019
At the end of the Rooftops of Athens section, the Athenian soldier guarding the bridge lever lets out the famous "Wilhelm scream" as Kratos kills him. This sound effect is a cliché frequently used in cinema and games.
- #020
Contrary to the description in the ESRB rating, there is no "strong language" in the game. On the other hand, the behind-the-scenes documentaries are uncensored and contain profanity in places.
- #021
Some ideas hinted at in the game's unlockable bonus videos were used in God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Elements such as the video about Kratos searching for his mother or what happened to his brother appeared in Ghost of Sparta with minor differences.
- #022
One of the first scenes shown to the press involved escaping an approaching sandstorm while advancing through an outdoor area via a magic elevator in the Temple of Pandora. The gameplay mechanics were complete and the section was nearly finished, but the entire sequence was canceled because the sandstorm effects were impossible.
- #023
This game was re-released for the PS3 in 2009 along with God of War II under the name God of War Collection.
- #024
Although more than one composer is named for the music, according to an old post at Rip Tide Music, Gerard K. Marino composed over a hundred minutes of orchestral music.
Production Story (20)
- #025
Development of God of War began at Sony's Santa Monica Studio in 2002 under the working title Dark Odyssey, and the game was unveiled two years later at SCEA Santa Monica Gamers' Day 2004.
- #026
Game director and creator David Jaffe said the idea for God of War was his own, though he credited Capcom as an influence because playing Onimusha led him to suggest doing the same with Greek mythology.
- #027
David Jaffe cited the 1981 film Clash of the Titans as a partial inspiration for God of War, describing his high concept as merging it with Heavy Metal magazine, and said he liked both the kid-oriented Greek mythology material and the addition of adult themes such as sex and violence.
- #028
God of War runs on Santa Monica's Kinetica engine, which the studio had previously developed for its 2001 game Kinetica.
- #029
Director Jaffe said the creative team aimed to make players feel brutal and let their inner beast loose, and that the combat system would offer an unparalleled degree of freedom.
- #030
God of War's combat was built around two systems: a macro system offering normal attacks, magic or quick-time finishers, and a micro system where players press button sequences for different attacks.
- #031
The developers said the final game would include 15 to 25 attacks with the main weapon and a free-form combo system allowing moves to be combined in nearly any order.
- #032
Jaffe said he wanted God of War to be made out of passion rather than fear, and to be a game he himself would want to play.
- #033
According to Jaffe, the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark inspired God of War's development; he aimed to recreate the feeling he had as a child watching it, though he did not want players placed in the role of an adventurer, citing The Legend of Zelda games.
- #034
Jaffe described God of War as intentionally simplistic and forward-moving rather than innovative or unique, and said the team's shallow system forced it to keep creating new content to move players between areas of interest.
- #035
The God of War: Original Soundtrack from the Video Game was composed by Gerard K. Marino, Ron Fish, Winifred Phillips, Mike Reagan, Cris Velasco, Winnie Waldron, and Marcello De Francisci. Sony Computer Entertainment released it on CD as an exclusive product for the Sony Connect Music Store on March 1, 2005.
- #036
An official novelization of God of War was announced in July 2009, written by Matthew Stover and Robert E. Vardeman and published on May 25, 2010, by Del Rey Books.
- #037
A live-action film adaptation of God of War was announced in 2005, and David Self had completed a script while the team searched for a director.
- #038
Universal Studios was committed to making the God of War film, but Jaffe eventually expressed doubt that it would be released because he was unaware of its status.
- #039
Brett Ratner told UGO in September 2008 that he would direct the God of War film, but by February 2009 he had left the project to direct Tower Heist.
- #040
Melton and Dunstan told IGN they were hired to rework Self's screenplay for the God of War film because it was considered outdated, having been written before recent genre films such as Clash of the Titans (2010) and Wrath of the Titans (2012).
- #041
Charles Roven and Alex Gartner, producers of the Uncharted film, were confirmed to produce the God of War film through Atlas Entertainment, with a script turned in and a budget of US$150 million.
- #042
In early 2013, God of War: Ascension game director Todd Papy was asked about the status of a God of War film but did not know anything about it.
- #043
After the 2018 release of God of War, rumors spread about a possible adaptation of the Norse mythology-based game, but in May 2021 a Sony spokesperson confirmed that no God of War film adaptation was in development.
- #044
During an investor briefing the year after May 2021, Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan confirmed that a television series adaptation was in development for Amazon Prime Video, adapting Kratos' story from the Norse-based games.
Behind the Scenes (2)
- #045
Contrary to the description in the ESRB rating, there is actually no "strong language" of any kind in this game. However, the behind-the-scenes documentaries are uncensored and contain some profanity.
- #046
Vardeman said the God of War novel needed extra material beyond the game's action to give readers a solid plot foundation, and he described the game as based on traditional Edith Hamilton Greek mythology, essentially "the accepted mythology on steroids".
Characters & Cast (4)
- #047
Vardeman called Kratos a substantial character whose conflict of motives makes him a great if troubled hero, and he confirmed work on a second God of War novel, saying there were many potential story ideas for Kratos.
- #048
During the God of War – Game Directors Live documentary, filmed on September 1, 2010, Jaffe said the script had been sent to Daniel Craig a year and a half earlier and that Craig turned it down, while an actor had since signed on for Kratos.
- #049
For the God of War film, Melton and Dunstan said they wanted to humanize Kratos, starting him as a mortal with his family intact and using the barbarian attack as the pivotal change.
- #050
Marianne Krawczyk, the main writer of the Greek-based God of War games released between 2005 and 2013, said her chief concern about a film adaptation was casting Kratos, because players felt a strong connection to the video game version.
Easter Eggs & References (3)
- #051
The God of War novel includes characters absent from the game, among them Coeus, the First Officer of Kratos' ship, and Medusa's two servants, Jurr and a blind man.
- #052
The God of War novel identifies the twins in the sex mini-game as Aphrodite's daughters, named Zora and Lora.
- #053
The God of War novel explains that the Hydra slain by Hercules was replaced by a newborn spawned by the Titans Typhon and Echidna and released by Ares, as Athena tells Zeus.
Deeper Meaning (6)
- #054
David Jaffe's inspiration for the game was partly drawn from the 1981 film Clash of the Titans.
- #055
In Greek mythology, Kratos was the god of strength and power (Kratos's name meant "strength" or "power" in Greek) and served as Zeus's enforcer. This is a different figure, Cratus.
- #056
Kratos killing his family under Ares's influence actually echoes the story of Heracles in Greek mythology. Zeus's wife Hera, angered by Zeus's infidelity, sought to bring misery upon Heracles. She drove Heracles into such a rage that he killed his wife and children.
- #057
Contains a major spoiler — show
The God of War novel recounts the game's events while adding deeper insight into its story, including Athena's desire for Kratos to kill Ares and her manipulation of the other gods except Zeus into aiding Kratos.
- #058
Contains a major spoiler — show
In the God of War novel, Zeus aids Kratos through magic and in the guise of the gravedigger, intending for Kratos to become the new God of War once Ares is killed.
- #059
Contains a major spoiler — show
The God of War novel explains that Athena persuaded Poseidon to aid Kratos by convincing him that Ares had brought the Hydra into his domain, and persuaded Artemis because Ares and his minions were destroying her wilderness and its wildlife.
Career & Awards (3)
- #060
Dave Valentine of Square Enix Music Online rated the God of War soundtrack 8 out of 10, praising the composers for avoiding "a neverending dullness of action themes" and noting its well-developed orchestral themes and creative use of ancient and ethnic instrumentation.
- #061
Spence D. of IGN scored the God of War soundtrack 6.9 out of 10, praising its ancient and ethnic instrumentation while criticizing uneven transitions between tracks. In March 2010, the soundtrack was issued as downloadable content within the God of War Trilogy Soundtrack in the God of War III Ultimate Edition.
- #062
In an interview with Play magazine, Robert E. Vardeman said a 1930s mythology book sparked his interest in Greek mythology and that working on the God of War novel was an opportunity he could not pass up.
Sources & editorial notes
Sources for the entries on this page
- Wikipedia God of War (2005 video game) — Wikipedia
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