16 Years Ago, Sony Delivered One of the Greatest Action Video Games Ever Made

Sony Interactive Entertainment, formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment, seemed to be on top of the gaming world in the early to mid-2000s, with the PlayStation 2 dominating sales charts. While there is a lot more competition nowadays, the PlayStation 2 had a series of exceptional games that would pave the way to other modern masterpieces, and one of the most important ones was also one of the best action games Sony ever released.

Today, March 16, is the 16th anniversary of the release of God of War 3 on the PlayStation 2. The final mainline game in the original Greek God of War trilogy, God of War 3 would see players complete Kratos' revenge quest, traveling directly on the backs of the Titans to wage war against Mount Olympus and the Greek gods. The previous game ended in a cliffhanger, with fans full of suspense as Kratos began his ascent to Olympus.

According to Metacritic, the original version of God of War 3 has an impressive 92 metascore. The game saw particular praise for its gory set pieces, tight controls, excellent level design, and good but familiar combat mechanics. Fans and critics were divided on the game's narrative, with some feeling it was a fitting sendoff for Kratos, while others felt the scope was too small.

The original God of War trilogy would go on to inspire a lot of action. combo-heavy games, such as the movie-licensed video game adaptation of the 2007 Ghost Rider film, Dante's Inferno in 2010 (the same year as God of War 3's release), and other games that used Quick Time Events to break up long cutscenes or add interactive gameplay elements.

Of course, the Greek God of War trilogy was far from the end for Kratos. Years later, God of War would be rebooted with the 2018 release of God of War (2018). The new saga focused on Norse mythology, a new over-the-shoulder camera and combat system, and a much heavier focus on narrative and character than the original trilogy. Kratos would go from a one-dimensional killing machine to being one of the most beloved modern video game characters.

Plans for the future of the God of War series are a little murky. Since the release of God of War Ragnarok in 2022, developer Sony Santa Monica has been relatively quiet. Recently, it was confirmed that a full remake was in development for the original Greek God of War trilogy. Other than that and the recent release of a prequel called Sons of Sparta, it's been quiet on the video game side of things.

However, there is currently a live-action TV series in the works for Amazon Prime Video to adapt the Norse duology of games. Production is currently underway, and filming is set to wrap on April 7, 2026.