Forgive me for being a positive, happy man among so many obviously unhappy rabble, but I finally saw Christopher Nolan's. the odyssey In theaters and absolutely loved it. of Homer the odyssey has always been one of my favorite stories, and although I've seen many adaptations of it in my lifetime, Nolan's is, in my opinion, one of the best. From the sheer scale and physicality of the filmmaking to the film's star-studded ensemble, everything captivated me from beginning to end, and left the theater ready to see it again. But as much as I wanted to see the odysseyI couldn't stop thinking about how much I would love to play its modern video game adaptation. And, for me, the most suitable developer for the job is none other than Santa Monica Studios – the acclaimed god of war suffrage
At first, I thought so Kingdom Come: Redemption Developer Warhorse Studio would be a solid choice for one the odyssey video games, but I soon realized that was my own bias. Warhorse has been one of my favorite video game developers over the past 8 years. Kingdom Come: RedemptionAnd the success with its work and sequels just reinforced that all the more. However, Warhorse's approach to game development is too grounded at the moment to make it a good fit the odyssey and its mythological roots. Of course, that might change with its upcoming Middle-earth RPG, but that remains to be seen. god of warSanta Monica, on the other hand, has already shown what it takes to modernize the odyssey A game worth playing, especially when you look at the natural parallels that exist between them god of war and the odyssey.
First, there's the whole Greek thing
The simplest, most basic parallel that can be drawn is between god of war and the odyssey They are both rooted in Greek mythology. Rebooted, of course god of war The series focused on Norse mythology, but it never forgot or outright dismissed the franchise's past, especially when it came to Kratos' character arc. basically, god of war Like Homer's was based on Greek mythology the odyssey is The biggest difference, perhaps, is when Kratos had an original creation god of war series, Odysseus was an established mythological figure long before Homer even wrote ODC.
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Nevertheless, they both draw heavily from Greek mythology for their world-building, characters and stories. What this means for Santa Monica, especially when it comes to creativity the odyssey video game, it has already done the necessary research to get at least the basics of Greek mythology. throughout the original god of war games, the studio turned Mount Olympus, the underworld, ancient cities, legendary temples, and countless mythical creatures into places and creatures that felt believable in the world it created. Santa Monica obviously took a lot of liberties with the source material, but those changes were made with a clear understanding of the myths rather than a shallow familiarity with a few famous names.
The Odyssey was first composed in Homeric Greek in the 8th or 7th century BC, and by the mid-6th century BC, it had become part of the Greek literary canon.
That experience will give Santa Monica a big head start the odyssey. Odysseus' journey is full of gods, monsters, cursed islands, prophetic warnings, and journeys to the land of the dead, all of which would fit naturally within the studio's established wheelhouse. Cyclops, Circe, Calypso, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and even Poseidon himself will not be unfamiliar territory for a developer who has spent years translating Greek mythology into interactive worlds. In other words, Santa Monica doesn't need to figure out how to make an old myth believable as a video game, because it's already proven it can do exactly that.
Then, there's the whole guilt-laden hero thing
But Greek mythology is only part of the reason why Santa Monica is perfect the odyssey Video game. Returning to the reboot of the studio god of war Considering the series, and Nolan's interpretation of Homer's original work, Santa Monica has already given us an incredible story about a warrior haunted by his past, which runs parallel to Nolan's. the odyssey. I know how Nolan originally turned Odysseus into a man that some would call “hygienic” and “weak,” but I'd argue that we have different interpretations of what strength looks like. Also, Odysseus was always an anti-hero, as Kratos was for a while, and such characters are known to be burdened with guilt at some point in their lives for what they believe to be their sins.
I know how Nolan originally turned Odysseus into a man that some would call “hygienic” and “weak,” but I'd argue that we 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 the kind of burden without undermining its protagonist who feels sorry for himself all the time. Crimes of Kratos in the new god of war The games inform nearly every decision he makes, but they never rob him of his power, ability, or capacity for violence. Rather, it gives more meaning to those qualities by forcing him to face the person he is and decide whether he is capable of becoming better. A the odyssey A play focused on Nolan's interpretation of Odysseus could benefit from the same approach, allowing him to remain cunning, dangerous, and larger than life, deeply affected by the war, the people he's lost, and the choices that drag him away from home.
Nolan has already proven that the odyssey It can still feel big, intimate, and emotionally relevant without losing the legendary wonder that has kept it alive for thousands of years. The Santa Monica studio has spent much of its history working with the same materials, from Greek gods and demons to warriors trying to live with the consequences of their past. None of this means the studio is secretly making one the odyssey The game, 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 as a video game.
- issued
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November 9, 2022
- ESRB
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M Blood and gore, intense violence, strong language
