Revision and interpretation of mythology in the God of War video game series: a religious studies analysis
The article explores how mythology persists in secular mass culture and how video games become a space of contemporary mythmaking. Drawing on the God of War franchise (2005-2022), it analyzes the revision of Ancient Greek and Norse mythologies in an interactive medium that not only narrates myths but invites players to experience them as participants. The study’s novelty is a comparative reading of the entire series – from the Greek cycle to the Norse reboot – within the frameworks of religious studies and game studies. Methodologically, it combines comparative-historical and hermeneutic perspectives with narrative/content analysis of in-game texts, correlated with classical and Eddic sources. The results show that the “Greek” cycle is dominated by the theme of the struggle against the gods and the radical desacralization of the Olympians: the deities are portrayed as morally problematic figures whose overthrow is both justified and tragic, as it disrupts the cosmic order. The Norse cycle continues the trend of demythologizing the gods, but places greater emphasis on ethical issues and the theme of responsibility: the conflict with fate and the attempt to break the cycle of violence are explored through the relationship between Kratos and Atreus/Loki and a reevaluation of the trickster’s role. The article concludes that God of War both popularizes mythic material and remythologizes it by creating a coherent new myth aligned with post-secular values (choice, guilt and atonement, family solidarity), highlighting the quasi-religious potential of video-game experience.
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