Gaming News God of War: Before Ragnarok on PS5, here is everyone’s forgotten mobile game!
Do you think you know the God of War saga well? Did you know that a mobile-only episode was released in 2007? If not: we invite you to discover his story here in this article. Here is God of War Betrayal, a 2D action game that fits in your pocket.
On the fringes of Greek and Norse mythology, there is a third world where Kratos came to wield his blades… A world that fits in your pocket! You know God of War Treason ? To date, it is the only official work of the series that has landed on mobile. It’s also the only one in the form of a side-scrolling 2D action game. Its release is dated June 2007, while God of War 2 – released three months earlier – solidifies the baby of Santa Monica as the new benchmark for beat ’em all action. But as Chains of Olympus gets ready on PSP, it’s its close cousin who will take over the light. Because yes, Betrayal is a very good game, IGN even called it “a real third chapter” for the God of War franchise at the time.
A great technical challenge
You have to imagine the thing! Broadcast all the energy and brutality of Kratos with mobile phones no stronger than a few hundred kilobytes. In June 2007 the first iPhone just saw the light of day… So it’s a big challenge waiting for Sony Online Entertainment (now Daybreak Game Company). It is then a modest branches from the famous Japanese company – responsible for the development of cheap experiments with Sony Pictures licenses. His closeness to PlayStation prompted him to work on God of War. The goal: to create a game in six months.
Don’t panic, these days it’s more or less the usual time to develop a mobile title. Which doesn’t mean it was a foregone conclusion. “Betrayal, (the challenge, ed.) was about everything to do with Kratos’ looks,” summarizes Phil Cohen, the project’s producer, of an old one interview. “Whether it’s the animations, the abilities, or the combat that everyone wants to find.” What’s debatable is the lack of power that affects every other element of God of War Betrayal, be it the design of puzzles, traps, the interaction with levels or behavior of enemies.
companion of choice
Fortunately, Sony Online Entertainment is well supported, especially with the presence of the Javaground team at its side! As the name suggests, it knows the Java platform on which God of War Betrayal is developed inside out. In the same interview, Phil Cohen states that the company provides him with “the best possible set of mobile tools”. Of course, without Javaground, Kratos wouldn’t feel so comfortable on the 2007 phones! But his help is also important to ensure that hundreds of ports
The versions (of God of War Betrayal, ed.) for high-end mobile phones were completed in 9 months! We finished the last builds for low-end devices in the next 2 months (…) After that the porting team ported the game to over 200 phones within weeks – Phil Cohen, Producer of God of War Betrayal
Javaground isn’t the only guardian angel who has overseen the development of God of War Betrayal. As you can imagine, Santa Monica got involved. David Jaffe, director of the first installment, and Cory Barlog, director of God of War 2 (later from the 2018 reboot), ensured Sony Online captured the “feel” and “visual style” of the license, notes Phil Cohen. Even dear Eric Williams, who maintains God of War Ragnarok to this day, kept a close eye on the battles. “We also had the opportunity to work with Marianne Krawczyk, the series’ writer,” the man continues.
A real God of War game?
All in all, the story of Betrayal is officially part of Kratos’ adventures! The mobile game’s action takes place between the first two episodes – presumably after Ghost of Sparta – as the hero searches for the assassin of the goddess Hera’s pet. A heinous act he is accused of, warming the minds of the gods. One in the other he must kill Ceryx (one of the two bosses of the adventure), the son of Hermes! Which contributes to the fireworks of violence in the very good God of War 3. The assassin, for his part, will remain untraceable forever.
It may be the work of the gods, but yes, God of War Betrayal is a success. The media IGN will go for 9/10, acknowledging the project’s fidelity with the Santa Monica baby. The same story from GamesRadar (4/5). It’s very simple, the software is beautiful, incredibly well animated compared to the competition, pleasant to handle – and all the hallmarks of the franchise are there: hemoglobin, puzzles, combos, even QTE! All with the weapons and items of the first part (Blades of Chaos and Artemis, Gaze of Medusa, etc.). Everything isn’t perfect, of course, but it’s more than enough for God of War Mobile. Also note that the game is still available (here) on old-school phones with Java. Side life, it’s about an hour.