Zack stared at the final game screen with his mouth hanging open, completely stunned.
He was actually pretty used to Nebula Games killing off their main characters.
Every year, if a few main characters or important figures didn't die in their games, he'd start wondering if Boss Lucas was feeling a bit off.
Arthur Morgan, Soap, Roach, Ghost, who were all in heaven now, and more recently Ethan, Ezio, Elizabeth...
These were all clear examples. So if Kratos had just died, Zack wouldn't have been all that surprised.
And given Kratos's incredibly wild personality, it was actually pretty predictable that he'd end up destroying himself in the end.
But this final shot clearly suggested that Kratos wasn't dead.
This made Zack feel a mix of surprise and a little confusion.
The surprise came because, honestly, Zack hadn't really liked Kratos at first. He was too much of a crazy character.
Looking at what Kratos did at the start of the game, he was nothing but a complete villain.
But as the story progressed and Zack learned about Kratos's life, manipulated by the gods, he started to feel a bit sorry for the mad character.
You could say Kratos, the maddest character in gaming history, was only born because of what the Olympian gods did.
Compared to Kratos, those high-and-mighty Olympian gods were far more hateful.
Plus, as the player controlling Kratos, you naturally saw things from a victim's point of view and couldn't help but feel a bit of affection for him.
He had to admit, playing God of War towards the end really gave players a sense of dread.
Because in the third game, Kratos truly seemed to have lost all humanity, turning into a machine of vengeance, until he finally committed suicide to return hope to the world.
This act of transcendence by Kratos deeply moved the players.
They felt he could definitely be considered one of the most heroic protagonists from Nebula Games, or even in gaming history.
He wasn't dead, which was good news.
But what was really bothering Zack was the question of whether the game would get a sequel.
After all, this was a pretty common open ending. You could see it as Kratos dying, and you could also see it as him not dying.
If it were another game company, Zack figured it might just end there.
Many companies would find it hard to kill off a series' main character, but Nebula Games was different. They had already killed off more than ten protagonists.
One more Kratos wouldn't make a difference, and neither would losing him.
So if they really wanted to kill Kratos, Zack figured Nebula Games wouldn't use such an open ending. They'd probably just stab you through the gut with a knife, no messing around.
But now they were playing coy with the players, like it was intentional.
The real problem was, if there was a sequel, who would Kratos kill?
There weren't many Olympian gods left, only famous ones like Aphrodite, goddess of love, and Athena, goddess of wisdom.
Also, God of War 3 had pushed the boundaries of violent aesthetics to the extreme. If they went further, Zack felt it would be counterproductive.
Given all that, would there really be a sequel to God of War?
Zack doubted it.
In fact, it wasn't just Zack. All the players who had fully experienced the God of War trilogy had the same question.
On forums and related communities, while God of War's popularity remained sky-high, players were also hotly debating the series.
'I feel like Kratos probably died in the end, right? It's the God of War trilogy, and by the final installment, Kratos had already slaughtered all the Greek gods. There's no one left for him to kill?'
'+1, I also feel this is just a standard open ending, and there probably won't be a sequel. This installment really pushed the boundaries of violent aesthetics to its limit, and it would be hard to surpass it.'
'Yeah, that's true. Actually, I feel like God of War 3 already went a bit too far with the violence. Especially introducing the victim's perspective made me really feel Kratos's madness. If they want to keep building on violent aesthetics, I think a fourth game would actually be counterproductive.'
'Maybe not necessarily? Even if they can't break new ground in violent aesthetics, I think they can still delve deeper into the combat system. And God of War's dark mythological style is also quite deep.'
'Deep? What's deep about God of War? Isn't it just killing from start to finish? It's a pure hack-and-slash game.'
'Caught a player who hasn't actually played in the wild. God of War is a hack-and-slash game? Try playing on a higher difficulty before saying that. And while God of War's story isn't as deep as BioShock's, the presentation is still explosive.'
'Exactly. And with the Greek gods all dead, can't Kratos just go explore somewhere else?'
Players on community forums were having a lively debate.
Players who believed Kratos didn't die and that God of War would have a sequel had their arguments.
And players who believed Kratos had died and the God of War trilogy was over also had their reasons.
Of course, there were also many players who took the opportunity to stir up trouble and badmouth God of War.
But these individuals were quickly targeted and criticized by both sides.
Anyone who had played God of War could clearly understand what made the game so brilliant.
The epic battles against gods and monsters, combined with the game's presentation, were incredibly explosive.
In terms of the combat system, considering the use of various spells and equipment for different situations, and how to stylishly defeat enemies, these were all part of God of War's gameplay.
It might not seem like much just watching it, but when you play it yourself, you realize it's a completely different experience.
For two consecutive days, players who had played God of War were arguing non-stop online.
Until Nebula Games and Lucas's official Weibo accounts released a video less than 30 seconds long.
After a brief black screen, the trunk of a thick tree appeared on screen.
There was a golden handprint marking on the tree. Beside the tree, a bald, bearded, middle-aged strong man with red tattoos stood, holding an axe and gazing intently at the tree.
Kratos!
Almost every player recognized him instantly.
But unlike the Kratos who, upon his first appearance, brutally killed Hydra and furiously slew Poseidon, this Kratos looked haggard and old.
Bandages wrapped around the arms that were once bound by the Leviathan Axe's chains. He swung the axe with force.
As the tree fell, the screen went black.
Countless players stared at the short 30-second video, completely stunned.
There was no doubt this was Nebula Games' answer to their ongoing debate.
It meant that after the God of War trilogy, Kratos had not died, and there would indeed be a sequel.
But the real crucial question was: is this still Kratos?
Is this still the Kratos who was so incredibly insane?
Why had Kratos become so old?
Countless questions and curiosities flooded the minds of players.
(End of Chapter)
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