Summary
TheGod of Warfranchise is at a crossroads afterGod of War Ragnarokwrapped up the series' Norse saga, leaving its future open-ended.God of Warfans shouldn’t expect to hear about a new entry in the franchise anytime soon, as Sony has stated they aren’t planning to launch a new entry in any major PlayStation franchises before April 2025. However, when the nextGod of Wargame does rear its head, it could take its battles to the next level while paying homage to the series' roots by taking a page out ofFinal Fantasy 16’s book.
WithGod of War Ragnarokbringing the series' Norse saga to a close, fans have been speculating as to where the next chapter of Kratos' story will take him and what mythology it will be based on. Some popular fan theories include a new saga based on Egyptian mythology or even a return to Greek mythology that allows Kratos to face his past sins. Regardless of the direction this new game takes, it should aim to reach the epic heights ofFinal Fantasy 16with its boss fights, combining the best elements of the series' original saga with the Norse saga.
God of War Should Draw Inspiration from Final Fantasy 16’s Large-Scale Bosses
While theGod of Warfranchise is no stranger to epic, larger-than-life bosses, the enemies Kratos and Atreus faced in the Norse saga tended to trade scale for difficulty. Rather than facing a massive, colossus-like boss likeGod of War 3’s Cronos, this saga’s most intense fights were against enemies closer to Kratos in stature, likeThor, Baldur, and Odin. While these fights typically challenged players' combat skills, they didn’t have the same level of grandeur that some of the series' past bosses did, which the nextGod of Wargame could balance by followingFinal Fantasy 16’s formula.
Although some fans criticized the game for shedding the traditional turn-based identity of the series,Final Fantasy 16proved to be a masterclass in what action RPG combat could look like. The game struck a great balance between requiring precise timing for attacks and dodges in battle without sacrificing the scale of the game’sEikon bosses. This combat design created a high skill ceiling for players looking for an action RPG challenge, while still allowing for the type of cinematic experience that a futureGod of Wargame should try to emulate.
Bosses from Final Fantasy 16 that the Next God of War Should Emulate
PastGod of Warbosses like Poseidon and Cronos have already laid a solid foundation for the series to build upon, but there are several bosses fromFinal Fantasy 16that should serve as inspiration forGod of War’s next saga. One ofFinal Fantasy 16’s most iconic fights is against the Eikon Titan, which features multiple phases as players fight Titan in Clive’s Eikon form before Titan transforms into the massive Titan Lost and players must scale his massive body to defeat it. Although the Cronos fight fromGod of War 3features a similar gimmick, a newGod of Wargame based on Egyptian mythologycould devise a similar boss fight against a god like Osiris.
Another ofFinal Fantasy 16’s best boss fights is against theEikon Bahamut, where players must once again survive a multi-phase battle with this dragon. In addition to the game’s standard combat, this fight will take players through flying segments where they control Phoenix and includes a finale in space where they get to control Ifrit Risen. This type of boss fight would be the perfect inspiration for a battle against Ra in an EgyptianGod of War, as the Egyptian god of the sun would be an ideal foe for an epic showdown high above the planet.
