Many AAA developers now have at least one blockbuster franchise in their arsenal that they can pull from endlessly for new installments, but PlayStation has always been known to hoist its franchise mascots onto pedestals.The Last of Us’ shattering of that mascot protagonist moldin its sequel brought on the divisive wrath of some fans, for example, while franchises likeGod of Warhave clung to their solitary mascots for almost two decades.God of Warin particular is enthralling to assess since it’s been the only IP endeavor thatSanta Monica Studiohas been able to conceive and perpetuate. The franchise then had a refurbished revival in 2018 and its sequel followed it with the conclusion to its Norse mythology saga, but Santa Monica’s future may be much busier.
It would seem like allfirst-party PlayStation studiosare being tapped lately to develop a handful of games at a time, whether that’s to capitalize on a franchise’s brand loyalty or to allow creative freedom while also putting out the IP that put them on the map, at least from a modern perspective. This is where remakes come in since it gives new fans an opportunity to onboard into the IP and transition seamlessly into a new entry thereafter. Insomniac Games has been spread as thin as any developer imaginable in the last decade, demonstrating incredible versatility in new and established IPs and being able to put them out at a remarkable rate. Now, like Insomniac and other PlayStation studios, Santa Monica could be similarly spread across different ambitions.
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If the particularly angledGod of War Ragnarokconclusionis any clear sign of what fans can look forward to, Santa Monica seemingly has three prospective titles planned or in development: a sequel toGod of War Ragnarokstarring Kratos in Midgard, a sequel or spin-off toGod of War Ragnarokstarring Atreus in whichever mythology he has trekked to, anda new IP that is unrelated toGod of Warand has yet to be announced.
Based on these three potential games alone,Santa Monicahas a lot on its plate. That’s nothing new for a studio such as Insomniac, though, who has for the last little while been swept up inRatchet and Clank,Marvel’s Spider-Man, andMarvel’s Wolverine. It seems likeRatchet and Clankwill be taking a backseat for Insomniac’s Marvel outings in the near future, but either way, the developer has demonstrated an unmatched degree of quality and frequency with its last several releases.
Insomniac has earned itself an incredible amount of goodwill based on how well-received its last few games have been, and Santa Monica has an even more daunting task ahead of it as it branches out into original IP territory for the first time sinceGod of War’s inception in 2005. This gives it an extensive leash since it is absolutely unexpected what Santa Monica could choose to dip its toes into, but its latestGod of Warentries give it a high bar to have to clear for a new IP.
God of War’s upcoming live-action adaptationwill also be a whole undertaking and cement that franchise as a staple that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but it would be fantastic to see Santa Monica have an opportunity to stretch its legs, too. Studios certainly shouldn’t need to compete with Insomniac or potentially even Naughty Dog in terms of development and games output, butSanta Monica Studioseems like its hands are equally full at the moment, and it will be interesting to see how it handles that output compared to Insomniac.
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