Sony Santa Monica Studio’s next game is reportedly a high-fantasy story featuring wizards and magic.
This exciting new project from the God of War team was leaked from a 4chan thread, so fans should take this with a grain of salt. What makes this leak compelling is early concept art of actress Debra Wilson in tribal attire, complete with face tattoos and a saber-tooth skull draped over her shoulders.
Details about the game’s setting reveal that this will be a science-fantasy story set in the distant future, where humanity has regressed to a medieval-era civilization. Magic exists, but it’s controlled through a device akin to a nuclear reactor — one of the last remnants of humanity’s golden age. A faction of dark wizards are attacking the game's central kingdom, with plans to summon a space demon for reasons unknown.
While the scale of this fantasy world remains unclear, the story appears to draw inspiration from popular fantasy works, including those of Brandon Sanderson, Brent Weeks, Robert Jordan, and George R.R. Martin.
This new title will feature a female protagonist, with themes revolving around race, status, and politics. Debra Wilson’s character is said to play a significant role as an NPC, guiding the protagonist in her struggle against oppression.
Debra Wilson has made a career resurgence acting in video games, so seeing her in this project indicates good things. She has also appeared in Destiny 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The actress will also be Queen Michelle in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
This leak aligns with a previous report from four years ago. Sony Santa Monica was searching for talent to help develop “rule sets for fantasy-based worlds." They're also looking for artists capable of rendering “realistic and believable fantasy-based characters, creatures, and props using contemporary industry-standard tools and techniques.”
After the live-service God of War game was canceled, it's good to see Sony Santa Monica work on something different. Rumors claim that they're working on a God of War title set in Egypt, so Kratos' adventures aren't over yet.