Between the imminent arrival of God of War: Ragnarok on PS5 and PS4 next year, and the anticipated PC port of its 2018 prequel launching just next month, it’s fair to say that Santa Monica Studio is set to have a pretty big 2022. Naturally success like this, and hype in the entertainment industry in general, often leads to different forms of imitation. It’s no surprise in a lot of ways that the God of War series has subsequently spawned some intriguing knock-offs over its storied 16-year history.

One of the most prevalent that’s got the internet talking, at least in recent times, is a mobile game named Chief Almighty. What makes the downloadable title stand out in particular as a knock-off though, isn’t because its developers have copied God of War’s cinematography, gameplay mechanics, or even its epic mythology-infused plot. Instead, Chief Almighty’s marketing campaign has brazenly utilized the cover art for the series’ 2018 soft-reboot, with only minor adjustments.

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What is Chief Almighty

God of War Fan Shows Off Incredible Kratos Vase Replica

Developed by Chinese studio Yotta Games, Chief Almighty shares little in common with Sony’s God of War franchise when it comes to gameplay mechanics, despite the studio’s attempts to invoke the third person action series in its marketing. Stylized instead primarily as a top-down real-time strategy mobile game, players assemble and train a clan of warriors before unleashing them on hordes of ancient prehistoric beasts.The mythology-inspired characters, creatures, and gods that have played a large role in Santa Monica Studio’s rise to stardom are also absent, as Chef Almighty is rooted in the earliest stone age days of the human race.

Slight artistic license has been taken in this department, however, arguably to the game and player’s benefit, as time-inappropriate animals like dinosaurs can frequently be found within Chief Almighty. When players aren’t battling ancient reptiles and warriors over precious resources though, or building up their settlements with said goods, they can also team-up and attack other clan leaders online, tame savage beasts, and even date members of their own tribe. Released initially back in November 2017 on android and iOS, in that time Chief Almighty has seemingly amassed a decent fan base following as it currently sits at a 4.6 out of 5 user score on both platforms.

Chief Almighty’s Cover Art

god of war cover art

What’s made Chief Almighty stand out within the crowded mobile game section of the gaming industry, though, is the downright outrageous marketing that Yotta Games has created to promote its creation. Since its aforementioned release in 2017, all manner of videos have been released and targeted at YouTube viewers and Facebook users in the name of this quest. Some that depict a flesh eating Velociraptor-like dinosaur raising an infant child, for example, stand out as being particularly memorable and bizarre.

This is where the God of War series unexpectedly comes charging into the picture, against Santa Monica Studio or Kratos’ will. In recent months, Yotta Games has utilized a version of the series’ 2018 cover art to promote Chief Almighty online. While it appears as though the image has admittedly been created from scratch and is therefore technically original, it bears an instant and undeniable resemblance to the aforementioned PS4 game. The manner in which everything has been recreated with only slight alterations, and Kratos and Atreus have been replaced by off-brand versions of themselves, truly screams knock-off in every sense of the phrase.

Chief Almighty’s Other Covers

Art for Horizon Zero Dawn

It currently remains to be seen whether or not there will be any legal ramifications for Yotta Games, due to its reinterpretation of Santa Monica Studio’s iconic artwork. Members of the Sony first party studio such as Cory Barlog, for example, have acknowledged the bizarreness of the situation in lighthearted tweets and social media posts. However, it remains to be seen how Sony as a larger corporate entity and business reacts to its trademarks potentially being infringed upon.

Santa Monica Studio’s God of War is far from the only series to receive the Chief Almighty knock-off homage treatment either. Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn cover art, for example has also been recreated by the Chinese studio. Instead of featuring Aloy facing off against a robotic dinosaur, another female hunter is shown battling a Tyrannosaurus Rex taken directly from Jurassic World. Ubisoft’s Far Cry series has also been used to promote Chief Almighty on two occasions, with the covers of Far Cry 3 and Far Cry Primal having both been recreated with other prehistoric-themed twists.

God of War is available on PS4 and comes to PC on January 14, 2022.

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