Santa Monica Studio’s God of War which was released in 2018 was a drastic step for the studio and the franchise. It took major risks, guts, dedication, and passion to bear this idea into fruition. The efforts of the team behind it paid off, to say the least. In the end, the game was an incredible commercial success and received critical acclaim from both fans and critics.
A game as well-thought-out and as well-made as this usually entails an interesting (if sometimes rocky) development cycle, however. But regardless, the people behind the project were passionate enough to see it through to the end, and that journey yielded no shortage of interesting tidbits and stories.
10 David Jaffe Was Originally Slated To Direct
David Jaffe, the director of the very first God of War game and the creator of the franchise, was originally slated to direct this one as well but was unavailable to do the project. Thankfully, Cory Barlog, co-director of the second God of War and creative director at Santa Monica Studios, was happy to fill in the role.
The entire premise of the latest God of War title can be attributed to the former director’s idea, though. It was he who first considered the idea of Kratos crossing swords with the gods of Norse mythology after having defeated the Greek gods. So, Santa Monica Studios ran with this plan and pushed forward with the project, with Cory Barlog at the helm.
9 Why They Went With A Complete Reimagining
To say that the latest God of War game took a completely different direction from the previous ones is a massive understatement. According to game director Cory Barlog, in order to justify returning to the franchise, reviving, and expanding upon Kratos’ story, they needed to do something bold. So, they did a major overhaul. This change was countered more than once, from executives, team members, and even fans. At one point, a hashtag saying #NotMyGodOfWar was even trending. This never phased Cory Barlog, though.
8 A Different Protagonist Was Considered
It’s very hard to imagine a God of War game without Kratos at the front and center. He is the titular character, after all. Oddly enough, there were considerations of removing Kratos from the game altogether and replacing him with a completely different character.
Apparently, there were talks of Kratos being unfit for modern media. He was apparently too “annoying” to be accepted by today’s gamers. No matter how that discussion went, it’s fair to say the game was better off with Kratos at the forefront, alongside his son. His relationship with Atreus and the theme of family and redemption is ultimately what makes the game so compelling.
7 Egyptian Mythology Was Considered As A Backdrop
After Kratos had essentially wiped out most of the inhabitants of the Greek pantheon, the creators of the franchise knew they had to place Kratos in a completely different environment if they want to move his story forward. Obviously, he now roams the world of Midgard and the story, in the end, was perfect, but there were other mythologies on the table for Kratos to explore as well.
One of the frontrunners for this was Egyptian mythology. According to Barlog, a lot of the members of the team were actually on board with this idea. They ultimately decided on Norse mythology as they thought Egyptian mythology would have been too crowded for Kratos and it wouldn’t have fit the idea of a “stranger being in a strange land.”
6 The Father & Son Angle Wasn’t Initially Popular
In this new God of War game, Kratos’ son, Atreus, plays just as big of a role as his father in this story. Many can even argue that the new game is more of Atreus’ story than his father’s. It all worked out well in the end. People ended up loving Atreus and his dynamic with his father. However, things weren’t always so bright for young Atreus. At one point, he was almost cut out of the story.
Actually, there were many calls for cutting him out of the game altogether. Many were afraid that the game would end up being like a long escort mission, which if history is to be considered, isn’t really a formula for success. Thankfully, Santa Monica opted to keep Atreus and made him work.
5 A “Personal” Project
According to Cory Barlog, this particular project felt very personal to him. In fact, he’s not the only one who shares this sentiment. A lot of the people who worked on this game also worked on the previous God of War games. While they were young back then, they found themselves as adults with families now. Particularly, adults with children. The relationship between Kratos and Atreus resonated deeply with many members of the team behind the game. The actor behind Kratos, Christopher Judge, called this project “an apology to his children.”
4 One-Shot
One of the most impressive aspects of the game is its seemingly one-shot take. Prior to the development of God of War, something like this has never been seen in-game before. While this is an incredibly ambitious and impressive aspect to attain, it was also incredibly daunting as they had no point of reference to work on. They had to learn everything themselves, made sure everything worked and ensured it meshed well with the gameplay.
This is just one of the many aspects of the game many initially doubted, questioned, even flat-out disbelieved. It is also one of the many aspects of the game the team was able to power through and succeed. In the end, it became one of the most highly praised features of the game.
3 They Considered Leaving The Blades of Chaos Out
One of the most memorable and emotional moments of the game comes when Kratos had to revisit his past and wield a weapon he vowed to never touch again. He now has to do so not for himself, but for the sake of his son. This inclusion ultimately made the game so much better than it already was, but there were discussions on whether or not they should include this moment and this weapon in the game.
The team had worked on the Leviathan Axe for so long that it almost felt impossible to incorporate another weapon into the game. According to Barlog, they had only started working on the Blades of Chaos after working on the axe for four years.
2 It Had Surprising Influences
Cory Barlog and the team behind the game have cited numerous titles that influenced the direction of God of War. According to Barlog, he was heavily influenced by FromSoftware and its popular titles, Dark Souls and Bloodborne, when it came to crafting the game’s combat mechanics, level design, and even the more subtle elements of its storytelling. They also turned to Naughty Dog and Guerrilla Games on advice on how to properly integrate Atreus into the game without making it feel like a chore. Cory Barlog personally took inspiration from the Resident Evil series and how it was able to reinvent the franchise not once, but twice with Resident Evil 4 in 2005 and Resident Evil 7 in 2017.
1 Some Were Confused About The Casting
The casting for Atreus actually came pretty early. On casting the character, the team behind the game was advised to cast an adult to play Atreus, as casting a 9-year-old actor for a five-year project could prove problematic. However, when Cory Barlog met Sunny Suljic, he immediately knew he was going to be Atreus.
Casting Kratos proved a little more complicated. Terrence C. Carson, the original voice of Kratos, had to be recast because the production called for someone who more closely resembles Kratos’ physique. Christopher Judge ultimately landed the role, with the team saying he was perfect for his build, voice, and his chemistry with Sunny.
Most of the actors that ended up working on the game initially thought they were going to play in a movie. Christopher Judge said he thought the script felt like a movie and Sunny said the same. Freya actress Danielle Bisutti actually thought she was auditioning for Game of Thrones.
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