God of War is a series that has been PlayStation royalty ever since the series’ inception in 2005. The series is still as relevant as it was then, with a well-timed reboot released in 2018. It was most certainly one that players were hoping for, and it switched some things up in the franchise but kept its spirit intact.
Now, since the reboot, despite being very different from the original series developed by the same studio, it was almost guaranteed to be a hit. Firstly, because it was a title from the God of War series, and it continued the story despite being rebooted.
Every gamer who has stuck with PlayStation since the sixth generation of consoles was optimistic about its success. But it turns out that the 2018 title, widely regarded as one of the greatest in the PlayStation 4 console lineup, was not always expected by the studio and the stakeholders to be the grand success it was.
God of War Wasn’t Always Expected to Take the Industry by Storm
Contrary to what people would believe, the title that was very well received by both critics and players eventually was initially one that the makers were a little skeptical about. The title won various accolades, including the prestigious Game of the Year award at The Game Awards, the gold standard of video game awards.
The title was released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 in 2018. It was released in the same year as many other great titles, like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Red Dead Redemption 2. So, the game’s win was not guaranteed since the playing field had a lot of excellent contenders playing alongside it.
The title has a fantastic rating of 94 and a shiny badge on Metacritic, indicating that the game has received universal acclaim. The game’s creative director, Cory Barlog, spoke to the popular website Venture Beat, about its success and impact.
Speaking about the game’s progression, Cory Barlog said:
We’re going to start, and we’re not going to explain everything right away…We’re going to give you really powerful moments that feel important, but you don’t understand why. That way you’ll look back and they’ll have even more weight.
The game was also focused on the narrative and the father-son bond between Atreus and Kratos. The game begins with Kratos and Atreus beginning their journey to scatter Kratos’ wife, Faye’s, ashes. Cory Barlog stated that the game was intended to ensure that Kratos’ maturation was explored in depth. The minor nuances in the game focusing on the bond and dynamic that Kratos and Atreus share added life to it.
From Kratos not even being able to embrace Atreus as he hunts his first deer to the father-son duo drinking wine for the first time and exchanging a wholesome moment. The game succeeds in portraying their equations’ dynamism.
Speaking of the creative choices that the studio had to make, Cory Barlog elaborated on the design process to reboot a game franchise that had been dormant for five years. He stated that Yumi Yang, the head of Sony Santa Monica, and Shannon Studstill, the two team members, ensured that the process of the game’s development was more straightforward.
Talking about how the executives reacted to the various ideas proposed by Barlog and the company, he stated that they wanted to ensure the game was up to par. They would say things like,
Nothing’s being shown. Are you guys messing this up? You’re messing this up. This is terrible.
The creator also opened up about how some groups within the team wanted to do away with Kratos entirely, as many people found the character obnoxious and felt like it was the end of the line for him. Despite the different opinions from everyone on the team, Barlog was the director of one of the most cinematically gorgeous and gameplay-wise phenomenal games for the PlayStation 4. The game also paved the way for Ragnarök., the fantastic sequel to a great reboot.
What did you think of God of War (2018) and the following sequel? Do you think the next title will go in the same direction or switch things up again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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