As part of their month long coverage of God of War, Game Informer released an interview with Creative Director Cory Barlog and Sony Santa Monica Studio Head Shannon Studstill that talked a little bit about the new Norse era and how it allows for a change in not only the setting, but also in Kratos himself. He doesn’t need to be stuck in the bitter anger and vengeful mission that he’s been on for more than a decade.
Early on in the interview, Barlog and Studstill says that this God of War is an evolution of the series. It’s the next chapter–or era–in Kratos’ life, and because reboot or reimagining imply going back to start over and re-explore origins, they are hesitant to call it either of those, despite how different this game is from previous God of War titles. “The Greek games were sort of the Greek era of God of War. Moving on, the next mythological belief system he interacts with will be that era as well, so it became the Norse era of God of War,” Barlog says. “But we may end up going on to the Eqyptian era and the Mayan era, and so on and so forth. So many different eras we can potentially go to.”
“It’s also the era in which he becomes a father,” Studstill adds, asserting that God of War isn’t just about a change in setting, but a change in Kratos as well. Game Informer does bring up that Kratos was previously a father (his ash-white skin being a constant reminder of his failure in that regard), and Barlog says that this one is for real, without him being a “jerk” this time.
God of War was pitched as different to help the game escape from the vengeful anti-hero tale that had become the rut of the God of War franchise. Fans–and even the developers at the studio–began to question whether there was anything left for the angry Kratos to do in Greek mythology. With a shift in setting comes a shift in Kratos, and that’s why the overall tone of this game is quite different from what we’ve come to expect from God of War. Barlog wanted to take a character that many believed to not be redeemable and get them to a point where you are rooting for them. Based on his comments, we can likely expect Kratos’s journey in God of War to be one of redemption rather than unrequited vengeance and anger.
How do you think future God of War eras could evolve Kratos’s character? Where and when would you like to see God of War sequels take place? Some new God of War gameplay details have been revealed, along with story hints and confirmation of unlockable costumes.
[Source: Game Informer]
