God of War (upcoming video game)

Gameplay

The gameplay will be vastly different from the previous installments, as it has been rebuilt from the ground up. Although the previous installment, Ascension (2013), introduced multiplayer to the series, this new installment will be single-player-only. The game will feature elements similar to role playing games (RPG), such as archery knowledge points, as well as a Spartan Rage timed-ability during battle. This ability appears to be a new take on the "Rage" ability of the previous installments. There will also be crafting resources for the player to find. The new installment features a third-person, over-the-shoulder free camera, a departure from the previous installments, which featured a third-person, fixed cinematic camera (with the exception of 2007's 2D side-scroller Betrayal).

A major change is that Kratos no longer uses his signature double-chained blades, as he lost these at the conclusion of God of War III (2010). Instead, he now uses a magical battle axe, which can be infused with elemental abilities and thrown at enemies. One instance in the trailer shows the axe being engulfed in ice, to which Kratos hurls at an enemy and magically summons it back to his hand. Game director Cory Barlog said that the axe has a deep rooted history and connection with the characters; it is connected to both the son and his mother. Kratos was also shown to utilize hand-to-hand combat, a feature originally introduced in Ascension. Although players will play as Kratos throughout the entire game, there will be times when the player will passively control Kratos' son, Atreus. One button is dedicated to Atreus and its use depends on the context. Barlog stated that Atreus is "like magic, an additional combat resource, and [the player is] training him and teaching him." Atreus can shoot lightning arrows with his bow, depending on where the player looks. Over the course of the game, Atreus helps in combat, traversal, exploration, and puzzle-solving. When facing a large amount of enemies, he will freely act as a distraction for the weaker enemies as Kratos fights the stronger ones.

The developers claim that they have matched the new gameplay with the same level of accessibility of the previous installments. Barlog confirmed that the game will be open, but it will not be open-world, and quick time events will not be like they were in previous games. The game will not feature any morality system or branching story; all players will have the same story experience. The developers also confirmed that some of the more controversial mini-games found in previous entries will not return.

Setting

While the first seven games were loosely based on Greek mythology, this new installment will be based on Norse mythology. Barlog explained the transition: "it's kind of this BC–AD change over kind of thing. We're moving and starting from zero and kind of moving forward on that." Before settling on Norse mythology, Egyptian mythology was also considered. Barlog said that half of the team was for it, but since "there's a lot more about civilization - it's less isolated, less barren", they decided on the Norse setting because they wanted the focus to stay on Kratos: "Having too much around distracts from that central theme of a stranger in a strange land." In explaining why Kratos is now in the Norse world, Barlog said that different culture's belief systems coexisted, but they were "separated by geography", suggesting that Kratos traveled from Greece to Norway (Scandinavia) after the conclusion of God of War III. Barlog also confirmed that this game predates the Vikings; it is the time in which their gods walked the Earth. Throughout the game, players will be able to visit some of the nine realms of Norse mythology.

Plot

Many years have passed since Kratos took his vengeance against the Olympian gods. Having survived his final encounter with his father Zeus, Kratos now lives with his young son Atreus in the world of the Norse gods, a savage land inhabited by many ferocious monsters and warriors. In order to teach his son how to survive in such a world, Kratos must master the rage that has driven him for many years and embrace his newfound role as a father and mentor.

Development

At the first annual PlayStation Experience on December 6, 2014, Santa Monica Studios's creative director Cory Barlog confirmed that a new God of War was in very early development. He said that the game would not be a prequel, but it might be a reboot. In April 2016, Polygon reported that concept art of the next installment had been leaked. The images showed Kratos in the world of Norse mythology; a concept originally considered by series creator David Jaffe after Kratos eliminated the Greek gods. At E3 2016, the next installment was officially announced with a gameplay demo and confirmed the concept art to be true. The demo showed a fully bearded Kratos, who now has a son, and Kratos is teaching the boy how to hunt. The pair also battle a troll, a creature from the mythology. The end of the demo showed the title God of War and confirmed it is in development for PlayStation 4. E3 also confirmed that Barlog had returned to the series as game director for the new installment. Barlog has been a major contributor in the development of the God of War series since the original installment in 2005, with his prior most notable role being game director of God of War II (2007). This new installment is his fifth God of War game that he has worked on. Barlog stated that the game was deliberately titled God of War with no numeral or subtitle because although it is a continuation of the series, "we are reimagining everything."

Most of the development team that worked on the original God of War is working on the new installment. In regards to the camera change, Barlog said "We wanted a much more intimate experience, a much more up close, and a much more player-controlled experience, so the camera really is a mechanic that we're leaning into heavily for everything in the game." The entire game will be a single shot, meaning there will be no loading screens or fade-to-black. The frame rate will be 30 frames per second, and the enemy count has been increased to up to 100 enemies on-screen; God of War III and Ascension could do up to 50. Unlike the previous games, Santa Monica will not be making a demo specifically for public release. Barlog explained that making another demo would delay the game by a couple of months; he did not mention whether or not the E3 demo would become available. He also confirmed that the game was built for the standard PlayStation 4, but the game "will benefit from the power" of the PlayStation 4 Pro; an updated version of the PlayStation 4 that can render games in 4K and was released a few months after God of War was announced. God of War was absent from the annual PlayStation Experience event in early December 2016, with Barlog promising that "we will be showing something really awesome when it is ready." In late December 2016, Barlog confirmed that the game was playable from start to finish.

Characterization

During early development, there was talk about having a different protagonist for the game, but it was decided to keep Kratos. Referencing the Nintendo character Mario and the Mario games, Barlog said that just like Mario, "Kratos is intrinsically tied" to the God of War series. In regards to the new changes, Barlog said that:

I knew I didn’t want to simply reboot the franchise, starting over with a retelling of the origin story. I wanted to reimagine the gameplay, give players a fresh perspective and a new tactile experience while delving deeper into the emotional journey of Kratos to explore the compelling drama that unfolds when an immortal demigod makes a decision to change.

Barlog explained that Kratos had to change his cycle of violence and learn how to control his rage. He said that Kratos had made many bad decisions, which led to the destruction of Olympus, and wanted to know what would happen if Kratos made a good decision. The birth of Barlog's own son influenced the idea of Kratos' character change. The canceled live-action Star Wars television series was also an influence. The bond between Kratos and his son is at the heart of the game and Barlog said "This game is about Kratos teaching his son how to be a god, and his son teaching Kratos how to be human again." Referencing the Marvel Comics character Hulk, Barlog said that in regards to Kratos, "We've already told the story of The Hulk. We want to tell the story of Banner now." Christopher Judge replaces T.C. Carson as the voice of Kratos in the game; Carson had voiced Kratos since the original God of War. Commenting in response to the change, Carson said, "Sony went in a new direction."

During E3 2016, GameSpot mistakenly reported that Kratos' son's name was Charlie, which Barlog laughingly denied. In January 2017, after a fan downloaded the God of War overture and saw the track's details that said "An introduction to Kratos and Atreus", Barlog confirmed on Twitter that Atreus is in fact the son's name. Barlog said that Atreus knows that Kratos is a demigod, but does not know about his past, and Barlog confirmed that this would not be Kratos' last game. In regards to Atreus' mother, Barlog said they are not talking about her yet, as she is a critical part of the story.

Soundtrack

Bear McCreary, who is best known for his work on television shows, such as Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead, will be scoring God of War, composing all-new themes for the game. McCreary said that he was called into Santa Monica Studio in November 2014 to meet with music producers Pete Scaturro and Keith Leary to discuss "a secret project"; McCreary had previously collaborated with Scaturro and Leary on 2011's SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs. Ideas of folk music, mythology, Nordic ethnic instruments, vocal writing, and classical thematic development were discussed, to which McCreary correctly guessed that the discussions were about a new God of War. He met with Barlog early on, and they discussed Barlog's narrative vision for the game. After meeting with Barlog, he knew the franchise was in good hands because God of War II, which Barlog also directed, was his favorite installment.

McCreary's initial efforts focused on writing the new main theme, or what he calls the Kratos Theme. He spent several months working with Barlog, Scaturro, Leary, Sony music director Chuck Doud, and the rest of the development team in making this new theme. McCreary described the Kratos Theme as "arguably one of my most structurally satisfying and catchy melodies." The main theme features low orchestral instruments, Icelandic choir, deep male vocals, powerful female vocals (in particular Faroese singer Eivør Pálsdóttir), folk percussion, and Nordic stringed instruments, such as the nyckelharpa and hurdy gurdy. When it was decided that God of War would be revealed at E3 2016, Sony wanted McCreary to perform his original score with a live orchestra at the press conference. McCreary opened the show with the new main theme before the unveiling of God of War, and performed the gamplay demo's music live during the presentation.

On January 13, 2017, a live recording from E3 2016 of God of War's overture was released for free for a limited time. Barlog released the overture as a thank you to fans for God of War's E3 2016 trailer reaching fifteen million views on YouTube.

Pre-release

God of War's E3 2016 impressions were positive. Marty Silva of IGN said that although the original trilogy are three of the most influential action games of the past fifteen years, he was never able to connect with the series, mainly because of Kratos. The developing relationship between Kratos and his son and the more intimate experience of the new installment, based on the E3 2016 demo, has changed Silva's attitude and made him care for the series. Peter Brown of GameSpot said that changing the camera was a "smart move" and a change he was hoping for; "it's super impressive." He said the intimate moment between Kratos and his son killing the deer "inspired emotion from me," something that previous installments did not do for him. Alexa Ray Corriea, also of GameSpot, is also glad there is no fixed camera and that players can explore the world. Steve Watts of Shacknews noted that like recent games, it has a theme of parenthood, and that "it's a more thoughtful premise than we've seen from the series, and it allows for narrative possibilities more complex than a deific murder spree."